In a world where there is so much wickedness of man, we can often become blinded to the full truth of how Holy God is. Isaiah 6:3 (ESV) says, “And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!””. Not only does this verse describe God as holy, but it uses the word three times in a row. When the Bible says anything three times in a row we ought to take it seriously.
Too often many of us have become so earthbound that we may not even realize it. Romans 12:2 (NKJV) instructs 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.”. Other translations may say “do not be conformed to this age”. We are living in a day in age in which men of this world call evil good. Simply turn on mainstream television and you will see our entertainment system promote things that go against God’s Word.
Psalm 96:9 (ESV) says, “Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!”. We ought to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), we ought to approach God with reverence. This is something that is sadly missing in the modern church at large in the wake of the seeker-friendly movement, or as David Wilkerson rightly called it “the Gospel of accommodation”. The true church and the world operate out of two different kingdoms. The church should not be attractive because it offers things similar to the world, but because it offers something you cannot find anywhere else in the world and that is Jesus Christ.
We have ought to have a right view of God, when we have a proper view of God everything else will fall into place. We need to realize that as born-again believers we are saved from the curse of the Law. We have been set free from sin, while at the same time we will fall short. This is why we develop a lifestyle of being submitted to the Holy Spirit and He will convict us when we need to repent.
As we grow in our walk with the Lord we will develop in higher levels of holiness and sanctification. This is something not too many people want to talk about in the church, but yet the Bible gives clear instructions for us to be holy. 1 Peter 1:16 (NASB) says, “because it is written: “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.””. We are to be a holy people, this is not done through our own strength, but because of the power of God operating in our lives.
Often when a believer falls short they might get bent out of shape for a long time, please don’t fall into that trap. When you do sin, repent and move on, continue pressing in towards God. Ask God for strength, and resist the devil. Don’t entertain the lies of the devil. The devil would love to torment your mind over one mistake and rob you of the joy of the Lord. There is a promise that you can take to the bank regarding this in Phillipians 1:6 (ESV), “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”. If you are genuinely saved, God will do a work in your life and you will see a change in your life that glorifies Him!
As I was spending time with the
Lord today the Holy Spirit put two phrases on my heart which were, ‘white as
snow’ and ‘whiter than snow’. Both phrases are found in Scripture in Isaiah
1:18 and Psalm 51:7. I encourage you to read those passages when you get the
opportunity. However, the Holy Spirit drew my attention to Psalm 51:7, and the
context of this passage is talking about being cleansed of sin and being
renewed with a steadfast spirit.
Jesus Cleanses Us
When one gets truly born again,
they are cleansed of all sin and iniquity. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) tells us, “If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”. There is so much power in the Blood
of Jesus that it is often underappreciated in the church today.
Purification
Going back to Psalm 51:7 it tells
us, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be
whiter than snow.”. Hyssop was a plant used by the ancient Hebrews for
purification. In terms of the New Covenant, the Blood of Jesus is used for our
purification. Even after we are truly born again, we will fall short from time
to time. We may even have some habitual sins that might take some time to fully
flee from. But may I raise a question to you, are you ‘as white as snow’ or ‘whiter
than snow’?
White as Snow?
Today as I was writing this, we got
about six inches of snow. When snow falls there is either a very small dusting
or enough accumulation to cover the ground completely. Often many believers are
not as ‘white as snow’ as they should be. Far too often we might have a small
dusting of snow. Having a dusting of snow reveals the grass, and I would like
to think of the grass as our sinful habits we are struggling to get rid of or
even one’s secret sin. To be mighty men and women of God we must flee from the
lust of the flesh and walk in our new nature. When we truly do this, we will
begin to have more of an accumulation of snow, rather than just a dusting. We
should strive each day to be purer. Remember He is coming back very soon for a
pure bride, the hour is very late!
I would like to finish off chapter
five in the Book of Acts and take another look at persecution. A few weeks ago,
I gave a teaching on persecution out of the Book of Acts. In this teaching, we
are going to look at another instance of persecution of the apostles. We know
that in today’s world many Christians face persecution daily, and the number is
continuing to increase. Sadly, there is not much attention regarding this issue
as there needs to be. I encourage you to take some time and pray for the
Christians around the world being tortured and killed for their faith in Jesus
Christ.
The Apostles Imprisoned
In my last teaching we discussed an
instance of healing in the Book of Acts from Acts 5:12-16, in this teaching I
would like to pick up at verse 17 and go all the way to the end of the fifth
chapter. So, I hope you have time to read this post in its entirety because
this will be a bit longer than usual! Acts 5:17-18 (NKJV) tells us, “Then
the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of
the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put
them in the common prison.”. Notice
in the scripture the word indignation, which means jealousy. The high priest
and the council became jealous of the apostles. This issue was not only due to
their unbelief but the growing number of crowds around the apostles. The
apostles were getting attention from people, and the high priests did not like
this because the apostle’s teachings hindered their tradition. Because of the
jealousy of the high priests, the apostles were put in jail. Continuing on
something awesome takes place in the next two verses, Acts 5:19-20 (NKJV)
says, “But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought
them out, and said, “Go, stand in the
temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”. An angel of
the Lord appeared to them at night and freed them from jail, but also gave
instruction to go to the temple and preach. Acts 5:21-24 (NKJV) goes on to
tell us, “And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the
morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the
council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to
the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came and did not find
them in the prison, they returned and reported, saying, “Indeed we found the
prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when
we opened them, we found no one inside!”
Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief
priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be.”. They
discovered the apostles were gone from the prison and they are now wondering
what will take place next. I am sure many thoughts were going through their
minds because the high priest already had a previous encounter with the
apostles regarding their teachings of Jesus Christ.
Spirit of Religion Manifested
Acts 5:25-26 (NKJV) continues,
“So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are
standing in the temple and teaching the people!”Then the captain went
with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the
people, lest they should be stoned.”. The high priests became informed that
the apostles were teaching in the temple, the police of the temple go to
confront the apostles with the high priests. Notice in the scripture they avoid
violence around the crowd because the crowd that was listening to the apostles was
responding positively to their message. The apostles are then questioned by the
high priest in Acts 5:28 (NKJV), “saying, “Did we not strictly command you
not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine,
and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!””. The high priests and council
are more concerned with maintaining their authority rather than focusing on the
truth. We know that Jesus is the truth, John 14:6 (NKJV) confirms, “Jesus
said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me.”. The high
priests and the Sanhedrin council had a religious spirit oppressing them, this
even took place in the earthly ministry of Jesus. Some people refer to this as
a Pharisee spirit, I would like to call it a spirit of religion where one is
more concerned about traditions rather than Biblical truth. There are many
churches today who still focus on tradition rather than the truth. But we know
the truth is what sets us free, and Jesus is the truth. We know John 8:32
(NKJV) tells us, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free.”.
A Bold Response from the Apostles
Continuing in the Book of Acts, the
apostles begin a response to the high priests. We know from previous readings
in the Book of Acts the apostles spoke boldly because they are filled with the
Holy Spirit, hence why we all need the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:29
(NKJV) tells us, “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought
to obey God rather than men.”. The apostles bring up an excellent point
here, we are to obey the law of the land, but when the law of the land
conflicts with God’s Word we are to obey God’s Word. Just because Congress
passes a law legalizing something does not make it Biblically correct. Just
because the Supreme Court makes it legal does not mean it is fine with God.
Lastly, just because the Pope says it is acceptable, does not change what the
Word of God says. The apostles continue their response in Acts 5:30-32
(NKJV), “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on
a tree. Him God has exalted to His right
hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins. And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit
whom God has given to those who obey Him.”. As we know the apostles speak
boldly because of the power they have from being filled with the Holy Spirit.
In my previous teachings, I discussed how Peter’s teachings cut through the hearts
of many people. Well, the teaching of the apostles in this instance did the
same thing! Acts 5:33 (KJV) says, “When they heard that, they were cut to
the heart, and took counsel to slay them.”. While we are to be loving and
gentle, with the Word of God people will become offended at times, so do not be
surprised when someone becomes offended when you quote scripture. Hebrews
4:12 (KJV) tells 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.”.
The Sanhedrin’s Response
While the Sanhedrin’s were upset
over the apostle’s response a Pharisee rises and makes a statement. Acts 5:34
(NKJV) continues, “Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel,
a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people and commanded them to
put the apostles outside for a little while.”. Gamaliel cools their rage
and suggest for them to let the apostles alone. Acts 5:38 (NKJV) goes on to
tell us, “And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone;
for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is
of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”.
Gamaliel was a Pharisee and they believed that if something was of God it would
come to pass, so he suggested to see what God does with the apostles. However, Acts
5:40 (NKJV) continues, “And they agreed with him, and when they had called for
the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the
name of Jesus, and let them go.”. The apostles were beaten, and they are
told again to not preach in the name of Jesus again. When the apostles
departed, they still continued to preach in the temple regardless of what the
high priests commanded them, Acts 5:42 (NKJV) says, “And daily in the temple,
and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the
Christ.”. We are reminded that when we
evangelize we may not be treated well, 1 Peter 4:13-16 (NKJV) tells us, “but
rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His
glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ,
blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their
part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a
thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him
not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.”.
Personal Evangelism
This teaching should remind us of
the example and standard that the apostles set for going out and preaching the
Gospel to others. They did not let persecution get in their way. Today with
modern technology, we have fewer restrictions than they do. We are without
excuse to evangelize. We are all to go outside of our church’s walls and
witness to others, this is personal evangelism. There are a few tips I would
like to give you when it comes to personal evangelism along with scriptures:
Use Scripture:
2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV): “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”
Lead by Example (Don’t fall for the sinful customs of the world)
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV): “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
2 Timothy 2:15 (ERV): “Do your best to be the kind of person God will accept, and give yourself to him. Be a worker who has no reason to be ashamed of his work, one who applies the true teaching in the right way.”.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ERV): “You should know that your body is a temple[a] for the Holy Spirit that you received from God and that lives in you. You don’t own yourselves. 20 God paid a very high price to make you his. So honor God with your body.”.
Bear Good Fruit (Nine Fruits of Holy Spirit)
Matthew 7:15-20 (NKJV): ““Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”.
Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP): “But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”.
Be Prepared to Answer Questions with Gentleness and Love
1 Peter 3:15 (NKJV): “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;”
Be Available, Not Limited
Mark 16:15 (NKJV): “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”.
D.L. Moody once said “I like my way of doing evangelism, better than your way of not doing evangelism”.
I encourage you to take some time
and reflect on this teaching, ask yourself how you can reach out to people and
bring the Gospel to them. It doesn’t mean you have to travel to another
country, but maybe people in your neighborhood, school, workplace, or even
Facebook friends. We all have many opportunities we can take advantage of to
preach the Gospel to others.
Please be sure to stay tuned for my next teaching, which will be from chapter six in the Book of Acts.
I would like to discuss a story in
the Book of Acts that sheds light about two people who lied to God. Let me
first be clear that we all will fall short from time to time in our walk with
the Lord, and that is why we need to continually seek God. Romans 3:23 (KJV)
reminds us, “For all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God;”. The two people who end up lying to God
are Ananias and Sapphira, it is believed that Ananias made a promise to God
that he would give all proceeds of a future sale of his land to God. However,
we will find out that Ananias will not follow through with how he is supposed
to handle the proceeds of the sale, and his wife Sapphira will conspire this
act with him.
The Act of Lying Committed and then Confronted
Let’s begin by looking at Acts
5:1-2 (NKJV), “But a certain man named
Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his
wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the
apostles’ feet.”. So, they were
supposed to bring the full proceeds to the church, but they didn’t. In this
act, Ananias and his wife are both guilty of lying to God. Acts 5:3-4 (NKJV)
continues, “But Peter said, “Ananias, why
has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the
price of the land for yourself? While it
remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own
control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to
men but to God.””. Peter knew immediately that Ananias was lying not only
to the church but to God. Peter was able to pick up on this lie only because he
was filled with the Holy Spirit and had a discerning spirit. Peter rebukes what Ananias has done and
questions him as to why he let Satan filled his heart to lie to God. We know
that Satan is the father of all lies, in John 8:44 (NKJV) Jesus told us, “You are of your father the devil, and the
desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and
does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a
lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”.
The Reaction of Ananias and His Wife
Many people, when confronted with a
lie, will try to defend themselves, but because Ananias lied to God something
different took place. Acts 5:5-10 (NKJV) continues, “Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So
great fear came upon all those who heard these things. And the young men arose and wrapped him up,
carried him out, and buried him. Now it was about three hours later when his
wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?”
She said, “Yes, for so much.” Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have
agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who
have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Then immediately she fell at his feet and
breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying
her out, buried her by her husband.”. Ananias and his wife both fell and
died when they are confronted, they knew that they did wrong to the Lord. Now
there were other people around when this happened, and I don’t know about you
but if I saw someone who fell and died after being convicted of a lie, I would be
scared. Everyone has lied at some point in their life, and even probably after
becoming a born-again Christian. We may all tell white lies from time to time
or even bigger lies. No matter the size of the lie the Lord does not approve of
it in any way. I am saying this because we can all be guilty of lying, along
with other sins, even myself can be guilty. Therefore, we need to always be in
an attitude of repentance to the Lord, because it is our inherited nature from
Adam to sin.
What is a Vow to God?
Let me clarify, the example of
lying we see in Acts chapter 5 is not comparable to the white lies we might
tell people in our everyday life from time to time (even though those are still
a sin). Their lie was to God, and it broke a vow they had obviously made to God
on giving all the proceeds to the church of the sale of their land. God will
not tolerate a broken vow that was made in His name.
Old Testament Scriptures on Vows to God
I would like to give you a few
scriptures from the Old Testament regarding vows to God:
•
Deuteronomy 23:21 (NKJV): “When
you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the
Lord, your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.”
•
Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 (NKJV): “When
you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools.
Pay what you have vowed— Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.”
•
Numbers 30:2 (NKJV): “If a man
makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he
shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his
mouth.”
A Vow Must Be Kept!
It is made very clear that vows
made to God must be kept, a broken vow to God would be considered lying to God.
Oral vows made in the name of the Lord are the equivalent to a modern-day
written contract. Here is an example we might be able to relate to if you have
a contractor do a renovation to your house and if they don’t follow through on
delivering something, they agreed to in their contract with you, they could get
in legal trouble. So just like in our modern day written contracts, oral vows
made to God are not taken lightly. If someone breaks a modern-day written
contract there are consequences, just like there are consequences for breaking
a vow made with God. Vows were usually made to the Lord in the form of service
to be dedicated to the Lord or also could be a sacrifice in the act of worship
towards the Lord.
Sin in the Church
Another take away from the story
Ananias and his wife is that sin in the church is not tolerated by the Lord.
Far too often today we see many well-known ‘ministers’ taking advantage of
their funds coming into their ministry. We also see many people in church
leadership misusing their authority. We could make a long list of the sins that
take place in today’s churches. Instead of making a list, I would like to point
us to Revelation 2:23 (NKJV) which says, “…and
all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And
I will give to each one of you according to your works.”.
Final Thoughts…
We all know that we will sin from
time to time, and when we do, we need to repent. With how busy we can be every
day we can often forget of sins that we have done throughout that day. We might
label these sins as small, just like white lies. Regardless of what it is, we
need to repent of it to God. When you repent of your sins to the Lord you will
feel a weight come off your shoulders. I encourage you to ask the Lord to
search your heart and reveal anything to you that you need to repent to Him
about. This prayer is given to us in Psalm 139:23-24 (NKJV), “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me,
and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in
the way everlasting.”. As you repent of your sins, it can be expected for
the enemy to try to rehash those sins that you already repented of back into to
your memory. When this happens, just start praying in the name of Jesus and
start reading the Word. Also, when Satan tries to put a lie into your heart,
remember that he is the father of all lies.
As I continue my series on the Book
of Acts, I would like to teach from Chapter 4 and how it applies to us
Christians today. Previously I talked about the healing of the lame man done by
the Apostles through the power of the Holy Spirit. Today I would like to
discuss something that we all need to realize and that is the persecuted
church. There are many Christians around the world who become imprisoned,
tortured, or even killed for proclaiming the name of Jesus. I myself live in
the United States of America where we are blessed to have freedom of religion
in 2019. However, I would like to give a warning, our freedoms will be coming
to an end one day, Christians in the United States will begin to be persecuted
and killed for proclaiming the name of Jesus. My question for you is, are you
ready to take a true stand for Jesus or are you just going to go with the flow?
Jesus took a stand for us sinners on the cross, so we should all be ready for
the day of persecution. I have heard many prophetic words on the persecution of
Christians coming to America, and I feel strongly in my spirit that the enemy
is planning to get some Christian blood in America. In this teaching I will
discuss the imprisonment of John and Peter, and what we need to do to be ready
for not just persecution but ongoing spiritual warfare that is going on right
now.
Let’s look at Acts 4:1-3 (NKJV),
“Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and
the Sadducees came upon them, being
greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the
resurrection from the dead. And they
laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was
already evening.”. John and Peter were arrested for teaching on the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Sadducees were the ones who were
predominately behind this because they did not believe in the resurrection.
Matthew 22:23 (NKJV) tells us, “The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no
resurrection…”. The followed the Pentateuch which is the portion of the Hebrew
Bible they deemed true. Regardless of what the Sadducees thought, we find out
many who heard the teachings about Jesus from Peter believed. Acts 4:4 (NKJV)
confirms this, “However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the
number of the men came to be about five thousand.”. We also see the number of believers grow
because of the power of the Holy Spirit.
As we continue on Acts 4:7 (NKJV)
tells us the leaders of the Sadducees began to question John and Peter on the
next day, “And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power
or by what name have you done this?””. With this questioned asked, we can
expect a great teaching from Peter. Acts 4:8-10 (NKJV) continues, “Then Peter,
filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of
Israel: If we this day are judged for a
good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the
people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you
crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before
you whole.”. Peter spoke boldly to these rulers and explains they did a good
deed in the mighty name of Jesus that resulted in a lame man to be completely
healed, this will be something these rulers will not be able to deny. Acts
4:11-12 (NKJV) goes on to say, “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you
builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for
there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be
saved.”. Peter tells the leaders that Jesus is the cornerstone of the church,
this was prophesized in Psalm 118:22 (NKJV), “The stone which the builders
rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.”. Peter also tells them that
salvation is only through Jesus Christ, John 14:6 (NKJV) tells us “Jesus said
to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me.”. This was another great teaching given by Peter because he
spoke with the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also foretold of this very event
happening in Luke 12:11-12 (NKJV) when He said, ““Now when they bring you to
the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what
you should answer, or what you should say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to
say.”. We will also see that Mark gave an account of this in his gospel as well
in Mark 13:11 (NKJV) where Jesus said, “But when they arrest you and deliver
you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But
whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak,
but the Holy Spirit.”. When we are dealing with spiritual warfare, we need to
allow the Holy Spirit to speak through us and guide us just like the apostles
did.
The rulers see the boldness of Peter and John. Acts 4:13 (NKJV) continues, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus”. They claim that John and Peter are uneducated and untrained in ministry. Let me tell you something you don’t need a degree from a highly ranked university or college to become a great minister. Don’t get me wrong coursework and training will help to prepare you, but not everyone is able to go to earn a full degree to step into ministry. There are many churches that offer small programs both accredited and non-accredited and they do successfully prepare people for ministry. A true minister will deliver a message only from the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. God can call anyone into ministry at any point in their life. Ephesians 4:11-13 (NKJV) tells us “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”. Additionally, 2 Timothy 1:6-8 (NKJV) tells us, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God”. We should not be afraid of sharing the Gospel nor ashamed of sharing it. I feel in my spirit that there are too many secret disciples today too many people who publicly don’t want to admit they are a follower of Jesus Christ. This is something we can all be guilty of, but we must remember we need to share the Gospel at every opportunity we possibly can. We will also need to realize that people of this world will not always favor us because of our faith. People of the world would rather see Christians be more politically correct than Biblically correct. The only way to be a true Christian is to be Biblically correct, then politics can come second according to what is right in the Word of God. There are many Christians who are not voting accordingly to what the Word of God says is correct, and God is angry right now with America. It is time Christians take a stand and vote on values according to the Word of God, rather than what the mainstream media is brainwashing us with. Jesus told us in John 15:18-21 (NKJV), “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake because they do not know Him who sent Me.”.
Continuing Acts 4:14 (NKJV) says, “And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”. The religious rulers cannot say anything against the miracle of the lame man. Acts 4:15-22 (NKJV) goes on to say, “But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.”. The religious rulers are going to try to put a stop to the spread of Christianity, however, we will find out that Christianity will continue to spread. There is no power of the enemy that can stand up against the power of the Holy Spirit, therefore we must pray with authority.
After John and Peter are let go,
they go back to their group of believers and inform them of what happened. We
will find out that they pray together as they face this giant. Acts 4:23-26
(NKJV) tells us, “And being let go, they went to their own companions and
reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their
voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and
earth and the sea, and all that is in them,
who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations
rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His
Christ.’”. We see that part of what they prayed comes from Psalms 2:1-3 (NKJV),
“Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth
set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and
against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away
Their cords from us.””. Persecution because of faith in Jesus Christ was
prophesized in the Book of Psalms. We will see when they asked for boldness the
Holy Spirit gave them boldness. Acts 4:27-31 (NKJV) continues and tells us,
““For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and
Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered
together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be
done. Now, Lord, look on their threats,
and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by
stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done
through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the
place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”.
Peter leads by example and shows us how we need to seek God in both our personal trials and in spiritual warfare. When we are in a trial or dealing with spiritual warfare we need to put on the Whole Armor of God as it is told to us in Ephesians 6:10-20 (NKJV), “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”. So, my question to you is have you truly put on the whole Armor of God? Are you ready to face spiritual warfare? How is your prayer life right now? Are you only praying to just bless your meal? Are you only praying when a problem is coming your way? Or are you praying at every opportunity you can get in the valuable time the Lord has blessed you with? The truth is we all need to spend more time praying and more importantly praying in the Spirit. I just gave you a teaching on the gift of tongues, if you have not received that gift, I encourage you to seek God and ask Him for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit and for the gift of tongues. The devil hates when someone who is truly baptized in the Holy Spirit prays in the Spirit. I promise you the more time you spend praying in tongues the greater amount of change you will see take place to the spiritual warfare going on around you and in your own trails and weaknesses. If you need a deeper explanation on the gift of tongues, I encourage you to look back on that teaching I recently gave on my blog or YouTube Channel. I encourage you again to put on the full armor of God and do spiritual warfare and seek God on where you need to improve in your prayer life.
If you have been following along
with my current teaching series on the Book of Acts, I previously talked taught
on Peter’s explanation of Pentecost to the Jews. Today I would like to teach on
Acts 2:37-47 which continues mainly on the Jews response to Peter. Peter just got done telling the Jews that
Jesus, who they crucified is the Lord and Christ. Acts 2:37 (NKJV) tells us how
the Jews reacted, which says “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the
heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what
shall we do?””. I would like to dissect this scripture a little bit. If you
read Peter’s teaching to the Jews, you will see why his teaching cut to their
hearts. Peter along with the other disciples received the baptism of the Holy
Spirit. Only by the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit was he able to
deliver a great message to the Jews that cut through their hearts. This is a
perfect example where an audience of people in the Bible were sitting in the
conviction seat. When someone is truly convicted it will lead to salvation. The
Holy Spirit is what convicts us; therefore, we need the Holy Spirit in our
churches today. Jesus not only promised the Holy Spirit, But He also promised
that the Holy Spirit would bring conviction. Jesus said in John 16:7-8 (NKJV),
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for
if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will
send Him to you. And when He has come,
He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”. This
promise was not only fulfilled in Acts 2 when the Jews said to Peter ‘what
shall we do?’, this promised is fulfilled when every true believer becomes
saved because of true conviction. I am not talking about someone who says the
sinner’s prayer to give them an excuse to go out and sin all they want; I am
talking about the true believer who got on their knees and cried out and
accepted Jesus as Lord of their life. Romans 10:13 (NKJV) tells us, “For
“whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.””.
So, the Jews who were truly
convicted by what Peter told them, what do they do? 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 we are truly convicted, we are to repent of our sins, so
that we can be forgiven. We are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus Christ.
We must remember that our spirit and flesh are two separate things. John 3:6
(NKJV) tells us, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is
born of the Spirit is spirit.”. When we become born again, we are born of a new
spirit by the power of the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) confirms,
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have
passed away; behold, all things have become new.”. When we become born again, we need to
constantly be walking in the Spirit, because following the desires of the flesh
will work against our newborn spirit. Galatians 5:16-17 (NKJV) instructs us, “I
say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the
flesh. For the flesh lusts against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one
another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”. Additionally, Romans
8:6 (NKJV) tells us, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace.”. Another word for carnally is fleshly, on the other
hand, an antonym for the word carnal is spiritual. In today’s age, there is too
much of the world invading the church, many churches have begun using carnal
means to attract carnal people (unbelievers). If churches draw in carnal people
with carnal means, then how do you keep these people attending church? Most
likely you will have to use carnal means to maintain their attendance. This
poses a real danger, if a church is using carnal means to attract people, then
it is encouraging the works of the flesh and going against the works of the
Spirit. Therefore, so many people today have become self-deceived rather than
truly saved. So, after Peter told the Jews that they need to repent and receive
Jesus as their savior, what happened? Acts 2:41 (NKJV) tells us, “Then those
who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand
souls were added to them.”. Great 3,000 people were saved because of Peter? No,
they were saved because the Holy Spirit brought conviction through Peter’s
teaching. I would like to encourage you when you witness to an unbeliever, ask
God to give you the words to speak.
If we continue reading to the end
of Acts chapter two, we will see some of the early church practices. Acts 2:42
(NKJV) says, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and
fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”. This scripture sets an
example of how churches today should function. We need the Word of God to teach
us, discipline us, and train us. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV) tells us, “All Scripture
is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”. Also Acts 2:42 tells us
about prayer and fellowship in the church. We not only need to be praying for
each other during church service but during our own prayer time. Pray for your
fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Just because someone looks like
they have their life together when you see them on Sundays, does not mean
everything is truly okay. They might need healing in their body, a financial
breakthrough, comfort, or strength. Also, we should always be encouraging one
another as Christians, this will help keep the Body of Christ strong. 1
Thessalonians 5:11 (NKJV) instructs us, “Therefore comfort each other and edify
one another, just as you also are doing.”.
As the Body of Christ, we also need
to believe together. If someone is getting prayed for, the whole church needs
to pray in agreement for that person. There should not be any doubt if we all
believe together, if there is doubt it can hinder the work of God. Acts 2:44
(NKJV) tells us, “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in
common,”. This is also another example of how the Body of Christ needs to
encourage one another, by believing together. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron
sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”. Lastly, as
the Body of Christ, we need to praise the Lord for what we have, and God will
add people to the Body of Christ. Acts 2:47 (NKJV) tells us, “praising God and
having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those
who were being saved.”. This verse is very important because too often many
churches can forget to give thanks for the members it does have because
churches can get too distracted trying to grow. This is also the same with us
individually, we need to take time to thank God for what He has given us. To
any church that is trying to grow, first, give thanks to God for what you have,
and seek Him for guidance on how to grow.
Originally when I studied Acts 2, I
was hoping to only have one teaching on this chapter. However, with as many
notes as I got out of it, I ended up having to divide it up into three
teachings. I would encourage you to read over Acts 2 and dig deep into it.
There is so much more in this chapter that God can reveal to you. I would like
to encourage you to take some time and reflect on Acts 2, and what you can take
from it and apply over your life. In my next teaching, I will begin Acts 3, I
cannot say how many teachings I will get out of that chapter. I will leave that
up to God.
As you know today is Good Friday,
so you can probably figure out I will be teaching on the crucifixion of Jesus
Christ, our Lord, and Savior. Before I go any further, I want you to ask
yourself one question, what does Good Friday really mean to me? As I go through this teaching, I will be
using scriptures from all four of the Gospels to help us get a good perspective
on Good Friday. I encourage you to also take time to read the full story from
all four Gospels when you have time because there is so much in these scriptures.
Let’s take a look at Matthew 27:3-9
(NKJV) which says, “Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been
condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the
chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the
pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.”.
Judas was the one disciple who betrayed Jesus, he was remorseful for what he
did, he had a sense of guilt and then hung himself. As I go further into my
teaching, I would like you to take this into perspective. When we come to Jesus
for the first time, right before we repent, we have a sense of guilt that we
have done wrong through our sins. But only because of Jesus we don’t have to
live in guilt because our sins are washed in the blood of Jesus when we become
born again. 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”. Our
sins are forgiven when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and
confess our sins to Him. We also need to remember to forgive ourselves and
truly receive the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Let’s now look at the next part of
the crucifixion story in Mark 15:2-5 (NKJV) which says, “Then Pilate asked Him,
“Are You the King of the Jews?” He answered and said to him, “It is as you
say.” And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered
nothing. Then Pilate asked Him again,
saying, “Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against
You!” But Jesus still answered nothing,
so that Pilate marveled.”. One thing we must know is that Pilate did not really
want to crucify Jesus Christ. He was shocked at Jesus’s silence to the
accusations of the chief priests. Jesus could have tried to have given Pilate a
satisfactory response to the accusations and could have been released, but
Jesus just stayed silent. This shows the obedience Jesus had to His Father because
Jesus knew He was to be crucified.
Mark 15:12-14 (NKJV) goes on to
say, “Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do
with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” So they cried out again, “Crucify
Him!” Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried
out all the more, “Crucify Him!””. Pilate asked the crowd of the Jews what they
wanted to be done to Jesus, and they yelled for Him to be crucified. Pilate
tried reasoning with the Jews by asking what evil Jesus has done, and they only
responded with crucify. This shows us that Pilate did not truly want to crucify
Jesus, he was simply satisfying the people in the crowd with what they wanted
to have done to Jesus.
Mark 15:16 (KJV) continues and
says, “And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they
call together the whole band.”. I want you to notice the word band in this
scripture, it is translated from the Greek equivalent of the Latin word
‘cohort’ which means 600 soldiers. When Mark wrote this in his Gospel it was
not used technically, but to show there was a very large group of soldiers that
mocked and beat Jesus. Mark 15:17-20 (NKJV) goes on to say, “And they clothed
Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and
began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing
the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the
purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.”.
To put it simply Jesus went through a lot of torment from these soldiers, just
imagine what your Lord and Savior went through here for your sins.
Now we have just seen Jesus’s trial
and torment from the soldiers, now let’s look at Jesus on the cross in the
Gospel of John. John 19:17-18 (NKJV) says, “And He, bearing His cross, went out
to a place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew,
Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and
two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.”. We will
find that two other men are beside Jesus on the cross in Golgotha. Luke 23:32
(NKJV) tells us, “There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put
to death.”. So, we know there are two other criminals beside Jesus being
crucified. What types of crime did these
two people commit? The answer is in Matthew 27:38 (NKJV), “Then two robbers
were crucified with Him, one on the right and another on the left.”. There were
two other men crucified with Jesus because they were thieves. Jesus did not
commit any crime; He simply gave His life for us and became sin for us so we
can become saved. 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.”.
John 19:19-24 will go on to tell us
about Jesus being given the title of ‘King of the Jews’ on His cross, and about
the soldiers casting lots to divide His garments. I would like to skip to John
19:26-27 (NKJV) which says, “When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the
disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your
son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour
that disciple took her to his own home.”.
This is where Jesus entrusted the Apostle John as Mary’s son, some
people believe that this scripture gives Mary a level of authority like God,
which we know is a false teaching from hell. Jesus could have designated any of
His brothers, but He chose one of His disciples. If you read John 7:5 you will
find out Jesus’s brothers did not believe He was the Son of God. John 7:5
(NKJV) tells us, “For even His brothers did not believe in Him.”.
John 19:28-29 (NKJV) continues and
says, “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that
the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” Now a vessel full of sour
wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on
hyssop, and put it to His mouth.”. Jesus
became thirsty and they gave Him sour vinegar on a sponge to sip on. This is
portrayed in Psalms 22:15 (NKJV) which says, “My strength is dried up like a
potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of
death.”. Additionally Psalms 69:21(NKJV)
says, “They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me
vinegar to drink.”. Jesus needed a drink so He could say His final words, this
also shows the amount of suffering Jesus went through to die for our sins. John
19:30 (NKJV) says, “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is
finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.”. Jesus told us ‘IT IS
FINISHED’. The ultimate satisfice was finished. The prophet Isaiah talked about
Jesus Christ a lot, you will find a lot of reference notes in the Gospels, that
go back to Isaiah. Isaiah 53:12 (NKJV) tells us, “Therefore I will divide Him a
portion with the great, And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, Because
He poured out His soul unto death, And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.”.
The end of the story for Good Friday takes us to the tomb, which John 19:42 (NKJV) tells us, “So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews’ Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby.”. There is so much more to the story of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ from the accounts we have in all four Gospels. So I encourage you to take some time and read them out of all four of the Gospels and reflect on it, what I have taught only scratches the surface of what you will find in your time of study in God’s Word. At the beginning of this teaching, I asked you to think to yourself what does Good Friday mean to you? Does Good Friday just mean that you get a day off work or school? For those of you who have religious spirits, does Good Friday mean it is the last Friday you can’t eat meat on during Lent? Or does it mean that the Son of God paid the ultimate price for your sins so that you could have eternal life? When one becomes born again you should have a strong desire to sin no more and seek God on corrections as you go along your walk with God. Just because you say the sinner’s prayer does not mean you can go back out and sin all you want without a care in the world. Just because you said the sinner’s prayer at an altar call does not give you a free pass to stay out of the word of God. Matthew 16:24-26 (NKJV) says, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”. I again encourage you to take some time and read the accounts of Good Friday in all four of the Gospels and really reflect on what Good Friday means to you. This might be a good opportunity to rededicate your life to Christ or seek a more serious walk with Christ.
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.
If you have been following my teachings lately you will see recently I had a teaching titled ‘Conformed to this World’. I would like to expand upon this based off some items that were revealed to me by God. The main scripture in my previous teaching was Romans 12:2 (NKJV), which says, “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.”. We are in a period, where there is too much of the world not only in the church but also in many Christians lives. It is also sad to note, that we are so distracted to even realize these things, these distractions lead us to not fully accepting Christ in our life, and in our trials. So, my question to you is, are there too many distractions in the church and in your walk with God? Before I begin, I would like to point out that this teaching should be looked at as how we can improve as the Body of Christ and as individuals in our walk of faith. I myself am never 100 percent perfect, but there come times when we all need correction for our own growth.
With as busy as we are in life, it should be no surprise that we will face distractions. Yet some of these distractions can hinder our walk of faith. So many people are busy with the many aspects of their everyday lives and they become blind to these distractions. 1 Corinthians 7:35 (NKJV) tells us, “And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.”. There are six common distractions I feel that many of us can fall short of in our own lives. The first distraction is not having any true joy in Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) tells us, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”. If our joy and happiness does not originate from having Jesus in our life, then we really need to work somethings out. The second distraction is being married to or even dating an unbeliever. When you enter a relationship whether that be in dating or in marriage, and you know the other person is an unbeliever or their beliefs conflict yours and you continue in that relationship without addressing it, you are welcoming in a distraction. I myself was with someone who was an unbeliever, I thought I could change her. The relationship lasted four years too long before the Lord intervened and ended it. I am glad He intervened in the way He did, because this relationship was blocking me from receiving what God truly had for me. To all the people out their looking for a spouse, please take your time and look for someone who has the same beliefs as you do, don’t try wasting years to convert them. 2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV) tells us, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?”. There are also some people who let themselves spend so much time finding joy in their relationship with their spouse first, rather than with God first. Both you and your spouse should find your joy in the Lord first and let that be a foundation to your marriage or relationship if you are dating.
A third distraction we can all lack
at times, is a lack of discernment. We must discern what is truly of God, and
what is not. Remember wolfs can appear in sheep’s clothing. 1 John 4:1 (NKJV)
tells us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether
they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”.
Another distraction we might have personally is holding grudges. I have
witnessed many families be torn apart over grudges. Ephesians 4:32 (NKJV) tells
us, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God in Christ forgave you.”. Along with
forgiveness of others we must forgive ourselves too and not let our past
mistakes haunt us. Proverbs 4:25 (NKJV) instructs us, “Let your eyes look
straight ahead, and your eyelids look right before you.”. One last reason we
can become distracted as individuals is not properly managing our time.
Ephesians 5:15-16 (NKJV) instructs us, “See then that you walk circumspectly,
not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” You
might not be spending as much time with the Lord as you should be and claim you
don’t have enough time. Maybe it is time to cut back on the TV or video games
and spend more time in the Word and in prayer.
So, if we can be distracted
personally, can the church be distracted? The answer is absolutely, and many
are already distracted. One thing I would like to point out is the era of
technology we are in. I realize that many people use a Bible app on their
smartphone to follow along with the sermon. Whether we want to realize it or
not, our phones can be a distraction. What if a notification pops up on your
screen during the sermon while you are following along in your Bible app? Do
you ignore the notification, or do you open it up, and end up looking through
your news feed? I believe that technology can be useful in the church, if it is
used correctly. But if it is not used correctly, it can lead to many people not
actively listening to a sermon. A sermon is like a meal to our Spirit, if you
aren’t fully paying attention you won’t absorb everything. Just like if you
don’t eat your whole meal, you might miss out on some key nutrients.
These distractions in our church
and in our own lives can prevent us from fully and truly receiving Christ. We
need to spend more of our time focused on Jesus, rather than the world.
Colossians 3:1-2 (NKJV) tells us, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek
those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of
God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”. God wants all of us, not just part of us. You
cannot become born again and have one foot in the world and the other foot in
the Kingdom of God. James 4:7 (NKJV) tells us, “Therefore submit to God. Resist
the devil and he will flee from you.”. I
would really like to encourage you to take some time and really think about
these distractions I mentioned, do any of these apply to you or the church you
are in? If so then you need to seek God and ask Him for guidance on how to deal
with these distractions appropriately so you can be in a more serious walk of
faith.
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