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

Did We Forget Hebrews 11?

Introduction

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

What is Faith

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

God Shown Through Creation

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

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

By Faith

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

The Fear of God

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

Hypocrisy in the Church

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

A Sinking Church

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

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

Judgement for the Faithless and Cowards

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

2020 Posts, Bible Study, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Discernment, Gifts of the Spirit

Today’s Christian Culture vs. The Early Church

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

Modern Christian Culture and the Broad Way

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

Pharisee’s vs. Sadducee’s

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

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

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

Wake Up Church

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

A Conspiracy is Formed

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

Jesus is All We Need

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

2020 Posts, Christianity, Inspiration, Salvation, Wisdom

Tough Words – Our Heavenly Father

Today is Father’s Day, a day that we recognize our earthly fathers for all that they do for us. For some, this is a day to remember fathers who are no longer with us. I am thankful for a great God-fearing earthly father.

Today I want to talk about who our Heavenly Father is. I am convinced that many people today do not know who God truly is. Yet it is more troubling that many people in the church do not truly know who God is because there is a major distortion in the church. There are even many preachers who are not even truly saved. How do I know this? Because we are living in the days of the Great Falling Away. 1 Timothy 4:1 (ESV) warns us, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons”. The enemy has been setting up camp in churches through false teachers and philosophies of man. Any gospel that is not the True Gospel does not save.

Not only do people in churches not know who God truly is, but they also take him lightly. Modern Christianity has been dumbed down to a few bullet points with a prayer to join a social club.  We have a type of Christianity that accommodates to the way of this dark world. 1 John 1:5 (ESV) tells us, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”. God is light and has no darkness. Why is this significant? Because it is one of God’s many attributes and we are in a world that is filled with darkness. There are many professing Christians who claim to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but there is no difference in their lifestyle from an unbeliever.

Truly coming to God for Salvation is giving up. We cannot save ourselves, only Christ can do that. When is the last time in private you cried out to God for help with the sin you still need to conquer? When is the last time you sought your Heavenly Father and waited until He showed up? In today’s fast-paced world, we want everything to happen right away. I can be guilty of this, I work in technology, and I have the mindset of things always being fast paced. But we all must learn to sit in the secret place and wait on God. Psalm 91:1 (ESV) tells us, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”.  Additionally, Jesus told us in Matthew 6:6 (ESV), “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”.

Jerimiah 29:13 (AMP) tells us, “Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”. We must seek our Heavenly Father with all our heart. Not only do we need to seek Him with our full heart, but we must also seek Him with the right motives. Are we seeking Him just for the benefits? Are we seeking Him to just have our ticket to Heaven stamped? These types of mindsets have become normal in much of Christianity because the me-centered gospel has become mainstream. We must realize that the Bible is not about us, it is about a God who is willing and able, sovereign, and the same yesterday, today and forever.

We need to have a higher view of our Savior Jesus Christ. So many people take the Cross lightly. Revelation 19:12-15 (ESV) tells us, “His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.  And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.”. Let those words sink in and reflect on why the Blood of the Spotless Lamb is taken lightly and abused in the church today. I cannot think of the words He will say on the day of judgment to the leaders of the great falling away.

We must wake up to who God is. We must recognize who our Heavenly Father is according to His Word. Everything we need for this walk is found in His Word, and we have the Holy Spirit to teach us all things and to lead us into all truth. The best thing the church in America can do today on Father’s Day for our Heavenly Father is to take its trash out. Everything that is in the church that is not of God needs to be thrown out and burned. Everything that is of the world that has been allowed in the church, needs to be thrown out. Everything in our lives individually that does not line up with His commandments needs to be removed. Dear friends the end is near! Jesus is coming and there are going to be many pew warmers and even pastors who are going to be in shock when this day comes.

As we celebrate Father’s Day take time to reflect on what our Heavenly Father expects from us as both a church and individually.

2020 Posts, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Inspiration, Salvation

Acts 21:37-22:30 — A Reflection on Real Christianity

I have been working on making some changes that you will soon see on this blog, which is why I have not posted as much as usual. I wanted to pick back up in the Book of Acts. In my last post, I left off on Acts 21:36 which is where Paul was attacked in Jerusalem and taken to the barracks.

Acts 21:37-40

In verses 37 thru 40, we see that Paul asks the commander if he is permitted to speak, the commander is surprised by Paul’s use of the Greek language. In verse 40 it says Paul spoke to the people in Hebrew, he was likely to be speaking in Aramaic since this was considered the new Hebrew. Paul also states that he is a Roman citizen from Tarsus, a city of importance.

Acts 22:1-4

This is where we see Paul’s first apologetic speech that is documented in the Book of Acts. Apologetics is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as, “reasoned arguments or writings in justification of something, typically a theory or religious doctrine.”. Many Christians do not realize the importance of apologetics today. Apologetics is necessary to defend the faith, there are many great people in this field who serve God. An example of this would be defending the Biblical account of creation over the theory of the Big Bang or Evolution. If you are going to be going to a college in the fall, I would highly recommend to you to study some apologetics on Genesis. We must stand strong on our faith!

During Paul’s speech, he first introduces himself and provides his background. We then see that he talks about how before he became a Christian, he was involved with ordering persecutions of Christians. This right here is an example that we must pray for our enemies. Even though we cannot tolerate what our enemies do, we must pray for their Salvation.

Acts 22:6-21

Paul goes on and talks about the encounter he had with Jesus, which you can read the full account in Acts chapter nine. Those who were around Paul when this happened, as he recounts what took place had great fear over the light, which was the Glory of God, that they saw. When the presence of God came in Acts chapter nine, during Paul’s encounter, the presence of God was taken seriously. People were not joking around or taking it lightly, they were fearful of what they were experiencing.

The Presence of God

In John 8:12 (ESV), Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”. Jesus is the light of the world. This light they saw in Acts during Paul’s encounter was referring to Jesus being the light of the world. The light of Jesus is brighter than anything we can ever imagine. The people that were around when this took place in the Book of Acts became fearful of what was going on because the presence of God was there. They were not joking among themselves or carrying on like they normally would, they were afraid. Yet today when God’s presence supposedly shows up in many churches, people are still on their cell phones. Really? I would honestly question what type of presence showed up at your church. I can say with assurance that most churches today do not really know what the true presence of God is like. Why do I say that? I say that because a lot of what I have seen, and other people have seen shows that the church in America on average has little to no reverence for our Lord.

Let us look at Exodus 3:5 (ESV), “Then he said, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”. Now let us look at Leviticus 19:30 (ESV), “You shall keep my Sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord”. Why am I pointing these Scripture out? Because if we want the presence of God to truly show up in our church services to convict and reveal people’s sin, then our houses of worship must give reverence to God. Why are so many churches in America and around the world looking like the bars and night clubs of the world? Why are so many churches making it casual to come to worship Jesus? The new norm in the church is “go grab your favorite drink and get comfortable”. Really? That is not the God of the Bible, and that is not the God I worship.

Proverbs 1:7 (ESV) tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”. Having true knowledge from God is reflected in a sincerely God-fearing character. We have too many people who claim to be Bible-believing Christians and are concerned about going against the trends and customs of this world more than they are fearful of the Living God. Hebrews 12:28 (ESV) instructs us, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe,”. If we are profoundly grateful for the gift of Salvation, then it should be reflected by how we worship God. We need to get back to having total reverence to God.

Acts 21:22-30

Going back to the Book of Acts we see that Paul also talks about meeting Ananias. He is the one who baptizes and converts Paul. We then see the people listening to Paul speak tell him to stop speaking and condemn him and want him to be put away. The leaders realize that since Paul is a Roman, they are unable to put him away or mistreat him. Because of this the Sanhedrin council becomes divided and Paul is put in the protection of Roman soldiers.

Final Thoughts

This chapter gives us another opportunity to review Paul’s conversion to Christianity. Before he became a Christian, he was in a position of power, after he became a Christian he was in a position of persecution and poor health. Yet he still pushed on. He did not live his best life now; he was not prosperous in the sense of earthly things. Yet why do so many Christians think they are entitled to chase these things? Christianity is not built on the wealth of men, but on the blood of men. Let us take the time to really re-evaluate how we view our Christian walk. Are we seeking power for our own gain, or are we seeking God alone diligently because we need a Savior?

2020 Posts, Christianity

The Fear of God

The fear of the Lord is something that is not just missing in American leaders, it is something that the church has lost. There is no true fear of God in many churches. Most of the churches in America have little to zero reverence for the Lord. The average church in America has become more of a social club. Churches should NOT appeal to outsiders by offering the same things this dark world can offer you. True believers are called out from the things of this world. It is not about making yourself ‘feel at home’, come on the God I worship deserves more reverence than that.

While through Jesus Christ we are no longer under the Law, there are many principles the church should grab a hold of out of the Old Testament for today. In the passage of the burning bush in Exodus 3, God told Moses, “take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground”. Then look at Ecclesiastes 5:1 (ESV), “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.”. Two Scriptures right here on the level of reverence we must give to the Lord when we are in His House.

There is a rising trend in many churches of a “me-centered gospel”. This falls right in line with what David Wilkerson said about the Gospel of Accommodation. There is a program that is plaguing many churches focusing on how to grow their congregation based on getting more people in the door via carnal means. Jesus did not tell us to fill up church pews or get people to say a short prayer. He commissioned the church to go out and make disciples. A disciple is not a casual Christian. Many people think they just need to say a prayer and attend church once a week and they are good to go, they can do as they please outside of that and take the same amount of repentance pills every single night. True Salvation always has fruit to show for itself, when one is truly born-again there is a change. When one is truly born again you should hate the sin you once loved. Jesus said in John 14:15 (ESV), “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”.

The modern church has said that the Baptism or Filling of the Holy Spirit is not for today. One of the last things Satan would want is for believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  I would also go as far as to say that we are now beginning to see the power of the new birth being removed from the churches, and we will continue to see this on the rise. We will see the Great Falling Away of the modern church continue to pan-out, as we near the return of Jesus Christ.

William J. Seymour in September 1907, “Praise our God, He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Receive Him just now and He will fill you. Do not be discouraged but pray until you are filled, for the Lord says, “Men ought to always pray and not to faint”. Do not stop because you do not receive the baptism with the Holy Ghost at first but continue until you are filled. The Lord Jesus told His disciples to tarry until they were endued with power from on high. Many people today are willing to tarry just so long, and then they give up and fail to receive their personal Pentecost that would measure with the Bible. The Lord Jesus says, “Ye shall be filled.” He says to the person that hungers and thirsts after righteousness and He says they are blessed. So, if there is a hunger and a thirst in our souls for righteousness, we are blest of Him”.

2020 Posts, Christianity

Do You Actually Understand the Word of God?

I find it troubling how many people do not know Jesus; I also find it more troubling how many people do not properly know Jesus. There are many people who are not saved, and there are also many people who think they are saved, but truly are not. Many people might go to church once a week or even twice a week, but they lack a true understanding of God’s Word and who God truly is. Jesus did not call us to be casual Christians, if we want to follow Him then it requires a radical change in our life for His glory alone.

Let me give you an example of a casual Christian, one who’s Bible gets dusted off once or twice a week, or their Bible app only gets used twice a week. When was the last time you opened your Bible and asked Holy Spirit to teach you? What is your prayer schedule like, do you have one? We have a schedule for everything else in life, do we have one for prayer? Or do we just pray when we go through difficult times? Are the pages still sticking together in your Bible? Do you only go to church to receive a special blessing?

Where in the Bible does it say the power of God would cease or fade away? God is still on the move today according to His sovereign Will. He is supreme, even during trial and tragedy. You are in dangerous waters if you believe that there is no authority in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth for today. I am not talking about praying for your own personal gain, I am talking about a prayer life that is led by the Holy Spirit, and in accordance with God’s Will.

I see so many people concerned today about mental health. Let me tell you something, most people who have mental health issues such as anxiety and depression are under the oppression of the devil. Many people in churches suffer from these mental health issues and yet receive no prayer for it in their church. The tactics of the devil must flee in the name of Jesus Christ. The problem today is the church on average does not let the true Holy Spirit in, it wants to have worship and a sermon done in an hour. The other problem today is the church lets a spirit that might look and sound like, or better yet feel like the Holy Spirit, but it is not something of God. We have too much of dead Christianity today and too much of New Age in the church, that has worked its way in from years ago and now has been mainstream today.

What does the Bible say about a person who hears the Word of God, but does not understand and absorb it? Jesus said in Matthew 13:19 (ESV), “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.”. I also like how The Message translation has it translated “Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and does not take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road.”.

It is one thing to hear the Word of God twice a week. But we are called to study it and absorb it daily. I like how John Piper says it “swim in the Word of God”. Jesus said in John 14:26(WEB), “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.”. Always when you are reading your Bible asking Holy Spirit to teach you. Make good notebooks.

2020 Posts, Bible Study, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Inspiration

Acts 21:1-36: What Do You Represent?

Introduction

In this blog post, I am going to discuss the majority of chapter 21 in the Book of Acts. As always, I encourage you to take the time to read this chapter in its entirety. In the first six verses of chapter 21, we see that Paul and his travel companions go to the following areas on their way to Jerusalem: Cos, Rhoades, Patara, Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Syria. They finally end up in Tyre. During Paul’s travel, he always sought out other believers. It is important that we find likeminded people to be around.

Insight from Holy Spirit

The believers in Trye determined by the Holy Spirit to tell Paul not to go to Jerusalem. They knew in their spirit that afflictions awaited Paul in Jerusalem. Acts 21:4 (ESV) tells us, “And having sought out the disciples, we stayed there for seven days. And through the Spirit, they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.”. The Message version translates this portion as “Their message to Paul, from insight given by the Spirit, was “Don’t go to Jerusalem.”. It is so important that we rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will give us insight regarding someone else. Maybe you feel the urge to call and/or pray for a person. When you feel this, seek God on how to follow through and be obedient.

Biblically Correct-Reverance

Paul knew that afflictions would await him when he traveled. I believe this is another reason as to why he sought out believers as he traveled. Acts 20:23 (ESV) tells us, “Except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.”. Paul was clearly aware of this in chapter 21, and his fellow believers in Tyre confirmed this. At the end of his stay at Tyre we see in verses 5-6 (ESV), “When our days there were ended, we departed and went on our journey, and they all, with wives and children, accompanied us until we were outside the city. And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home.”. I would really like to draw your attention to where it says, ‘And kneeling down’. How often do you see that in the Protestant churches today? Look at Acts 20:36 (ESV), “And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all.”. Did he form a prayer line with a catcher standing behind a person? No, not once do you see that in Scripture. Paul set an example; he gave reverence to the Lord. We need to learn to bring reverence back to the churches! When was the last time you were in church and knelt together as a body to pray for one another? It rarely happens much anymore. I am not trying to condemn any practices in the different church circles, I am just saying we really need to consider how Biblically correct we are. Jesus Christ is coming back for a pure bride, and part of being a pure bride involves reverence. Hebrews 12:28 (ESV) tells us, “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe”. I could write a novel or two on how the church has lost reverence for the Lord, but I will save that for another time.

Paul in Caesarea

In verses seven thru sixteen, we see that they travel from Tyre to Ptolemais, which is a 20-mile journey. They then travel 40 miles to Caesarea, likely by ship. When Paul and his travel companions arrive at Caesarea they stay at the house of Philip, the evangelist. One fact about Philip is found that he is one of the seven from Acts 6:1-5. Additionally, we see that he had daughters who had the gift of prophecy. Then we see a Prophet by the name of Agabus come along who prophecies how Paul will be treated symbolically in Acts 21:11 (ESV), “And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’””. Agabus is introduced to us in Acts 11:28 (ESV), which says, “And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius).”.

Trust in God’s Sovereignty

Regardless of what others tell Paul, he still intends to go to Jerusalem. Paul responds in Acts 21:13-14 (ESV), “Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping, and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.””. Paul fully trusted in God as he would face persecution for the sake of Jesus Christ. Paul trusted in God’s sovereign will 100-percent. How many of us today truly trust in God’s sovereign will for our lives? Psalm 115:3 (ESV) says, “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”. We must fully trust in God’s sovereign will for our lives, too many people want to win favor with God to accomplish their own personal gain. We must have our mindset focused on God’s Will alone.

As we read on in Acts 21, we see Paul and his companions travel from Caesarea to Jerusalem, which is about a 65-mile journey. They stay at Mnasons home, likely about halfway through the journey.

Finally in Jerusalem

In verses 17-26 we see they finally reach Jerusalem and were gladly received by the brethren. Paul goes along with James and the elders and tells them all what God has done through his ministry thus far. As Paul talks to them, we see they are concerned as to how the people will respond to Paul since they know his stance on circumcision (referring to the law). So, they have Paul join a group of men who took a vow for purification, and he goes with them to the temple to complete the sacrifices the next day.

Paul is Attacked

In verses 27-36, we see that near the end of the purification days, some Jews from Ephesus who knew of Paul decided to yell in the Temple about Paul’s teachings regarding circumcision. These Jews cause a large commotion in the Temple and drag Paul out of the Temple and lock him out. We see that the people were trying to kill Paul, and this rapidly turned into a riot. The guards captain heard about this and went to the scene with some soldiers, and the people immediately backed off Paul. They wanted Paul to be chained but the captain could not get enough information on what the reason was, because of all the commotion. Paul is then carried by the soldiers to the barracks. In my next blog post, we will look at what takes place at the barracks.

Final Thoughts

I would really like to challenge you to examine yourself on how much reverence you give to God. Not only in church, but in your personal life. Do you tell unclean jokes, have vulgar language, addicted to something, or have anything in your life that goes against the Word of God? We must examine ourselves daily because we as Christians represent God. If we really appreciate the atonement for salvation on the Cross, then we should have a burning desire to lead a life that represents God with total reverence. How we live our lives as Christians is a testimony unto others. What kind of testimony are you giving?

2020 Posts

Encouragement

“It is better to trust in the Lord
Than to put confidence in man.” – Psalm 118:8 (NKJV)

Many people today are concerned about the future of our nation. Will we reopen the first week of May or not? How bad are the economic impacts going to be both short term and long term? How many more new cases of this virus? How many more deaths?

While I do not know exactly how things will play out, one thing is for sure, and that is we must not give too much of our attention to all the doom and gloom.

We should take the advice of the CDC and our leaders regarding the situation at hand. However, we can not place that above our trust in the Lord.

I myself am not losing sleep over what is happening and what is going to take place tomorrow, a week from now, or years from now. There are always going to be political battles and conspiracy theories every day until the very end.

I read the Bible and it is safe to conclude that our victory is in Jesus Christ! Put your faith in Him today. Pray for our leaders, even though we might disagree with them, pray for them! Pray for this nation. This nation has had a plague in it for years far beyond when I was born, and that plague is SIN. This land needs revival. I’m not talking about the circus that is put on by motivational speakers, I’m talking about the true power of the Holy Spirit, that will convict and lead people to true Salvation.

There are so many people who do not know Jesus, and there are many people who have not been properly taught the Gospel. Too often in America, the Gospel gets mixed with the American Dream. The two do not even go together or belong together. Being a true Christian must take priority before the things of our American culture.

I pray that God heals this land and that there is revival like we have never seen before!

2020 Posts, Bible Study, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Salvation

Acts Chapter 20: Foundational Truths

Introduction

As we have seen through the Book of Acts, there are many important lessons and principles found in this book of the Bible. We must note while the church may never exactly function the way it did in the Book of Acts, we still have many principles to apply from this book.

Acts 20:1-3: In It for Personal Gain?

In the first three verses of chapter twenty, we see Paul travels from Macedonia to Greece. He stays in Greece for three months and then the Jews plot against him. Paul then goes back through Macedonia. We must realize that the Apostle Paul faced much persecution, trials, and tribulations in his life. His life was by no means ‘his best life now’. 1 Corinthians 4:11-13 (KNJV) tells us, “To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.”. This Scripture tells us that as Christians we are not promised a problem-free life on earth. We will face tribulation, trials, and persecution. The Bible does not guarantee us a luxurious lifestyle on Earth. I really will never understand the basis of the people who get behind the pulpit and believe God for private jets. These ministers are false prophets because they want to use the Gospel as a means for a luxurious lifestyle for their gain. Paul also told us in 2 Corinthians 2:15-17 (NKJV), “For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.”. The words ‘many, peddling’ in this Scripture means false prophet. This Scripture is talking about false prophets who are only in the business for their gain. This just gives us a warning as to how the Gospel has become so Americanized.

Acts 20:4-12

In verse four through twelve Paul’s traveling companions meet him and they sail from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread. After the feast, they end up in Troas and it was the first day of the week and they broke bread together. While Paul was gathered with disciples on the third floor of a building a man falls from the third story and dies. Paul then goes and prays over the man and goes back with the disciples to break bread. We then see the man who was dead rises back up. Paul and the disciples did not let this situation stop them from breaking bread.  

Acts 20:13-24: Not to Be Moved by Tribulation

In the next few verses, we see Paul travel from Troas to Miletus. Paul then wants to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. As Paul goes to Ephesus, he speaks to the church elders and tells them how he served the Lord in humility and with many tears. Oh, how if the church today could get back to the call of anguish. There is a great teaching by David Wilkerson on anguish. We also see how Paul talks about how he faced tribulation in many cities he went to, but he was not moved by it. How come we become so easily moved by the situations in our lives or the world? We must not be moved as Paul tells us in verse twenty-four. Additionally, Paul says that his life on earth is worth nothing, he has this mentality because he is completely and fully surrendered to Jesus Christ. We must be like this, we should not want our lives, we should only focus on glorifying God more and more every single day. We must strive to finish what God has called us to do with our lives for His Glory alone.

Acts 20:25-31: Importance of Overseers

In verses, twenty-five through thirty-one Paul talks about the importance of overseers in the church and warns of false prophets. Paul warned us about false prophets because we will be in great danger if we believe a false gospel. In verse thirty-one he tells us he “did not cease to warn every one night and day with tears”. Here we go again it should hurt us inside when we see people falling false doctrines and false prophets. We need to see things the way Jesus sees them. Paul tells us to be watchful in this passage and 1 Corinthians 16:13 (NKJV) “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”. He also tells us to be vigilant in Colossians 4:2 (NKJV), “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving”.

Acts 20:32-36: Scripture and Grace Alone (5 Solas)

In the last few verses, we see the importance of the Word of God and Grace. We are complete in Christ as it is written in Colossians 2:10 (NKJV), “and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”. Additionally, we are complete with Scripture also. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV) tells us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”. It is very important to take this concept home of being made complete with Scripture and with Grace through Jesus Christ. Sadly, today many people will take a ‘prophecy’ spoken over them more seriously than the Word of God. Many people today will make it more of a priority to seek physical healing over true Salvation. I have seen too many healing services where nothing on the correct Gospel was taught. Sermons must all have a foundation of the Gospel and then built upon from there. Don’t get me wrong I believe our God is willing and able to do miraculous things far beyond our imaginations, while at the same time focusing on the foundation of the Gospel is our number one priority. In verse thirty-six we see before Paul departed that he knelt and prayed with the disciples. He didn’t have any prayer line, he knelt and prayed with them. Oh, how greatly we need to kneel in church services more and more and learn to give God reverence.

Final Thoughts

There were so many things I covered in this post, and I encourage you to go through this chapter on your own time and study it for yourself and meditate on it. I feel today we as a church need to get back to the foundation of the Gospel because there is so much distortion. We need to learn to take diligent time to meditate on Scripture, worship our God as a church and individually, and rely on the Holy Spirit in our prayer life.

2020 Posts, Wisdom

A Plague in the Church

Paul Washer quote
Quote Copyright to Paul Washer

My Thoughts

Much of the American church today wants to focus on how to grow its congregation. Many seminaries teach strategies on how to grow a church. The sad thing is the vast majority of these programs only look at what the people want rather than what God wants.

One of the largest plagues to hit the church is using carnal means during worship. I’ve seen too many buildings with a sign on it that says “church”, but inside it looks just like the bars and night clubs of the world. As true born again Christians we should not want our worship to resemble the clubs of this world with flashing lights and steam everywhere.

Not only that, but there is zero discernment for the music that is played in church services. Just because it is a popular Christian band does not make it doctrinally sound. Just because the artist calls themselves a Chrisitan does not mean that they are not an agent of Satan in disguise.

Look in Leviticus 10 when God struck two priests for unauthorized worship. When we worship God it must be with total reverence to Him and for His Glory alone.

There are many people out there who truly want Christ alone, but yet the Christian world is sadly plagued by carnality in so many ways even aside from worship. Many people today are concerned about viruses circulating in the world, well there is also an epidemic circulating the church and it is called the carnal church. Romans 8:6-10 tells us that carnality is death.

Don’t get me wrong I am vigilant of the virus that is currently spreading around the world, and we must pray and have true faith in God for healing and protection. Additionally, I am more concerned about the pandemic that has been made in American churches and sent all over the world.

It is time that the Gospel stops becoming so Americanized, and it must stop being sent all over the world. Eternal death is much more tragic than physical death.