Wednesday 24 July 2019
LIFTING MY VOICE: THE HOLY SPIRITAs a child, I did not come from a C...
LIFTING MY VOICE: THE HOLY SPIRITAs a child, I did not come from a C...: THE HOLY SPIRIT As a child, I did not come from a Christian home. My parents did not go to church, but I do remember going to a Methodist...
THE HOLY SPIRIT
As a child, I did not come from a Christian home. My parents did not go to church, but I do remember going to a Methodist Sunday School for a while in Surfers Paradise on Queensland's Gold Coast, where I grew up. Then, as a teenager at about the age of fourteen, I started attending the local Church of England youth group with another friend from school.
That led to us being asked by the minister of the church to become 'servers' - I suppose similar to altar boys in the Catholic Church. The church had two Sunday morning services - 7am and 9am. We were involved in the 7am service. Eventually, through a school holidays church 'coffee shop' outreach, I heard the Gospel message clearly as one of the youth group leaders sat with me until midnight one night sharing the message of salvation through Jesus Christ with me.
I prayed the "Sinner's Prayer", and, at that point in time, my Christian life began.
i knew that something had happened in my life. I literally did sense the experience of being 'born again' as the Bible says in John 3:3 and 7. I went home feeling invigorated, and woke up the next morning feeling a sense of God's nearness, and a real sense of being cleansed from my sin.
I knew from my Sunday School lessons earlier, and from attending the church services and hearing the Word of God preached, that the God of the Bible was referred to as the Trinity - One God in Three Persons - God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1:26 as part of the creation narrative, the Bible says: Then God said, "Let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness...."
I could understand something of the concept of God being Father, and could also understand something of the Person of Jesus Christ through the Christmas story and the significance of Easter, and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - even before any church or Sunday School involvement I probably had some exposure to Christian teaching. through Bible-in-Schools programs as well.
But, I remember the Holy Spirit being a total mystery to me. Actually as a child, with the King James version of the Bible being the main Protestant Scripture source, the Holy Ghost was the terminology most used for this mysterious person in the Godhead. To be honest, Holy Ghost sounded to me a little spooky!
As a child, and into my early teens, ghosts were scary ethereal figures that haunted old dilapidated houses, and were the stuff of nightmares!
However, when I became a Christian, I learned that the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, as we mostly refer to Him now - is a vital member of the Godhead - Yes, He is a He, not an IT, not some vague force, but a Person with personality.
When Jesus was about to finish His earthly ministry, He told His disciples in John 14:15-18: "If you love Me, keep my commands,
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever,
even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows him; but you know Him
for He dwells with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."
The Bible tells us that when we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, when we confess our sin and our need of a Saviour, and accept the work of Jesus shedding His blood and dying on the Cross - the sinless Son of God dying in our place (Romans 5:8), we are born again by the work of the Holy Spirit as He makes alive our human spirit which until that time has been unresponsive to the Spirit and Word of God. The apostle Paul says in Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Jesus' disciples were sad when He told them He was going away, but He reassured them that He would send another Helper and that He would abide or dwell with them forever. The Greek work Jesus used for another Helper is allos which means another of the same kind. The Holy Spirit Jesus would send would be their Helper, Counsellor, Comforter, and Guide. The Holy Spirit's coming would assure them of continuity of all that Jesus both did and taught.
Every man, woman or child who personally commits their life to Christ and is "born again" of the Holy Spirit becomes as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:17 a new creation in Christ, able to commune or fellowship with Father God.
BUT WAIT........THERE'S MORE!
If you want to know more about how you can be "born again" and can experience the life that God has planned for you - not an easy life, but a life in fellowship with your Creator God, a life led by the Holy Spirit, a life filled with purpose and promise for the future - contact the following for further help:
vision.org.au This is the home of Vision Christian Media.
Click on the Grow your faith tab at the top of the page, then Looking for God?
If you have made a commitment of your life to Jesus Christ in response to reading this blog, please let me know in the Comments section below.
God Bless!
i knew that something had happened in my life. I literally did sense the experience of being 'born again' as the Bible says in John 3:3 and 7. I went home feeling invigorated, and woke up the next morning feeling a sense of God's nearness, and a real sense of being cleansed from my sin.
I knew from my Sunday School lessons earlier, and from attending the church services and hearing the Word of God preached, that the God of the Bible was referred to as the Trinity - One God in Three Persons - God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1:26 as part of the creation narrative, the Bible says: Then God said, "Let us make man in Our image, according to our likeness...."
I could understand something of the concept of God being Father, and could also understand something of the Person of Jesus Christ through the Christmas story and the significance of Easter, and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - even before any church or Sunday School involvement I probably had some exposure to Christian teaching. through Bible-in-Schools programs as well.
But, I remember the Holy Spirit being a total mystery to me. Actually as a child, with the King James version of the Bible being the main Protestant Scripture source, the Holy Ghost was the terminology most used for this mysterious person in the Godhead. To be honest, Holy Ghost sounded to me a little spooky!
As a child, and into my early teens, ghosts were scary ethereal figures that haunted old dilapidated houses, and were the stuff of nightmares!
However, when I became a Christian, I learned that the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit, as we mostly refer to Him now - is a vital member of the Godhead - Yes, He is a He, not an IT, not some vague force, but a Person with personality.
When Jesus was about to finish His earthly ministry, He told His disciples in John 14:15-18: "If you love Me, keep my commands,
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever,
even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows him; but you know Him
for He dwells with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."
The Bible tells us that when we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, when we confess our sin and our need of a Saviour, and accept the work of Jesus shedding His blood and dying on the Cross - the sinless Son of God dying in our place (Romans 5:8), we are born again by the work of the Holy Spirit as He makes alive our human spirit which until that time has been unresponsive to the Spirit and Word of God. The apostle Paul says in Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Jesus' disciples were sad when He told them He was going away, but He reassured them that He would send another Helper and that He would abide or dwell with them forever. The Greek work Jesus used for another Helper is allos which means another of the same kind. The Holy Spirit Jesus would send would be their Helper, Counsellor, Comforter, and Guide. The Holy Spirit's coming would assure them of continuity of all that Jesus both did and taught.
Every man, woman or child who personally commits their life to Christ and is "born again" of the Holy Spirit becomes as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:17 a new creation in Christ, able to commune or fellowship with Father God.
BUT WAIT........THERE'S MORE!
If you want to know more about how you can be "born again" and can experience the life that God has planned for you - not an easy life, but a life in fellowship with your Creator God, a life led by the Holy Spirit, a life filled with purpose and promise for the future - contact the following for further help:
vision.org.au This is the home of Vision Christian Media.
Click on the Grow your faith tab at the top of the page, then Looking for God?
If you have made a commitment of your life to Jesus Christ in response to reading this blog, please let me know in the Comments section below.
God Bless!
Wednesday 17 July 2019
LIFTING MY VOICE: !THE ESSENTIAL WORD!The Bible tells us clearly tha...
LIFTING MY VOICE: !THE ESSENTIAL WORD!The Bible tells us clearly tha...: !THE ESSENTIAL WORD! The Bible tells us clearly that the Word of God to man is God-breathed. In the original inspiration by the Holy Spir...
!THE ESSENTIAL WORD!
The Bible tells us clearly that the Word of God to man is God-breathed. In the original inspiration by the Holy Spirit to those who were entrusted to record the Holy Scriptures, every word was inspired by the Spirit of God.
The apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, a young associate minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, says in 2 Timothy 3:16,17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The writer to Hebrews (possibly Paul, though authorship uncertain) says in chapter 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
It is very clear even from these few verses above that the Word of the Living God, recorded in our Bible and agreed upon by Biblical scholars in time past as the true and complete canon of Scripture, is powerful in its ability to build up the individual Christian in his or her relationship with the Lord God, and to provide a clear blueprint for the Church of Jesus Christ to grow and thrive as a healthy organism, imparting life to all who participate in its instruction.
That being said, our Creator God, who designed intricately every aspect of nature and flung the stars and planets throughout the universe - has given us creative ability under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the church is a place of great diversity in worship expression, meeting protocols etc - which is perfectly fine as long as the Biblical guidelines and foundation truth of Scripture is adhered to - without compromise!
Sadly, surveys have been conducted by reputable Christian data collection organisations and have shown that a high percentage of confessing Christians do not read their Bibles regularly, if at all. This is a tragedy for the modern church. I read recently that a survey by the Barna group in America revealed that a high percentage - nearly half of Millenials - people born from the year 2000 - young people, do not believe that Christians should share their faith with others if they already have adherence to another faith!
When we think of Jesus' own words about Himself in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me", it should ring alarm bells in the church that this generation of young Christians need to be instructed in the Word, that they may have hearts motivated with Christ's love to reach their peers with the life-transforming Good News of the Gospel.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
As a Christian for over fifty years of my life, if I am honest, I know that I do not read or study the Bible as much as I should. I have no excuse. I have time on my hands - no longer working, I have a number of Bibles in various versions, as well as unlimited internet access to every version currently available. I have no excuse. The devil will use anything, even legitimate activities to distract us and keep us from God's Word. Again, that is not a cop-out on my part, because as a Christian, redeemed by the blood of the Risen Christ, I have authority over any ploy from the enemy.
A number of years ago, my wife, Tessa was given a picture from the Lord in which she saw me picking up a sword. As I picked it up, at first it seemed heavy and in my hand, quite unwieldy. But as I continued to pick it up, I became more confident in holding it and, began to advance, skillfully wielding it as I moved forward. This was, of course, an encouragement to me to pick up the "sword of the Spirit" which, the Bible tells us is the Word of God.
Well known British Baptist preacher of the nineteenth century, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who was affectionately known as "The Prince of Preachers" once said: There are ten people who are willing to die for the Bible for every one who will read it." A rather sobering thought!
We, as Christians are in a relentless battle with our enemy, Satan, whom the Bible says is a thief whose aim is to "steal, kill and destroy" mankind, and to keep followers of Christ from enjoying their Godly inheritance in Christ, through lies and deception, fear and doubt etc. To that end, another quote that Tessa often reminds me of - I think originating from Derek Prince, is: "You can't fight thoughts with thoughts! You have to fight thoughts (of doubt, worry, fear, anxiety, unbelief) with the Word of God."
Much has been said and written about concerning the difference between the logos word of God, and the rhema word. Logos and rhema are two Greek words which both mean "word." It was widely agreed by many scholars that the logos word is the Bible, the written word, whereas in almost all instances of the use of rhema, it is a spoken word.
Indeed, it can be rightly said also, that the rhema word is a word that seems to jump off the page to the reader, as it were, to speak into a particular situation or circumstance requiring a quickened word to inspire faith for a need to be met by God. Examples may be when seeking direction in life, when seeking the Lord for healing or deliverance, when there is confusion of mind, or a word to bring peace to the heart is required.
Jesus, in His own words, says in John 8:31,32 "If you continue in My Word, then are you my disciples indeed,
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."
For help in becoming a Christian, please logon to www.vision.org.au Click on Grow your faith, then Looking for God?
The apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, a young associate minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, says in 2 Timothy 3:16,17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
The writer to Hebrews (possibly Paul, though authorship uncertain) says in chapter 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
It is very clear even from these few verses above that the Word of the Living God, recorded in our Bible and agreed upon by Biblical scholars in time past as the true and complete canon of Scripture, is powerful in its ability to build up the individual Christian in his or her relationship with the Lord God, and to provide a clear blueprint for the Church of Jesus Christ to grow and thrive as a healthy organism, imparting life to all who participate in its instruction.
That being said, our Creator God, who designed intricately every aspect of nature and flung the stars and planets throughout the universe - has given us creative ability under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the church is a place of great diversity in worship expression, meeting protocols etc - which is perfectly fine as long as the Biblical guidelines and foundation truth of Scripture is adhered to - without compromise!
Sadly, surveys have been conducted by reputable Christian data collection organisations and have shown that a high percentage of confessing Christians do not read their Bibles regularly, if at all. This is a tragedy for the modern church. I read recently that a survey by the Barna group in America revealed that a high percentage - nearly half of Millenials - people born from the year 2000 - young people, do not believe that Christians should share their faith with others if they already have adherence to another faith!
When we think of Jesus' own words about Himself in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me", it should ring alarm bells in the church that this generation of young Christians need to be instructed in the Word, that they may have hearts motivated with Christ's love to reach their peers with the life-transforming Good News of the Gospel.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
As a Christian for over fifty years of my life, if I am honest, I know that I do not read or study the Bible as much as I should. I have no excuse. I have time on my hands - no longer working, I have a number of Bibles in various versions, as well as unlimited internet access to every version currently available. I have no excuse. The devil will use anything, even legitimate activities to distract us and keep us from God's Word. Again, that is not a cop-out on my part, because as a Christian, redeemed by the blood of the Risen Christ, I have authority over any ploy from the enemy.
A number of years ago, my wife, Tessa was given a picture from the Lord in which she saw me picking up a sword. As I picked it up, at first it seemed heavy and in my hand, quite unwieldy. But as I continued to pick it up, I became more confident in holding it and, began to advance, skillfully wielding it as I moved forward. This was, of course, an encouragement to me to pick up the "sword of the Spirit" which, the Bible tells us is the Word of God.
Well known British Baptist preacher of the nineteenth century, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who was affectionately known as "The Prince of Preachers" once said: There are ten people who are willing to die for the Bible for every one who will read it." A rather sobering thought!
We, as Christians are in a relentless battle with our enemy, Satan, whom the Bible says is a thief whose aim is to "steal, kill and destroy" mankind, and to keep followers of Christ from enjoying their Godly inheritance in Christ, through lies and deception, fear and doubt etc. To that end, another quote that Tessa often reminds me of - I think originating from Derek Prince, is: "You can't fight thoughts with thoughts! You have to fight thoughts (of doubt, worry, fear, anxiety, unbelief) with the Word of God."
Much has been said and written about concerning the difference between the logos word of God, and the rhema word. Logos and rhema are two Greek words which both mean "word." It was widely agreed by many scholars that the logos word is the Bible, the written word, whereas in almost all instances of the use of rhema, it is a spoken word.
Indeed, it can be rightly said also, that the rhema word is a word that seems to jump off the page to the reader, as it were, to speak into a particular situation or circumstance requiring a quickened word to inspire faith for a need to be met by God. Examples may be when seeking direction in life, when seeking the Lord for healing or deliverance, when there is confusion of mind, or a word to bring peace to the heart is required.
Jesus, in His own words, says in John 8:31,32 "If you continue in My Word, then are you my disciples indeed,
And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."
For help in becoming a Christian, please logon to www.vision.org.au Click on Grow your faith, then Looking for God?
LIFTING MY VOICE: JESUS.........I AM!In the beginning, God created t...
LIFTING MY VOICE: JESUS.........I AM!In the beginning, God created t...: JESUS.........I AM! In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 Thus we have the beginning of the first book of ...
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