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WHAT IT MEANS TO BE SAVED
Salvation is the free gift from God that was brought to us by the great price Jesus paid on the cross.In one sense it was free (for us) but very costly for God Who had to give His only son as a sacrifice for all mankind.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Without the love of God in operation we would all have been condemned to hell. Adam had given up his authority and when that happened he died spiritually. But because God the Father prepared the way for
Jesus to come into the world we were then made able through Him (Jesus) to be brought back into right standing with God.
1Corinthians 6: 19-20
19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
We were born again of incorruptible seed. The word of God.
1Peter 1:23
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Faith and grace came into operation together to cause salvation to become a reality in our lives. We are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus. Brought back into right standing with God. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2: 8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which
God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
I remember being raised in church. I was a member of the Methodist Church. I lived what I thought was a good life and I knew I would go to heaven when I died. I was caught up in religion and did not know it.
Later on in life I became hungry for more of God. I was introduced to living by faith and being filled with the Spirit. I read material that taught me how to be filled with the Spirit and was hungry for this new experience in my life. I became frustrated when I could not be filled with the Spirit and did not know why.
My younger brother had already had this experience become a reality in his life and I wanted the same in mine.
Kenneth Copeland came to Birmingham, Alabama in late September of 1978. I setup my work schedule so I would be able to attend all of the meetings. On the last night of the believers meeting brother Copeland was preaching and read 2 Corinthians 5:17. Little did I realize that at that point in my life the Holy Ghost was going to minister to my heart and show me what was wrong in my life. My life would be changed forever.
2Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The Holy Ghost knows what to say to a person to show them where they are and help them to locate what is wrong with their life. He told me that I was a dead man. That one statement changed my life forever. I could see why I had not been able to be filled with the Spirit. I was not yet born again and you cannot put new wine into old wine skins.
Matthew 9:17
Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.
When the Holy Ghost told me I was a dead man that brought such freedom to me because I knew at that point I needed a saviour in my life Jesus Christ. I needed to be born again and make Jesus the Lord of my life. I went through the door of the sheep. I am now a new creature, created in Christ Jesus. Glory to God!
John 10: 7-11
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
Praise the Lord I accepted the sacrifice that Jesus made for me and made Him the lord of my life. I would also like to thank my brother Keith for being sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Ghost and leading me in the prayer of salvation and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. What a journey this life has been and will continue to be with my Lord Jesus at the helm of my life.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FAITH AND GRACE
Grace is God's ability working in us to help us do what we cannot do on our own.IT CANNOT BE EARNED
Grace - Kindness; Favor
There is also a positional grace we walk in because of what God has called us to do and our place in the body of Christ.
WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST
Faith is the belief in God's word to bring the unseen realm into the seen realm where we are.
FAITH IS KNOWING THAT GOD WILL BE FAITHFUL TO PERFORM HIS WORD.
The simplest definition of FAITH is just believing God's word
GRACE AND FAITH WORK TOGETHER TO BRING SALVATION
John 3
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Ephesians 2
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by GRACE ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his GRACE in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by GRACE are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
John 6:
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Faith cometh. Faith is now. If it is not now it is not faith.
Hebrews 11
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Romans:
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
GOD'S FAITHFULNESS IS WHAT WE COUNT ON WHEN WE ARE STANDING ON HIS WORD.
Jairus had to believe what Jesus said and count on His faithfulness.
Psalm 119:
90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
Isaiah 55:
11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
Jeremiah 1:
12 Then said the LORD unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it.
Mark 5:
22 And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet,
23 And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.
24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
35 While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?
36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue,
Be not afraid, only believe.
Jesus knew He had to keep Jairus in faith and not in fear. Because Jairus did what Jesus said to do his daughter was raised from the dead.
Be not afraid, only believe what Jesus said in His word and you will stay in faith and not in fear and you will see His word come to pass in your life.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE WALK OF FAITH
The faith that we have to be born again is from God. A free gift so that no man could boast through works.Ephesians 2:
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
This whole christian walk is a walk of FAITH. Without faith it is impossible to please God.
2Corinthians 5:7
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
Hebrews 11:6
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.
This passage goes on further to tell about others that walked by faith going back to verse one.
Hebrews 11:1-13
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6 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.
7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
God expects us to walk by faith just like the patriarchs of old. And I perceive that
we have an advantage in that we are spiritually alive to God through the new
birth and they were not. How much more also because we have the spirit within
and they only had the spirit upon.
We also have the great commission from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:18-20 NKJ
18 Then Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been
given to Me in heaven and on earth.
19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and
lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
In the Great Commission, Jesus calls every Christian to step out in faith and spread the Good News. This is faith in action! People who obey this command change their spiritual lives forever!
It could be spreading the Good News to a neighbor or moving to another country to reach the people there. It could be sharing with less fortunate kids down the street or spreading the Word in a town two hours away.
Wherever we go, every faithful Christian is compelled through obedience to share the Gospel. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, where has He called you to go? Who has God put on your heart to share the gift of salvation? What small or large steps can you take, with the knowledge that Christ will be by your side, "to make disciples of all the nations"?
Go make disciples, in every people group, (who have all the Godhead backing them), to do what Jesus commanded His first disciples to do.
Many Christians have a wrong understanding of what the Great Commission of Jesus Christ is. They think if we can just proclaim the Gospel to everyone, using tools like radio, television, and publications, that we will have obeyed it.
The Great Commission of Jesus is not just to preach the Gospel to everyone, but to make disciples so the Gospel can be effectively preached to everyone.
The Great Commission includes teaching disciples to do all the things Jesus taught His original disciples to do. That includes healing the sick and raising the dead!
A commission is (1) an authorization to perform certain duties or tasks, or to take on certain powers, (2) authority to act in behalf of another, (3) an entrusting, as of power, authority, etc., to a person or body.
Who Is It Given To?
The Great Commission is given to all disciples of Jesus Christ. It was originally given to Jesus' first disciples. But, because it tells them to make disciples and to obey everything they were taught by Jesus, it is perpetual.
EVERYTHING we do is a walk of faith and nowhere in the christian walk is it anything other than a WALK OF FAITH.
Mark 16:
19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
Malachi 3
6 For I am the LORD, I change not;
Hebrews 13
8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
If you merge the scripture in Hebrews with the scripture in Malichi it would read like this,
Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever, for I am the LORD, I change not.
We can always count on Jesus to work with us in ministry as we walk out our walk of faith in this life. Praise the Lord.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE MINISTRY OF LAYING ON OF HANDS, Part V
IN CLOSINGHebrews 6:
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
The laying on of hands is a fundamental doctrine of our Christian faith. Without a good understanding of it, we cannot go on to perfection. God has established the laying on of hands as a means of transferring His anointing, His healing and His blessings. The laying of hands was practiced by Jesus and His Apostles and this practice has not been done away with and it is meant to be practiced until the end of times.
I myself have received spiritual impartation by the laying on of hands first as a licensed minister and then again when I was ordained into the ministry. I know deposits were made and received because I have seen myself do the things the same way my spiritual mentors did. Jesus knew that we needed this doctrine in the church in order that we might receive from the men of God who had gone before us in order to do what He has called us to do. Gifts and tools for ministry are deposited during these times of ministry by the elders of the church.
1Timothy 4:
14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
Always remember that Jesus has made deposits into your life and ministry by the laying on of hands and you can draw on them as you minister in Jesus Name.
Until next time, KEEP THE FAITH!!!!!!!!!!!!!