As I continue my teaching series
this week before Resurrection Sunday, I would like to teach on Jesus’ baptism
and how it impacts us. Before looking
into the baptism of Jesus, I would like to discuss one important person and
that is John the Baptist. There was a false teaching back in those days where
people believed that John the Baptist would be greater than or equal to Jesus
Christ. This false teaching or heresy was addressed in The Gospel of John. John
1:6-8 (NKJV) tells us, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was
John. This man came for a witness, to
bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear
witness of that Light.”. Jesus is the true Light, and John the Baptist is a
forerunner for Jesus. John the Baptist baptized people with water for the
remission of sins, however, we know that Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:13-14 (NKJV) says, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the
Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need
to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?””. John the Baptist wanted
Jesus to baptize him because he knew who Jesus was. However, we will find out
that Jesus wanted to be baptized by John the Baptist. We will also find out why
Jesus got baptized by him.
So why did Jesus wanted to be
baptized by John the Baptist? Jesus was clearly without sin so why was it
necessary? Matthew 3:15 tells us, “But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit
it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
Then he allowed Him.”. Jesus got baptized so He could be identified with
sinners. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be
sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”. Reading further into the passage in Matthew,
verse 16 goes on to say, “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately
from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the
Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.”. John the Baptist
witnessed the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus, it appeared to be like a dove. John
1:32 (NKJV) says, “And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending
from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.” The Holy Spirit remained on
Jesus during His earthly ministry, and we know that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit
to the disciples after His ascension as you would read in the Book of Acts.
John the Baptist also got confirmation from heaven that Jesus is the Son of God,
Matthews 3:17 (NKJV) tells us, “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying,
“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.””.
So now that we know about what took
place during the baptism of Jesus, let’s look at two key Old Testament
scriptures. There are many Messianic scriptures found in the Old Testament that
often get overlooked. First Isaiah 42:1 (NKJV) says, “Behold! My Servant whom I
uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.”. Jesus is God’s Elect One, who He
sent His Spirit upon. Matthew 3:17 is also confirmed in the Old Testament, look
at Psalm 2:7 (NKJV) which says, ““I will declare the decree: The Lord has said
to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”.
Now that we have a background on
the story of Jesus’ baptism and why He got baptized let’s look at the
difference between water baptism and salvation. First, salvation needs to come
before water baptism. Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV) instructs us, “that if you confess
with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised
Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth,
confession is made unto salvation.”.
Salvation is what is required of us to make it to Heaven when we
die. If water baptism was the way to
heaven then we would be saying we are saved by works, which we know is false
teaching. Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) tells us, “For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”.
This would also cancel out the largely popular tradition of newly born babies
being baptized in water. Pouring water over a newborn baby in a church is no
greater than giving your baby a bath at home, except you don’t invite the whole
family to watch your baby get a bath at home. Also, we cannot be forgiven by
anyone except Jesus, and we can go directly to Jesus in prayer. We don’t need
any priest, bishop, or pope to go to Jesus, simply come as you are to Him. 2
Timothy 2:5 (NKJV) says, “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and
men, the Man Christ Jesus,”. Once we are truly saved at salvation, water
baptism is an outward expression of the old man dying and the new man coming
forth. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he
is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become
new.”. I encourage you this week to reflect on the following questions:
Think
about how this scripture impacts your specifically: 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)
says, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him.”.
Read
2 Corinthians 5:17. Describe the transformation that took place in your life
after your salvation?
I welcome you to feel free to share
your comments to this post.
As we are in the month of April it
comes time to remember Jesus going to the cross and dying for our sins and
conquering the grave. I will be giving a few teachings over the next few days
about Jesus’ earthly ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection. During His earthly ministry, He did many
great things. One of the things Jesus did was preach because this was one of
His purposes in His earthly ministry. Jesus said in Mark 1:38 (NKJV) “Let us go
into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I
have come forth.”. Jesus also performed many signs; He had several healings
that we will find an account for in the Gospels. Many of His signs were related
to healings, for example, when He healed the blind beggar, John 9:7 (NKJV)
says, “And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is
translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.”. Another great
sign Jesus performed was raising Lazarus from the dead. As I was studying the story of Lazarus God
put the word bondage on my heart, which is what I will be discussing in this
teaching. In this teaching, we will not only look at the story of Lazarus but
also why we need to be loosed from our bondage. Also, I am going to discuss
eight common bondages many people, including Christians, deal with. And most
importantly I will address how to be loosed from these bondages.
When Jesus went to the tomb that
Lazarus was buried in there was a stone in the way. With this stone in the way
there would be no way that Jesus could speak life to Lazarus, this is why He
said: “Take away the stone” in John 11:39. Jesus could have called angels down
to remove the stone, but He had the Jews remove the stone. Sometimes God will
want us to remove the stone in our life before the breakthrough comes our way.
If you look at the many miracles Jesus did in His earthly ministry you will see
He wanted to get people involved in some way in their miracle. Maybe you might
have to ask yourself what is He wanting me to do in my situation? If we read
further into the scripture, we will find that when Lazarus was raised from the
dead, He was still bound to the graveclothes. John 11:44 (NKJV) says, “And he
who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was
wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.””. There
are many born again Christians who are still bound to something and need to
come loose of it, or maybe you became bound to something after you got born
again. Regardless of the situation there is one person who can make you be
loosed of your bondage, and His name is Jesus and He is alive and working
today!
As I was studying bondage, I then
obviously came across the word ‘loose’, so I got my Strong’s Concordance and
dug deeper into the word ‘loose’. Jesus told us in Matthew 16:19 (NKJV), “And I
will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth
will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in
heaven.”. So, do you have something that needs to be loosed here on earth,
before you make your way to heaven? God wants us to be loosened of our bondage
because He desires us fully. Matthews 21:2-3 says, “saying to them, “Go into
the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a
colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me.
And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of
them,’ and immediately he will send them.”.
When we are fully loosened of our bondage God will do even greater works
in our lives, therefore we need to really step back from our circumstances and
look at the Spiritual roots of our circumstances and deal with the Spirit in
the mighty name of Jesus!
I am going to go over eight common
bondages that we could all be facing or could face. I must remind you that we
live in a dark world and there are many demonic doors the enemy can use to
enter our lives. Many of these problems will have a demonic spirit behind them.
Therefore, we must deal with the spirit, and once we deal with the spirit the
restoration can begin if we fully trust in God and His Word. I am going to warn
you I am going to be to the point on these items, it is not to be offensive but
to stress the importance of taking each of these to God. If we continue
tolerating these things in our lives and churches, they will dominate us if
they already haven’t. I would also like
to make the disclaimer that some of the problems we face can be self-inflicted
also and may not have a spiritual root behind it. Therefore, it is important to
seek God to properly deal with our problems in life and be open to hear His
voice. So here is my list of eight
common bondages that have Spiritual roots behind them:
1. Addiction
You might be addicted to drugs,
alcohol, gaming, pornography, sexual immorality, or unhealthy food. Regardless
of the addiction, it can be broken by putting your faith in Jesus and getting
the Word in you daily. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV) says, “No temptation has
overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not
allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will
also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
2. Depression
Let’s face it the Spirit of
Depression is so common anymore, so many people turn to psychology and
medications rather than focusing on God’s word. Don’t get me wrong it is
important to follow your doctor’s recommendation, but God is above all things.
If you fully put your trust in God on your depression you can be delivered, and
even get off your anti-depressant (please consult with your doctor first before
getting off any medications). Psalms 34:17-18 (NKJV) says, “The righteous cry
out, and the Lord hears And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord
is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite
spirit.” If you are dealing with depression, I would encourage you to not only
read but study the whole Book of Psalms.
3. Anxiety
With as hectic as life can get, we
can worry from time to time, but then some people have issues with chronic
anxiety, they might even have panic attacks. When I was younger, I had issues
with anxiety. I was on medication for it until one night at church I got
delivered of it and never had the problem again and never needed any medication
for anxiety. 1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV) says, “casting all your care upon Him, for He
cares for you.”. Another word for care is anxiety, so cast your anxiety to the
Lord.
4. Rejection
Some people might be dealing with
rejection. Whether it stems from an abusive relationship, abusive parent,
rejection from another person, or even self-rejection. Rejection may also lead
to poor emotional health and may even lead to poor physical health. Your
medical condition may not be caused by the Spirit of Infirmity but might be a
result of rejection. Remember 1 Peter 2:4 (NKJV) says, “Coming to Him as to a
living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,”.
5. Infirmity
If you have sickness in your body,
turn to Jesus. Healing might not be instant; it might be a process. More
importantly, we should not let our sickness hinder our walk with God. The enemy
can use infirmities to hinder or even destroy our faith. Luke 13:12-13 (NKJV)
says, “But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman,
you are loosed from your infirmity.” And
He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight and glorified
God.”. When you feel fatigued, get The Word into you. We need to get to a place
when we are at our weakest, we turn to God and His Word first rather than the
pill bottle. While God can use medicine and doctors to heal us, it important to
always put God first in every situation even sickness.
6. Trauma
Whether this is an emotional or
physical trauma it must go in Jesus name. The bondage of trauma can come
together with any of the previous five bondages I just listed. Maybe a trauma
resulted in your self-rejection, or maybe a trauma resulted in anxiety or
depression. Maybe a trauma resulted in arthritis, and you might have become addicted
to pain medicine or alcohol. Or maybe you are suffering from arthritis because
of a past injury. Regardless Jesus can heal us of both our physical and
emotional traumas. Have you truly given your pain that you have buried away to
Jesus? Or do you cope with it from something of this world? Remember Mark 10:27 (CSB) says, “Looking at
them, Jesus said, “With man, it is impossible, but not with God, because all
things are possible with God.””.
7. Generational Curse
You might have one of the six problems
I just listed, and it might stem from a generational curse. You might have had
a grandparent or great grandparent who suffered from addiction, depression, or
anxiety. Or maybe someone in your bloodline had cancer or another disease that
you are dealing with right now. Generational curses can run up to the third or
fourth generation. Exodus 20:5 (NKJV) says, “you shall not bow down to them nor
serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those
who hate Me,”. When one becomes born again, they should not only ask for
forgiveness of their own sins but also the sins of their ancestors that run in
their bloodlines. John 8:36 (NKJV) says, “Therefore if the Son makes you free,
you shall be free indeed.”.
8. Religious Spirits
Oh man, I can really go into this
one! Christianity is not a religion; it is a personal relationship with Jesus
Christ our Lord and Savior. Many people get stuck on tradition and man-made
doctrine and fail to truly accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. If you
look back to Jesus’ earthly ministry you will see that the Jews did not accept
Him because they were stuck in tradition and because they were looking at human
standards. A question I would like to
challenge you on is why do the Catholics have mass at every service? Mass is
the continued sacrifice of the cross, why are Catholics continuing to redo this
sacrifice today? There is no need to because Jesus said, “It is finished”. I am
calling on the Catholic Church in general because the Catholic Church is the
largest seed planter of Religious Spirits that are straight from the pit of
hell. Let me be clear I love all people of all denominations, but people need
to wake up and read their Bible and realize the truth and be set free. Romans
10:3 (NKJV) says, “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking
to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness
of God.”.
I am hoping by me listing some
common bondages you might be able to realize that you have some in your life,
or maybe a loved one has them in their life. Regardless, these bondages can be
broken in the name of Jesus. Galatians
5:1 (NKJV) tells us, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has
made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”. God loves
you so much that is why He sent His only Son to save us, to heal us, to deliver
us, and to set us free. He sent His Son to die on the cross for us, and His Son
conquered the grave. John 3:16 (NKJV) tells us, “For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life.”. I encourage you to take some time in prayer
and seek God to be delivered of any of these eight bondages I just discussed
with you. Also ask God to reveal areas of your life that you need to correct so
there can be fewer doors for the enemy to enter in through. Finally, be sure to
be in The Word everyday of your life as much as you possibly can along with
prayer and worship.
I recently discussed the promise of
the Holy Spirit, and then some lessons we can learn from the disciples in the
Upper Room as a part of my series in the Book of Acts. As I continue this
series, I would like to begin teaching on Chapter Two, which shows us what
happened on the Day of Pentecost. Some people often confuse the Day of
Pentecost to only be historically significant to the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit, however, there is more to the Day of Pentecost. The disciples filling
of the Holy Spirit just happened to occur on the Feast of Pentecost or also
known as the Feast of Weeks. This was one of the three required feasts of the
Jews. This celebrated the beginning of the early weeks of harvest. A historic
event tied to the Feast of Pentecost was when Moses received the 10
Commandments from God. The Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Pentecost occurs this
year on June 9, 2019, it usually occurs on our calendar at the end of May or
beginning of June. If you would like to look further into the Feast of
Pentecost in the Old Testament, I would like to encourage you to read into the
following scriptures:
•
Exodus 34:22
•
Leviticus 23:15-22
•
Deuteronomy 16:16
•
2 Chronicles 8:13
Now that we have some Old Testament
background on the Feast of Pentecost, we can now dive into what happened on the
Day of Pentecost with the disciples. In Acts 2:1 (KJV) it says, “And when the
day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”.
The disciples were all gathered together in one place, based on what took place
in the previous chapter, I believe the disciples were praying together. Acts
1:14 (KJV) tells us, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and
supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his
brethren.”. If you remember from my previous teaching, I discussed the
importance of us praying together as followers of Christ. Continuing to Acts
2:2-4 (KJV) it tells us, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a
rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And
there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each
of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with
other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”. There is so much here just
in these three verses to digest. As the disciples were gathered together
praying, they heard the sound of a strong wind from heaven that filled the
whole room. Right, when this happened, they had tongues of fire, and they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit. I would like to dig deeper into what happened
in this scripture. First, the disciples were praying together, then all the
sudden a sound of a powerful wind filled the room, and then they became filled
with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit goes where He is invited, the disciples
wanted the Holy Spirit and they wanted the moving of the Holy Spirit. We as the
church need to truly invite the Holy Spirit into our church services, there are
so many churches dry right now of the Holy Spirit. The enemy is succeeding at
oppressing people with sickness, depression, anxiety, addiction, pride, and
much more. We need the Holy Spirit flowing in our churches not only for people
to be delivered but for people to receive the Holy Spirit in their lives too.
Jesus said in John 14:16 (KJV) “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give
you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever”. The Comforter
Jesus is talking about is the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised His disciples that
they would receive the Holy Spirit, I believe they were praying for this as
they were gathered together. Jesus told them in Acts 1:8 (WEB) “But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to
me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the
earth.”. Not only was the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus it was also prophesied
in the Book of Joel. Joel 2:28 (KJV) tells us, “And it shall come to pass
afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and
your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men
shall see visions”. In my next teaching, I will go more in-depth on the
prophecies of the Holy Spirit.
Lastly, I would like to touch upon
the Gift of Tongues, which are still available to us today! Acts 2:6 (KJV)
says, “Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were
confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”. When
the Jews saw this they were first confused because they heard each of the
disciples speak in a language of the Jews who were all from different nations
as mentioned in Acts 2:5. Reading further, Acts 2:7-8 (KJV) says, “And they
were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these
which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we
were born?”. The Jews were amazed to see the disciples speaking different
languages that they clearly did not learn. The Jews were able to understand
what the disciples were speaking, because each of the disciple’s gift of
tongues from the Holy Spirit, was a language of the Jews. You might ask how did
the disciples speak a language they did not learn? The answer is the Holy
Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4 (KJV) again says, “And they were all
filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance.”. A reason
why people have difficulty beginning with their Gift of Tongues is that they
let their mind get in the way. We must realize that the Gift of Tongues is from
God, and the Holy Spirit will give us what to say. The Type of Tongues the
disciples had was the Tongues for Public Administration, which I will go into
more detail on in one of my next teachings, along with the two other Types of
Tongues that you can receive from the Holy Spirit.
I would like to encourage you to
subscribe to my blog so you can be notified on when new teaching is posted. My
next teaching will be on how the Jews responded to the Gift of Tongues. After
that, I will break off shortly from the Book of Acts and we will take a look at
the three Types of Tongues one can receive from the Holy Spirit, along with the
other Spiritual Gifts as listed in the First Book of Corinthians.
I recently got a word from God that was for the United States and the churches. I felt led by the Lord to expand upon this some more. Let’s look at Romans 12:2 (NKJV) which tells us, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”. ‘Do not be conformed to this world’, seems to be something people are lacking application of, even I myself am never perfect. I felt from God to really drill into the first part of that verse. So, I looked up the Greek translation of it and found the Greek word for world in this scripture is aiōni, which means a space of time or age. If you just read this scripture from the King James Bible you think it is talking about the overall customs of the world, however, when you dig deeper into it, we find it is talking about a space of time. If you look at the Christian Standard Bibles translation it says, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”. So, may I ask you, are you conformed to the age?
Now I think it is fair to predict
that I might ruffle a few feathers with this type of message, we are living in
the last hours and God’s people need to be more and more equipped each day. I
am not speaking this to offend, but to enlighten you on what we have accepted
into Christianity today. When I was preparing one of my teachings for my series
on the Book of Acts, I stumbled on a scripture. After reading this scripture, I
felt strongly that I had to teach about it. Paul warned us of what we are
experiencing today in 1 Timothy 4:1-3 (NKJV) which says, “Now the Spirit
expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving
heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own
conscience seared with a hot iron,
forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God
created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the
truth.”. It is safe to say that there are many who left the true faith and are
now teaching a false Gospel. A false Gospel in which deems that sin is okay and
lacks to even teach on the dangers of sin. Paul is warning us of false
teachers.
You might ask, where do you see a
false Gospel being preached? You can easily identify it where a minister fails
to acknowledge sin, fails to teach on sin, or fails to even properly answer the
most basic biblical questions. You also are seeing many new artists coming out
into the Christian media with many ‘Christian’ songs. But when it comes time
for these individuals to be interviewed by people of the world, they fail to
give any glory to God and fail to talk about the power of God. Rather they talk
about the power of music. There are even some who even say they are just
artists rather than Christian artists. Yet we still let these people’s songs be
played during church worship. Yet people will give more praise to songs written
by these types of artists who are not true Christian artists. Just because it
is labeled Christian does not mean it is Christian. We not only need to
evaluate the words but the fruit of that ‘Christian’ artist. Matthew 7:16 (CSB)
tells us, “You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from
thornbushes or figs from thistles?”. We are warned that Satan may not appear
like a demon, he might appear as someone behind the pulpit, someone on a
Christian station, or someone leading worship. Jesus told us in Matthews 7:15
(NKJV) “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”.
Even we Christians fall short at
times. When we give our lives to Jesus Christ, we must have a desire to sin no
more. Yet many Christians are turning to these false teachings. Many Christians
turn to Jesus Christ for the wrong reasons. Some people only show up to church
when they are in a time of trouble. Some people only pray when they are in a
time of trouble. Some people only read the Bible in a time of trouble. The
church is not meant to only teach us how to cope with getting a flat tire, it
is meant to correct us and keep us out of sin. But ministers are getting scared
to teach on sin, afraid they might lose members. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NKJV) tells
us, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but
according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap
up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth,
and be turned aside to fables.”.
I encourage you to take some time
and really look at your life. Are you where God wants you to be in your faith
right now? Are you getting the teaching you need in the church you are in? And
most importantly are you conformed to the age?
I have been seeking God recently as
to what my next series will be on, as I have just finished my teaching series
on decision making. My last two posts dealt with a prophetic word I received
from God. I don’t know about you, but I strongly believe the Gifts of the
Spirit are available to all who ask for it today. I have felt led to start a
new teaching series on the Book of Acts. Some people give this book the title
of ‘The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles’. Officially the Book of
Acts author is unknown, but many believe it was written by Luke. The main
purpose of the Book of Acts is to show how God worked through the Holy Spirit
in people who were truly devoted to Christ. If you want to have the Holy Spirit
work in your life, and outpour in your life, then I suggest that you become
truly devoted to Christ 100 percent.
Acts 1:1-8
In this teaching I am going to cover Acts 1:1-8, you can read the full text by clicking here. I would first like to point out a few items in verses 2-3 (KJV), which say: “Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God”. Jesus gave instruction to his apostles through the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit was the power behind the earthly ministry of Jesus. In the King James Version of these two verses, it uses the word passion, if you dig deeper into this the passion it is talking about is when Jesus died on the cross. Why did Jesus die on the cross? To save us and give us eternal life. John 3:16 (NKJV) tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”. Also, Romans 5:8 (NKJV) tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”. After Jesus arose from the dead, He stayed with the apostles for 40 days before he ascended to be with the Father.
Acts 1:4 (NKJV) tells us, “And
being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from
Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you
have heard from Me;”. So what is it that God promised them? Let’s look back at
John 14:16 (NKJV) where Jesus said to His disciples, “And I will pray the
Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you
forever—”. The word comforter comes from
the Greek word Parakletos, which means an advocate or helper. Now let’s jump
down a few verses to see what Jesus told His disciples in John 14:26(NKJV),
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will
teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to
you.”. The Greek word Parakletos refers to the Holy Spirit which is our
advocate, who tells us what is to come. The Holy Spirit is our helper who
teaches us everything. If you are struggling to understand something in the
Word of God, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. The Holy Spirit is also the
mediator that glorifies Christ.
If we read Acts 1:5 (NKJV) it says,
“for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy
Spirit not many days from now.”. This scripture tells us about how John the
Baptist baptized people with water, which was symbolic of repentance. Repentance
is still important today, we all need to repent of our sins, and sin no more. However,
we know Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit. When we become born again the Holy
Spirit makes our spiritual being new. We are to sin no more after our second
birth when we become born again. However, going away from sin 100 percent is
not an overnight process, and there is no quick way to do it. This requires us
to spend time in the Word of God, in prayer, in church and fellowshipping with
other Christians. Once we are born again our Spirit knows not to sin, but often
our soul and body get in the way. Our soul is our mind, and our body is the
flesh. We must renew our mind with the Word of God and apply it so that our
newborn Spirit can overtake our soul (mind), and then our body (flesh). Romans
12:2 (ESV) tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by
the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of
God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”.
Many people are religiously, and worldly brainwashed and do not accept
the fact us having a Spirit, soul, and are inside a body. I would encourage
those people to read 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV), which tells us, “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.”
I would next like to skip to Acts
1:8 (NKJV) which says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we
receive a power inside of us, therefore we must allow the Holy Spirit to
overflow in us so that we can receive which Gifts of the Spirit God has for you
when you ask to receive them. Often, we become too busy to truly overflow with
the Holy Spirit. We need to be constantly sensitive to the moving of the Holy
Spirit. Often in church, you look back at the clock. We should not limit the
Holy Spirit. Ministers should not be concerned about the timing. If a church
service goes longer than expected, then it was meant to be, someone might have
needed to hear a word or maybe someone needed prayer. We need the Holy Spirit
to run our churches, not the world. When we let the Holy Spirit in our churches
and in our lives, we can expect a breakthrough to happen in our lives, and in
other people’s lives inside our churches. If we keep trying to run on a
restrictive time schedule, then we put a limit on the Holy Spirit. It is wrong
to limit the Holy Spirit because it is given without measure. John 3:34(NKJV) confirms
this, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give
the Spirit by measure.”. I felt God tell me as I was writing this to not limit
the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit knows how to do His job and He does His job
perfectly. Furthermore, in Acts 1:8 it discusses the disciples being a witness
of Jesus Christ to people all over the known world at that time. That applies
to each of us today, we must take the Word of God to all the world. Mark 16:15
(NIV) tells us, “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel
to all creation.”. God told me that someone will read this teaching and that
God is calling you into going on the mission field. If God is calling you to do
something, He will make a way for you to do it if you stay faithful to Him.
Philippians 1:6 (NIV) reminds us, “being confident of this, that he who began a
good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ
Jesus.”. However, you may not be able to go on a mission’s trip to another country,
or that may not be your calling. But what about spreading the Word of God in
your own town, city, state, our country. There are many people who live near
you who need to hear the Good News!
As I close this teaching, I would
encourage you if you have not done so already, to accept Jesus Christ as your
savior. As you begin to develop a personal relationship with Him, you need to
ask God to baptize you with the Holy Spirit as they were in the Book of Acts.
Everyone will have their own unique gifts. Also, allow the Holy Spirit to
overflow in your life, don’t try to manipulate the working of the Holy Spirit,
otherwise you will get stuck in a rut. Not letting the Holy Spirit overflow is
what causes constipated Christians, it lets the enemy put pebbles in living
water that is flowing within us from Jesus Christ.
If you haven’t read my previous blog post, I encourage you to do so (click here to read it).I gave a prophetic word that I received from God, I am trusting in God to continue to give me more to share in the future. I would like to teach you about the importance of realizing how real God is to you as an individual person.
As many of you know from some of my previous posts, I have
begun to answer the call that the Lord has placed on my life. I have had
multiple confirmations from people about this calling on my life. Four years ago,
I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Since then, I have sought after God more
than ever before in my life. You might ask why did you begin seeking the Lord
more after this diagnosis? Many people would assume it would be for healing.
While that is part of the reason, there is another reason that is more
important to me than that. When I first saw my primary care doctor at that
time, she misdiagnosed it as a virus. I took a day and rested. The next
morning, I felt a little bit better and decided to go to work. About halfway
through my shift, things took a turn for the worst. My mother ended up calling
the doctor and the doctor told my mother that she would call an inhaler in for
me to the pharmacy. As my parents were still at their work, I had one of my friends
pick me up from work and take me to the pharmacy so I could pick up the
inhaler. Something was telling me “no, you need to get to the hospital now”. I
first ignored that feeling and proceeded to the counter. They told me that
nothing was called in for me from my doctor. My friend then took me to urgent
care that was right down the road. They did a urine test, which showed high
amounts of ketones. This led them to check my blood sugar, which was too high
for their meter to read. I ended up being taken to the hospital, they admitted
me, got my blood sugar back in range, and showed me the basics of managing type
1 diabetes. Upon being discharged from the hospital, my mother went to the
pharmacy to pick up all my insulin and diabetic supplies. She asked the
pharmacist if they ever got that inhaler, and they told my mother they never
saw that prescription come through. One of my doctors told me that if I would
have gotten that inhaler, I would not have made it that night. From the
beginning of this trial with Type 1 Diabetes, God has proved himself real to
me. He was already at work from the beginning. He could have not intervened and
could have let that prescription make it to the pharmacy, but He didn’t let
that happen. God has bigger plans for me.
For God to start working in you, you need to realize how
real God has been to you in your life. The story I have told you is what really
showed me how God proved himself real in my life. Often in life, we become too
busy to really realize what God has done for us individually. As Christian’s
together we know God sent His only Son to save us and give us eternal life.
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 must have faith to be able to draw near
to God. Building our faith can come from reading the Word to praising God, to
hearing other people’s testimonies, and going through trials in life. Each
trial you go through and seek God will build your faith. As God continues to
provide for us and work in our lives in different ways, we have more
testimonies to back up how real God is to us. In order to seek God, we must
believe he is real. How real is God to you? It’s a question we all should
really ask ourselves because unbelievers will question us also. We can quote
scriptures to unbelievers, but more importantly, we should be able to tell
unbelievers what God has done for us in our lives. We are reminded in Mark 5:19
(NKJV), “However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your
friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He
has had compassion on you.””. Also 1 John 5:11 reminds us, “And this is the
testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”.
You are only for real with God, as He is real to you.
If you read my previous post, which was a prophetic word,
you will notice the importance of intimacy with God. When getting real with
God, we must realize how real he has been to us. When we get to the place when
we realize how real God has been to us in our own unique life, we will begin to
truly seek God from our heart. Jeremiah 29:13 tells us, “You will seek me and
find me when you seek me with all your heart.”.
I would like to encourage you to take some time, and really
look at how much God has done for you in your life. Once you realize that, give
Him thanks and praise from the bottom of your heart. You can only seek God when
you seek Him with all your heart. You can’t only just seek God when trouble
comes, you need to be seeking God every day. As you do this you will build
intimacy with Him, and you will become more equipped in your faith for when
trouble comes knocking at your door.
The subject of who we are in Christ is a question that all Christians should know both individually and collectively. I would like to teach on this subject as I continue my series in decision making. You might ask what knowing who you are in Christ has to do with the decisions you make? The simple answer is truly knowing who you are in Christ helps you in your decision making in life. When Christians do not know who they truly are in Christ, they will begin to believe lies on who they are. These lies will either come from the enemy or the world.
Back when Jesus came to start His ministry on earth there was a false belief that people had that John the Baptist was either greater than or equal to Jesus. Isaiah 40:3-5 (NKJV) tells us, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.””. This is prophesying that there will be a forerunner of Jesus Christ. If we look into John 1:19-28 (NIV) “Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” Finally, they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” Now the Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.” In this example John the Baptist knew who he was in Christ, he knew he was the forerunner of Christ. He could have believed lies on who he was in Christ, but he did not he stood firm in who he truly was in Christ.
When one becomes born again in Christ their past is gone and new things have come. The process of old sinful habits going away is not an overnight fix, it is a process. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) reminds us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”. Once we are born again, we must put our best effort forth in living our life according to what God commands, and not to what the world says is the way to be. If you are struggling with an addiction to sin or are in a bad relationship you are in seek God on helping you with that. I would even encourage you to seek advice from another Christian. We as Christians should not be too quick to judge each other so critically, but we should help guide each other in our weaknesses. 1 John 2:29 (NKJV) reminds us, “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”.
I would also like to touch upon the subject of the belief of
‘once saved, always saved’. I have asked
God to lead me to some scriptures in my studies to use on teaching on this
matter. People can assume once saved always saved by how they interpret
scriptures, and with how many scriptures they read. Jesus told us in John 10:28
(NKJV), “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither
shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”. Jesus did say no one can snatch us
out of His hand, but can anyone put themselves outside of Jesus’ hand? I think
we can answer that by looking at John 15:6 (NKJV) which Jesus said, “If anyone
does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they
gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”. So yes,
someone can put themselves outside of Jesus’ hand. Therefore, we must know who
we are in Christ. We must know the promises we have in the Word of God. One of the most important things we have in
Christ is everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV) tells us, “For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should
not perish but have everlasting life.”.
So, what are you doing with your salvation, are you walking in your
salvation with true faith, and making efforts to improve? Or are you abusing
our salvation from the precious Blood of Jesus Christ? We all have a choice on
this, God gave us a free-will. Jesus told us in John 15:5 (NKJV), “I am the
vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much
fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”. I want you to really evaluate what
fruit you are bearing. Are you only bearing good fruit on Sunday mornings, or
are you bearing good fruit 24/7?
Colossians 1:21-23 (ERV) tells us, “At one time you were separated from God. You were his enemies in your minds, because the evil you did was against him. But now he has made you his friends again. He did this by the death Christ suffered while he was in his body. He did it so that he could present you to himself as people who are holy, blameless, and without anything that would make you guilty before him. And that is what will happen if you continue to believe in the Good News you heard. You must remain strong and sure in your faith. You must not let anything cause you to give up the hope that became yours when you heard the Good News. That same Good News has been told to everyone on earth, and that’s the work that I, Paul, was given to do.”. Let’s think about this scripture… I would have to paraphrase this scripture myself as, “Before we each accepted Christ, we were in sin, which is evil and against what God wants in our lives. We have become Children of God, through what Jesus Christ did on the cross. Jesus did this for us so we could present ourselves to God as holy. This will happen IF you continue to believe in, walk in, have faith in, and not let anything get in your way with your relationship with Jesus Christ.”. Notice both the scripture and my paraphrasing of it have a conditional word on it, and that conditional word is “IF”. The condition is we must walk in faith and remain in our faith and not let anything get in the way of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is what makes us branches on His vine, and we know what happens when we don’t abide in Christ from John 15:6, we are thrown into the fire and burned. I have an illustration I have made of the condition in Colossians 1:21-23.
It is not only important to know who we are in Christ by knowing what the word of God says, but also by what fruit we are bearing. We must also know if we are truly abiding in Christ, or if we are letting something get in the way of our relationship with Jesus Christ. I challenge you to truly evaluate who you are in Christ based off what the Word of God says and determine if you are truly abiding in him. Also, examine your life for anything that could be hindering your relationship with Jesus Christ. It is so important to be sure and aware of how the decisions we make impact our identity in Christ.
I hope you read my previous teaching on the most important decision one can make in their life, and that is to accept Christ as their savior. If you have not read that teaching, please CLICK HERE to read it! As I continue my series on decision making as a Christian, I would like to discuss what our decisions in life truly reflect. Are you making decisions in your life that reflect God’s words and commandments? Are you walking in God’s plan or your plan in life? Are you deciding off sinful desires or what God desires for you? I really want you to evaluate yourself with those questions, being a follower of Christ does not mean you are 100 percent perfect all the time, but you should constantly be seeking the Lord to improve in your weakness.
Are you living your life to benefit yourself, or are you
living your life to give glory to God? Are you only giving time to God for two
hours on Sunday or are you spending time with the Lord daily? We live in
challenging times when some people might have to work more than forty hours a
week to pay their bills and put food on the table. You might be working long
hours, raising children, or have a spouse. You might be a college student and
working a job at the same time. Finding time for God can be a challenge at
times. When I was in college, I was taking a full-time load of classes while
working full-time in fast food. Later, I got an internship and managed to work
at my internship during the week, and in fast food on the weekend, while still
taking classes online and at night. It was not easy balancing that, along with
making time for God. I probably could have made more time for God back then.
But to anyone who is struggling to make time with God, assess how much time you
spend on everything each day. Maybe there is something you can cut back on, or
maybe you are oversleeping and can wake up earlier to read the Bible, read a
devotion, pray, or worship.
Matthew 6:33 (WEB) tells us, “But seek first God’s Kingdom,
and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.”. Are
you seeking God first, or are you seeking your own desires first? I don’t know about you, but I would rather
seek God first, than my own desires. Once we are born again, we are new in the
Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) tells
us, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are
passed away; behold, all things are become new.”. Additionally, Ezekiel 36:26
(KJV) tells us, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put
within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will
give you an heart of flesh.”. when we are born again, we should be living in
the Spirit, and not of the flesh. The desires and works of the flesh lead to
sin. Galatians 5:19-21 (NKJV) reminds us, “Now the works of the flesh are
evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions,
jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and
the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past,
that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”. Many
of these items listed are things this world deems as okay or the way to be. Are
there any of these items from Galatians 5:19-21 that you are tolerating in your
life? If you are allowing sin to run any part of your life, how can you expect
the blessings of God to overflow in your life? God wants no one to be in sin,
but because of Adam and Eve, we have free will. If you are falling short to an
item listed in Galatians 5:19-21, seek the Lord and repent. Also get out of the
habit of that sin, it might not be easy, it may involve having to get guidance
from another Christian. As Christians, we must stick together and build each
other up.
It might be difficult to get out of a sinful habit, maybe
because the world views it as okay. As true followers of Christ, we should not
be concerned about what the world thinks, we should be concerned about what the
word of God says. 1 John 2:15(KJV) tells us, “Love not the world, neither the
things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father
is not in him.”. Additionally, Romans 12:2 (ESV) reminds us, “Do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that
by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable
and perfect.”. When you become less worldly and more like Christ, it is normal
to expect the people of the world to turn against you because of your beliefs.
Often this is when we can become tempted. With the culture war going on in not
only America but the world, Christians are constantly having an agenda of sin
pushed on them constantly. Christians in America are even being personally
attacked for their beliefs. Some Christians are just accepting it as the way of
the world. While yes, we are still to love one another, even the sinners, but
why are people in the body of Christ, adapting to the sinful way of the world?
I am about to say something extremely bold, but my Spirit is telling me it must
be said, if the Body of Christ continues tolerating the world, the world will
begin to dominate the body of Christ. As the saying goes, what we tolerate will
dominate. Let’s start being more true followers of Christ in this year of 2019.
The world might be against us, just like it was when Christ lived on earth.
John 15:19(ESV) says, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as
its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the
world, therefore the world hates you.”. We should not be jealous of what the
sinful people of the world have, they should be jealous of what we have in
Christ.
As followers of Christ, we are to lead by example in all we
do. While yes it can be hard. There is a spiritual battle between evil and the
body of Christ, that has been brewing for far too long. The body of Christ is
having stronger opposition from evil. We don’t have to fight back physically,
we must fight back individually and together in prayer and with the word of
God. Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) reminds us, “For the word of God is quick, and
powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart.”. Also, Matthews 24:14 (KJV) instructs
us, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a
witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”. You might not be able
to travel the world and teach the Gospel to everyone, but why not the people in
your neighborhood or surrounding communities, or other parts of your own
country? With the many advancements in technology, it is now more possible than
ever before to reach more people with the Gospel. I challenge you to not only
lead by example as a follower of Christ but spread the Gospel in as many ways
as you can. Also, pray for our leadership in our country, and also for an end
to the wickedness in our country and world.
I have just finished my teachings on the Fruits of the Spirit. As I was seeking the Lord on what my next series should be on, he revealed to me to teach on decision making. So, my next few teachings are going to be on the topic of decision making as followers of Christ. I am not sure how long this series will last, I will let that up to the Lord. We live in a fast world, and often we must make decisions more quickly, than what we should be. We can make decisions from what we will wear to who we will marry, or what job offer we will take. As this is my first teaching on my series of decision making, I would first like to talk about the most important decisions someone can make in their life. That decision is to accept Christ as your savior and live your life according to the word of God.
You might be reading this, and you might be someone who
recently made the choice to follow Christ, or you might be someone who has been
following Christ for several years, or all their life. There might be someone
reading this who has never made the decision to follow Christ. Regardless of
where you are with your relationship with Christ, we must discuss the
importance of this decision and the actions that should follow afterward.
So why do we decide to follow Christ? Everyone who is a true
follower of Christ who has made the choice had something that brought them to
Christ. There was something at that moment that they gave their life to Christ,
that makes it unique for each person. For me, I was in elementary school. My
parents were born again, and I remember seeing the joy they had within them
since they made the choice to follow Christ. I got jealous and wanted the same
thing, after understanding what Christ did for us, I accept Christ as my savior
at a young age. One of my favorite scriptures on following Christ is John 3:16
(KJV) which tells us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.”. This is such a powerful verse, God cares and loves each one
of us, that he gave His only son to save us from the Lake of Fire. 1 John 4:8
reminds us, “He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.”.
Following Christ does not just mean saying a prayer and you
become a follower of Christ. When you become a follower of Christ, your sinful
past becomes old, and new things are ahead. Everything of your past becomes
forgiven by the blood of Christ, and you become a new creation in Christ. 2
Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) confirms this, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is
a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”. When you
are in Christ you must not be worried about things of this sinful world but
allow God to work in you. We need to be more worried about being successful in
God’s eyes rather than in the eyes of the world. In high school, my class
picked me as ‘Most Likely to Succeed’, let me just say that was an honor to
have my classmates think highly of me, but my priority in life is to be as
successful as possible in God’s eyes rather than in the eyes of the world. Why
must we as followers of Christ spend more time trying to please the world, than
to please God? Yes, we must work and pay the bills, but we cannot let that
hinder us from bearing good fruit to please the Lord. The things of this world
are only temporary, we as followers of Christ should be worried about our
eternity rather than the temporary aspects of this world. Isaiah 65:17 (ESV)
tells us, ““For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former
things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”. We must look to God to
transform our mind, by spending time in prayer and reading His word. Romans
12:2(NLT) instructs us: “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but
let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you
will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and
perfect.”.
So, as I continue this teaching series of decision making, I
want you to fully analyze your life. Ask yourself the following questions.
Are the decisions you are making reflecting Gods
word on your life, or are they trying to please the people of the world?
Are you in any sinful behavior right now?
Are there any trials going on in your life?
Do people know you as a Christian by your
actions, or by your Facebook page biography?
Ask yourself these questions and answer them honestly. In my
upcoming teachings, I will touch on each of these individually and how they
apply to decision making as a follower of Christ.
Along with reading the Bible daily I also find myself reading other faith-based books as well. I would like to talk about four books I read in 2018 that I would like to personally recommend to you. I am also going to provide a link to purchase these books from Amazon. It is also important to note that we must read faith-based content that has biblical truth, so we must be careful not to give into false teachings. I have saved the best book for last!
#1: Devotion Recommendation: What On Earth Am I Here For? By Rick Warren Like many true Christians who read the word daily, you might be one who also likes reading a daily devotion. There are many daily devotions available. Some devotions go by the calendar year, while some can be read at any time of the year. There is one book, in particular, I would recommend as this type of devotion and it would be ‘What on Earth Am I Here For?’ by Rick Warren. God has given us each a unique purpose for our life, God never once says ‘oops’. This is a great 42-day devotion that will help guide you with your God-given purpose. At the beginning of the book, it talks about Ephesians 1:11 which says “In him, we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will,” (CSB). God knew us before we entered this world, and He has a plan for you, you just need to receive it and walk in it. Rick Warren has done a great job with this book, it also features links to audio lessons which give you more than 30 hours of additional teachings. If you are looking to learn more about what God’s word says about seeking your unique purpose I would highly recommend this book. This book will also make for a great graduation gift!
#2: Christ the Healer by F.F. Bosworth ‘Christ the Healer’ is another book every believer needs to read. I wish I would have read this book sooner in my walk with Christ. This book provides in-depth teachings of the healing scriptures and provides many great examples. This book also discusses aspects of our life that can hinder us from receiving healing according to the will of God. Bosworth also discusses how to apply healing scriptures to your life. We must be reminded that Isaiah 53:5 (GNT) says, “But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment he suffered, made whole by the blows he received.”. As you read Bosworth’s book, I highly recommend taking notes and highlighting scripture in your Bible, there is so much powerful information in this book to absorb.
#3: Materialize the Mind by JP Price I saved the best one for last! ‘Materialize the Mind’ is a book that just came out towards the end of 2018 by a friend of mine who is a church pastor. He has composed a great book that discusses your God-given purpose in life along with examples from his life testimony. He also provides you with steps for transforming your inner self with in-depth teaching. A good new years resolution would be to transform yourself for what God has in store for you, this book written by JP is a great tool to have along the way. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”. In his book, JP also discusses the importance of enduring hardship which God can use to help strengthen us for what is ahead. Often times we don’t move ahead in life like we would like to because we are not fully prepared for what is next, this book helps explain this concept in detail. 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (NKJV) says, “You, therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”.
I would encourage you to put these three books on your reading list for 2019, along with reading the whole Bible. There are many tools online that can help you create a Bible reading plan that works for you. I would like to challenge you to make 2019 the year that you discover more of what God’s purpose is for you on earth, and walking in His plan for you according to His will for you! Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”. You might be making a New Years resolutions that will impact your outer self, but spending time with the Lord will improve your inner-self. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV) says, “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”. Let’s make 2019 the year of inner growth, and show it as examples to non-believers so they might be drawn to Christ!
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