Jesus is the Gospel!
- 193 God’s Perfect Will or His Permissive Will?I want to talk about an important aspect of God’s will for us, and that is the difference between God’s perfect will and His permissive will. However, before we can really understand the difference between God’s perfect will and His permissive will for us, we need to understand the Biblical concept of free-will. In Scripture,… Read more: 193 God’s Perfect Will or His Permissive Will?
- 192 “I Will Give You Rest.”One of the most misunderstood words in the Bible is the word “rest.” We are commanded to “enter into the Lord’s rest” but many understand that to mean to refrain from work. While it is important to get physical rest the rest that the Lord wants is a rest for our souls. Many try to… Read more: 192 “I Will Give You Rest.”
- 191 Legalism and Judgmentalism.In my last post, “190 Are Christians under the Law of Moses,” I said that the Bible teaches that Jesus fulfilled the Law. Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” This means that the Law is now outdated… Read more: 191 Legalism and Judgmentalism.
- 190 Are Christians under the Law of Moses?190 Are Christians under both the Law and Grace? In my previous episode, 189 The Better Covenant, I made the point that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the inspired Word of God, literally ‘God-breathed’ (2 Timothy 3:16). From beginning to end, it reveals God’s redemptive plan and His covenant relationship with humanity.… Read more: 190 Are Christians under the Law of Moses?
- 189 The Better Covenant!189 – The Better Covenant As Christians, we understand that the entire Bible, Old Testament and New Testament, is inspired, or “God breathed.” 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The word “inspiration” literally means “breathed”, in other words,… Read more: 189 The Better Covenant!
- 188 – You are God’s Dwelling Place!God’s desire is to dwell with His people. The basic restoration of God’s plan is eternal, unbroken fellowship with His people. The Bible makes it clear that God longs to dwell with His people; it is not a side note or unimportant issue. From the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the New Jerusalem in the book… Read more: 188 – You are God’s Dwelling Place!
- 187 Character and Anointing!The Relationship Between Character and Anointing in Christianity There is a vital relationship between the character of a Believer and the anointing in the Believer that is often overlooked. It is all too common to focus on either character or anointing, rather than both. This problem in Christianity goes back to the saying, “With the… Read more: 187 Character and Anointing!
- 186 The Bible and the Holy Spirit – Part 2Interdependence of the Holy Spirit and the Bible The Bible provides the unchanging truth of God’s revelation, while the Holy Spirit brings that truth to life. It is possible to read Scripture without spiritual understanding—many scholars have dissected the Bible as mere literature without encountering the Author. This is why Paul writes, “The natural man does… Read more: 186 The Bible and the Holy Spirit – Part 2
- 185 The Bible and the Holy Spirit produce Maturity.The Bible and the Holy Spirit: Maturity! In recent months, I have focused on the work of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life. However, I want to make sure there is no doubt that we need both the Holy Spirit and the Bible. Without the Bible, we can easily fall into error. Remember, Satan… Read more: 185 The Bible and the Holy Spirit produce Maturity.
- 184 Why is it so hard to obey God?Why Is It So Hard to Obey God? I am sure that all of us have faced the age-old question of, “Why is it so hard to obey God?” The truth of the matter is that we cannot consistently obey the Lord in our own strength and discipline alone. We need help, we need power! … Read more: 184 Why is it so hard to obey God?
- 183 When does the “stuff” happen?When’s the Stuff Going to Happen? Many people believe they need to become better people before they can get close to Jesus. However, the truth is, if you draw closer to Jesus, He will make you a better person. The Lord doesn’t want to put you into a mold and make you look like a… Read more: 183 When does the “stuff” happen?
- 182 – The Christian Journey of SalvationAs Christians, we commonly use the word salvation to mean being “born again.” We talk about being saved or not saved, but what does that really mean? In its most straightforward understanding, it means that by putting our faith or our trust in Jesus Christ, we are saved. Our faith is in Jesus alone, and… Read more: 182 – The Christian Journey of Salvation
- 181 Walking by Faith Pt-4, “Faith working through Love!”Mustard Seed Faith: A Journey of Transformation The writer of the book of Hebrews makes it abundantly clear that it is impossible to please God without faith! The writer says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder… Read more: 181 Walking by Faith Pt-4, “Faith working through Love!”
- 180 – Walking by Faith, Part 3Faith Is Required To Believe What God Says About You. Walking by faith means trusting God completely, even when we don’t understand everything. Faith helps us live the way God wants us to. It gives us the strength to do what’s right, even when it’s hard. This message explains how faith makes us right with… Read more: 180 – Walking by Faith, Part 3
- 179 Walking by Faith – Part 2Walking by Faith – Part 2 In the last episode or post, we defined the difference between natural faith and spiritual faith. Spiritual faith is what moves the Lord. Spiritual faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1 as,“Now faith is the substance (guarantee) of things hoped for, the evidence (convincing proof) of things not seen.” Faith… Read more: 179 Walking by Faith – Part 2
- 178 Walking by Faith, Part 1Throughout Christian history, every Believer has been responsible for knowing Jesus and making Him known to others. Our first responsibility is to be in a relationship with Jesus through His Holy Spirit. This means learning what Jesus purchased for us at the cross of Calvary; we are justified, saved, forgiven, made righteous, and empowered to… Read more: 178 Walking by Faith, Part 1
- 176 Learning to be led by the Holy Spirit – Part 4 – MessengersIn the last several episodes of this series entitled “Learning How to be Led by the Holy Spirit,” we talked about a number of ways the Lord communicates with us through the Holy Spirit. Today, we will look at how God uses messengers, spiritual and human, to communicate with us.
- 175 Learning to be led by the Holy Spirit – Part 3In the last episode of this series entitled “Learning How to be Led by the Holy Spirit,” we talked about two ways to be led by the Holy Spirit. The two ways were: Holy Spirit Guidance Through Conviction and Holy Spirit Guidance Through the Bible. Today, we will examine two more areas, and they are:… Read more: 175 Learning to be led by the Holy Spirit – Part 3
- 174 Learning how to be led by the Holy Spirit – Part 2How Does the Holy Spirit Guide Us? Part 2 As we have established earlier, God intends that we be led by the Holy Spirit. That means that He directs our paths. You’ve heard me say, “When you walk with God, you get to where He is going.” The Lord wants us to be where He… Read more: 174 Learning how to be led by the Holy Spirit – Part 2
- 173 Learning how to be led by the Holy Spirit! Part 1When you are born-again, you know it because of the peace and assurance that the Lord gives you to know that you are saved. When you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, you know it because you will speak in new tongues and move in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, to move in… Read more: 173 Learning how to be led by the Holy Spirit! Part 1
- 172 Knowing the Holy Spirit.Some believe that because one belongs to a church, has a Bible, or comes from a Christian family, one is spiritual. That is not always the case. When the Bible speaks about spiritual things, it is to those who have a relationship with Jesus and have learned to “hear” the voice of the Spirit of… Read more: 172 Knowing the Holy Spirit.
- 171 Grace, Works and Faith!There has always been a controversy between the terms the Bible calls “Grace and Works.” Some have misused the terms to excuse sin; others have misused the terms to try and earn or deserve God’s blessing and favor. Both these terms, Grace and works, are important aspects of the life of a New Testament Believer… Read more: 171 Grace, Works and Faith!
- 170 – Jesus my Lord and Savior!Every Christian has heard or used the term “Jesus, my Lord and Savior! There are only five words to that statement, and yet those five words are the foundation of the entire New Testament. I think you would agree that as a Christian, I need to understand what the key three words, Jesus, Lord, and… Read more: 170 – Jesus my Lord and Savior!
- 168 Who Am I?As a Christian, it is important to know who you are! Today, there seems to be such an effort in the world to put everyone into a group or category. This suggests a real identity crisis in our cultures, societies, and countries. The Bible makes it very clear who we are: we are citizens of… Read more: 168 Who Am I?
- 167 How to be led by the Holy Spirit of God.How to be led by the Holy Spirit of God is of utmost importance. It represents the difference between working for the Lord or working with the Lord! While working for the Lord may be a sincere effort to please the Lord, it is often a work the Lord has not asked us to do. Here is an important point: if… Read more: 167 How to be led by the Holy Spirit of God.
- 166 – How do I Pray?A friend of mine asked this question about God. “When I pray, who do I pray to, God the Father, Jesus or the Holy Spirit? This is really a good question and maybe something you have wondered about as well. Let me try to explain this question first from how I approach the triune nature… Read more: 166 – How do I Pray?
- 165 Known by God!1 Corinthians 12 is the apostle Paul’s exhortation to recognize the spiritual gifts available to every believer who acknowledges the presence of the Holy Spirit in them. I quote Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:1 (NKJV), “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant.” Paul was chastising the Corinthian Christians for… Read more: 165 Known by God!
- 164 The Holy Spirit in Transformation.In the last post, 163, the focus was on “Why we need the Holy Spirit.” We need the Holy Spirit to walk in righteousness, overcoming sin and defeating the enemy, the Devil. We can sum this up as the process of Sanctification. When we receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are… Read more: 164 The Holy Spirit in Transformation.
- 163 Why We Need the Holy Spirit!Review As I said in my last post, what we believe should be based upon the Word of God, the Bible, and not on the opinions of others. The Bible is our map to life and godliness; the Holy Spirit is our compass to help us find the one true way. Remember the way is… Read more: 163 Why We Need the Holy Spirit!
- 162 The Baptism of the Holy Spirit – Tongues!Jesus is the Reason we Live. As we continue to focus on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, let us not lose sight of the fact that the most important aspect of Christianity is the salvation provided by the crucifixion, death, and glorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. Nothing is more important than what Jesus accomplished… Read more: 162 The Baptism of the Holy Spirit – Tongues!
