Category Archives: Gifts of the Spirit

2022, Christianity, Discipleship, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration

A Word on Christlikeness

May be an image of sky and text that says 'And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we ive like Jesus here in this world. John 4:17'

This is just one verse, and much is being said here for the believer to meditate upon and apply to their life.

Jesus never gave a commission for His disciples to build a large religious system or to make a religion based on man-made tradition, yet many people are sadly in bondage to this today. 

Believers are called to live in God, as His Spirit is indwelling us. Do we realize that the same Spirit that rose Jesus from the grave is inside of us? You can know that as Biblical fact from Roman’s 6:10-11, but at the same time is it a revelation to you that you live out daily?

Many have just mentally ascended the things that Jesus spoke rather than meditating on the Word of God and feasting upon it.

This verse has everything to do with what Paul wrote to the Galatian church in Galatians chapter 4 about sonship.

The love that is cultivated in us is to be a Christ-like kind of love. It does not mean we love the things of the world, but we love the things God loves. Do not forget that God is a God of distinction, he divides the holy from the unholy (Leviticus 10:10).

This verse says as Jesus is on earth so are we. Have we reflected on what Jesus did during His earthly ministry? Not only this but what did Jesus say in Mark 16:17-18? “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.”.

He didn’t say these signs will just follow the first-century church, He said these signs would follow them do you believe. Do you believe it? If so, do follow this according to Scripture? Let us not neglect there is abuse when it comes to these things in the church and there are extremes, however, if you stick with God’s Word for what His Word says and seek Him first He will be faithful.

It’s time for believers to get back to the Word of God and seek a new level of intimacy with the Father, and to walk out the walk we are called to walk in.

2021, Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Salvation

The River of Life

This year I have really been touching on walking in faith and the importance of coming to the knowledge of who we are as new creations through Christ Jesus.

I would like to draw your attention to the Book of Ezekiel when he describes the vision the Lord gave him of The Temple. We see him describe the glory of the Lord in Ezekiel 43:2 (ESV), “And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.”. We then see the reaction of Ezekiel to the glory of the Lord filling the Temple in verses 4-5, “As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.”. Ezekiel in this very passage was given a vision of the Temple of the Lord that was to come. I want you to look at this passage with the mindset that as new creations in Christ Jesus that we are all individually a Temple of the Spirit of the Living God (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Let us take this a step further and look at some keys in Ezekiel 47:9-12. In this very chapter Ezekiel describes a river that is flowing from the Temple.

  • In verse 9: “ And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea  may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.”.
    • Jesus told us in John 7:38 that those who believe in Him will  “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”.
  • In verse 10: “Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.”.
    • In Matthew 4:18-19, Jesus called two fishermen, Simon Peter and Andrew to come follow Him and that He would make them “fishers of men”.
    • Additionally, Galatians 3:28 (ESV) tells us, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”.  The Body of Christ will be composed of both men and women, and people from many different ethnicities and cultures around the world.
  • In verse 12: “And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
    • Jesus told us in Matthew 7:15-20, that we “would know a tree by its fruit”. He is talking about believers here. It is not about how long ago we prayed a prayer, but the fruit that we bear as disciples of Jesus Christ.
    • We also know that through the finished work of Jesus Christ we have Salvation from sins, healing from all sickness and disease, and deliverance from every type of demonic oppression.

Too often when we read about the Temple of God as in the Old Testament, we may be quick to brush over it. However, we should pay attention to this, because as New Covenant believers we are each a temple of the Holy Spirit. This is just one example of how the Temple in the Old Testament relates to us as believers today. I pray that you will study these passages for yourself, and that the eyes of your understanding would be enlightened to know who we are as new creations in Christ Jesus.

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 Posts, Bible Study, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Discernment, Gifts of the Spirit

Today’s Christian Culture vs. The Early Church

In this blog post, I would like to talk about Acts chapter 23. Paul is right now before the Sanhedrin council and states that he has lived all his life in good conscience with God. However, we see that the high priest, Ananias, does not believe that and asks for people to stone Paul. Paul responds in verse three by rebuking the Ananias for trying to appear righteous outwardly but being corrupt inwardly. This reminds me of Jeremiah 5:31 (ESV) which says, “the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?”. This was a problem in then and today. We got false prophets and teachers in the world today, and I would say it is far worse today with the impact of social media. We are warned that in the end days that there will be a great falling away, that has already started years ago even before the start of the century we are currently in, and it is only going to get worse. Yet people who profess to be Christians love what these false teachers say and do.

Modern Christian Culture and the Broad Way

I believe it is evident not just here, but in the many letters, Paul wrote that he was strong in the gift of discernment. He relied on the Holy Spirit to discern good from evil. Sadly, today many Christians do not take five seconds to even double-check what they are hearing from the pulpit or hear on ‘Christian’ radio. We live in such a digital world, that people’s credibility is determined by how many followers they have or how popular they are. Jesus warned us of this in Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV), “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”. I am 100-percent convinced that a good majority of what we see in main-stream Christianity will not lead one to the narrow gate. Why do I say that? Well, Jesus said, “those who find the narrow gate are few”. Just because its what you see at the Christian bookstore does not mean it will line up with Scripture. Am I saying every minister is going to be 100-percent perfect? Absolutely not, but we must learn where to draw the line at as Christians. Look at the world around us right now, we are getting so close to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Now is not the time to be messing with what is popular to the world with a dip of the Bible in it. We must be real and genuine believers; we are called to be different than the world.

Pharisee’s vs. Sadducee’s

After Paul calls out the high priest, he then states he is a son of a Pharisee and believes in the resurrection of the dead. There is a huge debate between Pharisees and Sadducees, we even see this in the four Gospels. After Paul said this the scribes of the Pharisees say they find no evil in Paul and to let Paul go and not fight against God. This led to tension between everyone, and the guards have Paul taken out and put in the castle. Just looking back on Paul’s life right now, he has had it very rough. He has suffered much physical and emotional harm from people, yet he never threw in the towel. Are you and I ready to give a defense for the Gospel? Or are we just going to back down? Romans 1:16 (ESV) tells us, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”. We are not to be ashamed of the Gospel.

Books of Acts Destroys the Modern Name it and Claim it Prosperity Gospel

As Paul is in the castle that evening, the Lord spoke to him. He told Paul that he will also bear witness of the Gospel in Rome, and to be of good cheer. God knew that Paul would face opposition and challenge. It was not in God’s plan for Paul to have his best life on this earth. Paul faced much persecution and eventually was beheaded. Yet in America, modern Christianity promises us our best life now with the name it and claim it saying, “I am a victor, not a victim”. How many of us are truly willing to be beheaded or take a bullet for the Gospel? Really be honest. Because in America I believe we have developed a form of lukewarm Christianity and would not be prepared at all for major persecution. The church in America has lacked Biblical boldness and has more of an ego than anything else. We have gotten too far from the place where we have let our culture influence how we look at the Bible, rather than letting the Bible influence our overall mindset.

Wake Up Church

I am not trying to be condemning here, I am trying to wake people up to the truth. Jesus will return one day, and He has eyes of fire that you do not want to mess with. Now is not the time to be playing games. We need to live with the mindset of truly not being ashamed of the Gospel. Paul did whatever it took to obey God by preaching the Gospel everywhere he went. Are we willing to do whatever it takes with what God has called you and me to do? We need to step it up. More people are fearful of a virus and following all the guidelines than they are fearful of God and following all that He commands of us.

A Conspiracy is Formed

Continuing with Acts chapter 23 we see that the following day over 40 people formed a conspiracy to take an oath to not eat anything until they killed Paul. Things begin to get even more serious; people are taking oaths to kill Paul. Paul’s nephew ends up going to the commander and telling him privately about this manner.   We see that the commander gathers up 200 men the take Paul safely to Governor Felix. The commander, Claudius Lysias lets the governor know, by a letter, about Paul’s accusations and that he was sending him over because he was a Roman. When Paul arrives at Caesarea, he is put in Herods Praetorium while they wait for his accusers to arrive.

Jesus is All We Need

 Again, as we look at the life of Paul, he did much traveling and he has been around the block when it comes to persecution. We must put ourselves in the shoes of those who do missionary work in hostile countries. I have great respect for anyone who goes to do missionary work in hostile countries. A couple years ago I went to a Voice of the Martyrs Conference in West Virginia and heard many missionaries speak on their experience with persecution. They all had one thing in common when they spoke, they were all filled with true joy. James 1:2-4 (ESV) tells us, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”.  We count trials joy because it produces steadfastness, it grows our faith in the Lord. Psalm 107:9 (NASB) tells us, “For He has satisfied the thirsty soul, And the hungry soul He has filled with what is good.”.  We need to come to a place that no matter what goes on in our life that Jesus is all satisfying. Because if we lack that as our mindset, we will lean towards the sinful means of this world to satisfy us.

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. 

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!

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.

2019, Baptism of Holy Spirit, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Discernment, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration

Being Led By the Spirit

In this post, I am going to talk about the importance of being led by the Holy Spirit. You should let Him lead you and not your flesh. Romans 8:14 (NKJV) tells us, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”. If we want to truly be children of God, we not only need to be born again, we need to let the Holy Spirit lead us in everything we do!

What Are You Called To Do?

Starting with Acts 13:4-5 we see the start of Paul’s missions’ trips. Most importantly we see that he was sent out by the Holy Spirit. I am sure there are many believers out there today who have a divine call on their life but fail to answer that call. Paul was sent out by the Holy Spirit to go and minister to different regions. He could have resisted and stayed in his comfort zone, but he led by example and yielded to what the Holy Spirit called him to do. Just because you are not called to the five-fold ministry does not mean you are off the hook from serving God! Some people are called to help at their church, whether that as administrative, cleaning, or any other tasks. 1 Corinthians 12:28 distinguishes the office of helps.

Walk the Walk

We even see that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit throughout His earthly ministry. Luke 4:1 (NKJV) tells us, “Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness”. When we live according to the Spirit we walk in it, Galatians 5:25 (AMP) tells us, “If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage—our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit].”. When we walk in the Spirit, we must have a godly character and be a light that shines in the name of Jesus! We also need to have the nine fruits of the Spirit evident in our lives. I wrote a book on the nine fruits of the Spirit, click here to check it out.

The Holy Spirit Empowers Us

Continuing Acts 13:6-13 We see that Paul has a confrontation with a sorcerer. In verse nine it specifically tells us that Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit when he confronted this sorcerer. Paul rebuked this sorcerer and a dark blinding mist fell upon him. When the proconsul saw this, they believed and was astonished at the teaching of the Lord. This sorcerer that Peter dealt with was trying to turn the proconsul away from the faith. This is often what false prophets do, they will turn people away from the truth of the Gospel. However, Paul was able to address this issue only because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. We all should seek God for the discerning of spirits! The gift of discernment is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit as mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.

A Personal Challenge

I want to challenge you to something different this week when you read your Bible ask the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes. Also, when you read your Bible, act like you never read it before each time. This is how you will get a fresh revelation. If you get fresh revelation please feel free to share it with me, I would love to hear your testimony.

2019, Discernment, Gifts of the Spirit, Wisdom, Word's of Wisdom

Under Attack

As I was praying in the spirit and reading my Bible this week, the Lord revealed certain things to me about spiritual warfare. He put some words on my heart as a word of knowledge for all believers as I was spending time with Him. Here is what was put on my heart:

There has been a war brewing in America and in the world for years!
This is the greatest and most lethal war in the history of all creation.
It is not a war of flesh and blood; it is a war between the principalities and powers of good and evil.

There is so much going on today in cultures and current events.
But we want to blame our leaders for the problems.
Don’t you know Gods Word says this war is not flesh and blood?
It is against the principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Sadly, many believers want to spend their time watching the news and voicing their opinions.
While as believers we need to voice our opinion for righteousness in this nation, but this war also needs to be fought.
But not many believers are willing to fully commit and put on the whole armor of God.

Sadly, many believers want to attempt to serve God, while still serving the devil full-time.
Jesus even told us that we cannot serve two masters. Make up your mind!
More believers follow witchcraft, mediums, and much more.
There are more witches out there today than ever before.

But why won’t His people put on the full armor of God, and do spiritual warfare?
Why aren’t we taking a stand in this war?
He called each believer to do more than just say the sinner’s prayer!

Believers are too scared to take a stance for the true Word of God.
We are too worried about offending someone or being politically correct.
God doesn’t care if His Word offends someone. His Word is a sharp two-edged sword!
He wants people who care about being Biblically correct.

He is sick of the carnality in the church today. Did you forget what Paul wrote in Corinthians?
Why aren’t more churches speaking the truth on marriage?
Why aren’t more churches condemning the war on gender?
Why are less and less ‘Christians’ not advocating for what He perfectly forms in the womb?
Why are you so scared? He doesn’t give believers a spirit of fear, but He gives us one of love, power, and a sound mind.

Why do many churches forget the power of the Helper He left us?
The Power of the Holy Spirit is what will equip us to do true spiritual warfare.
Put away your denominational eyes and read your Bible.
The only way we can do spiritual warfare is by praying the Holy Ghost.
The church today is dehydrated from the Holy Ghost!

If we want to fight this spiritual war, then we need to know and live Biblical truth.
If we want to fight this spiritual war, then we need to always be praying in the Holy Ghost!
Where is your personal time invested? In Him or the world?