BIBLE STUDY AUDIO
TEACHIINGS FOR YOUR EDIFICATION AND BRINGING YOU TO THE FULLNESS OF THE STATURE OF CHRIST
Our Bible Study audio messages can be accessed from here. These are teachings recorded in the course of our weekly serialised Bible Study meetings for your spiritual edification and development.
Besides the audio, the conclusion/summary of the message is also displayed. This notwithstanding, the full Bible Study outline can also be accessed from the link indicated at the end of the conclusion/summary.
We pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to you as you listen.
Entering Into The Kingdom of Heaven (3.6)
The church in Philadelphia was one which had little strength; possibly, little resources in terms of numbers, status, finance, and, especially, spiritual energy. However, they excelled because the Lord, who has all authority, opened unto them a door which enabled them to do the work of God and to excel in it. This door was opened unto them because, in spite of their little strength, they kept or upheld or adhered to the word of God with patience; and refused to deny the Lord’s name (as was the practice then, when the Romans demanded that Christians renounce Christ, and proclaim the emperor as God). For this feat, the Lord promised to protect or shield them from the hour of temptation which would come on the whole earth, as well as establish them as pillars in the temple of God, among others. They were, however, warned not to let go of what they had, including their profession of faith and hope in Christ, so that they would not lose their eternal reward.
Today’s believers in Christ can, likewise receive the ‘key’ of the kingdom, or the unquestioned authority to open ‘doors’ or gain unimpeded access into, whole communities, tribes, and nations; the hearts of individuals to bring them to salvation; and, the mystery of the word of God so that they can unambiguously declare same to sinners and other believers alike. All we require to receive such authority and access is that we adhere to or uphold the word of God, and refuse to deny Christ by our conduct and in our interaction with unbelievers. We also need to learn the following lessons:
1. Keeping the word of God with patience, and refusing to deny Christ is more important to the Lord than our preaching, prophesying, casting out demons, and performing miracles, signs and wonders.
2. How little your strength is in any form, should not, and cannot, be an excuse for not continuing to keep the word of God, or denying Him before men.
3. There will be challenges in your walk with God, but you are not to give up on the profession of your faith and hope in Christ.
4. You are to keep on holding on to what you have of God until the end, so that your crown will not be taken by someone else.
5. For every door that is open, there will be adversaries, but the Lord has assured us victory over them.
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Entering Into The Kingdom of Heaven (3.7.1)
The church in Laodicea had become lukewarm in its devotion to God, as the fervency they probably once had was now gone, and in its place was a strange aberration of Christianity. They talked the talk, but did not walk the walk! They oscillated between God and idolatry. They did not take a firm stand for God, and were insincere in their devotion to Him. They were repugnant to the Lord, so, He threatened to ‘spew them out of His mouth’. It is therefore clear that entry into heaven will not be a matter of merely prophesying, casting out demons, and working miracles, in the Lord’s name; rather, it is the fervency with which such things were done. Where a person is found wanting in the ‘fervency department’, there is the danger of being excluded from the kingdom of God on the last day.
The Lord views individuals as, cold, hot, or lukewarm.
1. The ‘cold’ individual is someone who does not have the Spirit of God at all. He is dead to God, vain (empty), insensitive, darkened in understanding, and given to habitual sinful conducts. He may be involved in religion, but it is not through Christ and not by the Holy Spirit. But whether or not he is involved in religion, the ‘cold’ individual is nonetheless sincere, loyal, and devoted to his belief!
2. The ‘hot’ individual is fervent, fiery, and, fanatical in his devotion to God. He is filled with the Holy Spirit, and loves God above everything else, including his own life. He cannot be separated from the love of Christ! Above all, he is sincere in his devotion and service to God.
3. The ‘lukewarm’ individual seeks to serve God and Mammon at the same time. His devotion to God is marked by indifference, lack of concern, half-heartedness, pretenses, and backsliding. Although he talks like a Christian, he does not live like one; he stands for nothing, and is not known to have any position on anything; he is unstable in all his ways, faltering between opinions; he knows what is right from what is evil, but will defend what is evil; and, he cannot endure sound doctrine, but seeks to hear what will make him feel good, rather than hear what can make him good. Worse of all, he is insincere!
If there is anything the Lord is interested in, it is people who are sincere, either on the side of God or otherwise. But for the insincere person, He vomits them out of His mouth—He cannot stomach them. The lesson we must take away from this study tonight is that if we are indeed going to achieve our goal of entering into the kingdom of God at the end of this age, we must of necessity re-energize and be fervent in our devotion and service (prophesying, casting out demons, performing miracles, etc.) to God.
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Entering Into The Kingdom of Heaven (3.7.2)
A lukewarm individual will easily succumb to boasting about the things that God has given him, as though they are his personal achievement. Such an individual is likely to misuse the gifts (tools) of ministry, for personal aggrandisement and view such gifts as the measure of success or achievement in ministry. Such was the case of the church in Laodicea: in their lukewarm state, they had become boastful and self-sufficient, not realizing that God had given them wealth for ministry and His glory. Unfortunately, their ignorance made them to become arrogant, boastful, and conceited, and they saw themselves as a church that had made giant strides, sitting on the gifts God had given them, rather than distributing same for the glory of God. While such misuse and abuse of spiritual gifts may seem to the individuals or the church misusing and abusing same, that they are approved of God, even to the point of feeling self-sufficient; their true state, is in reality very sad indeed. For they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked! Indeed, they are to be pitied above all men!
As harsh as it may seem to hear the words of the Lord to the Laodicean church, He nonetheless tells them that His chastisement is for their own good, to give them the opportunity to repent and change their ways, so that they wouldn’t miss out on eternal life! The Lord’s chastisement is a sign that the person being chastised is still considered a son of God, and is being given an opportunity to mend his ways and turn to the path of life. How you respond to the Lord’s chastening is an indicator of whether or not you will enter into the kingdom of heaven after His rebuke.
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Entering Into The Kingdom of Heaven (3.7.3)
We conclude our study on the church in Laodicea as it concerns entry into the kingdom of heaven, by paraphrasing the Lord’s counsel as follows: “Set aside all your claims to access into the kingdom of God on the grounds that you have prophesied or preached in My name; have cast out demons in My name; and have performed miracles in My name. Look at your condition and acknowledge that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked; and then, come to Me, and obtain true wealth, and you will be wealthy indeed; obtain the white garment of righteousness, and you will be clothed indeed; and allow Me to anoint your eyes with My eye salve, and you will be able to see as you ought.” He continues, “I will even make it easier for you: you need not travel far to obtain these things, for I am already standing at the door and knocking, calling out to you; if you will hear My voice and open the door, then, I will come in and purge/purify you, clothe you, and anoint your eyes so you can see clearly.”
This is the same counsel that all believers in Christ must listen to and learn from today. The time has come for all true believers to recognize that their wealth, possessions, and sufficiency must be in Christ alone. If we have erred from that path, we should willingly open the door of our hearts to our Lord, and He will give us true wealth which neither moth nor rust can attack, clothe us with the robe of righteousness which protects from sin and covers shame, and, anoint our eyes so that we can clearly see as we ought and not live presumptuously. This way, boasting is eliminated, and we can acknowledge that all that we have done, we have done by the grace of God, and in His power. And so access into the kingdom of heaven shall become ours through Him Who has called us to glory and praise!
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Entering Into The Kingdom of Heaven (4)
The Lord’s comment to anyone who comes to Him with claims of access into heaven on the basis of preaching, casting out demons, performing miracles in His Name and other similar acts of divine service, is one that will shock and astound that person. For He said that He would make a plain and public proclamation, as follows: “At no time was I ever intimate with you; at no time were you ever intimate with Me. You did not love Me, nor did you ever keep any of My commandments. You were never born again, even though you were in church all your life. You had a position of eminence in the church, and were even ordained, but it was not I who gave you the position of eminence nor was it I who ordained you! I don’t recognize you, neither do I recognize as worthy of regard, any of these things you are claiming to have done in My name! Get away from Me. Get into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. You are a practitioner of lawlessness; a performer of iniquity and wickedness; a doer of things not authorized or approved by Me! You are a false professor of faith in God. You speak, but have no action to back up your speech. What a waste your life has been!”
Indeed, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Today is the day when we settle everything between us and God. This is a personal matter between you and God, and no other person is involved. You are the only one who knows whether you are playing games with God or whether you truly are born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, and sincerely walking with God. For those who are truly serving God, the eternal life promised by God is guaranteed, and can never fail; but those who are acting deceitfully, it will end very badly.
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The Message of the Teachings on the Mount (1): The Blessedness of Hearing and Doing
The Lord’s teachings and words are meant to be beneficial to those who hear it; but for some people they do not benefit them. The problem has never been with the word of God, but with the hearer. The Lord categorized those listening to His words into two groups—those who listen, but do not apply His word in their lives and situations; and, those who not only listen, but also go on to apply what they have heard in their lives and situations.
There are tremendous blessings in being more than just a hearer or being in attendance in bible study. For instance, there is salvation from the influence of sin to all who hear the word of God and believe it. Indeed, a true disciple of the Lord is that person who puts to practice the word of God. He is one who knows the truth in God’s word and who is set free by the power in the word of God! Other benefits of being hearers and doers of the word of God include, being blessed in all that you do; spiritual growth and maturity in the things of God; fruitfulness and prosperity in every area of your life; sanctification; and, the assurance of eternal life.
Unfortunately, for those who do not adhere to the word of God, there is a far worse ending—one in which they are worse off than when they first believed. Indeed, many people have had the opportunity to hear the word of God by way of evangelism, bible study, seminars, counselling, etc., but the word which they heard did not benefit them because of unbelief, and hence, they did not do what they had heard!
A major part of the message of the Lord’s teachings on the Mount is that you are neither transformed, nor are you a disciple, just because you are listening to God’s word or attend bible study regularly. You are transformed, and become a disciple, only because you act on the word of God which you have heard. Indeed, the benefits and blessedness which accrue to the hearer of the word of God, rests on this premise—you acting on God’s word in faith!
Are you indeed blessed through bible study (private and corporate)? Are you growing spiritually? Are you more mature in the things of God? Do you have a fruitful and productive life? Are you enjoying true prosperity and good success? Are you sanctified every time the word of God comes to you? Are you sure of your eternity with God by reason of the word of God? If you cannot answer “Yes” to all of these questions, then you need to go and talk to God about His word abiding in you!
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The Message of the Teachings on the Mount (2): Actively Hearing and Doing
The reason why you don’t see transformation from the powerful word of God in your life is because you are not living out the word of God. You are not living out the word of God, for the following reasons:
1. Your heart is unable to receive the word of God due to hardness (indifference or lack of understanding);
2. You are not being truthful with yourself, but you are acting as though you are spiritual, whereas, your heart is really hardened deep within. On the surface, you seem to be like a true believer in Christ, but when tough and challenging times come, you drop the word of God like a hot potato!
3. There are baggage from the time when you were not born again, which you have refused to let go of, still occupying your heart, so that when the word of God enters into your heart, there is already a crowd of thoughts and concerns, and, a competition for space, and the word of God is never given the priority it should receive, and so, it is crowded out, and you are unfruitful in the word of God.
4. You lack patience, and are unable to wait for God to do what He wants to do in your life through His word, and you have gone off on your own to work out something other than what the word of God teaches.
Indeed, the bible tells us that unless we are rid of the things that have occupied our hearts from when we were not born again—things which ought to have been dealt with—we shall be unable to do the word of God we are hearing, no matter for how long we hear it! You must therefore be rid of all things that defile, and eliminate any vestige (or remnant) of evil and malice in you. This emptying of yourself, which is sanctification, will enable you to receive the word of God with meekness in your heart. And in receiving the word of God, you must be quick to hear (carefully listen with a view to doing what you have heard); be slow to speak (carefully ponder what has been said before even speaking); and, be slow to get angry (don’t be soon offended by the word of God which you have heard). With these things in place in your life, hearing and doing the word of God is a joy, even when it may seem very tough to do.
If you are going to be able to actively hear and do the word of God, you must be sanctified on a daily basis. It is such daily sanctification which enables you to receive the word of God with meekness and reverence in your heart, and act on it promptly (Hebrews 11:7; James 1:25). This is what truly brings the blessings of the Lord!
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The Message of the Teachings on the Mount (3): Adversity and Hearing & Doing
Everyone on earth is a builder; but whether or not you are a wise builder, depends heavily on what you are building on. Are you building on the Rock, which is Jesus Christ, or are you building on sand? Indeed, all men are involved in building their lives, but the life that will endure unto eternity, is the one which is built on Christ, the Rock! This is because every ‘house’ or life is sure to face adverse conditions in the environment where they are, and anyone who is not standing after such adversity strikes, will lose his life in eternity.
Adversity is one thing that is common to all human beings. It is not true that life is devoid of times of adversity. Indeed, life sometimes can be full of adversities, which come to test the measure/depth of our faith in God. For example, it was adversity that exposed the superficiality (or lack of depth) of the ‘stony’ heart; and it is adversity that reveals our strength of character, and the resolve of our faith or trust in God.
The Christian walk is never free of adversity; indeed, overcoming adversity is how a true believer in Christ is brought to maturity. Hence, the teachings or doctrines of Christ, when adhered to (acted upon), enable the believer to overcome adversity. Also, bible study is not for acquisition of knowledge just for the sake of it, but to get the believer in Christ to be firmly rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, and in his (the believer’s) trust in God, so that he is unshaken, and endures unto eternity.
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The Message of the Teachings on the Mount (4): Adversity and Christianity
We have seen tonight that adversity can come in torrents or waves of contrary conditions. Regardless of how intense adversity is, it is the life that is built on Christ’s teachings that will remain standing when the adverse condition is over. We have also seen that even though the foolish builder may have already been enjoying his life, while the wise builder was still digging and building, ultimately, it was the wise builder who ended up enjoying after adversity was over. Another important observation we have made is that adverse conditions do not come to a believer in Christ until his ‘building’ is complete. The true believer will encounter adversity which is equivalent to the level he is expected to have attained in Christ, not necessarily the level he has attained. This means that you have to build your life on Christ, as and when He directs you. Not doing so, would mean that you are not growing at the pace expected of you; and when adversity strikes, which is equal to the level you ought to have attained, you would be unable to stand!
The Christian is considered wise only because his life is founded and established on Christ. This established life in Christ, is the result of years of digging and building on Christ’s teachings. As we hear and act on Christ’s teachings, we are taking roots downward, and will definitely bear fruit upward. The fruit does not appear instantaneously, but it does manifest once a life is persistently rooted and grounded in Christ’s love! And when adversity strikes, the Christian whose life is established on Christ will be unmoved.
One major lesson we can take away with us tonight is this: adversity can become the basis for bringing the foolish builder to his senses, so that he can repent, and return to the Lord. Tonight, this opportunity is extended to those of us who may have been building our lives on things and values other than Christ, the Rock.
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The Message of the Teachings on the Mount (5): Who Should Hear This?
The teachings on the Mount began with Jesus' disciples gathering round Him to hear Him teach, but it ended up with much more people (crowds) coming to hear Him. This must have prompted the Lord to address His closing remarks to “whoever”. The implication of the Lord's remark is thus that His message is not discriminatory––it is for the believer in Christ just as well as it is for the non-Christian; it is for the wealthy, as it is for the poor; it is for men, as it is for women; it is for the high in society, as it is for the lowly; it is for the old, as it is for the young; it is for those who have been attending bible study regularly, as it is for those who do not attend bible study at all.
One thing though, is that “whoever”, must be someone who has heard the teachings of the Lord. Even if a person has not heard the word of God yet, the day he hears it and begins to act on it, is the day that he can be said to be a wise builder who will overcome adversity. But many have heard the gospel; they just have not accepted it! On the other hand, if a person has been hearing the word of God, and has not been acting on it, then that person can be said to be a foolish builder. In any case, not hearing the word of God is not a tenable excuse, because all men have the knowledge of God through nature; again, they just have refused to yield to Him and to His gospel!
The message then is that, it is not how frequently a person attends bible study or studies the bible personally (even though that is a good thing), that matters; what is important is how promptly and effectively, a person acts on the word of God! (Hebrews 11:7).
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What or Who is the Holy Spirit?
It is very interesting to note that some people, whom we would have called disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, may have never heard of, let alone, know about the Holy Spirit! And those who may, however, have heard of the Holy Spirit, only know about the Holy Spirit. In this study, we have set out to go beyond knowing about the Holy Spirit, to knowing the Holy Spirit in a special and relational way.
From our study, we have seen that the Holy Spirit is not a ‘what’. The Holy Spirit is not a thing, but the Third Person of the Godhead. Just as God, the Father is God, and God, the Son, is God, so also, is the Holy Spirit, God! The Holy Spirit is equal in essence and power with God, the Father, and, God, the Son; and, They all are One God! There is unity among Them, and yet They maintain Their distinct identities. The Holy Spirit is God, as evident in Creation, in baptism, in the doxology, and in the manifestation of spiritual gifts. The Holy Spirit is a Person, and is always described as a ‘He’, and never as an ‘it’ or a ‘she’ as some have suggested. As a Person, He knows things, and thus possesses intelligence; He speaks, and teaches; and, He can be grieved to the point of withdrawing Himself from man.
However, the Holy Spirit does not want to withdraw from man. On the contrary, He wants to be man’s friend in a very close and intimate relationship. It is, however, up to man to make that happen, by first being born again, and then, beginning this friendship relationship (John 14:16-17).
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If there is no Holy Spirit …(1)
If a man has no knowledge of the Holy Spirit, or His works, he would believe that there was no Creation of the heavens and the earth, nor could man have been made by God. Such individuals will not only believe the Big Bang and Evolution Theories, but will propagate it! They would believe that the Universe just happened and that man ultimately evolved from planktons! Such were the people (many of them Cardinals and Bishops) in the Catholic Church many Centuries ago who persecuted the people who said that the earth is round and not flat! Indeed, anyone who attempted to make such a suggestion was either imprisoned for heresy, or blasphemy, or even burned at the stakes!
When a man has no knowledge of the Holy Spirit, even if he concedes the creation of man to God, he will come away with a belief that man is a zombie who cannot be responsible for the sins he is committing; he would therefore expect God to stop man from committing sin. And if God does not stop man from committing sin, then it means that there really is nothing wrong with what man is doing!
For those who do not know that there is a Holy Spirit, they believe that the bible is a novel, or a mystical book which the ordinary man on the street should not venture to read! Such men believe that there are various interpretations to the bible, and that the bible is essentially a source of special knowledge, which does not include the kingdom of God, or salvation for that matter. And when such men preach from the bible, they will depend on their oratory prowess, and their speech will be motivational, emotional, and carnal! For this reason also, their speech lacks the power to change the lives of men. Hence, sin abounds unabated in the gathering where such men superintend over. There is never any conviction of sin, of righteousness, nor, of judgment in their meetings. Everyone does as he likes and it is acceptable unto them.
For those who know that there is a Holy Spirit Who is God, however, they cannot but believe without question, the biblical account of the Creation of the heavens and the earth, the creation of man, and the introduction of sin into the world. For those who know the Holy Spirit, they know that the bible is the inspired (by the Holy Spirit) word of God, which truthfully documents events in the lives of the people of God, and which is useful for the transformation of human lives and the salvation of man in its entirety. Men who know, and walk with the Holy Spirit, preach the gospel of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, with the effect of true repentance and salvation in the lives of the hearers, having been convicted of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
May we all come to know the Holy Spirit, and experience His awesome power, in Jesus’ name, Amen!
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If there is no Holy Spirit …(2)
If a man does not have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, he is not a Christian, and cannot live like one, that is, he cannot be Christ-like no matter how hard he may try. He is not, and cannot be a part of the Church. He may be attending church, but he is not a part of the Church of God! Such a person cannot effectively witness about the earthly life, suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, with the result of conviction in the heart which produces repentance, neither can he have any revelation of truth from God, nor will he be able to stand against the oppression and bondage of the devil. Indeed, this man will be under perpetual bondage and oppression. He will seek what is good, but will only find evil, because that is all that will be accompanying him.
The man who does not have intimacy with the Holy Spirit will be a slave to the desires of the sinful nature, and no matter how hard he may try, he will be unable to resist engaging in sinful conduct such as; sexual immorality, sexual pervasion, and, depravity; things that cause division among men, witchcraft and manipulation, earthly and sensual wisdom, malice, anger, hatred, gossip, etc. He will be unable to truly call Jesus Lord and live it out, but will freely curse the Lord, not only in his speech and thoughts, but by the way he lives. This man will be heavily invested in the occult, magic, soothsaying, sorcery, etc., and even when it seems like he is performing miracles, it will be lying wonders. He will be easily swayed by the devil into the path of iniquity, for that is all he has opened himself to.
On the other hand, the people who have an ongoing relationship with the Holy Spirit are the ones the bible truly identifies as Christians, and members of the Body of Christ, the Church. They are effective witnesses of the ministry and mission of Christ, and are introduced to truth, which is able to save them. These people are truly free of everything that holds men bound in unrighteousness, and will not give in to sinful desires. They will manifest the fruit of the Spirit, and will worship God in spirit and in truth. They will be able to live as God wants them to, with miraculous signs and wonders following them. And, they will continue to wax strong in all things, and will themselves do exploits!
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Have Ye Received the Holy Ghost? (1): The Basis for It
The rendering of the Amplified Bible of the portion of Paul's question under review, “… when you believed [on Jesus as the Christ]?” opened us to two major issues, one of which we have dealt with tonight: The Basis of Receiving The Holy Spirit. This applied to the disciples of John's teachings/writing then, as it does apply to us, today. Like many people who follow and adhere to the teachings/writings of founders of religious sects, these disciples of John majored on the rituals (John's baptism), and possibly mimicked the apparel of John, the Baptist, but were ignorant of the crucial/relevant aspect of John's teachings. And, although, John, the Baptist, kept speaking of “One” who would baptize with the Holy Spirit, these disciples of his whom Paul met at Ephesus, said that they had not as much as heard if there is a Holy Spirit!
Indeed, John, the Baptist, confessed that he wasn't the one who would baptize in the Holy Spirit; but pointed to Jesus, as the “One” Who baptizes in the Holy Spirit, and Whom the people should believe in (depend on for their eternal salvation; entrust their spiritual well-being to). The Lord Jesus Himself, proved that John, the Baptist, the Scriptures (at the time, the Old Testament), and Moses’ writings (the Torah), which the Pharisees (and Islam) hold dear, point to Him, as the Christ (the One Who we should depend on for our eternal salvation/entrust our spiritual well-being to), and, Who baptizes in the Holy Spirit! By divine revelation, Peter confessed Jesus, as the Christ, the Son of the living God––the One in Whom all men should trust for their eternal salvation, deliverance from sin and the devil, spiritual well-being!
Believing in Jesus, as the Christ, is thus the basis of our receiving the Holy Spirit. This belief is not a passive one, but a very active one, which gets the person believing to take certain actions, like publicly confess Jesus as his Saviour and Lord, obey Jesus’ every instruction, and be baptized in His name (Romans 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 4:13). It is such a belief in Jesus, which releases many blessings from Him to the believer, including the Holy Spirit! Entrusting your spiritual well-being to John, the Baptist, Moses, the Prophets, or, the founder of a religious sect, will not and cannot give you eternal salvation, neither can it release the Holy Spirit and other spiritual blessings to you!
Paul's question therefore, ties the issue of a person receiving the Holy Spirit (principal among numerous spiritual blessings) to the ‘object’ in whom that person has entrusted his life and spiritual well-being. If your life and spiritual well-being has been entrusted to Jesus, then you should receive the Holy Spirit! Have you entrusted your life and spiritual well-being to Jesus Christ, and are obeying His instructions? Have you received the Holy Spirit? If your answer to both questions is negative, then we must ask, “Is your life and spiritual well-being entrusted to the custody of the founder of a religious sect or organization (like a pastor, a bishop, the Pope, a General Overseer, etc.)?” You can change this today, by renouncing these men, and putting the custody of your life and spiritual well-being into the Hands of Jesus Christ!
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Have Ye Received the Holy Ghost? (2): The Timing for It
The Lord Jesus promised that all who believe in Him as the Christ (the One to Whom all men must entrust their lives to, for deliverance from sin, the flesh, and the devil, as well as for their spiritual well-being and eternal life) shall surely receive the Holy Spirit. The evidence of the Holy Spirit is in the receipt of power to cast out demons, speak with new tongues, take up serpents and drink deadly things without being hurt, recovery for the sick when a recipient of the Holy Spirit lays hands on them, and, spreading the message of salvation through Jesus Christ with conviction.
In our study tonight, we have seen that the matter of when the Holy Spirit can be received varies from the instant a person believes (puts his trust) in Jesus as Christ (for his eternal salvation) to shortly afterwards. It was not expected that it would take forever for the Holy Spirit to be received. The receiving of the Holy Spirit was a major focus for the early Church, and, should be of primary concern to the Church today. This is because among other reasons, the power of the Church is from the Holy Spirit, and His absence makes the Church powerless, and, an aberration!
Have you put your trust in Jesus for your eternal salvation, but you are yet to receive the Holy Spirit? If your answer is “Yes”, then we need to ask: “How hungry are you for God?” “Is Jesus glorified in you?” and, “Are you living your life for God or for self?” And, even if you have already received the Holy Spirit, the last question is still applicable to you, otherwise, you may indeed speak in tongues, but will lack the power of the Holy Spirit (Judges 13:2-5; 16:4-21; 2 Timothy 3:1-6; Galatians 3:1-5; 6:7-8).
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