Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13-14
"Am I good enough to be forgiven?"
Jesus said this to a Samaritan woman drawing water at the well. Jesus, associating with her, was not a common thing. Jews did not speak with nor were they seen with the likes of a Samaritan. She also lived a life riddled with bad choices. Jesus pointed out her many failed marriages and the fact she was living with a man---unlawfully.
We all can say 'yes' to these questions! For all people in all walks of life have sinned;
"For God does not show favoritism." Romans 2:11
Do you wish to seek the Lord?
After the woman at the well realized this Jew who offered her "living water" was the "Messiah", she ran to tell everyone! She caused people to come and see for themselves and seek out who this man was that knew all about her life. Have you sought after the Lord?
Pray and give your heart to Him...just ask Him now!
Pray this: "Jesus, I know my life has been one of sin and regrets and bad decisions. I know I am a sinner and need the living water you offer for eternal life. Please forgive me and dwell in my heart. Knock down the walls of despair and hatred so that I may have the peace only You offer. I want to be a child of the living God. Come and live and reign in my life. I give all that I am to You, Jesus."
GROW IN YOUR WALK WITH THE LORD!
If you prayed that prayer---Welcome to the family of God. Welcome to life eternal with Jesus. The journey ahead will bring you to many crossroads. Start by reading the Gospel of John in the New Testament portion of the Bible. Continue with the Book of Acts that helps you understand how the Church began. And then through the rest of the New Testament. When you are ready to continue, read the Book of Psalms, then Proverbs.
Now you should be ready to start at the beginning of the Bible and pace yourself as you read the greatest story ever told! THE WORD OF GOD---THE BIBLE.
IF YOU NEED A BIBLE; PLEASE CONTACT US.
We would love to help you in your new walk with the Lord!
God Bless your journey!
"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." JOHN 3:16
You found your treasure! Matthew 6:21
"For where your treasure is there will your heart be also."
I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me." Revelation 3:20
Congratulations! As a new believer, you now need to start reading the Bible that contains the directions to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the reward of eternal life. Throughout the Bible, Jesus has given us guidelines to establish our relationship with Him and help us continue to have that relationship grow and become more and more a part of our lives. Everything we need to establish this personal relationship and to make it grow is contained in God's Word.
As the Gideons International states; [The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. It's doctrines are holy, it's precepts are binding, it's histories are true, and it's decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It's the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. CHRIST is its grand subject, our good design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, and will be opened at the judgment, and remembered forever! It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all the trifle with its sacred contents. ]
Where Do I Begin?
It is important to remember that the Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramiac, and Greek. All English Bibles are translations of the original languages. You will find subtle changes between various publishers so don't be alarmed. All are doing their best to translate the original languages into your every day English. At some point, want to refer to study helps that explain the nuances of Greek and Hebrew, but for now, just concentrate on obtaining a study Bible with a concordance, some cross-references, a topical or subject index and some basic maps. These will greatly enhance your reading of God's Word. You will also want to choose a contemporary translation such as the New International Version (NIV) or the New King James Version (NKJV) for easier reading.
Reading, studying and applying God's Word is one part of the communication between God and man. That is, God speaks to us in His Word and we listen and respond. Let's move on to the next part where we learn to talk in two-way conversation with our heavenly Father.
A NOTE ON TRANSLATIONS
Perhaps one of the most difficult problems in reading the Bible for the first time originates with the question of where to begin. With even the most avid reader, the scriptures seem a most formidable task to read from beginning to end. Although an experienced Bible student can cover Genesis to Revelation in a year or two, we do not encourage a new reader to attempt this at first try.
We encourage new believers to begin their study of the Bible in the Gospel of John. Jesus declares in John 14:15-17 that if we love Him, He will ask the Father to send us a Helper, the Spirit of Truth, to assist us in our studies, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." This means that your first task at hand is to solidify your relationship with Jesus Christ, receiving God's Spirit to help you fully understand His Word. Who is Jesus? Where did he come from? Where is he now? What did he teach? All of these questions and more can and must be answered by a thorough reading of the Gospel of John. John himself explained that the purpose of his gospel was to help us "...believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name" (John 20:31).
Once the Gospel of John has been read, proceed through the letters to the various churches (Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians), other gospels (Mathew, Mark, Luke), 1st John, James, 1st and 2nd Peter, and Hebrews. These will help you to understand the basic principles of the Christian life and faith. Once this has been accomplished, you might consider beginning a systematic study throughout the entire Bible. This is just a suggestion. The important thing is to let the Lord lead you as you learn to follow Him in every area of your life.
In reading or studying the Bible, remember these Pointers:
1. Ask Jesus to give you spiritual eyes to understand spiritual matters, For example, pray like this, "Jesus, help me to understand Your Word so that I may live it daily.
2. Think about what you read. Meditate on it. God uses His Word to speak to us, strengthen us, change our lives, purify our actions, and shape out thought. Hebrews 4:12 says, "The Word of God is living powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Let God's surgery change you into the person He wants you to be.
3. As you read, ask yourself questions related to the Scripture: Is this a promise I must respond to? "I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life" (John 6:47). What must I do to obtain this?
Is God showing me something that I should do? "Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will acknowledge him before My Father in heaven..." (Mathew 10:32, 33) What must I do to be acknowledged in heaven?
Is there something for me to watch out for? "Watch and Pray so that you will not fall into temptation, "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak" (Mark 14:38). Am I doing this?
Is there something that God wants to give me? "I give them eternal life and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:28).
4. As you read certain passages, you will find that Jesus is asking us to be obedient to His wishes, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
5. Put into practice in your daily life what you have read in the Bible, "Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).
For more insight on th importance of God's Word, look up these passages in Psalm 119, verses 9, 11, 15, 16, 24, 49, 93, 98, 105, 130, and 160. We're sure they will give you a solid understanding of why the Bible is so important to the Christian. Helpful Hint: Don't forget to use the index in the front of your Bible to locate the various books when studying on your own or following along at Bible studies. It takes time for all of us to find our way around Scriptures!
Jesus asks us to be obedient to His Word. One of His desires is for us to be baptized. We see Luke 3:21, 22 that Jesus was being obedient to God the Father, as He was baptized by John the Baptist. When Jesus came out of the water, God pronounced His blessing on Jesus. Being baptized will not give you salvation, it is simply a matter of being obedient to God's Word.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 28:19 to be baptized in the Name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Paul explains the significance of water represents the death of Christ; being under water represents the grave; and raising up out of the water represents His resurrection.
When we accept Jesus Christ into our lives, we should profess the change in our lives by the outward participation of His death, burial and resurrection through baptism (1 Peter 3:21). We are saved by grace only (Ephesians 2:8,9). Water baptism is the public declaration of God's work of grace in our lives.
If you would like to be baptized; contact us today!
In the Bible, there are two sacraments (holy rituals) which Christians are enjoined to practice and observe: The Lord's Supper and Water Baptism.
The purpose of both is to signify by outward symbolism, what Christ has accomplished in a believer's life through faith in Christ. As true believers, we are both instructed and commanded to submit to both as expressions of our faith in Christ.
In what has become known as the "Great Commission", Jesus gave the following command:
"Go therefore and make disciples of all the
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"
Matthew 28:19
The word "baptize" is taken from the Greek word "baptizo" meaning: 1.) to immerse or submerge, 2.) to overflow or cover with water, 3.) to wet thoroughly or moisten and 4.) to pour upon or drench. Because of the wide scope of this definition, and differing views on the word usage in the New Testament, three different methods of baptism have developed over the centuries:
1. IMMERSION: Wherein a person is completely lowered under the water.
2. POURING: Where water is ladled or poured over the person's head and body.
3. SPRINKLING: Wherein a person is lightly sprinkled.
1. Immersion portrays the atoning death of Christ and gives witness to the reality of His bodily resurrection
(Romans 6:3-5).
2. Pouring signifies the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the believer's life when he/she commits their life to Christ
(Acts 2:17,18).
3. Sprinkling tells us that we are washed from our sins only by the shed blood of Christ
(Hebrews 10:22).
Why do you need to be Baptized?
1. Act of Obedience
Throughout the New Testament, water baptism was practiced following conversion. This was done in direct response to Jesus' command that Christians everywhere are to "preach" and then "baptize" those who believe. Therefore, everyone who becomes a Christian need to be baptized out of obedience to God.
2. Statement of Faith
As mentioned earlier, water baptism is an outward statement of one's belief in Christ's atonement for our sings, the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit to guide and influence our lives, and the only means for gaining a clear, guilt-free conscience towards God. Baptism is a means to make a public statement of your faith.
3. Public Testimony
In the New Testament, we see baptism practiced publicly. It was a very powerful and meaningful way to fulfill Jesus' promise, "Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heave" (Matthew 10:32). Those who are publicly baptized "confess before men" their life's commitment to Him as their Lord and Savior.
What Baptism cannot do:
1. Baptism Cannot Save
Salvation comes through faith alone, and not works (Ephesians 2:8). Therefore, the act of baptism cannot save us. Rather it gives evidence through public action that a person has already been saved.
2. Baptism Cannot Cleanse From Sin
The cleansing of sins takes place when we believe and accept Christ and ask Him to cleanse our sins (1 John 1:9). Baptism may witness to our cleansing, but the water itself is powerless to cleanse from sin.
3. Baptism Cannot Magically Free Us From Sinful Habits
Self-control, moral purity, holiness and much more, are all benefits of receiving Christ and allowing the Holy Spirit to influence and change us. Baptism should represent and statement on our part to live lives free from such controlling passions. Baptism alone will not magically or automatically free us from these things. Still, it does tell others that you have willingly submitted your life to the process of spiritual growth and change through the power of the Holy Spirit.
When you are done reading this article, you will know who the Holy Spirit is and how to ask Him into your heart. Enjoy!
Have you ever seen a child stare in wide-eyed wonder as he or she listens to a new story? That's the way many people are when it comes to the Holy Spirit. They don't have a clue to His true identity or how He works in the life of every Christian. The Holy Spirit is a mystery to them. Wide-eyed wonder is not a bad response to have to the Holy Spirit. Certainly, the Holy Spirit should inspire our awe, our wonder, our adoration. But the Holy Spirit does not desire to be a puzzle. He desires to reveal Himself to us and to be known by us. Who, then, is the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit Is a Person
One of the keys to your understanding about the Holy Spirit lies in your recognition that the Holy Spirit is not an "it"; He is a person.
Have you ever been asked, "Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Do you have the Holy Spirit?" There is only one set of answers: yes or no. You can't have a little bit of the Holy Spirit. Either you have been filled by Him, or you haven't. You can't have had Him once, but not have Him now. Either you have Him, or you've never had Him. The error tends to come because we think of the Holy Spirit as a force, a power, an event, an experience, a manifestation. When you begin to see the Holy Spirit as a person—not as a power or an experience—you have a much different perspective on receiving or getting the Holy Spirit. From where does our false understanding of the Holy Spirit as an "it" tend to arise? In many cases, from Acts 2, these false understandings arise, where we read about the coming of the Holy Spirit into the lives of the first Christians:
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4).
People tend to confuse the sights and sounds present at the Holy Spirit's arrival with the Holy Spirit Himself. They read of a rushing windlike sound from heaven. They read of a mass of fire that seems to divide into tongues that touch each person. They read of the people speaking in languages they didn't learn with their minds. And they assume that the sound, the fire, and the unknown tongues are the Holy Spirit. These are manifestations of the Spirit's coming to the church on the day of Pentecost shortly after Jesus' ascension. They are not the Holy Spirit Himself. The sound is as a rushing mighty wind. The glowing light seems as divided tongues of fire. The Holy Spirit is infinitely more than any single manifestation of His presence.The Characteristics of a Person
What makes a person a person—as opposed to any of God's other creatures? The three foremost qualities of personhood are these:Knowledge - an ability to know, understand, recognize, and have meaning Will - an ability to make choices and decisions on the basis of what one chooses to do, not as an instinctual response to external stimuli Emotion - an ability to feel, both to have and express feelings and to be aware of them
Let's take a look at Scriptures that reveal these qualities associated with the Holy Spirit.
We read about the knowing ability of the Holy Spirit: "For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God"
(1 Corinthians 2:11).
And we read about the will of the Holy Spirit: "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills" (1 Corinthians 12:11).
In Romans 15:30, we read about "the love of the Spirit," and in Ephesians 4:30, we read Paul's admonishment: "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God." We can't grieve Somebody who doesn't love us. Because the Holy Spirit has an emotional capacity, we can grieve Him. Yes, the Holy Spirit has emotions.
As you read through the verses below, note as part of your recording of insights that these are all the actions or functions of a person.
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever (John 14:16). The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you (
John 14:26).
When the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me (John 15:26). And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment (
John 16:8).
Helping, comforting, teaching, calling to remembrance, testifying, convicting—these are all actions of a person.
The Holy Spirit Is Part of the Trinity
The Holy Spirit is the third member of the triune Godhead: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is inseparable from the Father and the Son; He is of one nature, character, and identity with them. At the same time, He is a unique person; He has a specific identity and function in our lives, just as Jesus has a specific identity and function and the Father has a specific identity and function. The Holy Spirit is present anytime the Father and the Son are present, and they in turn, are present anytime the Holy Spirit is present. The Holy Spirit was present at creation: "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1:2). And He was vital in the creation of humankind:
Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them (Genesis 1:26-27).
Note the word Our: We have been created in the full image of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Now what does it mean to be created in God's image?
To be created in God's image means that He has given us His qualities of personhood: we have an ability to know things and remember them, we have an ability to feel emotions and to respond to life with a full range of feelings, and we have an ability to make choices and decisions, to solve problems, to have "dominion" or authority over creation. We also have God's ability to help, to teach, to testify, to call to remembrance, to give convincing, convicting arguments. God has created us with the full capacity to be people.
As part of our creation, God "breathed" Himself into us. He imparted the capacity for His very nature to us. We have the specific ability to know God, to sense God at work in us, and to respond to God. He made us with the capacity to be His children and to invite Him into our lives.
You may ask, "Are you saying that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God?" That's exactly what I'm saying. We are wise to refer to Him in just that way:
The Holy Spirit of God Almighty
The Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus—the same Spirit who indwelled Christ
The Holy Spirit who indwells us today
All are one and the same Holy Spirit! His role in the Trinity is to fill, to energize, to empower, to cause to act, to compel behavior, to produce qualities of character, to work in and through God's creation. He is not the Creator, but there was and is no creation without Him. He is not the Father, but there is no understanding of our need for relationship or confirmation of our relationship with the Father without Him. He is not God almighty, but there is no expression of or conviction about God's will apart from Him. He is not the Son, but there is no awareness of sin and no coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as Savior apart from Him. He is not Jesus, but Jesus did not do anything apart from the Holy Spirit's empowerment. The Holy Spirit is inseparable from Christ Jesus and from God the Father. What new insights do you have into the nature of the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit Is the Promise of God to the Believer
The Holy Spirit has a unique relationship with believers. Let the verses of Scripture below speak to you directly and personally. Keep in mind that Paul is writing in both cases to people who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and who are following Him as the Lord of their lives.
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:13-14).
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you (Romans 8:9-11).
These verses say plainly that if you have Christ, you have the Holy Spirit of God. He is the seal of your commitment to Jesus Christ. In other words, when you accept Jesus Christ as the substitutionary, sacrificial, all-sufficient atonement for your sins—as an act of your confession and will—the Holy Spirit automatically seals that decision before the Father in heaven. You belong to God forever. There is no unsealing of what the Holy Spirit seals, not by your actions or by the actions of any other person. Conversely, if you do not have the Holy Spirit resident in you, as God's seal and guarantee on your life—in other words, as God's claim that you belong to Him - you haven't received Jesus Christ as your Savior. Can you be a Christian and not have the Holy Spirit? No.
Some people ask, "Have you received the Holy Spirit since you became a Christian?"
The question they ask is an impossibility. You received the Holy Spirit as part of your receiving Christ. You can't receive just one part of the Trinity. When you became a Christian—when you confessed your sins and repented of them, when you asked for and received God's forgiveness—you received the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God came and indwelled your spirit and claimed you as His own. He has put you into full relationship with the Father and the Son, because He is inseparable from the Father and the Son. He now seeks to live His life—the same quality of life that Jesus Christ lived—in you and through you.
The Promise to Every Believer
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to His disciples, and that promise extends to us as His disciples today. Recall that Jesus said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things" (John 14:26). Jesus said the Father will send the Spirit.
At the time of Jesus' ascension, He said to His disciples, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). It was the promise that Jesus had made to them on the night of the Last Supper—the promise of the Holy Spirit's coming to them to help and comfort them in His absence.
In Acts 1:8, we find these additional words at the time of Jesus' ascension: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (emphasis added). There was no doubt in His mind that it would happen for those who desired to follow Him.
Read Peter's description of the events on the day of Pentecost:
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear (Acts 2:32-33).
Peter was saying, "We received the One who was promised. You witnessed the manifestation of His presence coming into our lives with your own eyes and ears."
The Holy Spirit is God's promise to you as His child today. If you are a believer and follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, you have the Holy Spirit resident in you.The Holy Spirit Is the Power of the Believer
Why did Jesus promise the Holy Spirit to those who followed Him? Because He knew that they would need to have the Holy Spirit in them if they were to be faithful, steadfast, and effective in their walk with God. The Holy Spirit enables people to live the Christian life.
The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him . . . that you may know . . . what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church (Ephesians 1:17-22).
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever (Ephesians 3:20).
Paul wanted the believers to know that they had full resurrection power in their lives. They had the same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead. Certainly, such power was able to raise them from their sins. Not only that, but the power is above all other principality, power, dominion, or might. Nothing is more powerful than the Holy Spirit resident in you. How do you feel about the fact that if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, you have the power of the Holy Spirit in you? In what ways is the Lord challenging you in your spiritual walk with Him?
The Fruit of The Holy Spirit
Galatians 5:16-25The apostle Paul writes in Galatians 5:16-25 about walking in the Spirit and producing the "fruit of the Spirit." What is this fruit and how does it grow in me?
Fruit is a public testimony to a believer's sensitivity to and dependency on the Holy Spirit. It is the telling sign. Fruit sets the abiders apart from the producers. It is not simply one mark of a Spirit-filled life; it is the preeminent mark. When we see fruit in a life, we know without a doubt that the Holy Spirit has custody over that particular child of God. The person is more than His possession; the person is under His influence.
The closer you get to believers who are truly walking in the Spirit, the better they look. There is nothing plastic about them. You don't get the impression that they are hiding something. They radiate integrity. You get the impression you could trust them with your most intimate secret. You may even find yourself opening up to them in a way that is uncharacteristic for you.
Intimidation is not their game. They don't rely on personality and trumped-up enthusiasm to win you over. They seem to be at peace with who they are. And they seem almost anxious to accept you for who you are as well. For that reason, you may feel drawn to them. They are the people you find yourself wanting to be like, not because of a particular skill or talent, but because of the depth of their character.
We are not talking about perfection. In fact, you will hear more apologies from the lips of those who walk by the Spirit than any other group of people. Their sensitivity to the Spirit provides them with an uncanny ability to know when they have offended or hurt someone. Their internal security allows them to respond quickly once they realize their sin or error in judgment. They are not afraid to admit their faults. They have reconciled themselves to the fact that they are sinners. However, they are aware that they have within them the power to rise above their fleshly appetites and desires.
Spirit-filled believers make their biggest impression during troubled times. Then it becomes most apparent that the source of their abiding character is something that lies deep within them. When all the crutches and props are kicked away and they are still standing, no one can argue that their uniqueness was simply a byproduct of their environment. They have their down times. They don't win every battle. Doubt and temptation take them out of the race from time to time. But their recovery time is remarkably short. They don't stay down. And once they are back, it's as if they actually benefited from the experience. Specifically, their lives will be characterized by the following nine virtues:
Paul listed these virtues and moved on. They aren't given to us as goals to pursue. Why? Because we cannot produce fruit. Remember? That's not our responsibility. The Holy Spirit is the producer. We are merely the bearers. All we do is avail ourselves and He would do it. There are testing and trails that we will go through to birth, shape, and trim these fruits in our lives. The fruit of the Spirit was never intended to be a demonstration of our dedication and resolve. It is the evidence of our dependency on and sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit. Remember it is the Holy Spirit Who works in us both to will and then to do of His good pleasures and His pleasure is for you to bear the fruit of the Spirit in your life. God bless you.
FELLOWSHIP OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the COMMUNION of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. (2 Corinthians 13:14, emphasis added)
The grace of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the love of God and the FELLOWSHIP of the Ruach HaKodesh be with you all. (CJB - Complete Jewish Bible version, emphasis added)
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (NIV)
This is a verse of Scripture that is widely used all over. It is taught in Sunday schools and in most denominations. It is often called "the grace" ("Shall we share the grace?") or the benediction. It is the very first prayer most people learn and believe it or not, most Christian households and even non-Christians use it at meals or at bedtime. But many have not really pondered on the meaning of this very wonderful and powerful verse of Scripture. This passage of Scripture is made up of three parts:
Grace - LORD JESUS CHRIST
Love - GOD THE FATHER
Fellowship - HOLY SPIRIT
The apostle Paul wrote 2 Corinthians13: 14 as a benediction that witnesses to the New Testament church's belief in the Trinity.
Paul prayed that the Corinthians might continually experience: the grace of Christ; i.e., His nearness, power, mercy and comfort; the Fatherly love of God with all His blessings; and, a deepening fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
If this threefold reality is our abiding blessing, then our everlasting salvation will be assured. We cannot have one without the other; otherwise, we will not have a fulfilled Christian life to the glory of Almighty God. For God the Father so loved the world (sinners included) that He gave His only begotten Son Jesus, through whom we have unmerited favor (grace). And having been justified, we are required to walk in his footsteps. To enable us to do this, He sent the Holy Spirit so that through fellowship with Him, He will lead us, guide us, and help us live the life marked out for us to the glory of Almighty God.The Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of GRACE and TRUTH (John 1:14, emphasis added).
For the law was given by Moses, but GRACE and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17, emphasis added).
Therefore being justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this GRACE wherein we stand... (Romans 5:1-2, emphasis added)
GRACE to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love. (Ephesians 6:24, NIV, emphasis added)
Grace is an unmerited favor that is obtained only through Jesus Christ. It is the blessed assurance of our salvation. You who were once indebted to God had no means of being reconciled until God’s undying love brought Jesus Christ to pay the debt and reconcile you back unto God.
There is no reason why anyone should perish or be separated from God eternally because the price has already been paid and all we need to do is to know this truth and the truth will set us free. Beloved, what have you got to lose? All you have to lose is the world hell, which is "eternal separation from God" and you will gain Heaven, which is "eternal life with God." Just think about it. Your debt has been paid for in full and all you need to do is to believe in the One who graciously and unconditionally bailed you out of damnation into life eternal. It is FREE! All you need to do is to confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior and you will be saved.
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved.
We need to plunder hell to populate Heaven!!!The Love of God
God is LOVE… (1 John 4:16, emphasis added)
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1, NIV)
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (1 John 4:7-9)
God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him. (1 John 4:16a)
God's love is unconditional. He loves you regardless of who you are or what you have done. It is a kind of love that would not let you go. It is everlasting, it is divine, it is beyond our human ability, and it is only possible by grace and by the Holy Spirit. God's love is beyond human comprehension and it can only be fully understood by revelation.
Beloved, just think about this for a moment. God loved us so much that He sent His ONLY BEGOTTEN SON JESUS to die so He could pay the price for our sins in order that we could be reconciled with God, so He could love us again. Picture Jesus leaving all His glory in heaven and becoming like us, taking on the form of a servant, and dying a shameful death on the cross, just because of love. He did not go through all this trouble if not for the sake of love. Comprehending this so great a love makes you say with David in Psalm 8:4, what is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
The worst day of Jesus’ life on earth was when the Father had to turn Him away, forsaking Him on the cross. When Jesus cried out aloud "My God, My God why has thou forsaken me," that was the only time the Father had to turn His back to His only begotten Son. Why? Because of you and me. Jesus took your sins and mine upon Himself. Sin separates us from God, so for Him to fully pay the price for our salvation He had to be separated from God and let death swallow Him up. He had to be obedient even to death! Oh but thank God He is alive again and forever. As one song goes, "Death has lost its sting and the grave its victory! Jesus is alive! He is Lord!"
John 10:30 says, I and my Father are ONE yet the Father's love for sinners like you and me was so great that He had to put their oneness on hold so Jesus could pay the price required for us to be reconciled back to the Father. Pray that the sweet and precious Holy Spirit will enlighten the eyes of your understanding so you can grasp so great a love - the love of God. Selah. (Stop and think about it.)
As much as the GRACE and LOVE of God is the epitome of our salvation and Christianity, our main focus and subject in this chapter is to establish the importance of fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Fellowship is our constant and continual link to reality.Fellowship with the Holy Spirit
What is fellowship?The Oxford Learner's Dictionary defines fellowship as:
1. A friendly association
2. Companionship
3. A union of sharing common interest
In other words, fellowship is a relationship that involves companionship or a friendly association between two parties with a common interest.Communion (komonia)
The Greek word komonia is translated as "communion." It is the state of sharing or exchanging the same thoughts, ideas or feelings. When we speak of fellowship and communion, there is a friendly association, companionship, sharing of common interests, participation, contribution and a relationship.
Without a relationship there can never be fellowship or communion because there has to be an agreement between the parties involved. An agreement based on a common goal - an agreement done willingly, not out of compulsion. Amos 3:3 says, Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
In the 2 Corinthians 13:14, we learned the three dimensions of our relationship with God. The reason why the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is so important is that it is the only way we can experience the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of the Father (God). Through fellowship, the Holy Spirit communicates the love of God and the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to our hearts. These are truths that our finite minds cannot comprehend except through the Spirit, for He helps us in our infirmities. (Romans 8:26)
The Holy Spirit has one mission: For Christ to be glorified! He is here to honor the name of Jesus, to lift up high the name of Jesus, to exalt the mighty name of Jesus. The only reason He is here is because of JESUS! Philippians 2:9-11 tells us that God gave Him a name that is above every other name, that at the mention of that name every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess Him as Lord to the glory of God. He was, and still is, exalted above all things.
Jesus also said in John.15: 26, But when the Comforter (Holy Spirit) is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of me. (Parenthetic note added)
And in John 16:13-14, Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. (Underscoring added)
These verses of Scripture do not mean that we are to ignore the Holy Spirit; on the contrary, we are to depend on Him to help us live for Jesus. They define His mission and purpose - why He is with us and what is the benefit of having Him in us and with us.
For example, granted that you were appointed as an ambassador to a country and the President gave you a special assignment to that particular government and people. You travel to that nation but no one welcomes you, no one acknowledges your presence and your authority is disrespected, yet you and your government are expected to help them build their economy. How would you feel if you were that ambassador? Well, that is exactly how the Holy Spirit feels about the way we have treated Him all this while and still do. We have grieved Him through our actions that are prompted by our lack of knowledge and understanding of who He really is.
He could be more than a friend to you. He is the only friend you could ever know who would love you unconditionally, a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He is interested in you and wants to get close to you. He is all you need to make it through life’s journey as a child of God. You need to talk to Him, reason with Him, go to Him daily for help and guidance, and look to Him for leadership and direction. He will reveal the will, plan and purposes of God to you and help you walk in it.
You need to establish a friendly association with him, a companionship with the same interest of knowing Christ and being found in Him that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death (Philippians 3:10). Don’t think you are talking to the wind, He is right there with you. Just acknowledge Him.
Pray this prayer:
Father God I need your precious Holy Spirit in my life, Holy Spirit I need you and desire to know and fellowship with you. I want you to be my friend. Come Holy Spirit I need you. I reckon, without you I can do nothing. I am sorry for grieving you. I don’t want to grieve you any more than I already have. Help me to be sensitive to your leading and presence. I want to see Jesus. Help me Lord. This I pray in Jesus’ Mighty name!!!
How to Build an Intimate Fellowship with the Holy Spirit
….The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Corinthians 13:14)
Fellowship with the Holy Spirit cannot be overemphasized. It should be one of our topmost priorities as Christians. Why? Because He is the propeller of our belief, He makes the Word of God alive and powerful, and He makes Jesus so real and closer to us than we may think. He helps us "walk the walk and talk the talk". He ultimately makes Christianity meaningful to us by us. Without Him we can do nothing.
How can you hear the voice of God apart from the Holy Spirit? The Bible says, My sheep hear My voice and I hear them. How can you have a Father and not know His voice, yet believe that He is your heavenly Father who loves you? Every born again Spirit-filled believer must hear and know the voice of God. We do not just want the Holy Spirit but we earnestly NEED His fellowship.
Beloved, the lifeline to every relationship is COMMUNICATION. When there is a breakdown of communication in a marriage, the marriage is history. Likewise, in your job, when there is a breakdown in the flow of communication between employers and employees, the production line is affected. Communication is an essential part of every organized institution. So it is in our relationship with Almighty God. In 1 Corinthians 2:11-13 Paul says, who has known the mind of God except the Spirit of God? We need the Holy Spirit to reveal the mind and the heart of God to us. He Himself is God.
Thank God, we do not have to go through a prophet or a priest to mediate between God and us. Since the curtain in the Holy of Holies has been torn from top to bottom, we are welcomed into the presence of fellowship.
Beloved, fellowship with the Holy Spirit is nothing out of the ordinary. The only difference is that He is God and thus deserves all honor, praise and adoration. It should be a way of life, just like having a friend. Friendships are built and need to be worked on. Our level of intimacy in any relationship depends on how much you give and on how much you invest into it because your input determines your output.
Not every friendship is worth investing in but only those that would have a significance in our lives. That should be our aim/objective when it comes to building friendship with the Holy Spirit. We need to want it, to cherish it and treat it with our highest respect, honor and dignity.
Below are some steps to help and guide you to develop your fellowship with the Holy Spirit of God.1. Relationship with Jesus
You need to be born again. Confess Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior. This gives you and me the right to partake of the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Fellowship is born out of relationship; without one you cannot have the other. Your relationship with Jesus enables your fellowship with His Holy Spirit to become a reality.2. Repentance
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)
Repentance is the greatest key that unlocks the supernatural. The Bible says if you confess your sins, God is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness. You need to confess the sin of ignorance due to lack of knowledge, causing you to ignore the Holy Spirit, thus hindering or grieving Him and causing Him pain knowingly or unknowingly. We at times even speak against Him or oppose Him directly or indirectly. For instance, your pastor comes up with a plan or an idea born of the Spirit of God. He meets with his elders and leaders and unfolds the plan to them and they furiously oppose it just because of the level of commitment involved, the sacrifice required of them to make the plan a reality, or the fear of man (the congregation). So the Holy Spirit is shut out completely, yet we expect Him to move and do exploits. We need to ask the Father to forgive us for hindering, grieving, opposing, hurting or offending His precious Holy Spirit.Model Prayer of Repentance;
Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus and by the blood. I admit I am guilty of sinning against your precious Holy Spirit, knowing and unknowingly. I am sincerely sorry and ask you to forgive me. I need your Holy Spirit and I promise to love Him, honor Him, protect His interest, adore Him, worship Him and yield my body as a living sacrifice to Him. Please take not thy precious Holy Spirit away from me! Precious Holy Spirit I need you and I want to know you. Please reveal yourself to me, help me to be sensitive to you and to know you more. I need your fellowship and I need to have an intimate relationship with you. Come Holy Spirit, I need you. Come Holy Spirit, I pray. Come in Your own special way. I yield completely to You. Have thy own way in my life. I love You, Lord. This I ask in Jesus’ Mighty name. Amen!
Christians haven’t really caught the revelation when it comes to "true" repentance. Repentance is not a one-second thing where you say, Oh Lord I am sorry, forgive me. Amen! True repentance brings change, a complete turn around, a "U" turn. It means taking responsibility for your actions or the actions of whomever you are repenting for. Read Daniel chapter 9. For Jesus to be able to stand in the gap for you and me, He had to take on Himself our sins and pay the consequence for them as if He were the guilty one. He stood guilty before the Father because He identified with us and took our place. He stood in our place and took the punishment as if He committed the act. Wow! That in itself is mind-boggling. Thank you, Jesus for standing in the gap for me and taking my place and the judgment that was due me. How can I ever repay You? All I can do is to say, "Thanks Master," and to give you my life, my body, my all. Take and use it for thy Praise and Glory. When you go through the Old Testament you discover the dramatic old-fashioned way of expressing true repentance. People rend their clothes, put ashes on themselves, fall prostrate, fast or deny themselves of any pleasure, etc. They were in fact using these postures to express how repentant they were to God. The church needs the Spirit of true repentance for herself, our families, communities and nation.3. Desire the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is not cheap. No way! He is too precious and important to force Himself on you. Yes, He has an agreement with Jesus to be with you and in you, but until you desire to know Him and His friendship or fellowship, He wouldn’t impose Himself on you. He is a gentleman of a kind. To desire is to crave for. To desire is to will for. To desire is to seek earnestly. How bad do you want His fellowship? Does it mean the world to you? Would you give up anything to get it or pay whatever the price may be? Beloved, there is a price to pay and the question is, do you want it so bad that you are willing to pay the price for it? At all cost! Are you determined to have it? If your answer is "yes!" then you are on the right path.4. ASK
And I say unto you, Ask and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a man shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11:9-13)
The A stands for = Ask
The S stands for = Seek
The K stands for = KnockWhen you put all the three in one word, it is ASK. Every good and perfect gift comes from above but we receive not because we ask not. Many times, we want God to think like we do. You hear christians say, "The Lord knows I need this or that so He should provide it regardless." Yes He knows our thoughts from afar and He said in His word that He alone is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think of according to the Holy Spirit (the power that worketh in us). These are thoughts birthed by the Holy Spirit Himself and not your own. Asking is an act of faith and a divine principle. God doesn't operate by assumption but by faith. For without faith it is impossible to please Him. You need to ask the Father to baptize you anew with His precious Holy Spirit. Tell Him you need the fellowship of His Holy Spirit. Remind Him of His promises concerning the Holy Spirit. Seek after the Holy Ghost and knock away every hindrance or obstacle that stands in your way from receiving this good and perfect gift of the Holy Spirit fellowship.
Give yourself no rest until you have what you need. Don't think you sound like a broken record simply because you keep asking for the same thing over and over again. The question is, how bad do you want Him? How would you feel if some one goes out of His way to seek your friendship? You feel important and special right,? How much more with God? He told us to draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Seek the Lord while He may be found, call on Him while He is near.5. ACT in Faith
Anything not done out of faith is sin and faith without works is dead. The Holy Spirit is not flesh and blood but a Spirit personality and His communication to you is Spirit to spirit. He can speak to you audibly if He so wills. Faith should always be accompanied by action. John 14:16-17 says, And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" Study the book of John because it sheds more light on the Holy Spirit, His personality and His purpose on earth. In the latter part of verse 17 of John 14 it reads, ....For He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. Ask the Lord this question;
Holy Spirit you are suppose to live in me and be with me, so Holy Spirit reveal yourself to me, I need to know that You are in me and with me.
Beloved, He is real, not a myth or wind or dove or someone invisible. No, no, no. He is real. More real than the eye could see. Pray He will help you understand. He is more real than anything you see with your naked eye. He is only waiting on you to call upon Him, to ask Him to come, to acknowledge Him. Be conscious of His presence always. Talk to Him daily, in the shower, when driving, include Him in your daily duties, love Him, adore Him, ask Him to share His thoughts with you, ask Him to help you to be sensitive to Him. He is waiting on you as always. Mind you, you need Him more than life itself. He is all you will ever need. Precious Holy Spirit reveal Yourself and satisfy the hunger in my heart and show Yourself strong in my life. Thank you, in Jesus’ Mighty name. I love you Holy Spirit!
The Second Coming of Christ
We believe in the second coming of Christ. His return from heaven will be personal, visible and glorious, a blessed hope for which we should constantly watch and pray.1
Before He establishes His kingdom on earth, Jesus will come for His Church, an event commonly referred to as the "Rapture." At that time the dead in Christ will be raised and living Christians will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and be with Him forever.2 In this resurrection, those who have died in Christ will have their redeemed souls and spirits united with a body similar to Christ’s glorified body. Christians living at the time of this event will not die, but will be changed to be like Christ.3 This expectation is a motivation for holy living, as well as a source of comfort.4 No man knows the day or the hour when this will take place.5
After the Rapture of the Church, Christians will be brought before the judgment seat of Christ. He will reward them on the basis of the works they have accomplished.6 This is not a judgment to determine their salvation but a reward for labor on Christ’s behalf.7 The Rapture will also inaugurate a period that the Bible characterizes as the "great day of His wrath," "the great tribulation" and the "time of Jacob’s trouble."8 This time of unprecedented difficulty will affect Israel and all nations. Its purpose will be to prepare Israel for her Messiah.9
At the end of the Tribulation, Jesus Christ will return with the hosts of heaven as well as the Church to establish the Messianic Kingdom on earth.10 His Kingdom will last for a thousand years.11 At this Second Coming, the Antichrist will be cast into the Lake of Fire and Satan will be bound for a thousand years.12 The nations and their representatives will be judged.13 Israel will be restored to her land, never more to be removed.14 Christ will reign with firmness and equity.15 His kingdom will be marked by material and spiritual blessing, since the curse upon the earth will be removed.16
The Messianic kingdom will close with apostasy and rebellion.17 God will crush this uprising in the last battle of the ages and Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire.18 All those who rejected the Word of God will be resurrected.19 They will be judged by Christ and cast into the lake of fire, the place where they will suffer final and everlasting punishment.20
After this judgment there will be a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness is the norm.21 There will be a new Jerusalem and the everlasting presence of God among all the redeemed.22
1- Zech. 14:4; Acts 1:11; Titus 2:13; Rev. 1:7
2- I Cor. 15:51-54; I Thess. 4:14
3- I John 3:2
4- I John 2:28; I Thess. 4:18
5- Matt. 24:36; John 6:39
6- Rom. 14:10-12; II Cor. 5:10
7- I Cor. 3:9-15
8- Rev. 6:17; 7:14; Jer. 30:7
9- Zech. 12:2, 3; 14:1-3
10- Rev. 19:7-9, 14; I Thess. 3:13; Zech. 14:9; Rev. 19:15, 16
11- Rev. 20:2, 4-6
12- Rev. 19:20; 20:1-3
13- Joel 3; Matt. 25
14- Amos 9:15; Ezek. 34:28
15- Psalm 2:9; Isaiah 11:4
16- Rom. 8:19-21
17- Rev. 20:7-9
18- Rev. 20:10
19- Rev. 20:11-13
20- Rev. 20:14, 15; Mark 9:48
21- II Peter 3:13
22- Rev. 21:2, 3; 2:3-5
How can I make sure I'm going to heaven when I die?
To enter God’s kingdom, you must be born again. Just look to Jesus Christ, who died for your sins on the cross, and believe in Him and His love for you, and that transformation will take place. Thus the question, "Have you been born again by the Spirit of God?" If not, the process is very simple.
Today you’re in one of two camps; it all depends on your relationship to Jesus Christ. You can both believe and look in faith to Jesus, who died for you on the cross; or you can continue going on as you are. It’s an amazing thing—to be lost; you don’t have to do anything. Just keep on doing what you’re doing now and you will perish.
But, if you look to the cross and believe in the One who died for your sins, then the free gift of God is yours... The gift of eternal life.
The Bible says:
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God—Romans 3:23
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out—Acts 3:19
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—John 3:16
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—Romans 10:9
If you want a personal relationship with God and the assurance that your sins have been forgiven, here is a suggested prayer...
Father, I come to you, confessing my sin and asking for your forgiveness. I thank you, Lord, for You have promised that if I will confess my sins, You will be faithful to forgive me and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I want to turn from my sins, and live in a way that will please You. And so I ask for your help, Lord. I ask that you give me the power through your Holy Spirit to live the right way.
I thank you that Jesus Christ died on the cross, paying the price for my sins, and then rose from the dead. I accept Him now as my Savior, my Lord, and my friend.
I also thank You, because You've said that whoever comes to You, You will in no way cast out. Thank you for giving me a new life in Christ. I surrender myself to you. Make me what you want me to be in Jesus' name. Amen.
What Next?
If you have decided to accept Jesus Christ as your savior, you are now born again. Here are a few things that will help you to grow as a Christian...
PRAY—prayer is like a telephone line that goes directly to God. It's important to spend time talking to Him every day, the more the better (Philippians 4:6).
READ THE BIBLE—the Bible is like a love letter from God. The more you read it, the more you'll fall in love with Him (1 Peter 2:2).
FELLOWSHIP—you need to have friends who share your beliefs and who can encourage you. This is why it's so important to find a good, Bible-believing church where you can meet other Christians (Hebrews 10:24-25).
WITNESS TO OTHERS—share your faith in Jesus Christ with others. Pray that the Lord will reveal how you should witness and when (Mark 16:15).
God bless you and we pray that you continue to grow closer to the Lord every day! Now you will have assurance of your place in heaven!
"And I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. "
John 14:3
An explanation of the Pre Tribulation Rapture by Pastor Chuck Smith on Pastor’s perspective.
Take a look at the book of Revelation. In chapter 1 the Lord divides it into 3 sections. He said write the things you have seen, the things that are, and the things which will be after these things (meta tauta (After this in Greek). He writes in chapter 1 the vision he saw of Christ and in chapters 2 and 3, the things that are, they are of the church and the messages Jesus had for the 7 churches. Chapter 4 begins with the Greek word Meta Tauta. After These things, the door was open in heaven and the first voice was an angel saying to me “come up hither, I’ll show you things that will be after these things”. So you wonder, after what things? After the things of the Church. So the door is open in heaven and we believe that’s where the rapture of the church takes place (Chapter 4 verse 1).
Then in Revelation 5 verse 10 you find the church is in heaven and they are actually there in heaven saying “You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it. For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God. And they will reign on the earth.”
When you read the lyrics of that particular VERSE (song), you realize that it’s a song that only the Church can sing and you realize that it is in heaven that this song is sung in chapter 5 of Revelation. Of course John is drawn to a scroll on the right hand of him that is sitting upon the throne and he watches as Jesus takes this scroll and begins to loose the seals thereof and when He looses the seals, each of the seals has a corresponding tribulation event that takes place upon the earth. So from chapter 6 on you have the Great Tribulation period and you don’t have any mention of the church in the world during that period of time. In fact, you don’t meet the church again until you get to Revelations chapter 17 and the church is still there in heaven with the Lord. That’s why we look at a pre-millennial rapture of the church and a pre-tribulation rapture of the church.
"What is the Rapture of the church?"
Answer: The word “rapture” does not occur in the Bible. The concept of the rapture, though, is clearly taught in Scripture. The rapture of the church is the event in which God removes all believers from the earth in order to make way for His righteous judgment to be poured out on the earth during the tribulation period. The rapture is described primarily in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 and 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. God will resurrect all believers who have died, give them glorified bodies, and take them from the earth, along with those believers who are still alive and who will at that time also be given glorified bodies. “For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The rapture will be instantaneous in nature, and we will receive glorified bodies at that time. “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). The rapture is the glorious event we should all be longing for. We will finally be free from sin. We will be in God's presence forever. There is far too much debate over the meaning and scope of the rapture. This is not God’s intent. Rather, in regard to the rapture, God wants us to “encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/rapture.html#ixzz2uBBN9T3H
Sharing Your Faith With Others
One of the greatest blessings of being a Christian is sharing the joy you have just discovered with other people throughout the world. You see, now that you learned that the Bible has all the answers about God and His plan for our lives, now that you see how easy it is to communicate with God though the act of individual and corporate prayer, now that you've experienced true fellowship with other believers, don't you want to share the good news with everyone you see? That's God's plan, to use you in the proclamation of His Word. What a privilege to be used by God!
Whether you think of yourself as an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), one who proclaims glad tidings (Romans 10:15), or simply a witness of what Jesus has done in your life (John 9:25), the fact of the matter is sure: Jesus calls all believers to share the good news of salvation in "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the world" (Acts 1:8). At Lighthouse CALVARY we see this passage as Coeur d' Alene, Kootenai County Idaho, Washington State, and to the ends of the world.
Is this a privilege reserved for a chosen few? No! All of God's children are empowered through the Holy Spirit to participate in many aspects of this calling. Jesus emphasizes this point at the end of each gospel account.
Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..."
Mark 16:15, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."
Luke 24:47, 48, "...repentance and remission of sins should be preached in [Jesus] name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."
John 20:21, "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Evangelism, sharing your faith, is easy when you don't exert your own effort, but rather let Jesus use you, just as a skillful craftsman uses a refining tool. Don't be all worried about when. Just let the light of Jesus Christ shine through you so that, "men will see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Mathew 5:16.)
Greetings!
We were created by God for fellowship. This fellowship is called Koinonia. Koinonia is the Greek word for fellowship or communion with God or with fellow Chrisitans. As we have looked into the areas of establishing and developing our relationship with God, now let's look at how we should relate to our brothers and sisters in Christ. By definition, "fellowship" means, "to share in something." As Christians it means to be fellow partakers of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is this relationship with Christ that makes our friendships, or fellowship, as Christians deeper than other.
In the book of Acts, we see the pattern of early church concerning fellowship, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread & prayer..." (Acts 2:42-47). The writer of the book of Hebrews writes, "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess... and let us consider how we may spur on another toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in habit of doing, but let us encourage one another and all the more as you see the day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24-25). God desires that our pattern for worship be as the early Church, that we come together as a Church body, to learn from His Word, to fellowship together, to encourage one another, and to pray together.
As fellow believers, we now have in common the greatest thing in our life. Jesus is the center of our lives. Since Jesus is the center of our lives, He should be at the center of our activities with our friends. Fellowship, while active during weekly services, can be active while playing golf, tennis, and other such sports or activities, reading and discussing the Bible to together, praying, working, or just sitting down and talking with one another and truly sharing your heart with a Christian friend your really trust. The key is to have Jesus as the center of activity.
Mathew 18:20 says, "For where two or more gather together in My name, there I am in the midst of them."
Perhaps before you met Jesus, your life revolved around sports, cars, or social functions. The friends you had were also involved in these activities. Quite possibly that's where you met them. Well, it's the same way with Christian friends, only to a greater extent. As Jesus lives within our hearts, we can relate to the richness, the experiences, and the feelings each other has concerning our relationships with Him- the joy, happiness and love that we feel. It is this commonality that draws us close together. This does not mean that we are only supposed to spend time with our Christians friends after coming to know Christ, but it does mean that even the social activities we are involved in should bring glory to the Lord. Fellowship does not take place when one is sinning. It does not happen in adult movies, adulterous affairs or in anything that is contrary to Godliness. Ephesians 5:11 tells us to "have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, rather expose them." More than just giving us friends, God gives us a huge family of brothers and sisters to help us when we need it.
1 Peter 2:17 says to "love the brotherhood of believers."
We encourage you to seek out Christian fellowship and grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:9-11.) Remember, Jesus wants us to be united as one so the world may believe that God has sent Him (John17:20.) True fellowship is a powerful tool for effective evangelism.
See 1 John 2:9-11; John 13:34; Romans 12:10; Matthew 18:21, 22; Romans 15:1-3; Colossians 3:16 and Hebrews 10:24, 25 for more insights on fellowship (don't forget to use the index in your Bible for help finding these Scriptures.)
Join us for great "koinonia fellowship" at every Church service and at every activity here at LAKE CITY LIGHTHOUSE.
When we hear the word “cult,” we often think of a group that worships Satan, sacrifices animals, or takes part in evil, bizarre, and pagan rituals. However, in reality, most cults appear much more innocent. The specific Christian definition of a cult is “a religious group that denies one or more of the fundamentals of biblical truth.” In simpler terms, a cult is a group that teaches something that will cause a person to remain unsaved if he/she believes it. As distinct from a religion, a cult is a group that claims to be part of the religion, yet denies essential truth(s) of that religion. A Christian cult is a group that denies one or more of the fundamental truths of Christianity, while still claiming to be Christian.
The two most common teachings of cults are that Jesus was not God and that salvation is not by faith alone. A denial of the deity of Christ results in Jesus’ death not being a sufficient payment for our sins. A denial of salvation by faith alone results in salvation being achieved by our own works, something the Bible vehemently and consistently denies. The three most well-known examples of cults are the Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and Mormons. All these groups claim to be Christian, yet deny the deity of Christ and salvation by faith alone. All believe many things that are in agreement with or similar to what the Bible teaches. However, the fact that they deny the deity of Christ and preach a salvation by works qualifies them as a cult. Many Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons, and members of other cults are “good people” who genuinely believe they hold the truth. As Christians, our hope and prayer must be that many people involved in the cults will see through the lies and will be drawn to the truth of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ alone.