Luke 1:11-17 (An angel appears to Zacharias before the birth of John the Baptist, to tell him what will happen in future.)
And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
And he shall go before HIM (before Jesus) in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
This is one of the things prophets do today: To make ready a people prepared for the coming of Jesus.
Before the first coming of Jesus, the prophet, John the Baptist did this.
Today, NT prophets do the same thing. The prophet brings correction to the church to cause repentance before the day of judgment that comes with the second coming of Jesus.
II Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
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Jesus told his disciples, four things the Holy Spirit would do for them.
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
The Holy Spirit does the following for us:
* He teaches us all things (John 14:26)
* He reminds us of all that Jesus has said. (John 14:26)
* He guides us into all truth. (John 16:13)
* He shows us things to come. (John 16:13)
The Holy Spirit does the following for us:
* He teaches us all things (John 14:26)
* He reminds us of all that Jesus has said. (John 14:26)
* He guides us into all truth. (John 16:13)
* He shows us things to come. (John 16:13)
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There are times, God chooses to show us things to come. Often this is by dreams. Sometimes it is through an open vision.
I fell at my house in Texas on December 6, 2018.
After surgery, in the hospital, I "saw" one of our church group standing at the foot of my hospital bed. She didn't say a word. She just looked at me, then turned her back to me, and disappeared through the wall.
They had been giving me many drugs at that time so I thought what I saw was a vision caused by drugs.
A few weeks after this, that church person came to the rehabilitation hospital. She said to me she no longer cared about anything (anyone) anymore. She said she no longer read the Bible nor our church blog.
I responded, "But what will become of you if you walk away from things of God?"
She replied: "I don't want to talk to you about this."
What is left to talk about if you can't talk to a minister of God about things of God?
About that time a nurse came into the room to do something.
The church woman took this as her opportunity to depart. She went into the bathroom in my room, and then began to sneak out the door of my room.
I saw her and called to her asking her to wait.
She disappeared without a word to me.
When this happened I knew what I had seen that day after surgery was not drug related from the pain medicine they had been giving me, but was God showing me what this woman was going to do.
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Herod planned to kill the apostle Peter as he had previously killed James, because Herod saw this pleased the Jews.
Acts 12:1-11 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did.
And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent HIS angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison.
And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And so he did.
And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me.
And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision.
When they were past the first and the second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city; which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street; and forthwith the angel departed from him.
And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent HIS angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews.
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Here is another supernatural experience from God.
Acts 9:1-6 And Saul (Paul), yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
And he said, Who art thou, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
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Later Paul appears before king Agrippa and tells him the following concerning this heavenly vision.
Acts 26:9-19 I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.
And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being
exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities.
Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,
At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
And I said, Who art thou, Lord?
And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in ME.
Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
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In 1975, shortly after I was born again, I was asleep in the night. God transported me into heaven.
I was with God, with Jesus, with the Holy Spirit. (I saw no images. It was in the Spirit.)
At that time, I was merged into the body of Jesus, made one with the Word of God ... God and the Holy Spirit witnessing.
A few nights after this, the exact same thing happened a second time.
After that I was really on fire for things of God, for Bible, for the church.
I see supernatural happenings in the Bible. I do not think it strange that such would happen today if God chooses to do such.
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Moses burning bush ...
Exodus 3:1-10 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses.
And he said, Here am I.
And HE said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
Moreover HE said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto ME: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth MY people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
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Isaiah 46:10-11 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, MY counsel shall stand, and I will do all MY pleasure:
Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth MY counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.
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