Category Archives: Apostolic

2022, Apostolic, Christianity, Discipleship, Faith, Inspiration, Wisdom

Walking in True Communion

Many Christians know about Communion or the Lord’s Supper, often churches will hold Communion based on a certain routine. While it is Biblical for us to partake of the Lord’s Supper together as the Body of Christ, we must also walk in Communion with Him daily. I am one who believes that Communion in the church should be taken seriously because the full sacrifice of Jesus Christ is something that we ought not to take lightly in any sense. Jesus Christ became a curse and paid the price for us in our place, it took the death of God’s own Son to purchase our redemption and freedom from the bondage of sin. 

Jesus says something profound in John 6:53-58 (NKJV), “Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.  As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”

Now let me make something clear here because this is often confused especially in Catholic circles. When you partake of the Lord’s Supper the bread and juice or wine do not somehow become the exact body and blood of our Savior. The Sacrifice of Christ is one and done and there is no need to repeat it (Hebrews 10:10). However, we are instructed in the New Testament to partake in the Lord’s Supper in remembrance of Him. We do Communion in remembrance of Him and it is symbolic (Luke 22:19). 

Now back to what Jesus said in John chapter six. He said that if you do not eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you have no life in you. Interestingly Jesus mentions that His Body is bread from Heaven or as they called it in the Old Testament, the manna (Exodus 16:31). So what is our manna under the New Covenant? John 1:1 (NKJV) says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”. Jesus is the Logos, the Word of God. Additionally Revelation 19:12-13 (NKJV) says, “His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”. 

Part of walking in Communion with Him is having a relationship with Him that involves studying and meditating on the Word of God because Jesus is the Word of God. Now, what about the Blood of Jesus Christ? Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV) tells us, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace”. We must come to the realization that we are blood washed, our sins are forgiven and He remembers them no more (Hebrews 8:12). Jesus tells us in Matthew 3:8 (AMP), “So produce fruit that is consistent with repentance [demonstrating new behavior that proves a change of heart, and a conscious decision to turn away from sin].”. When we are born again we repent and place our trust in the full Sacrifice of Jesus Christ which contains His Body and His Blood. The Christian doesn’t just encounter repentance once, we are t bear fruits of repentance. We won’t get it right every time after we are born again, that is why we must be led by the Holy Spirit and when He convicts us, repent.  

We need to realize that as born-again believers we spiritually through the new creation have the blood of Christ applied to our lives. The Blood that makes us holy and sanctified and we must come to realize this not just mentally, but truly in our soul and spirit. Too many people mentally ascend what the Blood of Christ has done, but they never have a revelation of it. 

It is time we walk in communion with Jesus Christ daily. The word communion in the Oxford dictionary is defined as, the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level. When we walk in full communion with Him in this realm on earth it is to be an intimate walk with Him. 

I’d like to leave you with one nugget of thought. Many people overlook a particular individual in the Bible and that is Enoch from the Old Testament. While there is much we can discuss on many levels with Enoch, I’d like to leave you with one verse about him. Genesis 5:24 (AMP) says, “And [in reverent fear and obedience] Enoch walked with God; and he was not [found among men], because God took him [away to be home with Him].”. Enoch had such an intimate walk with God that he actually never encountered physical death. His walk was reverent with the fear of God and obedience. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10). Too often I feel as the church has become too modern I feel we have lost a Biblical fear and reverence toward God. As we strive to walk in deeper communion with Him, let us walk it in full surrender, obedience, and reverence. 

If under the Old Covenant, Enoch could have a deep and intimate walk with God, then why can’t we all as New Covenant believers? We are the temple of the Holy Spirit under the New Covenant (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We have everything we need to walk the kind of walk Enoch walked in a New Testament context. Now I am not saying this means we can avoid physical death, but this should challenge us to seek out a deep and intimate walk with God. 

2021, Apostolic, Baptism of Holy Spirit, BLogger, Christianity, Faith, Healing, Uncategorized, Wisdom, Word from God, Word's of Wisdom

Hold Fast to the Word of God

According to the Oxford dictionary, hold fast means to remain tightly secured. Are you tightly secured to the Word of God in your daily life? Philippians 2:14-16 (NKJV) tells us, “Do all things without complaining and disputing,  that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”.

Too often in today’s world, we can get caught up with the flow of complaining or walking in hate, rather than focusing on God. The people of this world will focus on the problems of life, rather than focusing on the Solution which is a life totally submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If we are a born-again believer, then we have no right to complain about your present circumstances, instead, we need to speak life to our circumstances according to the Will of God. How do you know what the Will of God is? By reading His Word! When you speak the Word of God into your life or the life of others with full unwavering faith you can expect things to change.

We need to hold fast to the Word of Life if we want to speak life into our lives and the lives of others. You cannot hold fast to the Word of Life by just going to church once or twice a week, there needs to be daily feeding upon the Word! When you speak God’s Word into your life or someone else’s it is not for your own personal gain but, it is to rather glorify God and expand the Kingdom of God. Jesus told us in Mark 11:23 (AMP), “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea!’ and does not doubt in his heart [in God’s unlimited power], but believes that what he says is going to take place, it will be done for him [in accordance with God’s will].”. When we act in unwavering faith, we have the ability to change our circumstances only by the Power of God operating in our lives.

Romans 8:9 (AMP) tells us, “However, you are not [living] in the flesh [controlled by the sinful nature] but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God lives in you [directing and guiding you]. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him [and is not a child of God].”. We have the Spirit of the Living God inside of us, the God who does not change. When God created the Heavens and the Earth, everything was created by the words He spoke. When He created mankind, He spoke life into existence. It is only by us having the Spirit of God inside of us that we have the authority to speak life. It is only by us having the Spirit of God inside of us that we have the authority to speak His Will (healing, deliverance, and Salvation) into our lives and the lives of others. It is only by us having the Spirit of God inside of us that we can have the faith it takes to move mountains.

When we operate in the authority that He gave us as believers we do it to glorify Him and to expand the Kingdom. Too often this type of message gets out of balance and people become very self-centered, this is why everything we do must be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 (AMP) tells us, “Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us]”. How do you know if you are walking in love? Read what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (AMP) “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”. If how one operates in the authority of the believer is not done in love, then they have gotten out of balance and are not being led by the Spirit of God.

If the church wants to see revival, then we need to first hold fast to the Word of God. Revival will only come when the church knows who they are in Christ. Revival will only come when the church knows the authority she has and acts upon it. Most importantly we must have a revival that is led by the Spirit of God, rather than by carnality.

2020 Posts, Apostolic, Christianity, Wisdom, Word's of Wisdom

Do We Realize What is Happening?

We are living in very unusual times. We are living in difficult times. One of the things God has shown me is two pandemics not just placating the church world, but also the world in general.

There is a pandemic of people giving themselves over to a spirit of fear. People are afraid to go about their normal routine. People get uncomfortable when someone does not wear a mask. People get worried when their throat scratches. People have spent much time soaking up information about this virus.

People have given their minds over to the “new normal”. People are getting used to doing Zoom meetings rather than in-person meetings. Some people think it is better this way and should stay this way. Let me say this, nothing is normal about this!

Not only have people given themselves over to a spirit of fear, but people have even given themselves over to idolatry. It has been made mainstream that it is “patriotic” to go by all the rules to a T and that we should even embrace the rules and the new normal. You can be given over to idolatry to many things: your car, house, spouse, finances, etc. But one of the most common forms of idolatry is an idolatry of self, and this one is often ignored.

There is a hype about a coming vaccine to get us back to normal they say. Let me tell you something, if you have hope in a vaccine, you have given yourself over to idolatry. A vaccine will not save you. The Lord has shown me in a dream that people will be forced to receive this vaccine. There will be so much cultural pressure to get this vaccine more than what there is for the annual flu shot.

Here’s part of the problem. People have bowed down to the government, schools, colleges, and workplaces telling us how to stay safe. But Christians do not realize what Scripture already tells us about walking through times like this. We are to walk by faith, not by sight.  We were not given a spirit of fear, but one of love, power, and a sound mind. Yet why are we walking by fear? Churches closed for months, and many are still closed. Few churches remained open, and some caught on within the first few weeks of tyrant government orders what is really going on.

It is amazing how politically correct the church can get, but it can still be so far from Biblically correct. Part of what we are commissioned to do is lay hands on the sick and cast out demons (see Mark 16:17-18). How can that be done if most churches were closed for months at a time? The Apostles in the Book of Acts were told by government officials to not preach in the name of Jesus, did they stop? No, they did not. The Full Gospel not only includes repentance of sin (which is critical) but also healing and deliverance.  Look up the original Greek for the word saved in the New Testament, it means saved, healed, and delivered. If we are not laying hands on the sick and casting out devils, then we are missing part of the Gospel. Churches must assemble in person, whether in an official building, outside, or underground. In short terms, the government may have permitted preaching over Facebook Live, but it did not permit Christians to go into Hospitals and lay hands on the sick or to cast out demons. Therefore, by government mandate, we were ordered by our own government to practically give up a majority of what we were commissioned to do by Jesus Christ.

Dear Christian, are we going to stand and begin preaching the Full Gospel as commanded? Or we going to get all wrapped up in the philosophy of man and bow down to the spirit of fear and boost our egos because we are patriotic and conforming to the ‘new normal’.

Romans 12:2 (AMP) “And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].”

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

Tongues Explained with Caution

This is a post I wrote last year that I have updated and am reposting. The gift of tongues is a widely debated subject in the church, and it needs addressed.  If we only study the Gift of Tongues from the Book of Acts then we will not get the full picture, along with important instructions. If we look in the New Testament, we will find the mention of four different types of tongues.  

#1: Tongues as a Sign

The first type of tongue I would like to discuss is tongues for unbelievers, this is for public ministry. This type of tongue is the one that took place on the Day of Pentecost, believers from the Upper Room came down to a large group of unbelievers who spoke different languages and the believers were speaking in the different languages of the unbelievers. Keep in mind the believers did not mentally know the languages of the unbelievers, they were only able to speak tongues because the Holy Spirit gave them the words. Acts 2:4 (AMP) says “And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].”. This type of tongue is an earthly language, for example you might have someone who comes to your church that only speaks French and everyone else speaks English. Someone in your church who truly has this gift would be able to minister to the French speaking person in tongues as the Holy Spirit gives them utterance.  

#2: Tongues for Interpretation

The second type of tongue is tongues for interpretation, which is also for public ministry. This is when one speaks in tongues to the whole church and then someone else interprets it. This will require one person to speak in tongues, and then for someone to interpret the tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:27-28(NKJV) tells us, “If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.”.  Why would we want someone to speak in tongues and then interpret it for the whole church during service? The answer is found in 1 Corinthians 14:26 (NKJV) “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.”. All these things are to be done for edification of the body of Christ. Edify means to improve or instruct spiritually. So, when one gives a message in tongues in front of the church there should be an interpretation so that the church can be edified.  

#3: Tongues for Personal Edification

I would like to move on to the two private types of tongues, and the first one is your personal prayer language. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:2 (AMP) “For one who speaks in an unknown tongue does not speak to people but to God; for no one understands him or catches his meaning, but by the Spirit he speaks mysteries [secret truths, hidden things].”. I would like you to notice that is uses the word unknown tongue, which is probably a language not known on earth.  Having your own personal prayer language is important because you edify yourself, 1 Corinthians 14:4 tells us, “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.”. In the next verse we will find that Paul wants us all to speak in tongues, he also mentions the importance and greatness of prophesy and tongues with interpretation, “I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.”.  

#4: Tongues for Intercession

The last type of tongue I would like to discuss is tongues for intercession. Romans 8:26-27 (AMP) tells us, “In the same way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groanings too deep for words.  And He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes [before God] on behalf of God’s people in accordance with God’s will.”. I believe that tongues for intercession will usually come during your personal time in praying in the Spirit. With intercession you might be interceding for your own self or for someone else. The important take away is this is as the Spirit gives you utterance.  

Gifts Given as the Spirit Wills

So now enough about tongues, lets talk about all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Paul told us the gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NKJV), “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.”.  Notice it says different types of tongues, hence why I just discussed the four different types of tongues. I would also like to point out that all these gifts are controlled by God through the Holy Spirit and given out accordingly to believers. Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 12:11 (NKJV), “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”. I would like to encourage you to not become jealous if someone else you know flows in more gifts of the Spirit than you do, God will not bless everyone the same exact way, therefore your testimony is your testimony, not someone else’s.  

You Must Repent and Believe First

I would also like to talk about receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The first thing that needs to happen is you need to be born again (repent and believe). When one truly becomes born again you receive the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is what makes you a new creation in Jesus Christ. I would like to point out that true salvation should be the priority in the church before one receives the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38 (NKJV) tells us, “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 one is truly born again and then asks and receives the true infilling of the Holy Spirit they must walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 (NKJV) says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”. We must not only walk in the Spirit but also flow in the Spirit. Jesus said in John 3:8 (NKJV), “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”. 

Cessationism Is Not Biblical

I would now like to address a popular teaching that many people hear and that is that the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for today and that they ended with the Apostles. The one scripture they will use in this teaching is 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NKJV), “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”. However, we must read on from this verse, lets look at verse 10 “But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.”.  I personally believe that the only way that it can be perfect is when Jesus returns. Some may argue that the word perfect is referring to the completion of the New Testament. I disagree because of Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV), “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”. When looking at Hebrews 13:8 I also keep in mind the trinity which you can read into further in Matthew 28:18-20.  

Spiritual Gifts Do Get Abused

However, I will agree there is an issue when it comes to all the gifts of the Holy Spirit today in the church. We need to number one be aware of false prophets and teachers. Jesus warned us in Matthew 7:15 (NKJV) “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”. Why do we need to be aware of false prophets? Well false teachings will lead one to hell, Satan is working aggressively to get people to fall into the trap of false teachings to land people in hell for eternity. Before warning us of false prophets Jesus also told us in Matthew 7:14 (NKJV), “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”. If you read further you will find that Jesus gave another warning regarding these false prophets, He said in Matthew 7:22-23 (NKJV) “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”. There are many ministers who focus on the signs and wonders rather than true salvation.  Some examples of those who practice lawlessness are those who teach a watered-down gospel, fail to teach on true salvation, and those ministers who focus on making money. We should not just be seeking Jesus for the signs; we should be seeking Him because without Him we will spend eternity in hell. The type of Apostasy we are seeing today has been warned to us in 1 Timothy 4:1 (NKJV), “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,”.  So, could there be a false Holy Spirit in churches? Absolutely Satan will do anything to deceive people. Anything done in the church needs to be done carefully and in order, that is why Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:40 (NKJV), “Let all things be done decently and in order.”.  

I encourage you as you follow certain ministers on mainstream to really be careful. Just because it is mainstream Christianity does not mean it is Biblically correct. I would like to point out that anytime that someone speaks in tongues that it must be done with utterance from the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues cannot be done on demand, but only as the Holy Spirit gives you utterance. I encourage you if you haven’t already to ask God to give you a fresh and new infilling of the Holy Spirit and that you can flow in the gifts that are of His will for you.  

Further Reading

2020, 2020 Posts, Apostolic, Bible Study, Christianity, Wisdom, Word's of Wisdom

Did We Forget Hebrews 11?

Introduction

In my private time with the Lord this week I felt the question pressed upon me “Did we forget Hebrews chapter 11?”. Some of you who are diligent students of God’s Word know what Hebrews 11 is about. Hebrews is one of my favorite post-Gospel books of the Bible to study. This blog post is not just going to be teaching based out of Scripture, but also a strong exhortation for the entire Body of Christ. I realize many people that are reading this have a different background from various denominations. I would challenge all of you as you read your Bible, each time you pick it up, read it like you never read it before. Often when we read over the Bible a few times we already have knowledge of what certain passages mean. However, for us to grow in the deeper things of God we must constantly be seeking God for knowledge, wisdom, and revelation as we read His Word. We need to read the Bible with open eyes, being sensitive to what the Holy Spirit wants to teach us. I would even advise you to switch up the translations you read from time to time. Regardless, everything we pull from Scripture as revelation must be used in context.

What is Faith

So, let us dig into Hebrews 11, I am not going to quote every single verse, but I encourage you to take the time and read Hebrews 11. I want you to read the entire book of Hebrews within this week. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) starts off with “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”.  Faith is the result of things hoped for regardless of what we see in the realm of this world. Faith is defined as a complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Our complete trust and confidence in the Lord are the result of things hoped for regardless if we see them or not in this earthly realm. Too often people are moved only by what they see in front of them and forget what the Word of God says and promises us.

God Shown Through Creation

Hebrews 11:3 (AMP) tells us, “By faith [that is, with an inherent trust and enduring confidence in the power, wisdom and goodness of God] we understand that the worlds (universe, ages) were framed and created [formed, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose] by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.”. Our faith in God must be enduring confidence in God’s power, wisdom, goodness, and His many other attributes. Everything we see around us on this planet and even beyond was formed by God in the sense of nature. Just like a skyscraper was carefully built and designed by someone with a purpose, everything on this earth was created by God with a purpose and was done perfectly. However, we know that when the fall of man took place things changed, I will get more into that in another post.

Many people say, “I don’t believe in God, I cannot see Him.”. Just what God has done with Creation, creating this beautiful earth and everything in the universe proves He is real. Even the mighty moves of God that we see in Scripture prove who He is. Ezekiel 33:29 (ESV) says, “Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I have made the land a desolation and a waste because of all their abominations that they have committed.”. The signs that God performed in the Scriptures were to show the people that He is the Lord. Just like when God does mighty works today, it is done for His Glory. When someone is healed of a disease, it is not to glorify an evangelist, it is to glorify God. When someone receives a true prophetic word from God, it is not to glorify someone operating in the office of a prophet, but to glorify God.

By Faith

In Hebrews 11 we see a roll call of the Heroes of Faith from the Scriptures. We see about 15 times in Hebrews 11 the phrase “by faith”. For example, we see in verse seven that when Noah was warned about the flood and was instructed to build the ark, it was all done by faith. Noah could not see the coming flood. He not only had faith; he was moved by the fear of God to build the ark following the detailed instructions the Lord gave him. Having true faith in God results in true fear of God.

The Fear of God

The fear of God is critically important. Philippians 2:12 (AMP) tells us, “So then, my dear ones, just as you have always obeyed [my instructions with enthusiasm], not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation [that is, cultivate it, bring it to full effect, actively pursue spiritual maturity] with awe-inspired fear and trembling [using serious caution and critical self-evaluation to avoid anything that might offend God or discredit the name of Christ].”. Some people believe that once you say the sinner’s prayer that you are always good to go, regardless of your lifestyle. Many people have fallen to the teachings of hyper-grace or greasy grace. If someone is truly saved and filled with the Holy Spirit, then there is going to be fruit to show. Faith without works is dead. We are not saved by works, but works are a result of true genuine salvation. Are there times when we slip up? Yes, and when we do, we should be quick to repent. Part of repentance is turning away from sins. We got many people who want to go to Heaven, but do not want to give up their addiction to wickedness. If you do not want to give up your addiction to wickedness, then you need to really examine yourself! Because if we are people of faith, we will also be people who fear God.

Hypocrisy in the Church

Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV) tells us, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”. We cannot please God without having complete trust and confidence in Him. Too many people say that they have faith in God, but their actions reflect otherwise. Too many churches claim to believe the Word of Faith but act otherwise. Too many churches and Christians have more faith in the power of the devil, than in the power of Jesus Christ. You might be thinking, “what is he talking about?”. If the church truly knew the authority there is within Jesus Christ, and the rights we must exercise authority by His powerful name for His Glory, then why would churches still be closed over a pandemic?

A Sinking Church

When Jesus healed the woman of fever, did Jesus and His disciples wear a face covering? No. Did they stop what they were doing for quarantine for 14 days after exposure to her? No. Jesus gave us all as believers very clear instructions in Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV), “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”. This was not limited to first-century Christians; this is simply addressed to those who believe. Many people who say that the apostolic gifts of the Spirit have ceased because of transitions in the Book of Acts. If that is the case, then why do we see miracles performed all the way to the very last chapter in the Book of Acts? People like to use 1 Corinthians 13 to say that all the Gifts of the Spirit are not for today. 1 Corinthians 13 is first addressing the importance of acting in love in all things, because without love then your spiritual gifts mean nothing. We must not only yield to the Holy Spirit regarding the gifts of the Spirit, but we must also have the fruits of the Spirit showing in our lives. 1 Corinthians 13 also stresses the importance of maturity, there are many people today who act immature when it comes to the gifts of the Spirit. Everything involving the gifts of the Spirit is conformed to the Word of God. God will never do anything with us in the miraculous that contradicts His Word. Our experiences and feelings are not above the authority of Scripture either. We are to be submitted to the authority of Scripture.

Many churches today are simply not acting by what they profess their faith to be. There are very few who have taken a stand. Some church leaders are waking up and realizing they must take a stand and open their churches. The government might imprison us for going to church during a ‘pandemic’.  But look at what the Apostle Paul went through. Did the Apostles stop preaching when they were told to by government authorities? No, they did not. Hebrews 10:25 (NKJV) instructs us, “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”. Assembling over social media can have its benefits, but there is nothing like being gathered as Jesus taught in the Gospels. Whether your gathering is large or small, we should not forsake it. What will we do when we are told by the US government, not to preach at all, and to throw out our Bibles because our message is offensive towards Sodomites? Will we bow down? Or will we stand? The day is coming when Biblical Christianity will not be tolerated in America. Are we going to act in faith or fear?

Judgement for the Faithless and Cowards

While we will be judged based on the 10 Commandments, and our names must be written in the Lambs Book of Life, we cannot be faithless and cowardly professing Christians. Revelation 21:8 (NKJV) warns us, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”. Church it is either time to continue swimming, start swimming for your life or sink. This is not the time to be playing games, the time is noticeably short from the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Has the church forgotten Hebrews 11? The majority has, but Jesus said that ‘narrow and difficult is the way which leads to life’. There are very few who have stepped up to what we are called to do as the Body of Christ. If you have been taking a stand in faith, then let this post be an encouragement to you. If you have been acting out of fear, let this post be a warning to you. Please take the time to have serious fellowship with the Lord. We must be seeking Him daily and we must know what He has called each one of us to do. Now is not the time to be on the sidelines. 

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. 

2019, Apostolic, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Salvation, Testimony, Wisdom

Being Used By God

How do you know that someone is truly called by God? In this post, we are going to look at two people in the Book of Acts, who were truly called by God. Additionally, we will look at a few signs to look for in someone that is being used by God. At the end of this teaching, I am also going to dig deep into the term Apostle in hopes to bring some clarity.

The Need for Boldness Today

Starting with Acts 14:1 we see that the Apostles Paul and Barnabas were in Iconium speaking in a Jewish synagogue. If you look in the Amplified Bible, it tells us they both spoke with boldness and power. How did they have this boldness and power? It was because they were Baptized in the Holy Spirit. They spoke with boldness and power because they had the Holy Spirit working through them. Therefore, their ministry was powerful and bold, even though it faced much opposition. This is the way the church today needs to be! Additionally, in Acts 14:1 it tells us that many Jews and Greeks accepted the message of the Gospel. In the Amplified Bible, it tells us that they confidently accepted Jesus as our savior.  I am not sure how we can possibly get true conversion today if the average church in America is weak and dehydrated from the Holy Spirit. In America’s church today I see many people who say they have been born again for so many years, but no evidence of it, you cannot tell them apart from the unbelieving world. Therefore, we need bold and powerful preaching in our churches today! Many people are going to go to hell when they die, and it is truly sad!

Facing Opposition

Acts 14:2 goes on to tell us the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against Paul and Barnabas. This is what will often happen to people who are truly being used by God, they will have people oppose them, they will often face opposition regularly. One way to know for certain that someone is being used by God is that they are facing opposition regularly. God never promised that this walk would be easy, and He never promised that the work of ministry would be easy. In fact, Jesus even warned us that we would face rejection and even persecution.

Signs and True Salvation

In Acts 14:3 we see that God allowed signs to follow Paul and Barnabas as they continued ministering to the people in Iconium. Verse three specifically tells us that God granted signs and wonders to be done. I think it is safe to assume that these signs were healings, miracles, and deliverances. Jesus told us in Mark 16:20 (NKJV), “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.”. God will allow signs to follow those who are truly seeking Him. God will use a minister who regularly spends time with God in the prayer closet, rather than a minister who only reads the Bible when they are preparing their Sunday sermon. Someone who is truly being used by God will have bold teaching that cuts the heart of the sinner, and even corrects the believer. This type of preaching is what should bring true salvation and conversion. We should not be concerned about the number of people we get to say the sinner’s prayer, we should be concerned about the number of people who are truly saved and converted. This is something that is lacking in the church today, which has resulted in much carnality in the church today.

Division and the Enemy

Continuing Acts 14:4 tells us that the city of Iconium was divide, some sided with the apostles, and some with the unbelieving Jews. The enemy’s work was at hand right here, because there was division. The enemy loves to divide churches and families. I would like to encourage you that when you start seeing division happening in your church or family, make sure your first action is to start praying rather than letting your flesh get the best of you!

Grace and Opposition

In Acts 14:5-7 we see that there was a violent attempt to harm and stone the two Apostles. However, both Paul and Barnabas became aware of this and went to Lystra and Derbe to continue their ministry. As I have said before they did not let the opposition get the best of them. Whether you are in ministry or not, you will face opposition. It might be from people, circumstances, or even your own health. We cannot let circumstances stop us from doing what God has called us to do, along with praising Him and staying in the Word. In fact, this past week, I was dealing with some tooth pain, which in my opinion is one of the worst pains you can get. I do not like dental pain at all, however, I knew that I could not let that dental pain stop me from getting into the Word, and spending time with the Lord. So, whatever it is you are going through, do not let it get the best of you. Each time you deal with opposition and push through it by leaning on the love and grace of God, you will be more prepared next time.

Apostles of Christ

Lastly, I would like to get into something a little deeper. I would like to bring some clarity to the term Apostle. We see the term Apostle used in the New Testament several times. You may have even noticed that some people today might refer to themselves as Apostles. When using the term Apostle today, we need to be careful of our meaning behind it, because there are two types of Apostles. The first type of Apostle were the ones who were an eyewitness of the resurrection of Jesus, these are called Apostles of Christ. These ones are limited because these only refer to the 12 and Paul. 1 Thessalonians 2:6 (NKJV) tells us, “Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ.”.

Apostles of the Church (TODAY)

The second type of Apostle we find in the Bible are the ones who are considered Apostles of the Church. They obviously were not eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 8:23 (NKJV) tells us, “If anyone inquires about Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker concerning you. Or if our brethren are inquired about, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.”. These types of Apostles are also noted as sent ones of the church. Today we do have people who operate in the office of an Apostle, even though they are not eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus Christ. These people bring a big impact on our church today, and I feel that God will be calling more people to fulfill this rule to be Apostles of the Church today!

Final Thoughts

So, I want to challenge you to ask yourself, is God calling you to do something that you have been holding off on? Maybe this is doing more evangelism in your community, or volunteering at your church. Maybe God might be calling you to the five-fold ministry? Lastly, are you prepared to put time aside and truly seek His Face? By doing so are you ready to face some opposition? I encourage you to take some time this week and ask God to show you what He is calling you to do at this point in your life.