Tag Archives: Holy Spirit
THE TOMORROW WORLD WITH CHRIST
I try to follow Christ and not put myself in front of Him and ask Him to bless everything I want to do. I pray that Jesus shows me the plan He has for me to follow for it is sure that I can do nothing without Him. (John 15:5) So far I have spent 68 years with Jesus and it is almost a lifetime. The years of my life are getting very short and I hope and pray that I helped people to know Christ. I believe that that is the highest level of service I can achieve in the plan that God has for me while I am still in this corruptible body. God tells me in the bible that I will see Jesus as He is and I will be as He is. (1 John 3:2) What a wonderful hope that is. Many people become broken and mourn for their loved ones who die and that is OK. (Ecclesiastes 3:4) But I have a promise from God that I have eternal life in me and my citizenship is already in heaven and this old corruptible body will return to the dust of the ground but my inward body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit will remain for eternity. (2 Corinthians 4:16) To leave this temporary physical life and be with Christ is the greatest hope of all. I look forward to it! What a blessing and what a great day that will be. I look forward to meeting all of you in that tomorrow world!
BUILDING STONES FOR CHRIST
Have you become petrified or, are you a living, building stone for Christ?
Christians are all part of the body of Christ and have an important role to play in God’s plan. Ask Jesus everyday what He wants you to do? Seek His guidance in everything. Be a useful stone in the building of the Church. Even in the wilderness the Israelites relied on a Spiritual Rock.
1 Cor. 10:3-5 All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. FOR THEY DRANK OF THAT SPIRITUAL ROCK THAT FOLLOWED THEM, AND THAT ROCK WAS CHRIST!
When Christ started His ministry and began building His Church, He selected twelve apostles to train in building His Church. Jesus chose Peter as the chief apostle and rock of the Church to start His building!
Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church.
The Church has grown in two thousand years to about two billion Christians on the earth. It is still growing as you the building stones of the Church are spreading the gospel of salvation to reach the lost of the world.
Again I ask are you petrified or are you a living stone for Christ? Are you using your life to reach others who are lost? Are you planting and watering so God can give the increase? That is what He commands!
1 Corinthians 3:6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.
Ephesians 2:20 Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF BEING THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE. Thess. 1: 6 You became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, WITH JOY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Be moved by the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit dwells in you! Let Him use you as a fruitful building stone for Christ.
MYSTERY OF MAN’S PURPOSE
God made a time for everything! Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.
From the beginning to the end! WOW! The historical lifetime of man is extremely short compared to the lifetime of God! Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
God has a great and Holy Plan by which He created the heavens and the earth and created man to inhabit the earth. So the age old question that has been asked: “What is man and what is his purpose?” The purpose is a great mystery that is now revealed by the Holy Spirit to those in Christ! God created man for an extremely high and holy purpose, but He left it to man to decide whether he wanted to partake of His glory. So what has man done with the earth he has inherited? He has just about totally polluted it. The earth, air, water, sound, etc. you name it and man has tainted and contaminated it. Man’s understanding of things from above is polluted and perverted as well. God wants to share His glory with those who choose to do so through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
1Peter 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an INHERITANCE INCORRUPTIBLE AND UNDEFILED and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
The Holy Spirit in Christ Jesus changes everything by making anyone who chooses Christ and is born again into new life an INHERITOR of the Kingdom of God. They will receive a new body, name, residence, job, eternal life, a great reward, is a king and priest, sharing the glory and throne of God!
HOW MUCH GREATER CAN A PURPOSE BE?
HOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR BAPTISM?
Have you ever observed someone being baptized and heard the pastor make a statement that baptism is not important and that you are not saved by baptism that it is only a symbol of publicly receiving Christ as your Savior? I have and I always wondered why they felt that they had to tell everyone this every time they baptized someone as if they might do something wrong if they didn’t. I have thought on this subject many times and have always wondered about it!
The bible teaches that there are certain important major Church doctrines that we ought to obey. In the book of Hebrews God very thoroughly explains to us what the “new covenant” is all about. The church of God is no longer under the old covenant after the order of the Levitical Priesthood as given to Israel by Moses. We are now under the Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek! Our high priest is Jesus Christ who is from the tribe of Judah which was never even mentioned by Moses that there would be a priesthood other than the Levitical Priesthood. Now Christ teaches us in the bible that there are new covenant doctrines that we need to learn and follow. Hebrews 6: 1-2 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the DOCTRINE OF BAPTISMS, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
I believe that Jesus Christ is the author of the Holy Bible and that it is the infallible truth of God! When He makes it a point to tell us about the major doctrine of baptism in context with the resurrection of the dead we need to pay attention and understand what Jesus is saying! When God sent His Holy Spirit down to the earth to inhabit the hundred and twenty believers on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-4 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit… Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire) the Apostles went out and started preaching to the multitude of people in Jerusalem and the very first thing Peter told them in Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be BAPTIZED in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. WHEN YOU ARE BAPTIZED YOU RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT! Don’t you think that makes baptism rather important to a Christian? But always remember that with God all things are possible! If He chooses to give you His Holy Spirit some other way He can but you still need to be baptized. (Acts 10:44-48 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord).
I encourage anyone who has not done so, to get on your knees and ask God what baptism is all about and He will answer and lead you into a life so wonderful and will infuse you with a new power that you never knew existed. Jesus changes everything! SEEK HIM NOW!
HOW DO YOU KNOW THERE IS ETERNAL LIFE?
ETERNAL LIFE MEANS ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED OR THERE WOULD BE NO ETERNAL LIFE!
There are those who teach that a believer could fall from grace and lose his salvation and they search for different translations, commentaries to find verses that say what they want it to say rather than what God ordained it to say. There is nothing wrong with using these various materials for research of God’s Truth but all too often it is manipulated. It is the Holy Spirits job to give us understanding of what Jesus teaches and to reveal the Truth. Millennialism has a real problem accepting the old ancient ways of the Bible.
UNDERSTAND THAT ETERNAL LIFE IS NOT ETERNAL LIFE IF IT IS NOT ETERNAL LIFE!
John 10:28 And I give them eternal life; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life.
Eternal life is a gift Jesus gives when one receives Jesus into their heart (Romans 6:23 The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.) an confesses that he is a sinner.
1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
Romans 10:9-13 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
To those who are trying so hard to sound so intellectual and theological to the point they actually say and believe that no one can understand the Bible unless someone like themselves explains it to them. However, the Bible tells plainly what God has to say about why He uses preachers.
1 Corinthians 1:18-21 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
The Bible always explains itself and reveals to our hearts what God wants us to know.
Hebrews 10:16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,”
Dear heavenly Father write upon the fleshly table of our hearts Your spiritual truths and revelations as You promised You would thousands of years ago and even now in the new covenant according to Your own Word write your truth in our hearts and minds revealing Your glory to us individually. In Jesus name, amen!
WHAT IS FAITH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
Let’s look at a brief definition of these two Christian virtues. The key word here is “brief” as the complete Holy bible is about faith and righteousness.
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Faith is a secure and unquestioning belief in God, a trusting acceptance of God’s will and truth.
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Righteousness is being spiritually and morally upright; without guilt or sin.
We receive salvation and hope of eternal life by the grace and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We become a new creation different from all others in the world. We are unique as we have eternal life in us now. We will go on living even after this corruptible body we are entombed in returns to the dust of the ground. We need the righteousness of Christ in us as our righteousness is described by God as a filthy rag. Isaiah 64:6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags. But through the grace of Christ we are made Holy, sanctified, and a temple of the Holy Spirit. The perfect, sinless body of Christ resides in us NOW. We need to be reminded of this that we are Holy, belonging to Jesus Christ, bought and paid for with the high price of His blood. We are no longer of this world. We are citizens of heaven.
Galatians 3:7-9, 14 Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Romans 4:5, 11 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness
As I said earlier we need to be reminded and how are we reminded? God’s Word says by preaching!
Romans 10:14-15 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ” How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
The preaching of faith and righteousness is for all men whether they are lost or saved. We are to grow in the grace and righteousness of Jesus Christ. Those of us who are saved are all preachers of righteousness we are called to be priests of God. Spread the truth of faith and righteousness for all the earth to hear.
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
The fields are ripe for the harvest and needs many workers!
God bless your preaching!
WHAT IS EASTER TO YOU?
In about three weeks a celebration of a very special event in life of Jesus Christ takes place.
Just about everyone in this nation knows about Easter, but for a lot of different reasons. Some people are glad to see it because it represents another weekend when they can go camping or some other pleasurable thing. To some others it is a day that they do not understand why people make such a fuss about. And then there are the believers in Jesus Christ who celebrate His resurrection from the dead and His ascension to heaven. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most important and dramatic event to take place for his believers. The reason is simple for them to understand because it defines who they are and that their belief is something that is genuine because if it did not happen then everything Christians believe in is a lie and there is no such thing as eternal life in heaven and Jesus is not the Son of God.
But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up — if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! —1 Corinthians 15: 13-17
Much of the world does not know nor believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ but those who do believe know that Christ has indeed risen from the dead and sets on the throne of God in heaven. The resurrection of Christ represents the greatest event in the history of mankind.
But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. — 1 Corinthians 15: 20-24
Those who believe in the resurrection of Christ possess the greatest hope and future for mankind. They will inherit great blessings. They will have eternal life, a new body, new name, new home, a great reward, share God’s glory and share the very throne of Jesus Christ.
But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?” But God gives it a body as He pleases — 1 Corinthians 15:35, 38
So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” ” O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. — ! Corinthians 15: 54-57
Those who are not Christians do not have any hope in anything except what happens today and tomorrow will take care of its self. They are already dead. Christians have eternal life dwelling in them at this moment and God gave them His holy spirit as a guarantee that this is true.
1 Corinthians 6: 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Easter is a time to give praise and glory to Jesus for He is alive and has risen from the dead that we may also be resurrected to eternal life. It is through Jesus Christ that we are saved, He is the way, the truth, and the life.
Call upon His name now and you shall be saved!
THE THIRD FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS PEACE
The third fruit of the Spirit helps mold our minds to be Christ like.
As I continue to expound upon the fruits of the Spirit we come to the third fruit of the Spirit. Let’s be mindful of how important they are to God. God wants us to understand why we need the impact of the fruits of the Spirit in our lives. Hebrews 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: James 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
How do we get this peace that Jesus talks about so much in His Word? First of all if God calls you to salvation through Jesus Christ and His saving grace and you acknowledge that you are a sinner and ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins He will do so. His Holy Spirit will then begin to dwell inside you and fill you with understanding of the fruits of the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
Jesus shares His peace!
Jesus wants to share everything about Him with us and He gave His life to make it possible. He tells us in the gospel of John just before He was crucified on the cross how much He wanted us to have His kind of peace.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
God sent Jesus to this earth in the form of a man to preach a message of peace.
Jesus came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God and taught all things pertaining to the Spirit because as of that time no one had received the Holy Spirit of salvation. The Jews thought they would be saved by keeping the LAW, they did not understand the things of the Spirit. That is why it was imperative for Him to teach about the fruits of the Spirit and explain peace, the subject today. Acts 10:36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ — He is Lord of all —
God teaches us that to do good, be spiritual minded, and to preach the gospel of peace to all people will also build a well of peace in our own hearts.
Ephesians 2:14 For He Himself is our peace
2 Thessalonians 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.
GOD BLESS YOU! AMEN!
FACE THE HATE
There was a young man filled with faith preaching about Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit in every public place he could find. People found his wisdom and the spirit of which he spoke irresistible.
John 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
But some people couldn’t stand what he was preaching because what he was saying convicted their conscience and made them mad.
Romans 11:8 (According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
They got so carried away that they mobbed him and took him before the court, they produced witnesses who lied about him and accused him of making terrorist threats such as saying their religious temple would be torn down.
Mark 13:9 But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.
As they looked at him he didn’t appear to be worried at all. If anything, he looked more confident and filled with faith more than ever. He begin to preach to them and point out their sinful ways showing them how much they could be blessed if they would only turn to God and obey Him.
Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
But when they heard what he had to say they were cut to the heart and their faces became terrible to look at as hate poured out of them.
Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
And he said:” Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God”. The mob started screaming at the top of their lungs to shut him out. The mob had had enough and took Stephen and killed him.
Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder.
This is happening over and over again in China, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and India today! This ugly hatred is slowly growing in the United States. It is now a hate crime to preach the truth on some subjects of the Holy Bible, the foundation of Christianity.
We need to rally behind the martyr Stephen and preach the gospel in the face of adversity. Be filled with the spirit of faith!
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Give God the glory! AMEN!
WORLDWIDE INTERNET EVANGELISM 