JESUS SAVES
DISCIPLESHIP
THE GOSPEL
REPENTANCE
WHAT IS REPENTANCE? Repentance comes from the Greek word “metanoeo” which can mean to CHANGE ONE’S MIND!! Within the context of salvation, it is therefore a change of mindset from OUR SIN TO GOD, which leads to a change of will and change of action!! (Acts 26:20)
IS REPENTANCE PREACHED IN THE BIBLE?
Matthew 3:2- John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by preaching the need for repentance (Acts 19:4)!
Matthew 4:17- Jesus started off His ministry by proclaiming the need for repentance (Mark 1:15)!
Mark 6:12- Jesus’ disciples were sent out preaching repentance as part of their ministry!!
Luke 24:46-47 Jesus ended His ministry also reminding the disciples to go and preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in His name!!
Acts 2:37-38 the early church was birthed through the message of repentance on the day of Pentecost by Peter!!
Acts 17:30, Acts 26:20 it was part of the missionary message of Paul-to preach repentance as part of salvation!!
2 Corinthians 12:21- The Apostle Paul also preached repentance from sins to the church in Corinth!
Revelation 2:5- it was the rebuke of Jesus speaking through John the apostle to the 7 churches in Revelation for them to repent from sin (Revelation 2:16, 2:21-22, Revelation 3:3,19)! The fact that Jesus here is calling those who are already christians in the 7 churches to repent, means that REPENTANCE FROM SIN IS AN ON-GOING PROCESS (FOR PEOPLE ALREADY SAVED AS WELL)!! (2 Corinthians 12:21)
WHAT LEADS US TO REPENT?
Romans 2:4 reminds us that it is the GOODNESS/KINDNESS of GOD that will lead us to repent!! It is therefore not from fear of God’s coming judgement, but rather the love of Jesus that will cause people to repent and turn to Him!! (Eg. Luke 19:1-10 the salvation story of Zacchaeus!)
WHAT REPENTANCE IS NOT: Repentance is not the same as REMORSE. In Matthew 27:3, Judas was filled with remorse over having betrayed Jesus, yet this remorse did not change his mind to lead him back to Jesus for salvation!!
WHEN DOES REPENTANCE NEED TO HAPPEN? (IS REPENTANCE NECESSARY FOR SALVATION?)
According to Mark 1:15, Jesus said for us to REPENT and BELIEVE the good news (Acts 19:4)! Based on this passage and Acts 19:4, it seems that repentance may precede believing but also that faith and repentance go hand-in-hand! We need to repent (change our mind) in order to believe in Jesus in the first place for salvation!! THUS REPENTANCE IS A NECESSARY STEP FOR SALVATION!
Q. HAVE YOU REPENTED OF YOUR SINS AND TURNED WHOLE-HEARTEDLY TO JESUS FOR SALVATION?
Q.ARE WE IN A CONTINUAL PROCESS OF REPENTANCE AS CHRISTIANS WHO ARE ALREADY SAVED?
Prayer: Jesus, please help me to repent of my sins and turn to you whole-heartedly because of your kindness and grace towards me!! Help me to live a life pleasing to you by The power of Your Holy Spirit!!
Amen!
SALVATION
It appears that based on scripture there are 3 PHASES to our salvation. That we HAVE BEEN saved, are BEING saved and WILL BE saved. The terms used to describe these phases are Justification, Sanctification and Glorification. Let's take a look at these 3 phases in more detail!!!!
1. JUSTIFICATION: (Just as if I had never sinned) The moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and saviour into our lives and become born again (John 3:3-7), our Heavenly Father says in the bible that we have become justified!!
Romans 5:1- “Therefore since we have been JUSTIFIED through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...”
The term justified or Justification comes from the Greek word 'Dikaioo' which means "to be declared right or righteous before God". The moment we come into a saving relationship with our saviour Jesus and become born again, we are declared right with God and brought back into relationship with our Heavenly Father!! It is as though we have never sinned!! It is in this sense that we HAVE BEEN SAVED (past tense)!!! (Romans 3:24, Ephesians 2:8)- SAVED FROM THE PENALTY OF SIN!! This is all by God alone, by His grace and mercy and not of our own works or doing so that no-one can boast!
2. SANCTIFICATION: The process of becoming more and more like Jesus each day (being made holy). BEING SAVED FROM THE POWER OF SIN!
Once we have been justified by God, we are declared right with Him, but the problem is that we are still not perfect in our actions and we struggle with sin. This is where the process of sanctification comes in. Here we "ARE BEING SAVED".
Philippians 2:12-13 “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.”
Notice that salvation in this verse is linked to His good purpose? In other words this has to do with living that life pleasing to Jesus by His strength in us. This is a continual process which is why Paul says "continue" to work out your salvation... In this process, we have a part to play in allowing our Heavenly Father to work in and through us through The Holy Spirit to transform and change us to become more like Jesus each day!! According to 1 Peter 1:2, it is the HOLY SPIRIT who is SANCTIFYING us for obedience to Jesus!!
1 Peter 1:9 "for you are RECEIVING the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
Here we are BEING saved from the POWER OF SIN! (Read 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Hebrews 10:14)
3. GLORIFICATION: To be made glorious. Dignity manifested. (Romans 8:30)- SAVED FROM THE PRESENCE OF SIN.
Romans 8:30 "And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also GLORIFIED."
The Greek word for glorified here in Romans 8:30 is the word "doxazo" which means "to make glorious" or "to cause the dignity and worth of a person to become manifest".
It is only when our Saviour Jesus comes back again in His second coming that we will finally be made perfect and experience the fullness of His salvation!! (1 John 3:2)
1 John 3:2- “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”
1 Peter 1:5- “...who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the SALVATION THAT IS READY TO BE REVEALED IN THE LAST TIME.”
1 Corinthians 13:9-10 "For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears."
Philippians 3:20-21 "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His GLORIOUS body."
In this sense, we WILL BE SAVED future tense. This is where finally all our body, soul and spirit will be perfect in the presence of our wonderful Jesus and there will no longer be the presence of sin!
1 Corinthians 15:51-57 "Listen, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where O death, is your victory? Where O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
RESPONSES TO THE GOSPEL
Read Philippians Chapter 1
RESPONSES TO THE GOSPEL!
(5 responses we are called to make in regards to the gospel in this chapter)
Here In Philippians 1, Paul mentions 5 responses we are called to make in regards to the gospel message of Jesus that has saved us. Let's take a look!
1.In vs 5- we are called into PARTNERSHIP IN THE GOSPEL! This could mean we are to work together in sharing the gospel to others!! The word partnership is 'koinonia' which means joint participation, COMMUNION or FELLOWSHIP!! This could also mean that the gospel brings FELLOWSHIP with one another as Christians!! (Acts 2:42)
We are therefore called to fellowship together in the gospel! Every time we meet to get into the word of God and encourage one another from the bible, we are fellowshipping (having koinonia) in the gospel!! ARE WE GATHERING REGULARLY TO FELLOWSHIP IN THE GOSPEL? (Notice The early church was fellowshipping daily together in Acts 2:42-46!)
What is also interesting is that this word Koinonia only starts appearing after the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:42 and reminds us according to 2 Corinthians 13:14 that we can only have true communion/fellowship/participation in the gospel by the Holy Spirit in us!! TRUE FELLOWSHIP OCCURS IN THE HOLY SPIRIT!
2.In vs 7,16- we are called to DEFEND AND CONFIRM THE GOSPEL!!
The word for defend is 'apologia' and is where we get the ‘APOLOGETICS' ministry from!! It means to give a reasoned argument for the gospel!! It is the same word used in 1 Peter 3:15- where we are called to give an ANSWER for the hope that we have!!
We too, are also called to defend the truth of the gospel!!
Q. ARE WE READY AND PREPARED TO DEFEND THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS AND GIVE A REASON FOR THE HOPE WE HAVE IN HIM?
3.In vs 12-14 we are called to ADVANCE THE GOSPEL!
Even though Paul was in prison at this point in time, he still realised that his chains were the opportunity for the gospel to be advanced in his prison, such that the prison guards got to hear the gospel!! Paul realised that even though he Himself was chained, THE GOSPEL IS NEVER CHAINED!! Do we recognise that in whatever circumstance Jesus has put us in, it is an opportunity to SPREAD the gospel? Whether we are in prison, a tough workplace, or even in hospital, will we realise this is the opportunity to share Jesus with the other patients and doctors and nursing staff around us? Are we spreading the gospel of Jesus to the nations? (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8)
Q.HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ADVANCING THE GOSPEL in your workplace, sporting team, hospital, prison or school?
4.In vs 27- Paul tells us to CONDUCT OURSELVES IN A MANNER WORTHY OF THE GOSPEL!!
This could mean living in accordance with the gospel of Jesus. Are we Christians who actually live our lives consistent with and in obedience to the word of God?
The word "conduct" in the greek can mean to behave as a citizen of heaven!! To behave therefore, as one who obeys and follows the rules of the kingdom of heaven!! It's the same word used in Acts 23:1 when Paul said he fulfilled his duty to God in all good conscience!!
Q. ARE WE LIVING OUR LIVES IN A GODLY WAY, IN-LINE WITH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS, SUCH THAT THE WORLD KNOWS WE BELONG TO JESUS AND HIS KINGDOM?
5.vs 27- we are told to STRIVE TOGETHER IN UNITY FOR THE FAITH OF THE GOSPEL!
The word 'strive together' could mean to labour/ work together/ wrestle for the truth of the gospel! The word 'strive for' is synthleo which can mean to labour together, or work together. It is the same word used in Philippians 4:3, when Paul refers to two women who “worked together” with Him for the cause of the gospel!! 'For the faith' can mean for the conviction of the truth. In other words, we are called to labour and work together for the truth of the gospel to be heard and shared!! Striving TOGETHER could also present the idea of serving in UNITY as the church, in one spirit contending for the truth of the faith!! Are we willing to work together with our brothers and sisters from different churches to see the gospel go forward and the name of our wonderful Jesus glorified?
Q.ARE WE LABOURING TOGETHER IN UNITY FOR THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL TO BE SHARED DESPITE THE OPPOSITION WE WILL RECEIVE FOR SHARING THIS TRUTH?
I pray that as Christians, we too might respond in these ways to the wonderful, life-changing Gospel of Jesus in our lives!!
STAGES OF GROWTH IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK!
1.BEING BORN AGAIN! (John 3:5-7, John 1:12-13)
Just like being physically born, so too when we first get saved we become spiritually born again. In John 3:5-7 Jesus said you can not enter the kingdom of heaven unless you are born again of The Holy Spirit!! It is when we are born again and receive the Holy Spirit that we become SONS OF GOD (Romans 8:14-15)!
2.INFANCY IN OUR FAITH! (1 Corinthians 3:1-2)
When we first get saved, we are still infants that are on MILK in our faith, that must now grow unto maturity!! In order to grow, 1 Peter 2:2 says we are to CRAVE THE PURE SPIRITUAL MILK OF THE WORD, so that by it we may grow up in our salvation! Just like new born babies crave and drink milk every couple of hours in order to grow up, so too we must CRAVE THE WORD OF GOD EVERYDAY (Psalm 1:2, Joshua 1:8, Matthew 4:4) and drink of it multiple times a day with Jesus in order to grow up in our faith!!
3.REACHING MATURITY THROUGH EATING SOLID FOOD! (Hebrews 5:11-6:3, 1 Corinthians 3:1-2)
The DANGER as mentioned in both 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 and Hebrews 5:11-13 is that WE CAN STAY AS IMMATURE, INFANT CHRISTIANS OUR WHOLE LIVES WITHOUT GROWING INTO MATURITY!!! We are told in these above passages that in order to grow, we must move from the milk drinking of the “elementary truths of God’s word” (Hebrews 5:12) and move on to SOLID FOOD which is the “teaching about righteousness”, being able to “distinguish between good and evil” from constant use of the word of God (Hebrews 5:13), and being equipped to now be able to TEACH OTHERS THE ELEMENTARY TRUTHS OF THE FAITH (Hebrews 5:12)! A list of the elementary teachings about Christ are mentioned in Hebrews 6:1-2. And therefore, as Hebrews 6:1-3 puts it: LET US LEAVE THE ELEMENTARY TEACHINGS ABOUT CHRIST AND GO ON TO MATURITY...
OTHER WAYS OUR HEAVENLY FATHER'S WORD SAYS WE CAN MATURE IN OUR FAITH IS BY:
1.James 1:2-4 GOING THROUGH TRIALS of many kinds so that our faith is tested and grows unto maturity!! (See 1 Peter 1:6-7)
2.Ephesians 4:11-16 GATHERING TOGETHER as the BODY OF CHRIST and using our spiritual giftings and callings to build each other up until we reach UNITY and MATURITY IN THE FAITH!!
Q1. ARE YOU TRULY BORN AGAIN AND SAVED IN JESUS?
Q2. ARE YOU CRAVING THE PURE SPIRITUAL MILK OF THE WORD OF GOD SO THAT YOU CAN GROW UP IN YOUR SALVATION IN JESUS?
Q3. HAVE YOU MOVED ON FROM THE ELEMENTARY TEACHINGS ABOUT JESUS AND MOVED ON TO SOLID FOOD?
Q4. ARE YOU EQUIPPED TO TEACH OTHERS THE ELEMENTARY TRUTHS OF GOD’S WORD?
BAPTISM
WHAT IS BAPTISM?
The word baptism (as mentioned in Luke 3:21 and Acts 8:36 for example) comes from the greek word "Baptizo" which means to "fully immerse" or "submerge". This shows us that water baptism is being fully immersed in the water and not just a sprinkling on the head.
WHAT DOES BAPTISM REPRESENT?
Romans 6:3-4 'Don't you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.'
According to Romans 6:3-4, our Heavenly Father tells us that Baptism represents/symbolises putting to death our old ways just like our saviour Jesus died, being buried with Him just as Jesus was put in the grave and coming up a new creation to live a new life, just as our saviour Jesus rose from the dead!!!
Thus when we go down into the water, symbolically we are putting to death our old sinful nature, when we are under the water, we have buried our sinful nature and then, just like our wonderful Jesus was raised from the dead, when we come out of the water, we are raised to a new life in Jesus!!!
In a sense It is a public declaration of the inward change that Jesus has already made in our hearts!!!
In Luke 3:3 our Heavenly Father also tells us that John the baptist came to prepare the way for Jesus by preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (The apostle Peter also mentions this in Acts 2:38) So baptism may also represent the public declaration of turning from our sinful ways (repenting) and turning to Jesus!!!
1 Peter 3:21 our Heavenly Father tells us using the example of Noah and the flood that water baptism symbolises the pledge of a good conscience towards God rather than the physical removing of dirt from the body. Thus notice that baptism is a decision a believer must chose to make once they repent and become a born again believer by putting their full trust in Jesus.
WHY SHOULD WE BE BAPTISED?
In Matthew 3:13-17 our saviour Jesus comes to John to be water baptised. If anyone didn't need to be baptised, it would be our wonderful Saviour who is perfect, and yet Jesus led the way by being baptised. As christians, we are called to be followers of Jesus, and therefore to follow His example.
In Matthew 28:19-20 our saviour Jesus sends out His disciples, commanding them to make disciples of the nations and baptise them in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. Thus we see here that baptism is a command from our Saviour Jesus and therefore an act of obedience to Him on our part.
WHEN SHOULD WE BE BAPTISED?
All throughout the book of Acts it was commonly seen that water baptism was one of the first things that a christian did when they first came to be saved. We find this in Acts 2:38 on the day of pentecost when Jesus saved about 3000 in one day. We also find this in Acts 8:12 when many in Samaria believed and were saved, and in Acts 8:36 when the Ethiopian Eunuch gets saved. In Acts 10:47 when Cornelius and His household hear the gospel from Peter and get saved, they too get water baptised straight away!!!
In Hebrews 6:2 one of the instructions mentioned as part of the elementary teachings of Christ that should be done when we first become Christians includes baptisms.
So we see here from these passages, that water baptism is something we should want to do as soon as we become saved by Jesus!!!
IS THERE MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF BAPTISM?
Luke 3:16 'John answered them all, I baptise you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptise you with The Holy Spirit and with fire.'
Did you notice that John the baptist mentions here two different baptisms? He baptised in water, and yet he says that our saviour Jesus will baptise us in The Holy Spirit!!! This was confirmed by Jesus in Acts 1:4-5,8 and on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4 when the disciples were baptised in The Holy Spirit and received power!!!
In Acts 8:12-18 the believers in Samaria who accepted the word of God and became saved were water baptised into the name of Jesus. And yet we see in verse 15-18 that when Peter and John came to them and placed their hands on them, they were then baptised in The Holy Spirit!!! (Notice they received both baptisms here)
Another example of both these baptisms happening close together is in Acts 10:44-47 with Cornelius and his household. In vs 44 while Peter is still speaking the gospel message, Cornelius and his household receive the baptism of The Holy Spirit and start speaking in tongues!! Then Peter tells all who are there in vs 47 'Can anyone keep these people from being baptised with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.'
As you take this wonderful journey with our saviour Jesus may you get that revelation of the importance of wanting to be water baptised and receive the baptism of The Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ!!
OVERVIEW OF THE BIBLE
HOW TO READ THE BIBLE
Before we even spend time with our Saviour Jesus reading the bible, it is important to understand and get that revelation that the bible is truly God's divine word and not the words of men.
WHO WROTE THE BIBLE?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 'All scripture is GOD BREATHED and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.'
In 1 Thessalonians 2:13 Paul says to the church in Thessalonica 'And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, THE WORD OF GOD, which is at work in you who believe.'
2 Peter 1:20-21 'Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke FROM GOD as they were carried along by The Holy Spirit.'
DOES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER ACTUALLY ASK US TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM IN HIS WORD?
(Read Psalm 1:1-3, Matthew 4:4, Joshua 1:8)
In Psalm 1:1-3 our Heavenly Father tells us that the blessed man is one who delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on His law day and night.
In Joshua 1:8 our Heavenly Father tells Joshua it is of utmost importance that Joshua does not let the book of the law depart from his mouth, that he meditates on it day and night and is careful to obey God's word so that Israel may prosper and be successful in the promise land.
In Matthew 4:4 when our Saviour Jesus was hungry and was being tempted by the enemy satan in the desert, Jesus replied by saying 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' Here our saviour reminds us that our source of living is our Heavenly Father's word. Also, a practical principle that we might be able to learn from this passage is: that if we eat at least 3 meals a day to survive, then shouldn't we also be meditating at least 3 times a day on our Heavenly Father's word with Jesus to survive?
In 2 Timothy 3:15, notice that Timothy had been brought up in the word of God/holy scriptures from a young age, and this was able to make him wise for salvation through Jesus!!
Now that we see that it is part of God's plan that we spend each day with Jesus reading His life-changing word the bible, here are a few tips on how to go about reading God's word.
USEFUL TIPS ON HOW TO GO ABOUT READING GOD’S WORD:
1. Start reading the new testament first (from the gospel of Matthew, then Mark, Luke, John and so forth) as this is where our Saviour Jesus talks about His life and why He came for us. Once you finish reading the new testament, it is much easier to understand the old testament and how everything was fulfilled by Jesus when He came.
2. Read through chapter by chapter each day so that you can get the context of what our Heavenly Father is saying and what is happening in that passage. Eg. Start in Matthew 1 and read on to chapter 2,3,4 and so on. A good bible app that can help you go through the bible chapter by chapter is 'Through the word'.
3. Read only a little bit each day and ask Jesus, through The Holy Spirit (John 16:13-15) to give you understanding from His word (ie. A few verses from heading to heading. Example Matthew 1:1-17 the first night, then Matthew 1:18-25 the next night and so on..). That way you will slowly cover each book in the new testament and be able to read each passage knowing the context of what’s just happened before.
4. Cross reference the passage you are reading with other verses in the bible. Let the word of God interpret and explain God's word. Often what you will find is that the meaning of the passage you are reading can be found somewhere else in scripture. For example: In John 1:1 it says 'In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God....' (So how do we know the Word is referring to Jesus here?)
It's not until you read Revelation 19:13 where it refers to Jesus being dressed in a robe dipped in blood and his name being the 'Word of God', that we get confirmation that the Word in John 1:1 truly is referring to Jesus!
5. Consider getting a daily devotional or daily bread which can explain to you each passage. A good one to get is: ‘For the love of God’ by Dr D.A Carson. A study bible is a good option as well which has explanatory notes for each verse as you read along in your bible.
6. A great bible app to use to help you read your bible is ‘blueletterbible’. It is a free app on iphones and has a whole heap of resources (such as pastor’s commentaries, concordance, bible dictionary and greek and Hebrew lexicon for each passage in the bible). And most importantly, spend intimate time with The Holy Spirit as you read the bible and ask Him to give you understanding of His word, since He will lead you into all truth (John 16:13)!
7. Pass on the revelation! Keep accountable and share with other Christians what Jesus has taught you, because you don't how God might encourage and speak to others through you! Colossians 3:16- 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom...'
May our wonderful Saviour Jesus give you a desire to spend time with Him each and every day reading His word the bible, and may He give you the understanding on how to live out His life-changing word!!
THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTEXT TO CONSIDER WHEN READING THE BIBLE
THERE ARE A FEW TYPES OF CONTEXT TO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU ARE READING A PASSAGE IN THE BIBLE.
1.THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Eg. Who was the original audience Jesus was speaking to?
What were their customs?
When was Jesus speaking?
What was happening leading up to what Jesus just said etc.
(So for instance in the parable of the 10 Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13, because Jesus is speaking to His Jewish disciples about a wedding, we would need to understand how a Jewish wedding was run, in order to understand what Jesus meant in that parable. This is part of the historical context of that passage.)
2.LITERARY/TEXTUAL CONTEXT.
This involves reading the verses before and after and the chapters surrounding that passage to find out what was happening when this verse was spoken. (Eg. Matthew 25:1- ‘at that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like...'. In order to understand at what time Jesus is referring to and the main point Jesus was trying to make, we would need to have read Matthew 24 to realise that Jesus was in the middle of talking to His disciples about the end times and His second coming and how they would need to be prepared and ready for His second coming.
The literary context includes looking at the GENRE of the passage in question. (Was it a letter, was it in hebrew poetic form, was it a historical recount etc.) Is this verse in the middle of a song or a poem?
What genre is the book it is included in?
Is it in the middle of a narrative, a sermon, or a set of instructions?
The main divisions of Biblical genres are these: narrative, law, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, gospel, letter, and history.
3.BIBLICAL CONTEXT
This is understanding the passage, within the context of the whole bible. This is where CROSS-REFERENCING passages comes in handy. The best way to interpret a particular passage, is to see if there are other passages in the bible which can help give meaning to it!! In other words, is my understanding of the theme and application of this verse consistent with the rest of scripture? (Eg. Matthew 4:6- satan quotes psalm 91 and correctly refers it to Jesus, but took it out of context with the whole of scripture, which is why Jesus said ‘It is also written’ do not put the Lord your God to the test! Satan misapplied this scripture within the context of the whole bible!)
LET GOD'S WORD INTERPRET GOD'S WORD!!
MAY THESE CONTEXTS HELP YOU TO BETTER UNDERSTAND OUR HEAVENLY FATHER'S WORD AND NOT TAKE PASSAGES "OUT OF CONTEXT" AS YOU READ THROUGH THE BIBLE CHAPTER BY CHAPTER.
RESPONSES TO THE WORD OF GOD
1. In 2 Timothy 2:15 we are called to STUDY THE WORD to show ourselves approved!!
(Psalm 119:97- the Hebrew word for meditate is “siychah” and one of its meanings can mean to study!)
2 Timothy 2:15- “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
Q. ARE YOU DEEPLY STUDYING THE BIBLE TO UNDERSTAND GOD’S WORD?
2. In Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1-3 we are called to MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD day and night!!
The word meditate here in the Hebrew is “Hagah” and is different to Psalm 119:97 and can mean to “mutter to oneself.” Thus, we are to constantly dwell on and speak over ourselves the word of God throughout the day!!
Joshua 1:8- “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
We also see from this passage in Joshua, that the purpose of meditating on God’s word is to OBEY HIS WORD and LIVE IT OUT!! (See James 1:22)
Q. ARE YOU CONSTANTLY MEDITATING ON GOD’S WORD THROUGHOUT THE DAY?
3.MEMORISE SCRIPTURE!
Psalm 119:11- “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you."
In Revelation 3:3, the church in Sardis was asked to REMEMBER the word they had heard and received!! According to John 14:26, it is The Holy Spirit who will REMIND US of everything Jesus has said!! He will help us to memorise God’s word!!
Q. ARE YOU MEMORISING SCRIPTURE FROM GOD’S WORD REGULARLY?
4.QUOTE SCRIPTURE!
In Matthew 4:4,7,10, When our saviour Jesus was being tempted by the enemy satan in the wilderness, He responded by saying “IT IS WRITTEN”. Jesus quoted God’s word out loud to combat the lies and temptations of satan!! May we learn to SPEAK OUT LOUD the word of God and His promises over our situations too!!
Q. ARE WE DEEPLY STUDYING , MEDITATING ON, MEMORISING, QUOTING OUT LOUD AND OBEYING THE WORD OF GOD DAILY IN OUR CIRCUMSTANCE?
PRAYER
WHAT IS PRAYER?
Read Matthew 6:5-13
Prayer in its simplest form is simply talking to God. Our saviour Jesus said in Luke 11:2 when you pray 'say'...
Praying can include asking/petitioning God for ourselves (Philippians 4:6) and others (1 Thessalonians 5:25), giving thanks to God (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18) and giving adoration to our wonderful Heavenly Father (Matthew 6:9).
WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?
1. One of the reasons we should want to pray is because God our Heavenly Father created us to be in a relationship with Him.
Notice in Matthew 6:8 that Our Heavenly Daddy already knows what we are going to say before we say it, so the reason we pray is not so that He is updated on what's going on at our end, but it could be for that relationship!!!! Did you notice that in the Lord's prayer Jesus teaches us, He starts off with 'Our Father who art in Heaven'- calling God our Heavenly Father denotes an intimate relationship!!!
2. There is power in prayer- James 5:16. Our Heavenly Father tells us in James that when we pray in faith, we can access His power!!! Our saviour Jesus also tells us in Mark 11:23-24 that when we pray in faith and do not doubt, we can move mountains in His name!!!
WHEN SHOULD WE PRAY?
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and Ephesians 6:18-19 we are told to pray continuously!! But how are we to practically do this when we have jobs to go to, and people to see and chores to do throughout the day? The answer might be found in 1 Corinthians 14:15 where the apostle Paul says we can pray with our mind as well as out loud. This means we can pray in our minds constantly to Jesus throughout the day while we are at work, or doing the chores or going about our daily business!!!
WHERE CAN WE PRAY TO GOD?
If we are called to pray at all times then it makes sense that we can pray anywhere, in all places. In Matthew 26:39, our saviour Jesus prayed IN A GARDEN! In Jonah 2:1, Jonah prayed from INSIDE THE BELLY OF A FISH! We may not always be able to be in our room with the door closed as Matthew 6:6 says although that is probably the best place to pray.
HOW CAN WE PRAY? (Read Luke 11:1-4, Matthew 6:9-13)
When asked by His disciples how to pray, Jesus revealed to us a model of how to pray to our Heavenly Father!!! Starting with adoration to our Heavenly Father, intimacy, petition for our needs, confession of our sin and asking for forgiveness, protection in this spiritual battles and ending with adoration and recognition of God's Kingship, majesty and power, the Lord's prayer is a great place to start!!
CONSIDER SPENDING TIME WITH JESUS EACH DAY IN PRAYER TO HIM AND SEE HOW HE ANSWERS YOU!
THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF PRAYERS
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)
In Ephesians 6:18 we are told by Paul to pray in The Spirit with ALL KINDS OF PRAYERS and requests! (See also 1 Timothy 2:1) So the question is, what are the “different kinds of prayers” we can offer to God? Let us take a look at some of the different kinds of prayers that our Heavenly Father talks about in the bible!
1.INTERCESSION- In Ephesians 6:18 Paul tells us to keep on praying FOR ALL THE SAINTS!! In this sense we are called to intercede for others in prayer!! (See Colossians 4:3, Acts 8:24, Job 42:8, 1 Timothy 2:1, Acts 12:5)
2.PETITIONS- Philippians 4:6-7 When anxious, Paul tells us to offer PETITIONS with thanksgiving to God!! The word petition in the Greek is the word “deesis” and can mean to present a need to God. To seek, ask or entreat God! (See Matthew 7:7-11, Luke 18:1-8, 1 Timothy 2:1)
3.THANKSGIVING- (1 Thessalonians 5:18, Philippians 4:6-7). We are to learn to thank God at ALL TIMES, not just in the good!! (Psalm 100:4, 1 Timothy 2:1)
4.PRAYING IN THE HOLY SPIRIT- (Jude 1:20, Ephesians 6:18). This could mean praying led by The Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1-3)!! This may also include praying in tongues (1 Corinthians 14:14-15) but also The Holy Spirit interceding on our behalf when we don’t know what we ought to pray for (Romans 8:26)!!
5.CONFESSION- (1 John 1:9, Matthew 6:12, Nehemiah 1:6-7). In the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:12, Jesus taught us of the importance of confessing our sins to God The Father!
6.PRAYER OF AGREEMENT- (Matthew 18:19, Acts 1:14). Our saviour Jesus said in Matthew 18 that if TWO OF YOU agree about anything you ask for, it will be done by God The Father! Within the context of 1 John 5:14 this refers to asking things according to God’s will!!
7.PRAYER OF FAITH- (James 5:15, Mark 9:23). In James chapter 5, we are told that the prayer offered in faith to Jesus by the elders will make the sick person well and in Matthew 17:20, Jesus told the disciples that if they would have faith just as small as a mustard seed, they could move mountains! These are the kind of prayers to Jesus that would see people healed and delivered by Jesus!! (Matthew 17:20)
8.PRAYER AND FASTING- (Mark 9:29, Matthew 17:21). There seems to be increased power when we fast and pray!! Jesus said that some demons can only come out by prayer and fasting!! (Acts 13:2-3)
May these examples of the different types of prayer help us to draw closer to our wonderful Jesus in prayer!!
LEARNING ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
WHO IS HE AND WHAT DOES HE DO?
Read John 14:16-17, John 14:26, John 15:26, John 16:7-15.
JOHN 14:16-17 “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another COUNSELLOR to be with you forever- The SPIRIT OF TRUTH. The world cannot accept HIM because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you KNOW Him, for He lives with you and will be IN YOU.”
1.FIRSTLY in John 14:16 we see that The Holy Spirit is mentioned as “COUNSELLOR/COMFORTER”. (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7) The Greek word is “parakletos” and can mean “one who comes beside to intercede, defend and advocate for”. It can also mean one who comes to another’s aid!!! This same word is used of Jesus in 1 John 2:1!! One who pleads our cause and acts as a helper!! INTERCESSOR, ADVOCATE (defence counsellor), COMFORTER, CONSOLER!!! In this sense He intercedes for us by giving us the right words to say when we don’t know what to SAY (Matthew 10:19-20) and when we don’t know what to PRAY (Romans 8:26)!!
2.SECONDLY vs 16 says that The Holy Spirit will be with us FOREVER!!
This is in contrast to the Old Testament where the Holy Spirit could leave people!! (1 Samuel 16:14- The Holy Spirit left King Saul! Psalm 51:11, Judges 13:25, 14:6, 16:20)
The great comfort we have as Christians under the new covenant is that because of what Jesus did on the cross for us through His death and resurrection, The Holy Spirit will be with us FOREVER! (Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, 2 Corinthians 5:5)
3.THIRDLY in vs 17, The Holy Spirit is referred to as The SPIRIT of TRUTH! (John 15:26, John 16:13)
This means He will guide us into ALL TRUTH! This reminds us that We can only know what the truth is by The Holy Spirit!! This is also a reminder that we ultimately don’t need anyone else to teach us!! (1 John 2:20-27, 1 Corinthians 2:13-14)
4.FOURTHLY in vs 17, Jesus refers to The Holy Spirit as “HE” and “HIM”. (John 15:26, John 16:7-8, 13-14)
This shows us that The Holy Spirit is a PERSON!!
Q. WHAT OTHER PASSAGES IN THE BIBLE PROVE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PERSON? (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Corinthians 12:11, Hebrews 10:15/Acts 13:2, Acts 21:11)
5.FIFTH, In vs 17, Jesus says that we can “KNOW” The Holy Spirit!! The word for know is “ginosko” which can mean intimacy between a husband and wife!! This reminds us we should get to know the Holy Spirit INTIMATELY!! He desires an intimate relationship and fellowship with us!! (2 Corinthians 13:14)
6.FINALLY, in vs 17 Jesus says The Holy Spirit will be IN YOU! (Galatians 4:6, Ephesians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 2 Corinthians 1:22)
In the Old Testament, The Holy Spirit would COME UPON certain people at certain times for certain tasks, but rarely does it mention Him coming IN a person!! (Eg. Numbers 11:17, 1 Samuel 10:6, 16:13, Judges 14:6,19, Judges 15:14)
What a great privilege we have as Christians, that The Holy Spirit of God would want to come and live INSIDE us!! And so He will never leave us!!
STAGES OF GROWTH WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT:
1. In John 20:22, the disciples RECEIVED THE HOLY SPIRIT from Jesus!! At salvation, when we repent of our sins and put our full trust in Jesus, this is when we become BORN AGAIN of The Holy Spirit and receive the Holy Spirit as He comes to live inside us! (See John 3:5-7, Ephesians 1:13-14, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
2. In Acts 1:4-8, the disciples were BAPTISED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT! This is where they were EMPOWERED by The Holy Spirit to be Jesus’ witnesses!!
3. In Ephesians 5:18 we are called to be FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT just as Jesus was full of The Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1)! This is an ongoing process of being filled daily by The Holy Spirit rather than a one off! (See Acts 2:4, Acts 4:8 and Acts 4:31)
4. In Romans 8:14 and Galatians 5:18, we are called to be LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT just as Jesus was led by The Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1)! This also brings confirmation that we are God’s children!!
5. In 2 Corinthians 1:21-22, we are ANOINTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT to live out the calling and purpose God has for us, just as Jesus was (Luke 4:18)!!
WHAT WILL THE HOLY SPIRIT DO FOR US?
According to John 14:26, The Holy Spirit will TEACH us all things and REMIND us of all that Jesus has said and taught!!
According to John 15:26, He The Holy Spirit will TESTIFY about Jesus! (Give us testimony about Jesus!!) Hebrews 10:15
According to John 16:8, The Holy Spirit will CONVICT/CONVINCE the world of guilt in regards to SIN, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUDGEMENT!
According to John 16:13, The Holy Spirit will lead us into ALL TRUTH and PROPHESY what is yet to come!!
According to John 16:14, The HOLY SPIRIT will only bring glory to Jesus!!
THE BENEFITS THE HOLY SPIRIT OFFERS US:
-He helps us to know what to SAY and PRAY!! (Matthew 10:19-20, Romans 8:26)
-He gives us POWER to witness! (Acts 1:8)
-He gives SPIRITUAL GIFTS (1 Corinthians 12:7-11, Romans 12:6-8)
-He gives us LOVE to use those spiritual gifts!! (1 Corinthians 13, Galatians 5:22, Romans 5:5)
-He gives us His FRUIT (Galatians 5:22-23)
MAY THESE PASSAGES HELP YOU GET TO KNOW THE HOLY SPIRIT MORE DEEPLY AND INTIMATELY AS HE HELPS YOU TO GROW IN JESUS AS YOUR COUNSELLOR!
FINDING YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTING
(Read 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, Romans 12:6-8 and 1 Peter 4:10-11)
We see here in these 2 passages in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, that when we become Christians,The Holy Spirit blesses each of us with a spiritual gift/gifts and if you look at the context of these passages, the whole purpose of this gift is for the COMMON GOOD (1 Peter 4:10), so that each of us can play our part to build up the body of Christ (the church) to reach unity in the faith.
So, the question is: WHAT SPIRITUAL GIFT HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVEN YOU? And, HOW FAITHFUL HAVE YOU BEEN IN USING IT?
WHAT IS A SPIRITUAL GIFT?
A spiritual gift is a supernatural gift given by The Holy Spirit and is something that we could not do in the natural. It is something the Holy Spirit does through us that we could normally not do on our own. With many of the gifts mentioned below, it is true that all Christians are called to some extent, display these in their life, but when the Holy Spirit blesses us with this as a spiritual gift, it is supernaturally over-and-above what we can normally do as Christians. (For example: as Christians, we are all called to teach one another- Colossians 3:16 'let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach one another...', And yet not everyone has the spiritual gift of teaching which would be a supernatural ability from the Holy Spirit to be able to understand and explain scripture to others- Ephesians 4:11-12 'It was He (God) who gave SOME to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, SOME to be pastors and TEACHERS, to prepare God's people for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up..')
In Matthew 25:14 in the parable of the talents, Jesus calls His servants therefore to be faithful and to bear fruit with these spiritual gifts He has given them as they wait for His second coming (one of the meanings of this parable). But the thing is, we can only be faithful in using our spiritual gift, if we know what gift the Holy Spirit has blessed us with in the first place.
In 2 Timothy 1:6- our Heavenly Father reminds Timothy through Paul, to fan into flame his spiritual gift!!! This passage also reveals to us that one of the ways we can receive our spiritual gift is through the laying on of hands by the spiritual elders of the church.
WHAT IS YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFT?
LIST OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS: (from 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, Romans 12:6-8)
- Word of wisdom
- Word of knowledge
- Faith
- Gifts of healing
- workings of miracles
- prophecy
- discerning of spirits
- speaking in tongues
- interpretation of tongues
- Serving/ministering
- teaching
- exhortation (to correct, instruct, encourage, comfort)
- generosity/ contributing to the needs of others
- leadership
- showing mercy
LET'S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT WHAT EACH SPIRITUAL GIFT MEANS:
-WORD OF WISDOM (wise counsel in a situation. Wisdom could also be referred to as the application of knowledge in a situation!) It is the Greek word “Sophia” and can include “the act of interpreting dreams” (Daniel 2:20-23,30) or “giving the sagest advice” (1 Kings 3:7-12, Luke 11:31). In Acts 6:3, 7 men were chosen who were full of The Holy Spirit and WISDOM to be able to deal with the issue of feeding the widows in the early church!
-WORD OF KNOWLEDGE (this could possibly refer to knowledge about God and His word and may tie in with the gift of teaching since this word knowledge (“gnosis” in the Greek) is predominantly used in the bible elsewhere to refer to knowledge about God!! (See Romans 2:19-21, see also 1 Corinthians 8:4-7 and the importance of sharing that word of knowledge when it came to food sacrificed to idols!)
See also 2 Corinthians 2:14- knowledge about Jesus, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Philippians 3:8, 1 Timothy 6:20, 2 Peter 3:18 grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ!)
-INCREASED FAITH (1 Corinthians 13:2, Matthew 17:20- faith of a mustard seed that can move mountains) A Christian who has increased faith will keep on believing God for a miracle in situations where most other Christians may give up. (See the example of the Canaanite woman who came to Jesus in Matthew 15:21-28)
-GIFTS OF HEALING (one of the only ways you will know if you have these giftings is by laying hands and praying for the sick!) Notice that “gifts” is mentioned here in the plural? This may mean that the Holy Spirit can give different types of healing gifts to different Christians! Some Christian’s may be spiritually gifted in bringing EMOTIONAL or SPIRITUAL healing to others by the power of The Holy Spirit, while others are empowered to bring PHYSICAL HEALING in different areas! In Matthew 10:1 Jesus gave His disciples authority not only to cast out demons, but to HEAL EVERY DISEASE AND SICKNESS! (See also Matthew 10:8)
-MIRACULOUS POWERS (this may include casting out demons (See Mark 9:38-39 and Acts 8:6-7) and abnormal healings- eg. Acts 19:11-12) This might also tie in with the calling of an APOSTLE (2 Corinthians 12:12).
-PROPHECY This comes from the Greek word “propheteia” and can refer to predicting future events by The Holy Spirit- Acts 11:27-28 and Acts 21:10-11. It can also refer to “revealing the secrets of a persons heart and mysteries that no-one else could know except God”- 1 Corinthians 14:24-25, 1 Corinthians 13:2). According to 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 and 1 Corinthians 14:29, prophecy should ALWAYS BE TESTED!
-DISCERNING OF SPIRITS. This comes from the Greek word “diakrisis” and can mean to distinguish or judge between spirits!! (Ie. knowing who has an evil spirit and who doesn’t). We see Paul operate in this gifting in Acts 16:17-18 where he recognised the slave girl having an evil spirit in her!! 1 John 4:1 tells us to TEST THE SPIRITS to see whether they are from God!! This is where we need discernment!!
-SPEAKING IN TONGUES. 1 Corinthians 13:1 reveals to us that there are 2 Types of tongues.
1.The tongues of men- earthly languages. 2.The tongues of angels- heavenly language.
On the day of Pentecost, the disciples spoke supernaturally in the tongues of men (Acts 2:1-12).
The tongues of angels, the heavenly language is a language that no-one can understand and is for personal edification (1 Corinthians 14:2,13-17).
-INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES. This is the supernatural ability through the Holy Spirit to be able to understand and interpret the heavenly language for the church to understand! According to 1 Corinthians 14:27-28, tongues should only be spoken out loud in church when there is someone to interpret!!
According to Romans 12:6-8, the spiritual gifts include:
-SERVING/MINISTRY. This is the Greek word “diakonia” and this word can not only mean “to carry out the commands of others” but also to serve/help/prepare food for others physically (Luke 10:40, Acts 6:1) or financially (Acts 11:29, 2 Corinthians 8:4). Thus it is one who helps meet the needs of others.
It can also mean to minister to others in the word (Acts 6:4, Acts 12:25, Acts 20:24)
-TEACHING. This word in the Greek is “didasko” and can mean to explain scripture, instil doctrine and impart instruction. (1 Timothy 5:17, Acts 13:1)
-EXHORTATION. This word includes to encourage, comfort and correct/rebuke (Acts 14:22, Romans 12:1, Acts 16:40, Acts 11:23).
-GIVING/GENEROSITY. This word in the Greek can simply mean “to share with others.” The same word was used in Luke 3:11 where John the Baptist told people with two tunics and food to share with those who have nothing! (See also Ephesians 4:28, 2 Corinthians 9:11)
-LEADERSHIP (1 Thessalonians 5:12) This word can mean to “be a protector over, care for, give attention to people”. This same word was used for fathers leading their children and families (1 Timothy 3:4-5,12)
-MERCY/COMPASSION (Matthew 5:7, Jude 1:22). This word can mean “to help one who is afflicted or seeking aid”!! The majority of times this word was used in the bible, it referred to the Lord’s mercy towards us (see Matthew 18:33, Mark 5:19, Romans 9:15-16, Romans 11:32). In other words, we can only show mercy to others once we have experienced just how merciful Jesus is towards us!!
1 Peter 4:10-11 also mentions the spiritual gifts of serving and :
-PREACHING/SPEAKING (1 Timothy 5:17) This word can mean to “proclaim the word of God” (as used here in 1 Peter 4:10-11). For example, in Matthew 4:17, Jesus preached and said “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!”
Preaching is differentiated from teaching, in the bible. (See Matthew 11:1, 1 Timothy 4:13 and 2 Timothy 1:11)
A preacher will PROCLAIM the word of God, whereas a teacher will EXPLAIN the word of God!
Preaching is often what evangelists do!!
Also in the Old Testament in Exodus 31:1-6 and Exodus 35:30-36:1 The Holy Spirit anointed Bezalel and Oholiab with skill and ability and knowledge in creative arts to make designs for the house of God!
So another gift could be in creative arts for the house of God and God’s purposes!
Note: This is not an exhaustive list of the spiritual gifts. And As 1 Corinthians 12:30-31 says, the important thing is for us to eagerly desire the greater spiritual gifts, but remember that it is the Holy Spirit who determines which gift we receive (1 Corinthians 12:11).
Our prayer is that you would spend intimate time with The Holy Spirit to find out what spiritual gift He has blessed you with. With some of these gifts, the only way you will find out if He has blessed you with it, is if you step out of your comfort zone and try using it. ( For example, one of the only ways you will know if you have the gift of healing is if you step out of your comfort zone and actually lay hands on the sick in faith and pray to Jesus for their healing)
And It doesn't matter where you serve in church, what you need to do is bring your spiritual gifting to where you serve.
If your gift is preaching then start preaching- you don't need to be up on the platform to preach, you need to start sharing what The Lord has taught you from His word, to your friends in the foyer before and after the service.
If your gift is encouraging, start using your gift by speaking encouragement over people In the front foyer before and after the service.
Whether you serve on the hosting team or on car park duty or the coffee cart, bring your gift to where you serve. So if the Holy Spirit has blessed you with the gift of prophecy and you serve on the car park team, well then start prophesying over the people you are showing their parking spot to.
If The Holy Spirit gives you a word of knowledge and you are on the front door greeting people, start giving out that word of knowledge to the people you greet. What better way to be welcomed into God's house than for a person walking in, to know that God loves them so much that He has a word for their very situation they are going through.
If your gift is healing, then you need to start laying hands on the sick in church so that God can use you to heal the sick. One of the only ways you'll know if you have the gift of healing or not is if you step out in faith and start laying hands on people in prayer.
May we be a church that is ready and willing to use the spiritual gifts The Holy Spirit has blessed us with so that our saviour Jesus may be glorified and His body, the church may be built up!! So that people will say Jesus is truly in this House!!!
May you find out from the Holy Spirit what your spiritual gifting is and may you be faithful in using it for the glory of our Lord and saviour Jesus!!!
(A good Christian website that may help you understand what each spiritual gift is and help you in finding your spiritual gifting is www.spiritualgiftstest.com)
MY SPIRITUAL GIFT IS: _____________________________________________.
WHY DO WE GATHER TOGETHER FOR CHURCH?
GATHERING TOGETHER FOR CHURCH
WHAT IS CHURCH?
Before we can understand why it is important for us to "attend church", we must first understand what the church is.
The word 'church' as mentioned in the new testament (for example in Philemon 2) comes from the greek word 'ekklesia' which means ' the gathering/assembly of believers/christians for worship'.
In Philemon 2, The apostle Paul addresses his letter "to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home:"
How can a church meet in their home if it was the building?
We can clearly see here then, from this passage and the above definition, that the church is not the building but rather the people of God gathering together to worship our wonderful Saviour Jesus!!! This means that when we gather together in small groups during the week to have Bible study, that is church!!!!
DOES GOD ACTUALLY TELL US TO MEET TOGETHER AS BELIEVERS IN THE BIBLE?
Hebrews 10:25- " Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
From this passage in the book of Hebrews, our Heavenly Father clearly shows us that He wants us to gather together as believers to build each other up and encourage one another in the faith as we wait for Jesus to come back again!!!
We also find in the book of Acts 2:42-47 that the regular practice of the early believers was to meet together to fellowship, to learn from the apostles teaching and build each other up in the faith.
1 Corinthians 14:26 " What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together..." (Notice Paul uses the word 'when' not 'if')
The assumption Paul makes here in 1 Corinthians 14:26 with the believers in Corinth is that they were gathering together regularly.
WHY SHOULD WE GATHER TOGETHER REGULARLY FOR CHURCH?
We can now see from the above passages of scripture, that gathering together each week as believers is an act of obedience to our Heavenly Father, since He tells us to do so in Hebrews 10:25. But the reason we gather together shouldn't be because we have to, but rather our attitude should be because we want to gather together out of love for our saviour Jesus and what He has done for us!!!!
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus explains to His disciples that He is building His church and the gates of hades will not overcome it. Since our saviour Jesus is building His church, then it must be important that we be a part of it!!!
Consider getting planted into your local church (if you have not already) and committing to regularly gathering together with your brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage one another to grow in our faith and love in Jesus, and to worship our wonderful saviour!!!
GIVING PRAISE TO JESUS
1.WHY DO WE SING PRAISES TO JESUS?
Does our Heavenly Father ever tell us to sing praises to Him?
Psalm 95:1-2 "Come, let us SING FOR JOY TO THE LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before Him with thanksgiving and extol Him with music and song."
Psalm 96:1-2 "SING TO THE LORD a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, praise His name...."
Music and singing are one of the ways we praise our wonderful God. The psalms are filled with its writers calling us to join in the praise to our wonderful God through singing!!! In fact the term Psalm appears to mean 'melody' or 'song'.
WHAT DOES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER CONSIDER IMPORTANT WHEN WE SING?
Ephesians 5:19 " Speak to one another with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music IN YOUR HEART to the Lord,"
Notice from this passage that God cares more about the CONDITION OF OUR HEART RATHER THAN HOW BEAUTIFUL OUR VOICES SOUND when we sing to Him?
So why is it that we care so much about how our voices sound when we sing in church? So often we get self conscious and more worried about how we sound to the people around us when it comes to praising Jesus, rather than just focussing on our wonderful Saviour and what He considers important. As a result this stops us from letting go and giving Jesus our all in praise and worship. It can be safely assumed that our Heavenly Father would rather 5 tone deaf people who come with the right heart to genuinely sing praises to Him, than 5 of the world's best singers who don't even mean what they are singing to Him.
3. DOES PRAISE JUST INCLUDE SINGING?
Psalm 149:3 " Let them praise His name with DANCING and make music to Him with the tambourine and harp."
Psalm 150:4-5 "Praise Him with tambourine and DANCING, praise Him with strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals."
Notice from these two passages above that God also wants us to praise Him with instruments and DANCING? In 2 Samuel 6:14 the bible says that King David danced with all his might before the Lord!!! He was unashamed to praise our Heavenly Father by dancing for Him in public wearing nothing but a linen ephod. So why do we feel so scared and self conscious to dance for our saviour Jesus in church? (Isn't it funny that we have no problems dancing at a friends wedding or party, but feel uncomfortable dancing for our saviour Jesus at church.)
Let us throw aside any self consciousness and praise Jesus the way He wants us to, because praise is all about Him and how He wants us to praise Him, and not about what we feel or don't feel comfortable doing.
4. WHAT STYLE OF MUSIC CAN WE PRAISE JESUS WITH?
Notice also from the above two passages in Psalm 149 and 150, that our Heavenly Father wants us to praise Him with the different instruments. This means it doesn't matter what style of music we praise Him with, whether its older fashioned hymns, or newer rock-style praise music, as long as we are using those instruments to praise Him with it rather than the world. May we learn from this not to judge each other based on the style of worship music we use to sing praises to our wonderful Jesus.
Now knowing what Jesus considers important when it comes to praising Him, will you let go and give Him your all?
May we learn to put our self consciousness aside and stop worrying about what the people around us think, and let us praise our wonderful saviour Jesus with singing and dancing and instruments, the way He wants us to praise Him, the way He deserves to be praised!!!
SHARING YOUR TESTIMONY
John 4:39 " Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in Him (Jesus) because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I ever did"..
John 4 details the amazing story of how our wonderful saviour Jesus broke the cultural divide of the time and reached out to a broken Samaritan woman. This woman impacted by the coming of the Messiah Jesus, rather than keeping this news to herself, ran back into her village and SHARED HER TESTIMONY of how Jesus had impacted her life with all the people of that town!!
Her testimony is what brought the people to our saviour Jesus, but when they heard the words of Jesus for themselves, they no longer just believed because of her testimony. They got a personal revelation of Jesus for themselves and truly knew He was the saviour of the world!!! (John 4:41-42)
Mark 5:18-20 " As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man WHO HAD BEEN DEMON-POSSESSED begged to go with Him. Jesus did not let him, but said, 'Go home to your family and TELL THEM HOW MUCH THE LORD HAS DONE FOR YOU, AND HOW HE HAS HAD MERCY ON YOU.' So the man went away and began to tell in the decapolis how much Jesus had done for Him. And all the people were amazed."
The formerly demon-possessed man (who often had to be chained and had to live among the tombs), an outcast in society, had a life-changing encounter with The one true living Son of God Jesus!!! Radically set free and healed, Jesus tells this man that the way he can be a follower of Jesus is by sharing his testimony of the goodness and mercy that Jesus had shown him!!! And that is exactly what he did!!
When we first get saved by our wonderful saviour Jesus, He too wants us to share with others our salvation story of how He saved us and what He has done for us. This is our testimony. And we each have a unique testimony to share which can reach out and impact different people.
Just like the Samaritan woman in John 4, what we will find is that our testimony encourages people to come to Jesus for themselves, and when they hear His words and experience His life-changing love, they no longer believe because of our testimony, but because they have now recieved a personal revelation of Jesus for themselves!!! Our testimony can be the means by which they come to Our saviour Jesus in the first place for salvation!
So the question is: whom can you share your testimony of Jesus' goodness and salvation in your life with today?
(You could also consider writing out your testimony to give to your friends and family and other people this week. You never know, it could save their life!!!)
JESUS' STANDARDS FOR MARRIAGE AND DATING
What does our Heavenly Father's word say about marriage and dating? Here are a few principles from God's word: May these principles from our wonderful, loving Heavenly Father's word help us to stand firm in Him and draw closer to Him!!
1. Hebrews 13:4- 'Marriage should be honoured by all and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.'
Our Heavenly Father's plan is that there should be NO SEX BEFORE MARRIAGE.
2. Judges 16 records the story of Samson and Delilah. We find in this chapter that one of the compromises Samson made was to live with Delilah outside of marriage. This was one of many compromises Samson made that led to his downfall!!
We see here that God's plan is for us NOT TO LIVE WITH SOMEONE OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE. (See also John 4:16-18, the Samaritan woman at the well)
Living with your boyfriend or girlfriend outside of marriage can increase temptation to give into sin. As a matter of godly wisdom this is also why when you are dating someone, it is best to make a general rule not to be alone together in a house, but to make sure someone else is always present as accountability to stop anything from happening.
3. 2 Corinthians 6:14- 'Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?'
We see here from this passage that God's plan is for us NOT TO DATE OR GET MARRIED TO A NON-CHRISTIAN. (See also 1 Corinthians 7:39 and 1 Corinthians 9:5)
If the person we are going out with is not a Christian and is not in love with Jesus, it is probably best not to continue pursuing that relationship as they wont be someone who can help you draw closer to Jesus and live a life pleasing to our wonderful Saviour. It may also mean that your children may not grow up in church seeking Jesus and this potentially affects their chances of coming to know Jesus for salvation. The decision we make of whom to marry does not just affect us, it can potentially impact and influence the salvation of every generation to come after us!!
4. Matthew 19:3-6- 'Some Pharisees came to Jesus to test him. They asked "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" And he answered and said, Have ye not read, that he who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and the two shall become one flesh? So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."
We see here that God's plan is for us NOT TO GET DIVORCED. Since He hates divorce (Malachi 2:15-16), we should therefore do whatever it takes to save our marriages and reconcile, because marriage is a reflection of Jesus and His church (Ephesians 5:22-33)!!
5. We also see from this passage in Matthew 19:3-6 that God's plan for marriage is between ONE MAN and ONE WOMAN. This means that HOMOSEXUALITY AND POLYGAMY are not part of God's plan.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 'Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders not thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards... will inherit the Kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were...'
SO, HOW DO WE OVERCOME?
1 Corinthians 6:11 goes on to say 'But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by The Spirit of our God.'
Therefore the answer is to come to our wonderful Saviour Jesus to be washed, sanctified and justified by the power of His Holy Spirit within us!
MAY OUR WONDERFUL SAVIOUR JESUS GIVE US HIS GRACE AND POWER THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BE ABLE TO OBEY HIS WORD IN THESE AREAS.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR SPIRIT AND SOUL?
SPIRIT AND SOUL (Read 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Genesis 2:7, Luke 1:46-47, Matthew 26:38,41)
Firstly, we see based on what our Heavenly Father says through Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, that every human exists and is made up of a SPIRIT, SOUL and BODY! (See also Matthew 26:38,41)
HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT?
We find back in Genesis 2:7 at creation, when God our Heavenly Father created man, He made man from the dust (the body), and then He breathed into that body (the spirit) and man became a living soul!! (The definition of the BREATH of life in this verse in the Hebrew, could mean spirit!)
Genesis 2:7 (KJV) "And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."
We see from this verse, that when God's breath entered man's body, he became a living Soul! This is how man ended up as a Spirit, Soul and body!!
IS THE SOUL DIFFERENT TO OUR SPIRIT?
According to Hebrews 4:12, the word of God even divides spirit and soul, which tells us that even though they are closely linked, there is a difference between our spirit and soul!!
In Luke 1:46-47 Mary's soul magnifies and glorifies the Lord, while her spirit rejoices in God!!
In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, the Spirit, Soul and body are separated!!
In Matthew 26:38 Jesus’ soul was overwhelmed with sorrow and in vs 41 He said to the disciples, the spirit is willing but the body/flesh is weak!
According to 1 Corinthians 7:34- we also see that the spirit is distinguished from the body!!
WHAT IS OUR SOUL?
The word soul in Luke 1:46 is the word 'psyche' which can refer to the RATIONAL and MORAL BEING of a person!!
Based on Psalm 103:1 it appears our soul is 'ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME’ as David says!!
In Ezekiel 18:3-4 the soul who sins is the one who will die!! Notice our soul has the choice to sin?
In Romans 13:1- let every soul be subject to the authorities!! Choice!!
Luke 10:27- we are called to love God with all our souls!! So the soul can love! Is love a choice?
In Revelation 18:14- the soul can lust after things!!
In Matthew 26:38 Jesus’ soul was overwhelmed with sorrow!
In Psalm 42:5- David says 'why is my soul downcast'. This may also tell us our soul has emotions!!
Therefore based on these verses, our souls could be the seat of our WILLS and EMOTIONS.
WHAT IS OUR SPIRIT?
As mentioned above, based on Genesis 2:7, it appears our spirit is referred to as GOD'S BREATH IN US. Also based on scripture, it seems that it is our spirit that communes and connects with God!
-according to Romans 8:16, the Holy Spirit testifies with our SPIRIT that we are God's children!!
-according to John 4:24, Jesus said we are to worship God in SPIRIT and truth!
-according to 1 Corinthians 2:11 our spirit searches our deep things and knows our thoughts!
-according to 1 Corinthians 14:14-16, our spirit can pray to God (possibly by the gift of tongues) and sings/praises God!!
-according to Luke 1:47 our spirit can rejoice in the Lord!!
-according to Matthew 26:41 the spirit is willing when it comes to praying to God, but the flesh is weak!!
-In 1 Corinthians 6:17, when we unite ourselves with God, we become one in Spirit with Him!!
-In Romans 8:10- when Christ comes in us at salvation, our Spirit is alive because of righteousness!!
-In 1 Corinthians 16:18 and 2 Corinthians 7:13- Paul's Spirit was refreshed by other Christians!!
(Hebrews 12:23 seems to suggest our spirits will only be made perfect in heaven? Until then, do they need to be refreshed?
WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY AT SALVATION?
It seems that when we become JUSTIFIED, our spirit is saved and made righteous! (Romans 8:10, Matthew 26:41, Hebrews 12:23)
During SANCTIFICATION it seems that our soul is being saved!! (1 Peter 1:9) This could also be why In Romans 13:1 Paul asks Christians to submit their souls to the governing authorities!! Our soul- the seat of our will is being transformed and sanctified through obeying the word of God by The Holy Spirit!! It is during this time the soul might need to learn to sow into the Spirit and not the flesh!! (1 Peter 2:11, Galatians 5:16-18, 6:8)
It seems only at GLORIFICATION (Romans 8:30) that our bodies will be made perfect when Jesus comes again!! (Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Corinthians 15)
WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR SOULS/SPIRITS WHEN WE DIE?
According to Acts 2:27-31 King David prophesied about Jesus that God would not abandon His SOUL to HADES, nor let his BODY see decay! This would be consistent with Luke 16:22-23 where the rich man's body was buried (flesh at rest- so to speak according to Acts 2:27-28), and his Soul/spirit was in hades!!
So when the ungodly die, their Soul/spirit goes to hades (the intermediate place of torment) until the final white throne judgement in Revelation 20:11-15 where death and hades are thrown into the lake of fire).
But when the righteous die, our spirit goes to be with Jesus in heaven while our body “falls asleep” here on earth until the rapture and the resurrection of our bodies as Stephen the first martyr attested to! (Acts 7:54-60, Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:50-57)
WHAT A GREAT HOPE WE HAVE IN JESUS!!
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BELIEVER AND UNBELIEVER WHEN THEY DIE?
(Read Luke 16:23, Acts 2:27-31 and Revelation 20:11-15)
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE UNBELIEVER IN JESUS:
The unbeliever when they die, ends up in HADES (the intermediate place for the soul-Acts 2:27-31) where they are in TORMENT (Luke 16:23) until God’s final white throne judgement where they are throne into the Lake of fire, which is the final hell!! (DEATH is what happens to the body according to 1 Peter 3:18, Acts 2:23-24, Acts 24:15 and HADES is where the soul goes- Luke 16:23, Acts 2:27-31)
Both DEATH and HADES need to come before the throne of God at the final WHITE THRONE JUDGEMENT in Revelation 20:11-15, because Acts 24:15 reveals to us there will also be a resurrection of the wicked’s body. So it is here at the final white throne judgement where the body and soul/spirit of the unbeliever is reunited at resurrection, only to be now thrown into the LAKE OF FIRE which is the final hell (Gehenna in the Greek) where they will be in torment forever and ever along with the devil and his angels (Revelation 20:10)!!!
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BELIEVER:
According to Luke 16:22-23 and Luke 23:43, the Old Testament believers ended up in ABRAHAM’S BOSOM which seems to be synonymous with PARADISE.
Matthew 12:40 together with Luke 23:43 reveals to us that paradise was initially located in the HEART OF THE EARTH, separated from hades by a CHASM, as Luke 16:26 suggests!
This is consistent with John 3:13, where our saviour Jesus said that no-one had yet been into heaven except He who came from heaven, the son of Man!! Jesus spoke this before He had died and resurrected from the dead for our sins!!
Acts 2:27-33 tells us that when Jesus died, His soul was not abandoned to hades, and 1 Peter 3:18-19 shows us that while he was there, He proclaimed His victory over the fallen angels of Noah’s time who are imprisoned there in another compartment possibly known as Tartarus, until the final day of judgement (see 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6).
Ephesians 4:8 then suggests that when Jesus was resurrected from the dead and while He was ascending, He led the captives (the Old Testament believers who were in paradise/Abraham’s bosom) in His train, thus shifting paradise from the heart of the earth to heaven!!
According to 2 Corinthians 12:2-4- paradise is now shifted to heaven (the third heaven where God dwells) rather than under the earth, and this is why the "spirit" of THE BELIEVER IN JESUS NOW GOES DIRECTLY TO HEAVEN AT DEATH! This is evidenced In Acts 7:55-59, where Stephen, the first christian martyr asked Jesus to receive his spirit, and we are told in vs 55 that Jesus at that point was in heaven at the right hand of God The Father! (see also 2 Corinthians 5:6-8, Philippians 1:23- now believers when they die (James 2:26), their spirit/soul goes to be with Jesus in heaven (see Revelation 6:9, Acts 7:55-59).
The body is buried here and “asleep on earth” (Acts 13:36, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 52, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17) and there will be a resurrection of the body in the last days (John 11:23-25) and the body will be reunited with the spirit/soul and transformed into glory like Jesus (see Philippians 3:20-21, 1 Corinthians 15:35-54)!
THIS IS THE GREAT HOPE WE HAVE AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS! DEATH IS NOT THE END!!