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Tuesday 23 April 2013
JESUS IS THE ANSWER
“Jesus is the Answer!”
“Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
Last
week I was visiting a company when a man invited me into his office and
asked me to have a seat. I could tell there was something on his heart.
He began our conversation by saying, “Now I may not be the smartest man
but I’m not the dumbest either.” He went on to tell me that he had seen
a sign in rural Lancaster County that stated, “Jesus Is The Answer” and
admitted that he had no idea what that meant. “Answer to what?”That gave me an opportunity to explain what I thought the owner of the sign was seeking to communicate, that Jesus is the answer to mankind’s problems. Many of us “old-timers” will recall a popular song from the 1970′s that had a line, “Jesus is the answer for the world today”. Can you imagine if people would really commit themselves to Jesus Christ and live according to His will? That would be the answer to this world’s problems as well as the answer to the scores of individual problems we all face.
That’s been the message of our ministry since we married in 1976. We want to share the call of our Lord Jesus to this fallen world: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Jesus is calling us to come unto Him. He is the true and only source of rest, of peace, of love and of acceptance. He loves you this day and every day. However you’re seeking to fill that void, turn to Him. He continues to beckon the human race, “Come unto Me.” Jesus ever remains the Answer!
Jesus is the answer, for the world today.
Above Him there’s no other, Jesus is the way.
Jesus is the answer, for the world today.
Above Him there’s no other, Jesus is the way.If you have some questions, in the corners of your mind.
Traces of discouragement, and peace you cannot find.
Reflections of your past, seem to face you ev’ryday.
But this one thing I do know, Jesus is the way.
Above Him there’s no other, Jesus is the way.
Jesus is the answer, for the world today.
Above Him there’s no other, Jesus is the way.If you have some questions, in the corners of your mind.
Traces of discouragement, and peace you cannot find.
Reflections of your past, seem to face you ev’ryday.
But this one thing I do know, Jesus is the way.
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, You provide the answers to life’s questions about
everything that concerns us. In answer to life’s greatest question,
“What must I do to inherit eternal life?” You sent Your Son to be our
Savior who would die for our sins so that we might be forgiven and
receive an abundant life here on earth and an eternal life in heaven. We
are learning to trust in You with all our hearts and not rely on our
own understanding. We want to acknowledge You in all areas of our life
so that we will seek You above all and the counsel in Your Holy Word for
the answers to life’s questions. Jesus truly is the answer for the
world today, for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Amen.Today we are taking our Amish friends to the shore in Ocean City, New Jersey and will leave very early and return later this evening. (If you received this message as an email at 9:30 it is because I scheduled it very early this morning!)
The children are very excited about our trip and it looks like we will have a sunny, hot day. We also expect to see several long-time friends who live in that area including Ed Berkey, my former District Superintendent from New England, and his wife Gladys.
Today we show you a photo from the dairy farm that we found amusing. When it’s hard to get down into the crevices of a feeding bucket the next best thing is to wear it for awhile till you get every last possible grain! We looked on for what seemed a very long time as this calf was walking around with a bucket feeding herself.
Today’s Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
“Jesus Is The Answer” Video Andrae
Crouch This old song sure brings back memories of my earliest days as a
Christian in the mid seventies. I recall attending several Andrae
Crouch concerts and this song being used during the altar call. A
popular “cool” expression at that time was “Jesus is the Answer.” Now 40
years later this 57 year old still confesses: “He still is!”"Come To
Jesus” Video Chris Rice”Softly and Tenderly” Video Sara Groves
“Jesus Is Still The Answer” Video Collingsworth Family“Jesus Is Still The Answer” Video Heritage Singers
“Follow Me” Video Kelly Willard
Note about music used on Daily Encouragement Net: For many years now we have suggested music that goes along with our daily message. We usually use links to Youtube video that others post. Yesterday a thoughtful reader whom I know personally and respect a great deal made a comment regarding a video his wife had watched and then read the comments which included offensive words. I looked at the Youtube comments to the beautiful spiritual song and also found the language used in these comments disgusting.
Several observations in regard to comments:
1) People get into religious spats unrelated to the song. For instance on one of the songs used today a discussion completely unrelated to the song develops regarding the musician wearing jewelry!
2) Some anti-religious people may lurk just to cause trouble on a popular video knowing their comments will be read by others.
3) And most sadly in our view is that there has been a coarsening during our lifetime among those who profess to be Christians including uses of language most believers find offensive.
Of course neither the musician nor the person posting to youtube (and certainly not us) has anything to do with this, although comments can be disabled or at least moderated, which is what I would recommend. But the person posting the video has to do this.
When I choose music I don’t necessarily read the comments (in fact I usually don’t). Sometimes there can be many pages and I may use several songs a day so this would be very time consuming. In addition, comments may be added after I make a link to a video!
JESUS IS THE ANSWER
For Every Problem In Your Life,
Jesus Is The Answer!
www.JesusIsTheAnswer.ws
A Service Of LoveAllPeople.org, Rev. Bill McGinnis, Director
No matter what terrible situation you are in, JESUS is the answer!
No matter what difficult problems you may face, JESUS is the answer!
Even if you have sinned badly and feel unworthy to receive any help, JESUS is the answer!
Even if you have serious doubts about Christians and Christianity, JESUS is the answer!
For every problem in your life, JESUS is the answer!
The Bible says if you call on the name of the Lord, you will be saved.
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of
the LORD shall be saved." Romans 10:13 (KJV)
Here is how to do it, for you . . .
PRAY THIS PRAYER, DIRECTLY TO JESUS CHRIST, WHO WILL HEAR YOU
"Lord Jesus, I need You.
Lord Jesus, please have mercy on me, a sinner.
As You forgave the woman caught in adultery, please forgive me.
Lord Jesus, I know You can help me if You choose to do it.
Lord Jesus, here is my request:
(Then tell Him what you are asking for.)
Thank you, Lord. I need Your help. Amen"
Now I will add my prayer, supporting yours.
Lord Jesus, I thank You for giving Yourself to
us and making Yourself available to us as our
personal Lord and Saviour. Please hear the prayers
of the people using this page, and grant them
whatever help they may need, regardless of any
errors or flaws or sins or other imperfections
they may have.
In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.
Rev. Bill McGinnis, LoveAllPeople.org
Jesus Is The Answer To Every Problem
For whatever problem you may ever face, Jesus is the answer. If you trust in Him and rely on Him for everything, you will never go wrong. "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto
thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him,
and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV)
FREE SMALL POSTER FOR YOU:
"Jesus Is The Center Of My Life"
(To get the poster, please click on the link above, then save the page or print it.) If you are suffering, He can ease your pain.
If you are confused, He can clear your mind.
If you are fearful, He can give you peace.
If you have bad habits, he can break them for you.
If you have vicious harmful thoughts, He can scatter them for you.
If unclean spirits are within you, He can cast them out.
If you are hateful toward others, or indifferent, He can fill you with love.
If you need anything whatsoever, He can provide it.
If you give yourself to Him, He will give Himself to you.
If you accept your rightful place in the household of God, He will love you as His child and take care of you forever.
<>< "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16 KJV) --------------------------------------------------------------- MATTHEW 11:28-30 (RSV) 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." _____________________________________________________________ "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10 RSV) -------------------------------------------------------------- JOHN 14:15-17 (RSV) 15 "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him; you know him, for he dwells with you, and will be in you. _____________________________________________________________ <>< PSALMS 23 (KJV) 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. _____________________________________________________________
Friday 1 February 2013
How You See Yourself Is How Others See You
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The Israelites Saw Themselves as Grasshoppers
“And
there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants:
and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their
sight.” – Numbers 13:33.
The
prophet Moses sent twelve men of Israel to go and spy the land of
Canaan which God had promised to give to them as inheritance. The twelve
men after spying the land of Canaan for 40 days returned to Moses to
give him a report of what the land is like.
However, only Caleb, one of the twelve, came with a good report of the land. “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30). All the others brought a negative picture. “And
they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto
the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to
search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all
the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we
saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were
in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:32)
The
men saw themselves as grasshoppers before the inhabitants of the land
of Canaan, and the amazing thing here is that, the people in return also
saw the Israelites as grasshoppers. It is interesting to note here that
the inhabitants of Canaan did not first see the Israelites as
grasshoppers, worthless and or unfit. It was the Israelites who first
saw themselves as grasshoppers, worthless and unfit to match into war
with the people of Canaan. We as humans serve as mirrors to others. How
we see ourselves is a reflection unto others. How you see yourself is
exactly how others see you. It is just as simple as that. If you see
yourself through an eye of love, self-worth and of great importance,
that is exactly how others are going to see you.
I Was Timid
I
am personally a witness to the above fact. I went through the entire
years of High School as a timid boy. Initially, I thought it was
calmness but later I realize it is sheer timidity. Despite being the
very good student that I was, I was very timid. I never ask questions in
class. I felt so inferior to my classmates. I never saw anything good
in me. The sad part of it all is that I never noticed I was a very
handsome boy. I felt really bad anytime I thought of what others think
or say about me. This behavior really affected my studies and my
relationship with people. I became an extremely reserved person.
My Turning Point
About
a year after graduating from High School, I was dressing to go out and
when I got done dressing I decided to check myself out in the mirror.
That was my turning point. Right in front of me in the mirror I saw a
very handsome boy. Suddenly I was like “hey! You’re handsome”. I had
never felt that way about myself so I couldn’t fully swallow in those
words that I uttered. So I took my eyes off the mirror, thought for a
while and returned to the mirror to confirm what I had seen early on.
Again, there in the mirror stood the handsome me I had see earlier.
That
day when I went out, I had more people telling me “hey, you look good”,
“you’re handsome”, “and you’re cute” and many more good compliments.
Sounds like magic, huh? I was really amazed and this changed my entire
outlook on life. It is a REAL FACT; how you see yourself is how others
see you. If you see yourself as some mediocre, aimless and worthless
that is exactly how others are going to see you. But if you see yourself
as a very special, gifted and wonderful person, you will be surprise to
know that that is exactly how others see you.
You're Special
So
from today, begin to see yourself as a very important person, a very
unique person, a person who is loved and cherished so dearly by friends
and family. Take out those negative thoughts, perceptions and ideologies
about yourself and replace them with positives ones. You’re very
special, a wonderful person created in the image and likeness of God. Be
proud of yourself, feel good about yourself and love yourself. Cheers! Jesus Christ is our Peace with God
What does God's Word say about:
Alcohol - Cigarettes & Tobacco - Drug-Taking in General?
"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and ON EARTH PEACE, GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN."LUKE 2:13-14
Nearly everyone knows what the angels said when Jesus was born, but very few have come to know the PEACE that God has promised us in His Son. Instead everyone we meet is worried and anxious and uneasy about something - some more than others. This is how God's Word says the world will be.
"For what hath man of all his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein he hath laboured under the sun? For all his days are sorrows, and his travail grief; yea, his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity."ECCLESIASTES 2:22-23
"Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble."JOB 14:1
"Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth."ISAIAH 24:17
God has given us the way out in His Son Jesus:
"For unto us a child is born ... and his name shall be called ... The Prince of Peace."ISAIAH 9:6
"The word which God sent unto the children of Israel,
PREACHING PEACE BY JESUS CHRIST: (HE IS LORD OF ALL)
."
ACTS 10:36
But instead, all through the ages, men have preferred to turn to other things to take their minds off their problems and relieve their tensions; nowadays the most common method is through all sorts of chemicals - DRUGS - taken artificially. This includes the drugs ALCOHOL (strong drink), NICOTINE (smoking tobacco), and all sorts of TRANQUILLIZERS (some people regularly use headache powders and tablets, to 'pick themselves up'), as well as the illegal and more unusual drugs (marijuana, heroin, and so on). Of these only alcohol was sufficiently common in Bible times to be mentioned in the Bible itself; here is what is WRITTEN IN GOD'S WORD:
PROVERBS 20:1
"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise."
PROVERBS 21:17
"He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich."
PROVERBS 23:20-21
"Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags."
PROVERBS 23:29-30
"Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine."
God intends that we understand what alcoholic drinks do: they DECEIVE and MOCK those who drink them, causing woe and sorrow and sickness.
PROVERBS 23:31-35
"Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again."
What a picture of the effects of strong drink! Aside from sickness and 'hangovers', alcohol brings about irresponsible behaviour, violence, moodiness, and so on, often resulting in road deaths, crimes of passion, broken homes, poverty, and the rest. It causes so many problems, yet to escape these problems people turn back to it! How foolish!
PROVERBS 31:6-7
"Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more."
Anyone who thinks about it will realise that strong drink is no solution to anything, and that alcoholics are in a desperate plight. But what about moderate drinkers and 'social' drinkers? Does God mind if we have a little drink every now and again?
1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? BE NOT DECEIVED: neither fornicators ... NOR DRUNKARDS ... shall inherit the kingdom of God."
The Greek word for 'drunkard' means A DRINKER OF STRONG DRINK. NO-ONE WHO DRINKS STRONG DRINK SHALL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD. This is God's Word. (The so-called 'wine' that Jesus drank was 'new wine', which means fresh grape-juice that has not fermented.) ALCOHOL is a POISON - and the same applies to all the other things mentioned earlier - NICOTINE and the other drugs. Even if there are no immediate medical effects, all of these things produce a frame of mind where the person becomes more and more dependent on chemicals for 'kicks' and so-called 'happiness' - and in the long run, if not before, the body will suffer. Everyone knows nowadays what a filthy habit smoking is, and what terrible effects it has in the bodies of people that are bound to it. Our bodies are not our own: God will judge all men for the way they have treated them:
2 CORINTHIANS 5:10
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
ROMANS 14:12
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."
Once again, DON'T BE DECEIVED. Don't let anyone tell you that God's Word is wrong. The time is fast approaching when Jesus will return to judge the earth. REPENT NOW!
LUKE 21:25-27
"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth DISTRESS OF NATIONS, with PERPLEXITY; the sea and the waves roaring; MEN'S HEARTS FAILING THEM FOR FEAR, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."
The whole world will be troubled - God says so. Even now, people everywhere are searching for peace, and cannot find it - WHY?
ISAIAH 48:22
"There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked."
God shows us the way to find peace:
"we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"(ROMANS 5:1). He came to preach peace to us,
"and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage"(HEBREWS 2:15).
DON'T LET SATAN BIND YOU TO ANY HABIT-FORMING DRUG FOR THE SAKE OF A PHONEY, CHEMICAL 'PEACE'. There is only ONE WAY:
JOHN 14:27
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: NOT AS THE WORLD GIVETH, GIVE I UNTO YOU. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
The world tries to give us peace through alcohol, tobacco, drugs, and so on; and none of these things last, and all are in some way harmful. Jesus gives us His incomparable peace by the power of His Holy Spirit dwelling within. There can be no substitute.
EPHESIANS 5:18
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT."
"... REPENT, and BE BAPTIZED every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST."ACTS 2:38
If a sinner is to be saved, God's plan and pattern of salvation which He has laid down in His Word must be fulfilled in all points.
JESUS CAME TO GIVE US LIFE, HIS OWN LIFE. He says to YOU:
"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."JOHN 10:10
God's Word says in ISAIAH 64:6 -
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags ..."This is what God says of you, speaking through his prophet!
And in ROMANS 3:23
"For ALL HAVE SINNED, and come short of the glory of God."
"REPENT YE THEREFORE, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ ..."ACTS 3:19-20
ROMANS 8:9
"... If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."
JOHN 3:5
"Jesus answered ... Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"(The evidence of receiving God's Holy Spirit and being born again by God's Spirit is in ACTS 2:4; ACTS 10:44-46; ACTS 19:6).
THERE IS NO COMPROMISE WITH THE WORD OF GOD!
Compiled by Pentecost Revival Centre, Ballarat, Australia, approx. 1968-1972.
God Revealed His Full Salvation Message to Me!
When I was about 18, we had many intellectual discussions in my class
at school. Many kids this age think they know how to solve all the
problems in the world! One of my classmates was a Christian, and he
challenged me to come along to a Christian school group. I went along a
few times, but didn’t really see the point in just sitting around and
praying to some God. However, after finishing school, I kept in touch
with my old mate and he gave me some books to read. While I was doing my
military service, I read a book called “Longing for Holiness”, which
really made me think that there was something special about the Bible
and the Christian faith.
About 2 years later, I decided to test whether praying to God really worked. To my surprise, I soon started meeting people who would answer my questions using the Bible before I even asked them. I was very surprised!!! I thought prayer was only for old people who went to church before they died to make peace with God. Some time later, I started calling myself a believer and joined a local missionary church.
One and a half years later, I moved to Gothenburg to study, and started looking around for a church to go to. However, I had no idea where to go. There were so many churches, preaching almost the same thing, but they were still different. Some said that I had to get baptised to join their church, others said, “Just come along”. After a year in Gothenburg, I became very curious about “speaking in tongues”, since I had once met a very honest and helpful elderly man who spoke in tongues. Somehow I connected the tongues to his character and it sparked my curiosity. One day, after a few months of searching and after having received prayer, I found myself thanking God and realised that some “strange” words were coming out of my mouth. I was not sure, but thought that it could be “tongues”.
After this experience, two things became very important to me. The first one was telling everyone about the Bible and that they have to get saved. I was very enthusiastic, but didn’t know where to direct the people that I spoke to. The second one was that I knew I had to find out the truth about baptism. I went to different churches, and they gave me books and leaflets about baptism. However, each church had its own view on baptism. It just didn’t make sense because I had read a scripture that said that there is
I did not think much more about it, but two weeks later something very interesting happened that was about to change my life. I was in a second hand shop in Gothenburg, looking at old Christian books, when I heard someone speaking German. I commented in German “Ah, this is only Swedish literature.” whereby the man replied “And that’s exactly what I am looking for.” I got talking to the man and his friends. They seemed very friendly and clearly believed in the Bible. They invited me home for coffee and yummy blueberry cake, and we started speaking about the Bible. They asked me if I was baptised, and I said, “Yes, I was baptised as a child.” They replied, “Aha” and took their Bibles out and showed me some scriptures about baptism. This was very different to what all the other churches had done, since they had told me their theology rather than just plainly pointing to the Bible. I believed what they were saying and that the Bible was real and I knew that I had to get baptised. The next day was Sunday and I decided to go to a church where they had told me that I had to be baptised to join their church. After the service I wanted to speak to the Pastor but he was too busy. I went home and tried to call their Youth Pastor, but only got through to the answering machine. I was getting very anxious and frustrated, and I prayed to God for help. Fifteen minutes later I got a phone call from one of the guys whom I had met the night before. He invited me to join them again and I accepted. They told me all about the history of the church, their vision and the need to do what the Bible says and it was a very interesting night.
The following day I invited the two guys home to my little student flat, and they showed me a video from their main meeting in Cornwall, England in 1992. I was very stirred up by what I saw: The Bible in action; much joy, but also much depth; healing testimonies and much more. We then spent some time talking, and they told me that if I wanted to follow God, I had to obey the Bible. I hated the word “obey” (I was an independent, selfish student!) At the same time, I knew they were right, and half an hour later I told them: “OK, I would like to be baptised and I want to join your assembly!” I was baptised later that night in Pierre’s bathtub, and an exciting life started. Instead of being a lonely, independent believer, God could start to use me the way He wanted to!
One more thing happened the night after my baptism. I was having a break in my studies and went up to a big hill where there is a fantastic view over Gothenburg. I prayed for the city, and I also thanked God for answering my prayer and leading me to the truth about baptism. All of a sudden, I felt an incredible joy and peace and I started to pray in tongues much more powerfully and fluently than before. It felt like it came from within me, not just from my mouth. I knew there was a scripture about something like this, and found it:
About 2 years later, I decided to test whether praying to God really worked. To my surprise, I soon started meeting people who would answer my questions using the Bible before I even asked them. I was very surprised!!! I thought prayer was only for old people who went to church before they died to make peace with God. Some time later, I started calling myself a believer and joined a local missionary church.
One and a half years later, I moved to Gothenburg to study, and started looking around for a church to go to. However, I had no idea where to go. There were so many churches, preaching almost the same thing, but they were still different. Some said that I had to get baptised to join their church, others said, “Just come along”. After a year in Gothenburg, I became very curious about “speaking in tongues”, since I had once met a very honest and helpful elderly man who spoke in tongues. Somehow I connected the tongues to his character and it sparked my curiosity. One day, after a few months of searching and after having received prayer, I found myself thanking God and realised that some “strange” words were coming out of my mouth. I was not sure, but thought that it could be “tongues”.
After this experience, two things became very important to me. The first one was telling everyone about the Bible and that they have to get saved. I was very enthusiastic, but didn’t know where to direct the people that I spoke to. The second one was that I knew I had to find out the truth about baptism. I went to different churches, and they gave me books and leaflets about baptism. However, each church had its own view on baptism. It just didn’t make sense because I had read a scripture that said that there is
“One Lord, one faith, one baptism”
(EPHESIANS 4:5). I was so frustrated and eventually just shouted out to God “Thank You that my parents baptised me when I was a child. In Jesus Name. Amen! However, if You want otherwise, You’ll have to throw me into a baptism tank”.
I did not think much more about it, but two weeks later something very interesting happened that was about to change my life. I was in a second hand shop in Gothenburg, looking at old Christian books, when I heard someone speaking German. I commented in German “Ah, this is only Swedish literature.” whereby the man replied “And that’s exactly what I am looking for.” I got talking to the man and his friends. They seemed very friendly and clearly believed in the Bible. They invited me home for coffee and yummy blueberry cake, and we started speaking about the Bible. They asked me if I was baptised, and I said, “Yes, I was baptised as a child.” They replied, “Aha” and took their Bibles out and showed me some scriptures about baptism. This was very different to what all the other churches had done, since they had told me their theology rather than just plainly pointing to the Bible. I believed what they were saying and that the Bible was real and I knew that I had to get baptised. The next day was Sunday and I decided to go to a church where they had told me that I had to be baptised to join their church. After the service I wanted to speak to the Pastor but he was too busy. I went home and tried to call their Youth Pastor, but only got through to the answering machine. I was getting very anxious and frustrated, and I prayed to God for help. Fifteen minutes later I got a phone call from one of the guys whom I had met the night before. He invited me to join them again and I accepted. They told me all about the history of the church, their vision and the need to do what the Bible says and it was a very interesting night.
The following day I invited the two guys home to my little student flat, and they showed me a video from their main meeting in Cornwall, England in 1992. I was very stirred up by what I saw: The Bible in action; much joy, but also much depth; healing testimonies and much more. We then spent some time talking, and they told me that if I wanted to follow God, I had to obey the Bible. I hated the word “obey” (I was an independent, selfish student!) At the same time, I knew they were right, and half an hour later I told them: “OK, I would like to be baptised and I want to join your assembly!” I was baptised later that night in Pierre’s bathtub, and an exciting life started. Instead of being a lonely, independent believer, God could start to use me the way He wanted to!
One more thing happened the night after my baptism. I was having a break in my studies and went up to a big hill where there is a fantastic view over Gothenburg. I prayed for the city, and I also thanked God for answering my prayer and leading me to the truth about baptism. All of a sudden, I felt an incredible joy and peace and I started to pray in tongues much more powerfully and fluently than before. It felt like it came from within me, not just from my mouth. I knew there was a scripture about something like this, and found it:
“He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”(JOHN 7:38). I also realised that before, I had been a believer, but that I only now was fully saved according to ACTS 2:38:
“…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost”. Praise God - He did indeed draw me into His fold in an amazing way!!
The Bible says there is only one way to Heaven
Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6)Good works cannot save you.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Trust Jesus Christ today! Here's what you must do:
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Admit you are a sinner.
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)
"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12)
"If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:10)
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Be willing to turn from sin (repent).
Jesus said: "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
(Luke 13:5)
"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" (Acts 17:30)
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Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)
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Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal Saviour.
"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10)
"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)
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What to pray: Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Saviour. |
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17)
If you have received Jesus Christ as your Saviour, as a Christian you should:
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Read your Bible every day to get to know Christ better.
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)
"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105)
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Talk to God in prayer every day.
"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:22)
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6)
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Be baptized, worship, fellowship, and serve with other
Christians in a church where Christ is preached and the Bible is the
final authority.
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:19)
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25)
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (2 Timothy 3:16)
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Tell others about Christ.
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15)
"For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16)
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)
Message of Salvation
I wrote this teaching for both those who would like to understand the message of salvation and are considering accepting Jesus as their Lord and savior, as well as those who would like to more effectively share their faith with others.
Why must I be born again (saved)?
John 3:3, "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (see Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is spiritual death, which is separation from God:
Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Being spiritually dead means that you are separated from God. If you die in this state, you will find yourself in eternal hell:
Revelations 20:15, "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
Now for the good news...
What does it mean to be saved?
When you are saved, you are as they say, born again! You are considered a new creation:2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
You are adopted or born into the family of God... a royal family!
1 John 3:1, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."
Your sins are removed from you and canceled from your account... in other words, you are FORGIVEN!
Micah 7:19, "He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea."
Once your sins are forgiven, you are en-clothed with the righteousness of God by faith in Christ Jesus:
Romans 3:22, "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe..."
You are seated with Christ in authority over all powers of the devil:
Ephesians 2:6, "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
This means that you, as a believer in Christ, will be capable of casting out demons and healing sickness and disease (because you now have authority over sickness and disease, as well as all powers of the enemy). This authority is exercised through faith, so it is also important to cultivate and build your faith in order to fully take advantage of this benefit.
Mark 16:15-18, "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
Yes, that means that you, as a believer in Christ, can go fourth and cast out demons and heal the sick... why? Because you have been given authority over sickness, disease and over all powers of the devil! Now don't get me wrong, the more you understand about the ministry of deliverance and healing, the more effective you will be at ministering to others in those areas, but as for the authority needed to cast out demons and heal the sick... that belongs to you naturally as a child of God.
What must I do to be saved?
Although we cannot pay for our sins, Jesus' shed blood is more than enough! Jesus truly did stand in the gap for us when He went to the cross. In the Old Testament (before Jesus came), they would sacrifice animals to cover their sins, but now that Jesus paid the price we no longer need to preform sacrifices. In the Old Testament, we could only cover our sins with the blood of animals, but the blood of Jesus actually removes our sin... it erases it from our account all together!Hebrews 10:4, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
John 1:29, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."
The blood of Christ actually takes sin away, so much so, that God Himself chose not to remember our failures!
Hebrews 10:17, "And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more."
The blood of Christ was shed for our sins, and through faith in the work which was done for us, we can be freely justified... that is, made right with God:
Romans 3:24-26, "Being justified (Greek word dikaioo) freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."
Notice that the word justified in the above verse takes us back to the Greek word dikaioo, which means, "to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent." That means that you are made innocent... as if you've never sinned! That's how clean that you can be through faith in the work that Jesus did for us on the cross.
Your first step is to believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the son of God, who came to earth (living in a human body), was crucified and died for your sins, and then rose again on the 3rd day.
John 3:16-17, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."
Acts 16:30-31, "And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
Second, confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ (affirm your belief verbally). This is usually what we refer to as the sinner's prayer.
Romans 10:9, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
An example of the sinner's prayer would be, "Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the son of God and that you came to earth and died for my sins and rose again on the 3rd day. I confess that I am a sinner and in need of your salvation. I come to you now and ask that you will come into my life, be my Lord and savior, and forgive me of my sins. In Jesus' name, amen!"
The Bible also speaks of water baptism, and I believe that all believers should be baptized. This is symbolic of being washed from the darkness of your past, putting away the old you and being raised to new life in Christ Jesus:
Romans 6:4, "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
Not by works, but by faith in Jesus
It is important to know that we are not saved by our works, but by faith in Christ Jesus and the work that He did for us:Titus 3:5, "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
Our sins are paid for by the Blood of Jesus and nothing less will do:
Matthew 26:28, "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
Do not try to 'earn' your salvation or forgiveness of sins... you must realize that it is by faith in Christ that saves you, not your works! Good works should follow naturally as you grow in your relationship with God (after all, we will become more like Him as we grow spiritually), but that by no means will justify you of past sins.
Does God really forgive sins freely?
Yes! There are a couple accounts in the Bible I would like to point out:Luke 7:47-50, "Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."
Another great story is when Jesus was on the cross and the man next to him (a murderer) basically asked Jesus to remember him when He enters his kingdom:
Luke 23:42-43, "And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise."
Did either of those people work to earn their forgiveness? No!
Jesus loves you even before you accept Him
Even before we accept Jesus, He loves us... but that doesn't mean that we are saved, until we accept His son, and believe in the work that He did for us on the cross!Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Will God forgive or accept me?
Yes, providing that you will come unto Him! Jesus told us clearly that He will by no means turn down anybody who turns to Him in repentance:John 6:37, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out."
God tells us clearly that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us of ALL unrighteousness -- meaning, anything you've done wrong that you can take before the Lord, you can receive forgiveness for!
1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
You are a three-fold being
You are a three-fold person. You are a spirit who lives in a physical body and possesses a soul (mind, will and emotions). The moment you accept Jesus, your spirit is reborn and made new (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), but what is not made new is your soul (mind, will and emotions) and your body (physical). These two things can carry corruption over from your past life, and should be renewed and transformed as you grow and cultivate your new relationship with God.The Bible tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, which is by the washing of the Word of God. Spending time in God's Word on a daily bases is like washing yourself spiritually. It will change the way you think, build your faith, and help you grow.
Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Ephesians 5:25-27, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
There are also times when you may require deliverance ministry to get rid of any unclean spirits that have attached themselves to your soul or body. If you are being tormented, depressed, fearful, or have bondages of any kind, then I encourage you to seek deliverance from those things.
One of the common reasons why so many Christians today are defeated and powerless in the kingdom is because they neglect the transforming of their soul and body through the renewing of their mind, the tearing down of strongholds and seeking proper deliverance ministry.
Not only were our bondages (infirmities) paid for by the work of Christ, but also our physical healing. Therefore, I encourage you to seek physical healing from your sicknesses or diseases! Here are a couple teachings on this site that you may want to read concerning divine healing:
- Divine healing according to God's Word
- Is it God's will to heal me?
What do I do now that I'm saved?
After being born again, it is important to cultivate your new relationship with Christ Jesus. You do this by spending time in God's Word on a daily bases. I recommend starting out in the book of John in the New Testament. As you meditate (that is to dwell upon) God's Word, it will begin to change the way you think. Your mind will be renewed and transformed and strongholds (old thinking patterns) begin to come down... this is vital to your spiritual freedom and wholeness!Romans 12:2, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
Ephesians 5:25-27, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
A great book that I recommend every believer get their hands on, is Blessed Beyond Measure by Gloria Copeland. It paints a very true and accurate picture of God, and as the Bible says, we must be well aware of the love of God in order to experience His fullness:
Ephesians 3:17-19, "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."
Finally, seek to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This is beyond the gift of salvation, and an extremely powerful gift that God wants to give each believer. I have an entire teaching on this subject entitled The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Thursday 31 January 2013
A. What is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost?
The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is the indwelling of God’s Spirit in the soul of an individual believer. It is the third work of God’s saving grace in a sinner’s life. It begins with repentance, accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, and going through water baptism in the Name of Jesus Christ (known as justification –- the first stage of the New Birth). The second stage to being born again is sanctification, which sets the individual for God’s service, God cleansing him from sin and leading him to a life of holiness before giving him the promise of the Holy Ghost. The third stage, known as the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the SEAL of God (Ephesians 4:30) indicating that God has already completed His work in the life of an individual, dressing him with Christ's robe of righteousness, and making him assured of the rapture. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost is Christ Himself dwelling in the individual person.
This promise of the Holy Ghost Baptism is clearly laid out in Acts 2:38-39:
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the NAME of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the GIFT of the Holy Ghost. For the PROMISE is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call.”
The Holy Spirit is Jesus Himself coming down to the soul of the believer, as He has promised in John 14:18, saying, “I will not leave you comfortless, " I " (personal pronoun) WILL COME TO YOU.”… “I will be with you, even IN YOU until the end of the world.”
Galatians 4:6 states, “And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the SPIRIT of His SON into your hearts, crying Abba, Father.” And in Romans 8:9, it tells us plainly, “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
A Brief Description of the "Holy Ghost:"
1. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF POWER & TRUTH
ACTS 1:8- "But ye shall receive “POWER”, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
JOHN 14:26-“ But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My Name, he shall TEACH you ALL things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."
JOHN 15:26- "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of TRUTH, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of ME."
JOHN 16:13- "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 SHEW you things to come."
2. IT IS THE SPIRIT OF REVELATION
I CORINTHIANS 2:9-16-
"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath REVEALED [them] unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, NOT in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know [them], because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But WE have the MIND of Christ."
JOHN 14:17-"[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."
3. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A “SEAL”
EPHESIANS 4:30- "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are SEALED unto the day of redemption."
EPHESIANS 1:13-14 - "In whom ye also [trusted], after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were SEALED with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
A SEAL means three things: (1) security (2) ownership (3) completion.
When you are truly baptized with the Holy Ghost, you now have eternal security within your soul, and you have been accepted in the beloved and have been bought with a price by God through Jesus Christ. You are now complete in Him, a truly heaven-bound creature.
"Seal, what is the seal? What is a seal? A seal is, first thing it shows is a work that has been completed, a completed work. The next thing it shows is ownership. And the next thing it shows is security, keeping it." (WMBRANHAM, ADOPTION.OR.PLACING.title JEFF.IN AD.PT.4 60-0522E)
"There's only going to be two classes of people in the last day. Both of them is going to wear a mark. The mark of God is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, without a shadow of doubt. I preached that not long ago right here… that the SEAL of God is the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Ephesians 4:30 says, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you're sealed until the day of your redemption." Without the Holy Spirit you are not sealed. But the Holy Spirit is God's Seal. And then, that, all that was not sealed by the Holy Spirit, was took on the mark of the beast. And the mark of the beast is a mark of apostasy, which is rejecting the Holy Spirit. See what I mean?" (WMBRANHAM, JUBILEE.YEAR.title JEFF.IN V-26 N-6 54-1003E)
"I've heard ministers get up with charts and try to explain what the mark of the beast was by some kind of a chart. It doesn't take a chart. The Scripture says, "All that didn't receive the Seal of God had the mark of the beast." There's only two classes on the earth. One's got the Mark of God, the other one's got the mark of the Devil. And all that didn't receive the Mark of God had the mark of the Devil." (WMBRANHAM, UNITY.ONE.GOD.ONE.CHURCH.title JEFF.IN V-16 N-8 58-1221E)
4. THE HOLY SPIRIT: YOU ARE HIS TEMPLE
ACTS 7:48-49- "Howbeit the most High dwelleth NOT in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven [is] my throne, and earth [is] my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what [is] the place of my rest?"
I CORINTHIANS 6:19-20- “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
5. The HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM is the REAL NEW BIRTH
JOHN 3:5- "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be BORN of water and [of] the SPIRIT, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
ACTS 2:38-39 - "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the NAME of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the GIFT of the Holy Ghost. For the PROMISE is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, [even] as many as the Lord our God shall call."
"There’s three elements it takes to bring our birth. And that's the three elements that came out of the life of Christ when He died. There come from His body, water, Blood, Spirit. Is that right? Three elements, and that's the elements we go through when we're born again: justification, sanctification, baptism of the Holy Spirit. Now, that can all be in one act, but it takes... But you can be in a justified state without being sanctified. You can believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and still carry your filth with you. But you can absolutely live in a both justified and a clean holy life, and without the Holy Ghost." (DEMONOLOGY.1.PHYSICAL CON.IN DE 21-40 53-0608A)
"You see, each one of those ages only taken a dip into the Holy Spirit. Justification is a work of the Holy Spirit; sanctification is a work of the Holy Spirit, but the baptism is the Holy Spirit." (QA.ON.THE.SEALS.title JEFF.IN 63-0324M)
6. THE HOLY GHOST IS THE “OIL” THAT’S REQUIRED FOR THE RAPTURE MATTHEW 25:1-13-
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto TEN VIRGINS, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took NO oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps."
Ten of them were virgins. Five was wise that had Oil in their lamps, and the other five was just as pure and holy but they had no Oil. They were sanctified, without the Holy Ghost… But you can be justified without being sanctified. And you can be sanctified without having the Holy Ghost; be clean, live a pure life, and have a form of godliness, and deny the power of healing, and speaking in tongues, and the great gifts of God (and every one of them in there). (QA.ON.GENESIS.title JEFF.IN COD 53-0729)
"Now, the church that professes to be a Christian church, will have to have that SAME SPIRIT that was IN Jesus Christ. For at the resurrection of the church, Christ and His Bride will come together and dovetail. The writings and promises of God will be made fulfilled there. So it cannot come together unless the same Spirit was in Christ is in you and me. And then if that same Spirit is in there, It'll do the same works, and live the same kind of a separated life, and do the works that He did. The Bible said so, all the way to Genesis confirms it. It ought to be striking. It ought to make a church member come to Christ and stay until he's filled with the Holy Ghost. It's the only PROMISE of the RAPTURE, the only way that the church and Christ can come together, the very Spirit." (FAITHFUL.ABRAHAM.title RICHMOND.VA 61-0312)
7. The HOLY SPIRIT is POURED OUT UPON “ALL” FLESH (Both JUST AND UNJUST)
JOEL 2:28-29 – “And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my Spirit upon ALL flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.”
Yes, the HOLY SPIRIT is POURED OUT UPON ALL FLESH (both upon the JUST AND the UNJUST), no exceptions. Everyone can feel the moving of the Spirit especially in the last days, for it is typed to the former and latter rain. Just like rainfall, God sends the Holy Spirit to water all plant and animal life. It can fall upon the tares and the wheat, and both can shout halleluiah, but it does not change the seed at the core of the plant. The Spirit only brings to manifestation what is it at the core, for every seed will bring forth of its kind (Genesis 1:11). “By their fruits they ye shall know them”. Once plant life reaches its maturity during harvest time, they are known by their fruit. A son of God will manifest the life of God, while a son of perdition will manifest the works of Satan, and will come to full maturity also, by the same Holy Spirit anointing.
QUOTES from Rev. William Branham:
“The Spirit can come out here and anoint you to do certain things, and you do it, but that don't mean you're saved. But think of it. Caiaphas prophesied. Judas cast out devils. See, the Spirit anointed him. There's rain falls on the just and the unjust; the weeds can rejoice with the wheat. But it's what it is at the core. There's where you can, intellectuals can accept and say, "Oh, sure, that looks good. I believe that." That still don't do it. No, sir. And the spirit can actually make witness of it, and still it isn't so. Because if that soul hasn't come from God, it can make all the impersonations out here, but it cannot be real. You can act healing; you can act like you have. You can act like you receive it. Christians can act like they're Christians, and act and be ever so good at it, but that don't mean they're saved. That's exactly right. See? The Spirit can be there, the real genuine Spirit. The Holy Spirit can anoint you; that still don't mean you're saved. It's that inside soul that never dies; it's got Eternal Life. It always was Eternal Life. See? It come from God; it goes to God; it's the soul."
(WORKS.IS.FAITH.EXPRESSED.title SHREVEPORT.LA V-7 N-1 65-1126)
"The true vine and the false vine both had the “same anointing”. The water fell on both of them. No wonder He warned us it would “deceive the very elected if it was possible”.
(ANOINTED.ONES.AT.END.TIME.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-3 65-0725M)
MATTHEW 5:44-45- "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for HE maketh his SUN to RISE on the evil and on the good, and sendeth RAIN on the just and on the unjust."
MATTHEW 13:30- "Let both grow together until the HARVEST: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the TARES, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the WHEAT into my barn."
MATTHEW 7:20- "Wherefore by their FRUITS ye shall know them."
B. Does having the Gifts of the Spirit (healing, speaking in tongues, miracles, etc) assure you that you are truly baptized with the Holy Ghost already?
NOT SO. Though we believe in the nine (9) spiritual gifts as stipulated in 1 Corinthians Chapter 12 namely: (1) Prophesy (2) Word of Wisdom (3) Faith (4) Healing (5) Tongues (6) Interpretation of Tongues (7) Discernment (8) Word of Knowledge (9) Working of Miracles, yet these gifts can be impersonated by the devil. There will be “false anointed ones” and “false christs” in the last days to impersonate and to deceive the very elect if it were possible by using these gifts. Yes, they will be truly “anointed”, but false at the core.
Let’s look at Judas. JUDAS was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ. Judas preached along with them and healed the sick, and cast out devils. But Judas he had shown his true colors as the son of perdition when he sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. BALAAM was a prophet. But his true colors were manifested because of the love of money and popularity, he tried to curse Israel. JANNES AND JAMBRES were two magicians who withstood Moses by manifesting the same powers of turning their sticks into snakes in the sight of pharaoh. Therefore, miracles and signs are no true signs that one is a true servant of God. Even Lucifer himself was previously an “angel of light”.
SCRIPTURES:
MATTHEW 7:21-23- "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not PROPHESIED in thy Name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy Name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
MATTHEW 24:24- "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall SHEW great SIGNS and WONDERS; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall DECEIVE the very ELECT."
QUOTES from Rev. William Branham:
"A false christ is a false anointed, because Christ is the Anointed. How many knows that the "Christ" means "the anointed One"? There will be false anointed ones, and they'll call themselves prophets. But how will you recognize them? By the Word; that's how you'll know it: by the Word, whether they are right. How will we recognize them? Will be by the Word. If they're... If they say that they have the Word, and then deny the Word, then there's nothing to it, no matter what they do. They might heal the sick; they might open the eyes of the blind; and deny the Word, stay away from it. Don't care what it is, stay with that Word regardless (See?), because many times I've seen voodoo and all kinds of things take place under--under healing."
(QUESTIONS.AND.ANSWERS.title JEFF.IN COD 64-0823M)
You may say, "How can this be? Would the anointed ones... What were they?" Christs: c-h-r-i-s-t-s, anointed christs and false prophets: anointed ones, but false prophets. Jesus said that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Now, someone might say to me, "Do you believe that that anointing on those people means that it's anointing of the Holy Spirit?" Yes, sir, the genuine Holy Spirit of God upon a person, and yet they are false. Now, listen close and see what He said: "And they shall show signs and wonders, insomuch that it would deceive the very elected if it were possible." And they are anointed with the genuine Holy Spirit. "
(ANOINTED.ONES.AT.END.TIME.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-3 65-0725M)
No, they wouldn't stand to be called false Jesus. They wouldn't be--stand to call Jesus; certainly not. That's too plain. Anybody would know that. Anyone would know they wasn't Jesus. ..But they call themself the anointed, and they do signs and wonders almost to deceive the elected. But false christs, anointed ones, shall arise and shall deceive the elected if it were possible." And remember, Jesus never said that them guy's would appear. He said there'd appear false christs: christs, plural, “denominations” and so forth, anointed ones, anointed with a denominational spirit and not the Word. You follow it? Not false Jesus, false christs, false anointed ones. See?
(ANOINTED.ONES.AT.END.TIME.title JEFF.IN V-5 N-3 65-0725M)
Having the gifts of tongues, prophesy and knowledge, is therefore not an absolute evidence that one is truly baptized with the Holy Ghost already. This truth is attested by Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians 13:1-3, 8-10:
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become [as] sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity never faileth: but whether [there be] prophecies, they shall fail; whether [there be] tongues, they shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
C. Are“SENSATIONS” and "EMOTIONS" like ‘CRYING and SHOUTING in the Spirit” genuine evidence of the BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST?
“TASTING” THE HOLY GHOST is far more DIFFERENT from being BAPTIZED WITH IT. A lot of people just “tasted” the goodness of God but in the end they still perished. It’s a type of Israel in the wilderness coming out from Egypt. They have tasted the signs and wonders done by the Holy Ghost through the ministry of Moses. They have seen the mighty works of the hand of God by sending plagues to Egypt, they have crossed and walked over the dry Red Sea, they ate of the Manna that fell in the wilderness from heaven, they drank from the Rock, and have seen many many more miracles by Moses. Yet only Joshua and Caleb was able to reach the Promised Land. All the rest of the ten spies and their tribes perished. And today, the promise Land of today for the Christian is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. How many will ever get to it? "Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to eternal life, yet broad is the way and wide is the gate that leads to destruction.."
HEBREWS 6:4-6
"For [it is] impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have “TASTED” of the heavenly gift, and were made PARTAKERS of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.”
QUOTES from Rev. William Branham:
"Church, that's the reason I can't take the Baptism of the Holy Ghost of crying, shaking, or speaking in tongues, or any sensation. They're all right now. See? Them--them things are all right, but the devil can impersonate that so real. But the Holy Ghost is Deity, God tabernacled in men. It's more than a sensation. It's more than speaking in tongues. It's more than shouting in the Spirit. It's more than weeping. It's more than joining church. It's God living in men, Deity, God Himself tabernacled into that person, when he can speak and it's just the same as God speaking; that's the Church of Jesus Christ."
(TESTIMONY.OF.A.TRUE.WITNESS.title JEFF.IN V-15 N-6 61-1105)
"You might be able to try to say you have; you might be able to show some evidence of some emotion; but unless your life is vindicating what you're professing to have, you still haven't got It. No matter how many emotions, how much you jump, run, sensations, speaking in tongues, or shouting, or whatever you might lay it upon (which is all right, I believe in all that too.), but unless your life copes with your testimony, then you haven't got It. 'Cause the fruit of the Spirit vindicates what you are, just like the fruit of any tree tells what it is. Jesus said, "By their fruit you shall know them."
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