Archive for the ‘Biblical’ Category
The Story
Posted: March 2, 2013 in Biblical, catholic, Charismatic, Christian, Church, Evangelical, Liturgical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, Renaissance, Repentance, Sacramental, Scriptural, The Story, universalTags: birth, death, Father, forgiveness, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, redemption, remission, repent, repentance, Resurrection, Salvation, Savior, sin, trespasses
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What If I’m Wrong?
Posted: February 26, 2013 in Biblical, catholic, Charismatic, Christian, Church, Evangelical, Liturgical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, Renaissance, Repentance, Sacramental, Scriptural, universalTags: agnosticism, atheism, death, destiny, disease, doubt, existence, faith, God, hope, Jesus, love, reality, Salvation, sickness, sin, Truth
For those who question the existence of God, or scoff at Christianity, or faith in God.
Run For Your Life!
Posted: February 25, 2013 in Biblical, catholic, Charismatic, Christian, Church, Evangelical, Liturgical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, Renaissance, Repentance, Sacramental, Scriptural, universalTags: death, demons, evil ones, false prophets, false teachers, Father, God, God's Word, Holy Spirit, Run for your life, sickness, sin, Son, table, Truth
“Behold, you trust for yourself on lying words without being of use. Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know? And will you then come and stand before Me in this house on which My name is called, and say, We are delivered in order to do all those detestable things. Has this house on which My name is called become a den of violent ones in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen, declares Jehovah.” ~ Jeremiah 7:8-11
The Power of the Holy Ghost
Posted: February 19, 2013 in Biblical, catholic, Charismatic, Christian, Church, Evangelical, Liturgical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, Renaissance, Repentance, Sacramental, Scriptural, universalTags: boldness, filled, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, power, Preaching, repent, repentance, Salvation, witnesses
Those who were headed for the Upper Room loved Jesus dearly. They were compassionate, self-sacrificing, soul-loving. But they were not yet qualified to be His witnesses. It takes more than a love for Jesus and a compassion for souls to qualify you as His witness.
They had been taught in the school of Christ. They had healed the sick, cast out demons, and performed miracles. They had seen Jesus clothed in His eternal glory on the Mount.
They had been nearby when He sweat drops of blood as He prayed and then they had seen Him hanging on the cross. They had seen Him resurrected, viewed the empty tomb, eaten with Him, and talked with Him in His glorified body. They had even seen Him ascend into heaven! Yet they still were not ready to witness of Him.
Why couldn´t Peter go to those milling crowds in Jerusalem and immediately testify to His resurrection? Hadn´t he witnessed that event firsthand? It seems he could have preached, “Jesus is alive! He ascended into heaven! Repent!”
Peter makes a powerful statement to the chief priests: “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit,whom God hath given to them that obey him” (Acts 5:32).
Through the words of the Holy Spirit speaking through Peter, the priests “were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them” (Acts 5:33). The Holy Spirit also had spoken through Peter on the day of Pentecost, and all who heard “were pricked in their heart” (Acts 2:37).
Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, preached to the religious leaders: “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye. . . . When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth” (Acts 7:51, 54).
When you emerge from seeking God, full of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to stand with boldness before fellow workers, family, anyone, and your witness will provoke one of two reactions. They will either cry out, “What must I do to be saved?” or they will want to kill you! You will speak a word that cuts to the heart. The difference is found in the power of the Holy Spirit.
~ David Wilkerson
© 2013 World Challenge – a registered trademark of David Wilkerson
Living A Transformed Life In Jesus Christ
Posted: February 11, 2013 in Biblical, catholic, Charismatic, Christian, Church, Evangelical, Liturgical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, Renaissance, Repentance, Sacramental, The Story, universalTags: calling, election, faith, God, godliness, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, life, love, purification, repentance, sin, transformation
“Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness ofour God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble…” ~ 2 Peter 1:1-10
If your spiritual life is concentrated only on external practices and traditions, but does nothing to bring about real change, you have gained nothing. Too many people think as long as they keep the fasting rules, do their prayers, and attend the services, they are “good” Christians. Yet if there is no love, no charity, and forgiveness of others, and your life is filled with gossip and judgement, your Christian faith is worth nothing.
Christ condemned the Pharisees not because they kept the law and attended to the traditions of the Jewish faith, but because they did so while filled with pride and arrogance. Without sincere repentance and holiness of life, their encounter with God led to an emptiness of heart.
Because our Christian faith, regardless of it’s expression, is one of tradition and liturgical structure, it is easy to fall into the trap of being nothing more than a Pharisee. Being strict in one’s observance of your “Christian” practices can easily lead to pride and arrogance. If you find yourself feeling better than others and proud of your piety, you have gained absolutely nothing. The external practice of the Christian faith without love, heartfelt humility and repentance leads down the road of spiritual ruin.
The Church is the hospital of the soul, but healing can only come if we can recognize our own need for healing. If your doctor prescribes a medication for your condition but you fail to follow your doctor’s orders, you will not get well. Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross has provided all that you need for spiritual transformation, but healing only comes if you repent of your sins, and place your faith and trust in Him. This begins the healing process.
The goal is holiness (the righteousness of God in Christ) and is the direct result of our having submitted in all humility to a life of repentance. When you do this Christ changes you through the power of the Holy Spirit. If you simply go through the motions of your Christian faith, you are no better off than the Pharisees whom Christ condemned.
Alone
Posted: February 10, 2013 in Biblical, catholic, Charismatic, Christian, Church, Evangelical, Liturgical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, Renaissance, Repentance, Sacramental, Scriptural, The Story, universalTags: aching, alone, envy, fight, frustrations, hurt, lost, pain, sleep
Why am I alone tonight?
Lying here, awake I fight
To sleep away frustrations plight
My body aches at times I turn
To find position most nocturne
For me to relax and be done
With the days tribulations run
To sleep away my frustration
To give up and dream vacation
It all will end with mornings light
Still alone, still I fight.
~ by Gary DeSha
“Sometimes a man is all alone with no companion; he also has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eye is not satisfied with wealth. He laments, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity—it is an unhappy business!” ~ Ecclesiastes 4:8
The Greatest Story Ever!
Posted: February 1, 2013 in Biblical, Books, catholic, Charismatic, Christian, Church, Evangelical, Liturgical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, Renaissance, Repentance, Sacramental, Scriptural, The Story, universalTags: Bible Word of God, creation, God, Holiness, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, Lord, Salvation, Son of God, The Fall, The Rescue, The Restoration, The Story
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO READ “THE STORY.”
So, how does The Story answer worldview questions?
1) Creation answers, “How did everything begin?”
2) The Fall (of Mankind) answers, “What went wrong?”
3) The Rescue (of Mankind) answers, “Is there any hope?”
4) The Restoration answers, “What will the future hold?”
The Story is a beautiful, powerful, yet simple explanation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ using 4 major themes found in the Bible: Creation. The Fall. The Rescue. The Restoration. The Christian worldview is clearly communicated to those who are interested in what Christians believe and also provides an understanding of how to become a Christian through repentance toward God and faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
GOD BLESS YOU ALL!
“Everything is Truly in God’s Hands”
Posted: January 12, 2013 in Biblical, catholic, Charismatic, Christian, Church, Evangelical, Liturgical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, Renaissance, Repentance, Sacramental, Scriptural, universalTags: adversity, change, creation, death, Father, God, Holy Spirit, life, love, predestination, providence, Son, stress, tragedy, worship
“Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” Job 1:20-22
1. When Adversity comes to us:
a. How do we react?
b. What do we do?
2. The Heidelberg Catechism asks in question 28: “What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by his providence does still uphold all things?”
Answer: “That we may be patient in adversity; thankful in prosperity; and that in all things, which may hereafter befall us, we place our firm trust in our faithful God and Father, that nothing shall separate us from His love; since all creatures are so in His hand, that without His will they cannot so much as move.”
3. Acts 17:23-31 says, “For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent, because He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead.”
4. If we have the spiritual knowledge of God’s sovereign providence that enables us to be thankful when things are well or if adversity befalls us, we will know this, not because of the pain in and of itself, but because we know the Lord is working in it for His glory and our good.
Romans 8:28-30 declares, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”
How many times have you asked why? Is there something missing in your life? Does the guilt of your sinful behavior weigh mightily upon you? Would you like to experience God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness? Jesus said I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” John 10:10b The Bible says to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Here is how:
5. We must Repent – It is a command
6. We must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ – this is how we obtain eternal life
7. Why?
a. We are sinners – we are born that way
b. We are due punishment for our sin – “for the wages of sin is death.”
c. We face inevitable judgment – because of our disobedience
7. There is hope! God, through His Son, Jesus Christ is calling you today; completely trust Him with the life He gave to you. Repent, that is, turn away from your sin and unbelief, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ with all of your heart….and you shall be saved.
Rest assured, everything IS in God’s hands!
Idol Factory
Posted: September 15, 2012 in Biblical, catholic, Charismatic, Christian, Church, Evangelical, Liturgical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, Renaissance, Repentance, Sacramental, Scriptural, universalTags: destruction, eternity, factory, God, Holy Spirit, idol, idolatry, Jesus Christ, life, Salvation, sin, temptation, Trinity, ultimate
“Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.” ~ Philippians 3:19
Our hearts are idol factories. We are always tempted to make temporal things into ultimate things. We must be on guard against idolatry in our lives. Shouldn’t we assess the state of our hearts to see what we may have turned into an idol? Anyone or any thing can become an idol in our life. That is because we love them or it more than God.
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit and Fire
Posted: January 11, 2012 in Biblical, catholic, Charismatic, Christian, Church, Evangelical, Liturgical, Orthodox, Pentecostal, Reformed, Renaissance, Repentance, Sacramental, Scriptural, universalTags: baptism, charismatic, dove, filling, Holy Spirit, Pentecostal, spirit, tongues
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will clear his threshing floor and gather His wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:11-12
“And he preached, saying, “After me comes He who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:7-8
John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.” Luke 3:16-17
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
What Is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
First, the Holy Spirit speaks to the hearts of unbelievers, showing them their need for salvation (John 16:7–11). When a person accepts Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit takes up residence inside the believer (John 14:15–17; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
The baptism in the Holy Spirit occurs when the Spirit of God comes upon a believer. Jesus Christ “sinks into the Holy Spirit” the Christian who is baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit has the idea of putting on clothing. Therefore, Jesus Christ “sinks us into or clothes us with” the Holy Spirit. We are to remain clothed with His power, as St. Paul says, “be being filled with the Holy Spirit.”
The Holy Spirit empowers the believer’s mind with a genuine understanding of truth, takes possession of the believer’s abilities, imparts gifts that qualify the believer for service in the Body of Christ, and begins a work of grace in cleansing and sanctifying the believer.
“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:4-5
Believers need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit for every Christian?
Yes, because to do God’s work, we need God’s power. “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is for all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord (Act 2:38–39).
Why Do We Need the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
The purpose of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is to empower believers for service, witness, spiritual warfare, and boldness in their testimonies (Acts 1:8; 4:19–20, 29–31; 6:8–10; 1 Corinthians 2:4).
Jesus commanded the disciples not to begin the work to which He called them until they were Baptized in the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:48–49; Acts 1:4, 8). When the apostles met other believers in Christ, they at once asked whether the believers had received the Holy Spirit. If not, they made sure they received Him (Acts 8:14–16; 19:1–5).
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an absolute necessity in every Christian’s life for the service to which God has called us.
God’s energies in the Person of the Holy Spirit are communicated to believers for three particular purposes.
1. That He might be in them, a sanctifying comforter, fortifying their souls and bringing to their remembrance whatever Jesus had before spoken to them.
2. That their preaching be accompanied by His demonstration and power to the hearts of their hearers, so that they might believe and be saved.
3. That they might be able to work miracles to confirm their pretensions to a Divine mission and to establish the truth of the doctrines they preached.
How Do I Know That I Have Received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
Speaking in tongues as the Holy Spirit gives the utterance is evidence of being Baptized in the Holy Spirit. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit and speaking with tongues are inseparable biblically (Acts chapters 2, 8, 9, 10, & 19). The cumulative Scriptural references of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit corroborates with the doctrine of speaking in other tongues is one evidence of the experience. St. Paul says he spoke in tongues, “I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.” 1 Corinthians 14:18 This experience announces the beginning of a life of full service in Jesus Christ.
How do we receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
We must pray and ask God to baptize us in the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13). God fulfills His promises in a variety of ways, and no two human beings are alike in how they receive spiritual things.
Ask a Spirit-filled elder of the Church to lay hands on you and pray for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:16-17, “For he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”
The New Testament tells us that some believers received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit the moment they placed their faith in Jesus Christ, such as Cornelius and his family (Acts 10). Others, such as the believers in Ephesus, received it later:
“And it happened that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples. And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all.” Acts 19:1-7
We should never limit God by our own expectations. God is sovereign and He will work in whatever way He chooses.
Prepare your heart. Repent and confess your sins. Pray and ask God to baptize you in the Holy Spirit and Fire today!
In The Hands of the Refiner 