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2020 Posts, Baptism of Holy Spirit, Book of Acts Series 2019, Discernment, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration, Wisdom

Acts 19:21-41: Determining in Your Spirit

Introduction

In my previous blog post, we looked at Acts 19:1-20, so if you have not read that post yet be sure to check it out first! We previously saw some great revival take place in the first part of Acts chapter 19. We also looked at some great revelation regarding the gift of tongues and prophecy. We are also going to look at the importance of reasoning in the spirit. 

Acts 19:21-22

Acts 19:21-22 we see that after the great working of God that took place through Paul in the previous verses that Paul plans on going through Macedonia and Achaia to get to Jerusalem. He also plans that he will then go to Rome. However, he sends Timothy and Erastus ahead of him while he stays on the west side of Asia for a while longer.  

A Note Regarding the Word Spirit

Acts 19:21 (NKJV) says “When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”. Paul purposed in his spirit what he would do. Some synonyms for the word purpose are to intend, aim, plan, and design. If we look in the Amplified Bible, it translates it as “Paul determined in his Spirit”. One important note regarding the many translations of the Bible that we have available today is that when they translate the word spirit, they often capitalize on the letter ‘s’ when it should be lowercase. When the ‘s’ is uppercase it signifies that it is referring to the Holy Spirit, however, when it is lowercase it is referring to the human spirit of an individual or even our human spirit when it is written in the context of instruction such as in Paul’s letters. In the case of Acts 19:21, it should be lowercase ‘s’ since it is referring to Paul’s spirit.  

Determining in Your Spirit

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV) tells us we are a three-part being, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”. In my previous teaching, I wrote about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, which is necessary to walk in the fullness of what God has called you to do for His Kingdom. So is your spirit man of this world or is it of God? Too often many people have a dual spirit man, meaning it is not fully submitted to the Holy Spirit. Often people will make their decisions based on what logic tells them to do rather than reasoning in their spirit what they should do. If we truly reasoned in our spirit with total submission to the Holy Spirit our lives would be so much more different.

Acts 19:23-41

In the remaining verses, we see a commotion arises over the Gospel. Demetris a silversmith that made shrines of the other gods, tells his fellow workers that what Paul was teaching condoned their line of work. The city then was stirred up and they took Paul’s travel companions, Gaius and Aristarchus. When Paul arrived, they would not let him into the theater where they were gathered. While all these people were gathered Scripture tells us that the people of the assembly were confused. The people did not even know why they were there regarding this matter. This all resulted from just one person stirring the pot to condemn Christianity. We know that confusion does not come from God. 1 Corinthians 14:33 (NKJV) tells us, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.”. We see that the city clerk ends up dismissing the case that was being brought up against Paul’s travel companions. Demetrius was simply upset because Paul and his follower’s teachings upset their profit from the Diana cult. Today we have many people who get upset over true Christians who stand firm on Scripture regardless of what is politically correct. We must always remember to stand firm.

Final Thoughts

One of the most important keys to take away from this blog post is recognizing the correct capitalization of the word ‘spirit’ within the Bible. When you have this understanding as you read the Bible you will begin to get deeper revelations. It may even be worth it to make a notation in your Bible as you notice the incorrect capitalization for the word spirit. I also challenge you to apply what I taught on in this blog post which would be to focus on walking in the spirit man you are and to put away any duality.

2020 Posts, Apostolic, Baptism of Holy Spirit, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Healing

Acts 19:1-20

Acts 19:1-7: Paul in Ephesus

In the first seven verses of Acts chapter 19, we see that Paul is in Ephesus and the disciples in that area only knew the baptism of John. Paul does correct them on their doctrine, and they all become converted and are then baptized with water and then receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Notice in verse six tells us “And when Paul laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied”.

Acts 19:8-10: Paul Doing His Custom

In the next few verses, we will see that Paul continues to do his custom, which was to preach the Gospel and reason with people in the synagogues. Acts 17:2 (NKJV) tells us, “Then Paul, as his custom was, went into them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures”. Additionally, this was a custom Jesus had also as we see in Luke 4:16 (NKJV), “So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.”. As we see in verse eight in Acts chapter 19 Paul spoke concerning the things of the Kingdom of God. I truly feel the church needs to focus back on the things regarding the Kingdom of God and that we need to become more Kingdom Minded in our everyday lives. Too many people want to sleep at the devil’s throne Monday-Saturday while only spending Sundays in the outer courts of Gods Throne. We also see in verses nine and ten that the people rejected Paul’s teaching, and this led to Paul going to the School of Tyrannus for 2 years. This school was in Asia and when Paul was there both Jews and Greeks heard the Word of God.

Acts 19:11-12: Unusual Miracles

In verses 11-20 we see that God worked ‘unusual miracles’ through Paul. Acts 19:12 (NKJV) says “so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits went out of them.”. Paul was truly anointed by God; he was fully sold out for the things of God. Can we still anoint handkerchiefs and other pieces of fabric for today? Well yes, none of the Three People of the Godhead have changed, nor will They ever change. This move of God through Paul was very similar to what we see with Peter in Acts 5:15 (NKJV) “so that they brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them.”.

Acts 19:13-20: Imitators and Magicians

As we go on in verses 13-17, we see that some Jewish exorcists tried to imitate Paul and it backfired on them drastically. So bad that the person who was demon-possessed jumped on them. The demonic spirit even spoke to them in verse 15 “And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”. Both Jesus and Paul were filled with the Holy Spirit, these Jewish exorcists were not. Two things Paul and Jesus had in common was that they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, of course, Jesus had the fullness of the Holy Spirit in Him. This just shows us that who we are in private is who we will be in public and when we do spiritual warfare. Also, we see in the remaining verses that many people believed and even people who practiced magic burned their books. Anything that is of the devil’s realm we should have nothing to do with.

Final Thoughts

I covered a lot of material in this blog post. It is my prayer that you seek God more diligently every day and get to know Him on a deeper level every day. We must learn to be more Kingdom Minded rather than earthly minded. I see far too many people who are in church and are earthly-minded and carnal than they are Kingdom Minded. It is so important we seek greater manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives for God’s glory. 

2020 Posts

Missionaries to Support

The work of missionaries is critical to the Body of Christ and fulfilling the Great Commission. Below is a list of missionaries I strongly recommend supporting both financially and in prayer. I know many people like to support people in the missions field financially so here are a few links. Be sure to look for the word support, donate, partner, or give on their website to donate.

2020 Posts, Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Inspiration, love, Old Testament, Prophetic Flow Teaching, Salvation, Sin, Wisdom, Word's of Wisdom

White as Snow

Two Phrases

As I was spending time with the Lord today the Holy Spirit put two phrases on my heart which were, ‘white as snow’ and ‘whiter than snow’. Both phrases are found in Scripture in Isaiah 1:18 and Psalm 51:7. I encourage you to read those passages when you get the opportunity. However, the Holy Spirit drew my attention to Psalm 51:7, and the context of this passage is talking about being cleansed of sin and being renewed with a steadfast spirit.

Jesus Cleanses Us

When one gets truly born again, they are cleansed of all sin and iniquity. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”. There is so much power in the Blood of Jesus that it is often underappreciated in the church today.

Purification

Going back to Psalm 51:7 it tells us, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”. Hyssop was a plant used by the ancient Hebrews for purification. In terms of the New Covenant, the Blood of Jesus is used for our purification. Even after we are truly born again, we will fall short from time to time. We may even have some habitual sins that might take some time to fully flee from. But may I raise a question to you, are you ‘as white as snow’ or ‘whiter than snow’?

White as Snow?

Today as I was writing this, we got about six inches of snow. When snow falls there is either a very small dusting or enough accumulation to cover the ground completely. Often many believers are not as ‘white as snow’ as they should be. Far too often we might have a small dusting of snow. Having a dusting of snow reveals the grass, and I would like to think of the grass as our sinful habits we are struggling to get rid of or even one’s secret sin. To be mighty men and women of God we must flee from the lust of the flesh and walk in our new nature. When we truly do this, we will begin to have more of an accumulation of snow, rather than just a dusting. We should strive each day to be purer. Remember He is coming back very soon for a pure bride, the hour is very late!

2020, 2020 Posts, Book of Acts Series 2019

God’s Will and Biblical Edification (Acts Ch. 18)

In this post, I am going to discuss Acts chapter 18 in detail. If you have been following my series on the Book of Acts, we have read that Paul has gone through a great deal of rejection during his ministry. However, he has not let the rejection stop him from continuing to preach the Gospel.

Acts 18:1-4: Paul in Corinth

In Acts 18:1-4 we see that Paul travels from Athens to Corinth. Corinth is known as a strong area for trade. When Paul arrives at Corinth, he meets Aquila and his wife Priscila. Paul does stay with them for a few days and even does work with Aquila as a tentmaker. Paul was not only skilled in ministering the Gospel but also had an occupation too. As Paul was in Corinth, we see that he continues his custom of reasoning in the synagogues. This is something we saw in Acts 17:2 (NKJV), “Then Paul, as his custom was, went into them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures”.

Acts 18:5-11: Silas and Timothy Catch Up

As we get into the next few verses, we see Silas and Timothy arrive at Corinth and Paul continues preaching about Jesus Christ. In verse six we see the Jews oppose Paul, and we see that he shakes the dust off his garments. This reminds us of what Jesus said in Matthew 10:14 (NKJV), “And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet.”. After he leaves that area, he then goes into the house of Justus who was a faithful man of God and lived next to the synagogue. In verse eight we see that the ruler of the synagogue, Crispus accepted the Gospel. We see that following Crispus accepting the Gospel that more Corinthians believed.

As it says in verse eight the people of Corinth heard the Gospel, believed the Gospel, and then were baptized. Far too often today churches just want new believers to say the sinner’s prayer without hearing the full Gospel. Too many people are sitting in church pews today who think they are saved, but they are self-deceived. More people are sitting in churches who have just said the sinner’s prayer and have no changed heart, no fruit to show, and the same love for their sinful habits. The main reason for this pandemic is because most preachers today are not qualified to carry the title pastor if anything, they are motivational speakers who focus on only speaking about how God wants to bless. We must ask ourselves are we only seeking God because we want prosperity and good health, or are we seeking God because we truly just want Jesus. I believe God can heal people and will provide blessings, but too many churches today advertise a Gospel that only focuses on the health and wealth of people, and not a Gospel that saves people from the price of sin.

In verses, nine through eleven we see that Paul had a vision where the Lord spoke to Him. The Lord told him that he would have a productive ministry in Corinth. This is quite contrary to what Paul experienced in previous areas he ministered in. Paul dealt with much tribulation and opposition when in other areas before Corinth. I believe this was God’s way of testing Paul and preparing him before he went to each following area to minister the Gospel. Never question the sovereignty of God when you go through trials.

Acts 18:12-21: God’s Will

We then see that the Jews in Corinth go to the proconsul of Achaia, Gallio, regarding Paul’s ministry. As we see Gallio wanted nothing to do with judging this manor. In verses 18-21 we see that Paul leaves Corinth to go to Syria with Priscilla and Aquila. Paul also stops at Ephesus but does not stay very long, however, he does promise to return if God wills. It is so important that we both know and respect God’s Will. God’s Will is better than anything we could ever come up with. When people are south of God’s Will in their life, it will usually be a total mess. If you are wondering why your life is such a mess right now, maybe it is God trying to grab your attention. Before we make any major decisions in our life we must know if it is within God’s Will. We must take time seeking God. Hebrews 6:3 (NKJV) tells us, “And this we will do if God permits.”. Additionally, James 4:13-17 (NKJV) tells us, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”.

Acts 18:22-23: Importance of Biblical Edification

In verses 22 and 23 we see that Paul goes to Caesarea, Antioch, Galatia, and Phrygia. While he was in Galatia and Phrygia, he strengthened the people, another word for strengthen is to edify which meant to build up believers. Far too often most preaching does not build people up spiritually, most preaching today skips the sin area in one’s life. We must continually teach people in a loving way how to put away the lusts of the flesh. Even the best of us will fall short from time to time and therefore we need preaching that addresses sin. Romans 14:18-19 (NKJV) tells us, “For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. Therefore, let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.”.

Acts 18:24-28: Dealing with False Doctrine

In verses 24 through 28 we see Apollos, a man of God, comes along. One problem with Apollos is that his knowledge was only limited to John the Baptist. However, Aquila and Priscilla take him aside and correct him. We see that after he is corrected, he does help edify those who believed through grace. This is a great example for us to look at when dealing with people of different denominations. We have denominations and churches that are slightly off on minor issues, then we have churches that are off on major issues and in today’s world most of them would be considered heretics. In this example Apollos was very close to the full truth, he was just missing the who picture of Jesus being the Christ. What Apollos was missing was very critical, but Aquila and Priscilla took the time to work with him on this. Today we must always try to work with people and correct them when they are involved in heresy before we distance ourselves from them.

Final Thoughts

As always, the Book of Acts provides us with great examples for us as the body of Christ today. Sadly, most churches in America today do not meet the standard according to Scripture. It truly breaks my heart to see so much distortion in the church today. It is so important for all believers to get the Word of God in them daily. When you are filled with the Word of God you will be able to easily determine if something is Biblically correct or not. Most people in the church today cannot discern, which is honestly a tragedy. I want to challenge you to get into the Word, read more of the Bible each day. I don’t want you to just read it and rush through it, I want you to take your time and study the Bible. It is one thing to read through the Bible, but it is another thing to take the time and do a personal study of the Bible aside from your yearly reading plan. I would like to challenge you to pick one book out of the Bible to do a detailed study on each month and take your time to study it. Make some great notebooks! Fill yourself up with as much of the Word of Truth as you possibly can.

2020, 2020 Posts, Book of Acts Series 2019, Fruit of Spirit, Wisdom

An Example of Walking in The Spirit During Conflict

Introduction

In this blog post, we are going to look at the remaining portion of Acts chapter 17. We are going to see several great examples that are set by the Apostle Paul. We will first see the importance of checking doctrine with Scripture, and the importance of us being defenders of the Truth. We will also see how to address sin as a minister or witness.

Search the Scriptures

In Acts 17:11-15 we see that Paul and Silas go to an area called Berea. In this area, the people were very reasonable and received the Gospel. In verse 11 we see it emphasized that the people who received the Gospel searched the Scriptures daily. Why did they do this? “to find out whether these things were so”. As a result of them diligently searching the Scriptures ‘many of them believed’. I would like to point out that these people who received the Gospel did not just search the Scriptures once a week, they searched them daily. Sadly, many people who dare to call themselves Christians only read their Bible when they are in church. Come on people, we have such easy access to the Bible. If you don’t have the time to sit down and read it, then pull up an audio Bible on your phone!

Know the Truth – It is NOT About You

Part of the reason that there is a pandemic level of distortion in Christianity today is that people don’t properly read the Word of God, or don’t read it at all. Many people like to hear preaching where it is based on the notion that it is all about you, all about how they are a David facing a Goliath. I have news for you, that is not the Full and True Gospel. The Bible is not about you! The Bible is about a God who is able and willing! We must study the Scriptures daily in order to know Truth from heresy. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) tells us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”. The full Word of God makes us complete and equipped for every good work. Why settle for anything less?

Conflict Arises

As usual, there is a conflict with the Jews on what Paul and Silas were doing. There is a group of Jews that come and stir up the crowd. In verse 14 we see that Paul gets sent by the brethren to Athens, while Timothy and Silas stay in Berea. Paul had such an anointing on him because he became the focal point of Jewish opposition. One of the ways to know you are a true disciple of Christ is that you face opposition. If there is no opposition, then I would greatly question your source.

Idol Worship in Athens

While Paul is in Athens, he notices that much of the area is given to idol worship. As a bit of background, Athens is an area with many great buildings and monuments. It is also known as a central hub for philosophical, intellectual, and religious discussion. The idol worship taking place troubled Paul’s spirit as mentioned in verse 16. I like how verse 16 says the idol worship provoked his spirit. As we should know it is our spirit man who is recreated the moment we truly get born again. Our soul and flesh are not saved. We must renew our minds as Scripture tells us. Paul did not let his flesh surface with this issue of idolatry. This is how we are to handle unbelievers. We should not let it provoke anger in our flesh, we should only let it provoke our spirit man. If we let our flesh run how we minister to people, then we will not bear much fruit at all. It is our spirit man that should be on display while ministering to people.

Paul Continues His Custom

As in the previous chapter, Paul continues his custom of reasoning with people in the synagogues. He does not get in their face and confront them; he reasons with them. This was Paul’s custom that was shown in the previous chapter. In verse 17 we see that he additionally went to the marketplace daily and reasoned with people there as well. We are called to always be ready to minister and/or witness to someone at any given time as the Holy Spirit leads us. It might be while you are at church, work, school, the grocery store, the doctor’s office, or anywhere. We must always be ready!

More Conflict

The Epicurean and Stoic philosophers then come to question Paul. These people came from the best-known schools for philosophy. Regardless, Paul was ready to deal with their questioning. Paul not only studying Scripture diligently, but he was also filled with the Holy Ghost. When we are questioned by people, we should not rely only on our intellect, but also lean on the Holy Spirit to give us the words to speak. The philosophers take Paul to the Areopagus which is a place that hosted gatherings of philosophical and religious debate.

Paul’s Address to Athens – ‘You are religious’

In verses 22-31 we see Paul’s third and final missionary address in the Book of Acts. There are a few key items from his address I would like to point out. In verse 22 he refers to the people as being ‘very religious’. Many unbelievers love to label Christians as religious, while true Christians are not slaves to a religious system. I would label myself as a disciple of Jesus Christ, which is what we are all called to be at the very least, and we are called to go and make disciples. Jesus said in Matthew 23:27 (NKJV), “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”. Religious people like to cover themselves on the outside, so they do not look so bad. While the truth is that true Christians know and admit that before we came to Christ, we were broken and in need of a Savior.

Paul’s Address to Athens – Idol Worship

Paul then addresses the issue of idolatry. The people of Athens were guilty of worshiping objects made by hands. Paul addresses this while in the Areopagus. Look at Psalm 115:4-8 (NKJV) which tells us, “Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they do not speak; Eyes they have, but they do not see; They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell; They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.”. Additionally, Paul mentions an altar they have which states ‘To the Unknown God’. Paul tells them that there is only One True God. He stresses that God is evident through creation, this is something that is explained in further detail in Romans chapter 1. Paul also tells them about the day of judgment that is to come and about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Final Thoughts

While there were people who disagreed with Paul’s reasoning ‘some men joined him and believed’. There will come times when we may not get every single person to believe, we may only get a small handful. Regardless it is always the work of the Holy Spirit that brings people to Christ. There were many important points I mentioned throughout this blog post. I encourage you to go back and read through the Scriptures yourself. I also encourage you as we are starting a new year to spend more time than ever before to diligently get to know Gods Word.

2019, Announcements, Christianity, Salvation

Merry Christmas

‘Tis the Season’

I would first like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. I was debating on how to write my Christmas post this year. I remember as a child always looking forward to Christmas Eve spent at my grandparent’s house, and then opening gifts on Christmas morning. This is the time of year when many great memories are made with loved ones. This is also a time of year to look back on memories made with loved ones who are no longer here. For some people, this year’s Christmas might be difficult, because of a loved one no longer being here. Or you might be spending Christmas at work. Regardless of our circumstances for this Christmas, we must remember the main reason behind the season. 

Why We Celebrate Christmas

What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word Christmas? I want you to be honest with yourself on this question. Do you think about the gifts, family, work parties, family gatherings, church services, music, movies, decorations, or just the time off from work or school? I think far too often people think of Christmas incorrectly. We get so focused on the worldly stuff rather than the true meaning of Christmas. The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Conformed to the World

I know many people who seem to get distracted by the things of this world during this time of year. Romans 12:2 (NASB) reminds us “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”. I find it amazing that we as the Body of Christ will exhort so much time, energy, and money into making sure our Christmas traditions are perfect. While I like Christmas traditions, why are we not giving this much attention to our personal discipleship? Why are we not spending all this time we find to shop for gifts, meditating in the Word during the rest of the year? 

Continuous Joy

Many people seem to be in a more joyous mood this time of year. Why do we get so excited for one day of the year for our traditions? Why are we not excited every day that a Savior was born that saved us from eternal death? We should be excited about that every day! Psalm 95:1 (NASB) tells us, “O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.”. Additionally, in Acts 13:52 (NASB) “And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”. If the disciples were filled continually with joy, then we should be too! We should continually have joy because we are saved, healed, and delivered by the Blood of the Lamb. We celebrate His birth this time of year. We shouldn’t just be filled with joy during the Christmas season, we should be filled with joy all the time.

Distortion 

Just like Christmas gets distorted by the world, so does the Gospel. It is not just Christmas that gets distorted by secular things, it is also the Gospel that is distorted. There are far too many ministers who preach another Christ. If a sermon is titled ‘Nine Steps to Happiness’, I would suggest running from that church! The Gospel is not about how to fix a flat tire, it is about the Blood that was shed at the Cross. More people are following prosperity gospel preachers today than ever before. God is not going to give people the desires of their unregenerate hearts, no matter how much you waste your voice “speaking it into existence”. The Gospel is not about fulfilling our lust of the flesh, God isn’t going to tell you to go out and purchase a luxury item. God will tell you to be a good steward of your finances. It always seems that the average church has yet install discerning filters to filter out the garbage of this dark world. The American dream was never meant to be tied in with Scripture. Just like Christmas was not meant to be a time of year when millions of people go in debt awaiting their tax refunds. 

Conclusion 

The key takeaway is to keep our eyes always focus on what the Bible says about everything our lives. If we can keep our focus in line with the things of God, our lives will be much easier. The world always distorts the true meaning of Christmas, just like it does the true Gospel. I encourage you to make incorporating Christ into each part of your life as best as you can. I also encourage you to make your Christmas focused on Christ rather than how this world tells you to celebrate it. Maybe instead of saying Merry Christmas to people, we should say “A Savior is Born”. 

2019, Christianity, Wisdom, Word's of Wisdom

Who is the King of Your Heart?

You claim that Jesus is the King of Your Heart, but is He really?
You claim to be a Christian, but you have been on milk all your life.
Why haven’t you gotten to the meat, if He is truly the King of Your Heart?

If He is truly the King of Your heart you should have a burning desire to know Him on new levels each day.
He has a burning desire for fellowship with you, but you ignore the invitation!
He has eyes of fire for a reason, it is a type of fire you do not mess with.

Too many people are stuck on milk and are not even close to ready for the meat.
You have to make a choice to invest time for the King of Kings!
The reason you can’t put aside the time for Him is because you have not yet made him the King of your heart!

Your worldly things are still the king of your heart, but you won’t admit it.
You are too worried about your finances, possessions, entertainment, and self-image!
Its time for pew warmers to get out of the bedroom with the enemy and get on their knees and repent.

Part of the problem is that there is a lack of true training centers to equip mighty men and women of God to take the lead during this late hour.
There are too many social halls, rather than true churches today.
There are too many carnal worship services, rather than worship services that are in spirit and truth.
There are too many ministers obsessed with their own image, rather than submitting to the King of Kings!

The hour is late, just because you see people at church on Sunday does not mean you will see them in Heaven.
Just because you see someone standing behind a pulpit does not mean you will see them in Heaven.
Jesus warned us that not many people choose the one true path, because it is very narrow.

Get your heart right now! Stop procrastinating!
Wipe the dust off your Bible or sign into the Bible App for the first time.
Enroll in the classroom of the Holy Spirit, enrollment is always open. There are many empty seats!

2019, Book of Acts Series 2019

We Are Called to Witness

In this blog post, I am going to talk in detail about how to witness to someone about Jesus Christ. We are going to look at a small passage from the Book of Acts, and then investigate key principles when witnessing to people. When you look at Acts 17 you will see that Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, and they are now in Thessalonica.

In Thessalonica

The first thing to know about Thessalonica is that there is a synagogue of the Jews in this area. In Acts 17:2-3, we see Paul had a custom to reason with people in Jewish Synagogues when he traveled. The word custom is defined as a long-established practice considered as unwritten law or a repeated practice (Merriam-Webster, 2019).  So, it was an unwritten law for the Apostle Paul to have reasoned with the people in Jewish Synagogues as he traveled. Let’s dissect this a little bit more, Paul reason with these people in the synagogues. The word reason means to talk with another to influence actions or opinions (Merriam-Webster, 2019).

Paul is an Example for Us

So, when the Apostle Paul traveled to Jewish Synagogues it was an unwritten law to him to talk with the people to influence their beliefs on Jesus Christ. If a custom is an unwritten law by definition, and we see it recorded in the Bible, then shouldn’t we be doing it since it is written? I would believe so! Therefore, we ourselves should find opportunities to witness to unbelievers and reason with them about the Gospel, in hopes that they accept Jesus as their Savior.

People Accept Christ

Continuing to Acts 17:4 we will see that many people were persuaded by Paul and Silas. Now this passage of Scripture does not go into detail as to how Paul witnessed to them. However, if we know our Bible in context, we will find much guidance on how to witness to people.

People Also Reject Christ

Unfortunately, when we witness to people, they may not always accept what we say. In Acts 17:5-10 we see that there was a group of Jewish people who were not persuaded by Paul and they orchestrated an attack against them. We find out that Paul and Silas were staying with someone by the name of Jason. So, this group of Jewish people goes to Jason’s house to find Paul and Silas. However, they could not find them, so they bring Jason to the city officials for questioning.  Eventually, the city officials let Jason go, and Paul and Silas do depart from the area and head to Bera. Yet another great example of the Apostle Paul not letting opposition stop him from doing what God called him to do. This is an obvious pattern we see in the Book of Acts and should apply it to our lives!

The Power of Personal Testimony

Even the best ministers will face opposition when witnessing to unbelievers. As I was studying this short passage, I was led to a few Scriptures regarding witnessing to people. One of the first things we should do when witnessing to someone who is an unbeliever is to tell them our testimony. It is often our testimony that will make unbelievers want what we have that is only through Jesus Christ. 1 Chronicles 16:8 (NASB) says, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples.”.

Yield to the Holy Spirit

Additionally, in order to witness to people, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit. As you know the Apostle Paul had great boldness. This was because he was filled with the Holy Spirit and yielded to the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:8 (NASB) tells us, “but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”. The Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth and will tell us what to speak when we are ministering to others if we learn to yield to Him.

Sanctification

Lastly, we must be sanctified in Jesus Christ, and always be ready to witness to someone. 1 Peter 3:15 (NASB) tells us, “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence”. I could go on and on about sanctification, but I will leave that for another blog post. Additionally, when we witness to someone, we must be gentle and respectful to that person, while at the same time standing firm for truth. We will be able to do this if we truly yield to the Holy Spirit. This does not mean that the Word of God won’t offend someone, the Word of God is a sharp two-edged sword. The Word of God will not be politically correct, it will only ever be Biblically correct!

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, I would encourage you to read through this passage in the Book of Acts and try to apply these keys when you are witnessing to someone. Like I said before if it was an unwritten law written in our Bibles to witness to unbelievers, then we should take it as written law and make it a habit. As you learn to yield to the Holy Spirit you will know who you are to witness to, and who you are to hold off on witnessing to. Regardless we are to always show the love of God to people.

References

Merriam-Webster. (2019, December 10). Retrieved December 11, 2019, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/

2019, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit

Yielding to the Holy Spirit

If Only We Would Yield

In this blog post, I am going to discuss a great example of yielding to the Holy Spirit. If only the average church would take the time to yield to the Holy Spirit today, things would be so much better. Sadly, most of the churches today are so theologically brainwashed by man’s philosophy. In Acts chapter sixteen we will see several things that result from Paul and Silas yielding to the Holy Spirit.

Timothy is Introduced

In Acts 16:1-5 we are first introduced to Timothy who is of good report, and his mother is a Jew and his father is a Greek. So, he has an interesting family background. If you read my previous blog post from my series on the Book of Acts, you will see Paul dealt with some major conflict regarding circumcision. For the sake of cultural issues, he takes Timothy to be circumcised. We do see that the churches they do minister to get strengthened and more people become converted.

Holy Spirit Leads Paul to Macedonia

Going on to verses six to ten we see that Paul and Silas attempt traveling to Asia and Bithynia; however, the Holy Spirit prohibits them. This is something very important here with yielding to the Holy Spirit. You might have something that you think you should do, but God tells you to hold off. We may not see the reason right away, but we will eventually see why. I never question God’s reasoning, because His reasoning is certainly better than mine will ever be. We then see Paul has a dream of someone in Macedonia telling him to come and help them. Paul now feels strongly led that he is to go to Macedonia. Sometimes God will communicate to us through dreams at times, which is important for us to discern our dreams. 

First Fruit in Philippi

Continuing to Acts 16:11-15 we see that they do end up in Philippi which is a part of Macedonia. As the Sabbath day comes, they come across a woman named Lydia, and they minister to her and she gets saved, and so does her whole household. Paul could have gone to Asia and Bithynia instead, but if he did this woman would never have gotten ministered to. God might change your plans to bring an answered prayer to someone else!

Paul Deals with Demonic Spirit

Moving on to verses sixteen to twenty-four we see another fruit of Paul yielding to the Holy Spirit. He encounters a girl with a spirit of divination. She is a fortune-teller who brings much profit to her masters. The spirit of divination includes wizards, witches, spiritists, magicians, astrologers, and false prophets. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (NKJV) tells us, “There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,  or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.  For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations the Lord your God drives them out from before you.”. Sadly today we see many Christians who partake in this garbage by being involved with tarot cards and much more.

Paul and Silas are in Prison

As Paul encounters this demon-possessed girl, she follows him for a few days saying that he is a man of God. Paul eventually gets annoyed with the spirit behind her and cast it out. If you read the scripture closely it says he spoke to the spirit. This is very important because our war is not flesh and blood but principalities and rulers in the heavenly places. After the girl is delivered her masters find out that their hope of profit from her is gone. They get very angry with Paul and go to the authorities. Paul and Silas end up in prison because of Paul delivering a girl from a demonic spirit. This is another example of persecution here in the Book of Acts. I am not sure how any minister could tell you that your best life is to be now on earth.

Praise God Through the Storm

Lastly in verses twenty-five through forty we see that while they were in prison, they still praised God and prayed. Isn’t that an example for us, they could have spent that time complaining about what took place, instead they praised God. Even when you are going through a difficult time, God is still worthy of all praises. Do not ever let the enemy knock you down to the point you stop worshiping God and praying. As they were praying and worshiping, a great earthquake happens, and the prison doors open, and their chains are loosed. We then see the prison guard comes to see what is going on and he gets saved along with his family!

Prison Guard Gets Saved

Continuing on, Paul and Silas are released from the prison and depart from the area. Even though they suffered they were still able to bear fruit. A prison guard and his family got saved through this situation. It is always amazing how God works when we yield to His Spirit. If Paul would have not yielded to the Holy Spirit and would have gone to areas that he should not have gone to, these great things would not have taken place. This is an example that shows us the importance of yielding to the Holy Spirit in every aspect of our life.

Final Thoughts

To yield to the Holy Spirit, we must put away the works of the flesh, because of the conflict with the walk of the spirit. Galatians 5:16-18 (TPT) tells us, “As you yield freely and fully to the dynamic life and power of the Holy Spirit, you will abandon the cravings of your self-life. For your self-life craves the things that offend the Holy Spirit and hinder him from living free within you! And the Holy Spirit’s intense cravings hinder your old self – life from dominating you! So then, the two incompatible and conflicting forces within you are your self-life of the flesh and the new creation life of the Spirit. But when you are brought into the full freedom of the Spirit of grace, you will no longer be living under the domination of the law but soaring above it!”. I don’t usually use The Passion Translation, but I like how this scripture is translated here. I encourage you this week to take time and diligently seek God and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in whatever is going on in your life right now!