Galatians 3:2 Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. (NLT)
We have it much easier than the original disciples almost two thousand years ago. No we don't, you say! They got to walk with Jesus. He was right there to teach them.
That is all correct, but... They did not have the Holy Spirit. Jesus was the only man who did and this is where His divine authority and power came from. Before He went off to be crucified and die for the sins of all mankind, He promised His first action when He got to heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father was to have the Father send the Holy Spirit, the comforter to live in each believer.
Here in Galatians we see Paul teaching on receiving the Holy Spirit. He does not come to abide in us because of the works we do. There is no waiting period to have Him with us. We received Him the moment we believed the message of Christ; the moment we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior; the moment we became born again.
That moment in time is our Upper Room experience. Our spirit man is reborn and the spirit of Christ comes to reside. We are a new person in the spirit beginning a journey under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 16:15-18 And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved...These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will... speak in [tongues]... They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed."
What we do not necessarily have at this point in time is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The evidence of which is our prayer language. How do we receive this baptism? Let's look at what the Bible says about that.
Acts 19:1-7 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul... found several believers."Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" he asked them. "No," they replied, "we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." "Then what baptism did you experience?" he asked. And they replied, "The baptism of John." Paul said, "John's baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus." As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied...
Believers have the Holy Spirit and see fruit in their lives. Their character begins to change and what pleased them before is replaced with other interests. Their friends notice the changes and see Jesus in their behavior. Once baptized in the Holy Spirit, as Paul gives evidence to in Acts, they begin a new level of communication with God the Father through their prayer language.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Right Timing
John 15:16
You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. (NLT)
There are times in my life when I am at just the right place at the right time. Years ago I thought it was just dumb luck. Now I know better. God was in the mix and those things happened when they happened because of His plan, not mine and certainly not dumb luck.
In this passage, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, but I believe His words apply to us as well. His twelve were saved and on their way to eternity with Jesus. But they did not make a logical choice to follow Him. Each was chosen.
Those who know me understand that I am not a sports fan. However, it is impossible to not know about the big games. There is information about them everywhere. I have no desire to sit around and watch a game or even go to one. For me to go to a game takes a decision that involves looking at how far I have to travel, if I have anything else to do instead, and perhaps how much will it cost.
In our country it is easy to know about Jesus. There are books, movies, billboards, as well as people holding up hand made "Jesus Saves" signs on street corners. Someone has to be out of it to not know something about Jesus.
If a friend called me up and told me they had tickets to the big game and wanted to give them to me there would be no choice. I would say "Yes!" The timing was right on and the price was right, even though I really was not a fan.
So when asked if they believe in Jesus, a person can easily think about all they have read or seen or heard and come to a logical decision on their own that they do know Him. But even if they repeat a "sinners prayer" at this point, were they chosen by God or just picked out of a crowd and convinced based on foreknowledge about Jesus? After all they were being given a free ticket. so why not take it just in case?
I believe that first we are chosen by God. He softens our heart making us ready to reach out to Him. Then when we are picked out of a crowd it is not as if we have to be convinced of anything. We are ready and just say "Yes!".
Then we are saved. Then we are in the position Jesus speaks to of when He said "Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name."
You didn't choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. (NLT)
There are times in my life when I am at just the right place at the right time. Years ago I thought it was just dumb luck. Now I know better. God was in the mix and those things happened when they happened because of His plan, not mine and certainly not dumb luck.
In this passage, Jesus is speaking to His disciples, but I believe His words apply to us as well. His twelve were saved and on their way to eternity with Jesus. But they did not make a logical choice to follow Him. Each was chosen.
Those who know me understand that I am not a sports fan. However, it is impossible to not know about the big games. There is information about them everywhere. I have no desire to sit around and watch a game or even go to one. For me to go to a game takes a decision that involves looking at how far I have to travel, if I have anything else to do instead, and perhaps how much will it cost.
In our country it is easy to know about Jesus. There are books, movies, billboards, as well as people holding up hand made "Jesus Saves" signs on street corners. Someone has to be out of it to not know something about Jesus.
If a friend called me up and told me they had tickets to the big game and wanted to give them to me there would be no choice. I would say "Yes!" The timing was right on and the price was right, even though I really was not a fan.
So when asked if they believe in Jesus, a person can easily think about all they have read or seen or heard and come to a logical decision on their own that they do know Him. But even if they repeat a "sinners prayer" at this point, were they chosen by God or just picked out of a crowd and convinced based on foreknowledge about Jesus? After all they were being given a free ticket. so why not take it just in case?
I believe that first we are chosen by God. He softens our heart making us ready to reach out to Him. Then when we are picked out of a crowd it is not as if we have to be convinced of anything. We are ready and just say "Yes!".
Then we are saved. Then we are in the position Jesus speaks to of when He said "Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name."
Monday, February 14, 2011
Decision Time
We make decisions all the time and then move forward. We weigh the benefits of going in one direction or another. Does choice #1 get us closer to our intended destination than choice #2? Is there a downside of choosing one over the other?
For those of us that are logical thinkers decisions boil down to choices. To those that use the other side of their human brain the decisions are more in favor of what feels best. This can be a problem when two people are trying to come to agreement and one is right brained and the other left.
John 3:3
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God."
What about the decision to follow Jesus; the decision to become a born again Christian?
This is not a human decision made with thought, logic, or emotions although many try to convince someone in these ways. Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is not a choice. It is an opportunity that arrives when your heart has been opened. There is no decision to be made. God has already made you ready. You just have not been told and when someone opens up the gospel to you, you simply accept.
Sure, many are convinced that they need to say the "sinners prayer" and do. Some come forward out of pure emotion at a church service. Was this their opportunity? Only they and God really know that answer.
What if they said it to get you off their back? They said it because everyone else was saying it in a church service? They went forward because of peer pressure and not because their heart was open to it? Are they really saved?
Matthew 7:16
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.
Jesus said we should know his followers by their fruit. As the weeks go on and they walk with the Holy Spirit (Christ within) changes begin to occur in their very character. They begin to do things and even speak differently than they had before accepting Jesus. It is then that you know the words they said really did come from their heart and they are born again.
For those of us that are logical thinkers decisions boil down to choices. To those that use the other side of their human brain the decisions are more in favor of what feels best. This can be a problem when two people are trying to come to agreement and one is right brained and the other left.
John 3:3
Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God."
What about the decision to follow Jesus; the decision to become a born again Christian?
This is not a human decision made with thought, logic, or emotions although many try to convince someone in these ways. Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is not a choice. It is an opportunity that arrives when your heart has been opened. There is no decision to be made. God has already made you ready. You just have not been told and when someone opens up the gospel to you, you simply accept.
Sure, many are convinced that they need to say the "sinners prayer" and do. Some come forward out of pure emotion at a church service. Was this their opportunity? Only they and God really know that answer.
What if they said it to get you off their back? They said it because everyone else was saying it in a church service? They went forward because of peer pressure and not because their heart was open to it? Are they really saved?
Matthew 7:16
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.
Jesus said we should know his followers by their fruit. As the weeks go on and they walk with the Holy Spirit (Christ within) changes begin to occur in their very character. They begin to do things and even speak differently than they had before accepting Jesus. It is then that you know the words they said really did come from their heart and they are born again.
Monday, February 07, 2011
The Tongue
Proverbs 18:21
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. (NLT)
We live in a world of email and instant messaging and texting. But still we forget that once we have pressed the Enter key or clicked on Send we cannot get those words back. No matter what we say next, the words are in cyberspace and not only will reach their intended destination, they will also be out there forever.
Words can hurt. We know that. And once spoken even if they were done in jest they cannot be taken back. They can apologize to us and we can accept their apology, but this does not lessen the effect they had on us. When those words left their mouth they were just like email. They were gone and could not be taken back. And they are with us forever.
The words we speak are so important and yet we says things like "You are killing me" or "I always get a winter cold". And what about the words we speak to people we love like "You can be so stupid" or "You can never get anything right".
We must watch what we say to others and most importantly to ourselves. We can make our self sick by speaking sickness. Now I am not suggesting we can be sick and say things like "I am not sick". That would be speaking a lie over our self.
When we are not well, we should accept the reality that something is not right. But we should then speak forth God's promises over our body parts and speak them into wellness. He has given us the authority and power as believers to do just that.
For the tongue can bring life or it can bring death. So we must watch what we say to others and watch what we say to ourselves because our words do make a difference.
The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences. (NLT)
We live in a world of email and instant messaging and texting. But still we forget that once we have pressed the Enter key or clicked on Send we cannot get those words back. No matter what we say next, the words are in cyberspace and not only will reach their intended destination, they will also be out there forever.
Words can hurt. We know that. And once spoken even if they were done in jest they cannot be taken back. They can apologize to us and we can accept their apology, but this does not lessen the effect they had on us. When those words left their mouth they were just like email. They were gone and could not be taken back. And they are with us forever.
The words we speak are so important and yet we says things like "You are killing me" or "I always get a winter cold". And what about the words we speak to people we love like "You can be so stupid" or "You can never get anything right".
We must watch what we say to others and most importantly to ourselves. We can make our self sick by speaking sickness. Now I am not suggesting we can be sick and say things like "I am not sick". That would be speaking a lie over our self.
When we are not well, we should accept the reality that something is not right. But we should then speak forth God's promises over our body parts and speak them into wellness. He has given us the authority and power as believers to do just that.
For the tongue can bring life or it can bring death. So we must watch what we say to others and watch what we say to ourselves because our words do make a difference.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Tradition
Mark 7:13
And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others. (NLT)
Tradition is defined by Merriam-Webster as meaning an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom). As we have observed many churches over the years, we have seen many different traditions. Three stand out to me as I write this.
The first is the way the minister and the congregation are dressed. Some leaders are in fancy garments; robes for the choir members and a very ornate one for the preacher. Even the congregation is dressed in their "Sunday best" as their parents and their parent before them taught. The woman in dresses and the men with suits and ties.
Then there is the tradition of water baptism. There are those who believe you cannot be baptized unless you are fully immersed in water from head to toe. Others believe you may be sprinkled with water. And some do not use water at all and believe it is a spiritual baptism.
Then how about communion? Some use wine and others grape juice. Some actually tear a loaf of bread in half and pass it out. Others have little squares of a bread like substance while some use little pieces of bread (often stale) or even wafers that taste like cardboard.
When I was growing up my Catholic friends believed it was a sin to eat meat on Fridays. This was not from the Bible I knew, yet they believed because their church had told them so. According to the Word of God, all things are good to eat. Nothing is banned from us now that Jesus has come. Saying they could not eat meat went against the Word that said they could.
It is the Word of God that is the truth and we cannot let our traditions pull us apart from other believers. Nor can we let our tradition overtake what God has said. Just because another believer does something different in their church service does not mean they are not following God. It just means their tradition is different from yours. As long as that does not go against what the Word of God says, celebrate Jesus and do not be concerned about the differences.
And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others. (NLT)
Tradition is defined by Merriam-Webster as meaning an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom). As we have observed many churches over the years, we have seen many different traditions. Three stand out to me as I write this.
The first is the way the minister and the congregation are dressed. Some leaders are in fancy garments; robes for the choir members and a very ornate one for the preacher. Even the congregation is dressed in their "Sunday best" as their parents and their parent before them taught. The woman in dresses and the men with suits and ties.
Then there is the tradition of water baptism. There are those who believe you cannot be baptized unless you are fully immersed in water from head to toe. Others believe you may be sprinkled with water. And some do not use water at all and believe it is a spiritual baptism.
Then how about communion? Some use wine and others grape juice. Some actually tear a loaf of bread in half and pass it out. Others have little squares of a bread like substance while some use little pieces of bread (often stale) or even wafers that taste like cardboard.
When I was growing up my Catholic friends believed it was a sin to eat meat on Fridays. This was not from the Bible I knew, yet they believed because their church had told them so. According to the Word of God, all things are good to eat. Nothing is banned from us now that Jesus has come. Saying they could not eat meat went against the Word that said they could.
It is the Word of God that is the truth and we cannot let our traditions pull us apart from other believers. Nor can we let our tradition overtake what God has said. Just because another believer does something different in their church service does not mean they are not following God. It just means their tradition is different from yours. As long as that does not go against what the Word of God says, celebrate Jesus and do not be concerned about the differences.
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