A Promise Fulfilled: The HOLY SPIRIT

In John 14:15-21 Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit: “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” NLT (See also Joel 2:28; Zech 10:1)

"Suddenly there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the HOLY SPIRIT and began speaking in other languages, as the HOLY SPIRIT gave them this ability" Acts 2:2-4.

Glory to GOD! Aren’t you excited? The HOLY SPIRIT dwells among us, with us and for us. You must recognize HIM, believe in HIM, and invite HIM into your life to embark on a most wonderful journey of life here on earth that you can’t otherwise comprehend. Imagine being on a walk with the CREATOR, the maker of Heaven and Earth (Gen 1:2: …and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters), picture this wonderful thing JESUS CHRIST has done for us. You see, if you can just sit down to try to imagine it, the thought, in itself, is wonderful and beautiful; something one should long for. If you are born again you are born of the SPIRIT. Talk to Him, tell Him you know He is right there with you, worship Him and tell Him how much you Love Him, and ask Him to walk with you and let His fire keep you burning for Him. I’m excited for you already.

GOD bless you.

Christianity Is Not A Religion, But A Love Relationship

GOD started in John 3:16 by announcing how much He was interested in establishing a relationship based on ‘Love’ with us: “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”. It was a sacrifice of His beloved Son, the second person of the trinity, Jesus CHRIST, as He announced “…This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matt 3:17). He is also called Love (1 John 4:8), meaning His very nature is love. All of these and the entire gospels of Matthew to John, juxtaposed, expose us the realities and premises of our relationship with our Abba Father (Loving Father), Love.

As Christians, as believers, we are transformed into the very nature and essence of GOD (Romans 8:29), therefore we should also be referred to as ‘Love’. And that is why Jesus CHRIST expects us to lead a life of love, first with Himself (“Thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”Matt 22:37,38) and with everybody we encounter (“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” Matt 22:39), as He encouraged us to love even our enemies and pray for those who hate us or persecute us (Matt 5:44).

We can continue to live in Love by continuous fellowship with GOD and our brethren, studying GOD’s word daily will build His Love in our hearts, and help us to walk in it, and in Him. Jesus CHRIST kept teaching and instructing us on how to live in Love, and constant study and meditation on the Word of Jesus CHRIST will help us to live as He says.

GOD bless you!

JESUS Will Say “…Depart From Me, Ye That Work Iniquity”

Heb 6:4-6

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

“And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,

“If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.”KJV 

This is a serious matter. The passage above may seem scary, but we must take cognizance its realities and premises. Many believers today know of the Grace of GOD the creator, which abounds to all, but do not really understand its terms. Grace is what enables us to be saved (Acts 15:11) and the requirement to live righteously (Rom 5:20), and not a justification to continue in sin. Heb 6:1-2 says “Well then, should we keep on sinning so that GOD can show us more and more of HIS wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” JESUS the CHRIST himself has already told us what will happen in the future, because HE is the Future. HE said “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?

“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matt 7:22-23

In case you are still complacent, meditate on these sayings and be wise.

A Christian Must Be HOLY

2 Tim 2:19
"...The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity"
KJV

You are not a christian until you live like Jesus CHRIST, you being a believer not withstanding. He Had no sin or unrighteousness in HIM until when He bore our sins upon Himself on the Cross of Calvary, during which GOD the Father forsook Him, because His eyes cannot behold iniquity (Matt 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?). The entire host of heaven forsakes you, when you sin.

But Good News is that there is hope for a sinner who repents of his sins, as GOD beckons on all sinners to come for reconciliation (Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.), asking JESUS to cleanse you with His blood.

Iniquity is not peculiar to our generation alone, CHRIST was also tempted, Mary Magdalene was caught in the act, even long before the flood, but He expects us to be the Light in a world covered in darkness (iniquity) Matt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

True Story of Heaven and Hell

Luke 16 vs 19-31

JESUS CHRIST told this story of a 'rich man' and Lazarus, 'a beggar'. It was not a fiction story or a parable, He narrated a true life event, as it actually happened (and still happening today). The rich man had all the pleasurable things on earth, the beggar didn’t, and was very sick; the latter is better off today. It is better for a man to be very wretched or sick or destitute here on earth, and go to heaven when he die, than to be rich or healthy or popular here on earth, but die, and go to hell. For anyone who cares to think, it is a serious matter, knowing that this ‘rich man’, is there crying – even as you read this right now – in endless sorrow and torment, even till the next countless billions of years. There is no pleasure on earth worth giving up heaven for… none whatsoever. Prosperity is the will of GOD for us all (1 John vs 3), but HE said “What shall it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” and about Judas Iscariot HE said “it had been good for that man if he had not been born.” Let these words persuade you to live for CHRIST.

Here is a full text of the passage.

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:

 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,

And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:

For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."

KJV

INSEPARABLE LOVE

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Romans 8:32

A lot of this day believers are faced with one challenge or the other at a point in life and rather than face and fight the real enemy the devil, they begin to withdraw slowly from God and his business/work. They make the challenge a priority. The life of Paul is our perfect example. After he met with God and at the initial stage of his work with God and his work for God, he had his freedom, he was able to travel around the world to make sure the gospel, the good news was heard. And then came a point when he was chained and imprisoned for the sake of the same gospel he preached, he didn’t relent on his mission neither did he grumble which was the case of John the Baptist, he made use of the measure of freedom he had even in the prison cells. He wrote lots of letters and admonition to the Church urging them to carry on the work of Christ he was persecuted and imprisoned for. He did all of this in chains.

Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds. Colossians 4:3

The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen. Colossians 4:18

Paul was in chains and still cared about the gospel, he still wanted the Good news to be heard. He wasn’t in chains for some reason connected to his personal life, or for an act he committed or an omission. He was in there for the sake of the Gospel. What then..? What challenges are you facing that should make you turn your back against God? Am most positive the chains or bonds referred to in Colossians 4:3 & 18 is not restricted to being imprisoned, it could be the bonds of poverty, hunger, frustration, lack and want, traumas, sorrow or pain. These chains are inflicted on believers by the devil and in some circumstances these chains are as a result of one’s actions. If Paul could still pant and seek after God, and even continue the work of God in the measure he could , never for once did he blame God for ending up in the prison or did he think about ending his service to God. Then, that sums it all. Neither circumstance nor situation we find ourselves warrants or justifies withdrawal from our fellowship with God and from the things of God, or even judging God. Be it persecution from the preaching and practice of the gospel, the inflictions of the devil or what we bring upon ourselves. NOTHING should separate us from the love of God as well as continuing the work of God.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39…

God’s love for me is unchanging and so is my love for God. Nothing can stand in my way in my love for God.

……And hey!!!

P.S

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Romans 8:37

I AM CHRISTAIN, MOST IMPORTANTLY, I AM A BELIEVER

From the records of Scripture, it is a known fact that we were in no way referred to as “Christians” by Christ himself. Rather, the pagans paused for a moment, analyzed the lifestyle of the apostles of that time, saw undeniable similarity with the lifestyle of Christ and from then on, referred to as Christians. Acts 11:26. The word Christian is translated as Christ like. Have you ever paused to ask why we were so called (Christians) originally by the Pagans? There obviously was a light they saw in Christ and his representations of earth. They also saw his mark being replicated in an outstanding manner and even in a multiplied state.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. John 14:12

So that from his body [Peter] were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them. Acts 19:12  Emphasis mine.

          Jesus is the most awesome Spirit man ever. He didn’t do the work all alone to gain recognition and a Crown of Glory from our Heavenly Father. If he had wanted to preach to save the entire world and even generations still unborn, it certainly was and is not a difficult thing to do.

                                  Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard                                     for me? Jeremiah 32:27

             He didn’t take up the task all to himself, he wanted us to be partakers of his glory in Heaven. He created a path for us to follow to become just like him and to be partakers of eternal glory. Even here on earth, in a family setting, we like it so much when we get praised by our earthly Father for having participated in something that have overtime yielded great results or something worthwhile. How much more when we are highly recognized to be solely responsible for what we are acknowledged for. Am sure you can relate. But no, Christ was different. He didn’t want to be the only one acknowledged. He really wanted us to be partakers; he wanted for us just what his entitlements were. A Crown, Glory and Eternal Life. The Apostles of the time understood these facts clearly and they began to work in the path created by Jesus. They upheld the gospel transferred to us from many generations to this present day. Any time there was a gathering, people need not be told that the Christians were gathered because of the acts displayed and the results of the gatherings.

            However, this day definition of Christianity is being compromised. A lot of people under the covering and pretence of being Christians have hurt a good number of people who unknowingly have high expectations from Christians. This explains comments like ‘and she claims she’s Christian. I least expected such show of character’. This comment establishes a great deal of expectations from the Christian folks. If you ever mention to someone that you are Christian, the thought that first crosses their minds is perfection, love, charity peace because that is what we preach. Unless of course, you give them a reason to doubt it. In the world today, there are a lot of misrepresentations about the personality of a Christian. It’s so sad that when you identify yourself as Christian, people begin to look out for negative things. Even Christ had a premonition that this time will come and so he warned us to beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

                                                 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's                                                                   clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Matthew 7:15

            People now associate this day Christianity with spite, hate, disdain, distrust and many negative things, but that doesn’t dissuade me from having to identify myself as a Christian. I am Christian! I certainly do not want to run away from it, I truly want to represent what the name stands for and it is my responsibility to carry on this legacy passed from the apostolic generation to this present generation and to the world at large. I want to protect that name and bring back its originality and its distinct qualities which include having so much love to give to everyone, peace, charity, perfection, beauty, righteousness, holiness and more. I want that more than anything. I want the world to again see its true meaning.

             I am a Believer because I have total and absolute faith in God. I trust him completely without any reservations whatsoever.  Being a Believer also entails establishing a relationship with God and having an insatiable hunger to know and want more of God.

                                            But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that                                                         cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them                                            that diligently seek him. Hebrew 11:6                                                            

                                          [for my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may                                              progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him,                                          recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly                                         and more clearly] and that I may in that same way come to know the                                         power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers]                                        and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed                                        [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death,[in the hope] that is possible                                       I may attain the[spiritual and moral resurrection [that lifts me] out from                                        among the dead [even while in the body.] Philippians 3:10-11

            So this is it. Cards on the table. I am Christian because it is my responsibility and most importantly I am a Believer.