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Post 8 How does the Bible Speak?

March 14, 2018

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The question is, “Can the Bible really speak? There are 2 important things we must remember and accept by faith about the Bible.
One, it is the inspired word of God, God breathed the words that we find in the Bible.

Two, it is a spiritual book and can be understood by believers who recognize that they are spiritual. 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own”? in other words the Holy Spirit lives in you! Show More

That is exciting news! God promised in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, that he would give us spiritual “eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart or mind to comprehend the things of God”.

So, how can a book thousands of years old be relevant and “speak to us” for our lives today? The Bible is not meant to be simply an intellectual book about times, places and people, but a guide for living life. Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. The primary purpose of the Bible is to guide you into living a peace filled, purpose filled, and joy filled life or in other words a blessed life.

Bible scholars use the term “illumination of the scriptures” to mean that as we read the bible certain verses or phrases come “alive” or seem to “jump off the page” and are relevant to what we are going through in life.

Let me illustrate this concept of “illumination” with an example from my own life. As a new Christian I used to have a problem with anger. I would get angry over the simplest situations and that created a tense environment in relationships especially with my family. Looking back, I would get angry over the silliest things. Now, my anger was such a part of my life that I was not aware of the “angry man” I had become. One day as I was reading in the book of James (1:19) the following verse “jumped out”, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God”.

Immediately, through that scripture verse, I saw myself for who I was, a very angry man. I didn’t take the time to listen, I would speak rashly and become so easily angry. I also saw the impact I was having on my family. It was then I began a journey, with the help of God’s Holy Spirit, to get to the root of my anger and deal with it. I knew enough that anger leads to bitterness and bitterness is an emotional poison. To make a long story short, God showed me that I had made a foolish decision as a teenager, I decided that I would not let anyone hurt me, emotionally, but that I instead of feelings of hurt I would get angry instead. The vow I made was forgotten but the decision I made had a long-term effect on me.

All of this happened because God didn’t want me to live my life hurting myself and others. You see “hurting people hurt people”! The Holy Spirit illuminated that verse in James and it had a profound and personal impact upon my life. Today I can say anger is not a part of my life, but love is and I can assure you those around me appreciate that!

In conclusion, the Word of God, the Bible has many interesting characters, places and events, but its primary purpose is to reflect who you really are, not who you think you are, but who you really are and then to show you, lead you and help you become the person God has always intended you to be, more like Jesus in every-way. Let me paraphrase 2 Corinthians 3:18, “But we, with all our masks removed, looking into a mirror and seeing the Lord Jesus are being transformed into becoming more like what we see, by the working of His Holy Spirit in us”.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of developing the habit of spending time in the Word. The length of time is not as important as spending the time. Five minutes is better than zero! Don’t be concerned in the beginning that you don’t understand the characters, places and events… that will come. Just read the New Testament with an open mind and heart and you will see the scriptures illuminated for you personally. I am confident of this because I know that God loves you and wants to bless you in every area of your life… just follow Him.
Post 7 A Spiritual Book, The Bible

March 7, 2018

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A Spiritual Book, the Bible
In our last post, we mentioned that the work of God’s Holy Spirit is from the inside out. You are being transformed and, in the process, trusting more and more in Jesus. Trusting in Jesus is what faith is all about!

It is important to know God, what He expects of us as well as what we can expect from Him. What we need is an owner’s manual written by our creator. God did not leave anything to chance, He provided us with the His owner’s manual the Bible. Show More

When I was a young man in college I read the Bible as part of my course work. I wasn’t a believer at the time. My conclusion after reading the Bible for a semester was that it, the Bible, made no sense whatsoever! It was sheer foolishness!

Then some years later, after accepting Christ, I started to read the Bible again. I must admit that I didn’t understand it all, but something about it compelled me, or drew me, to read and re-read the Bible. Over time I discovered timeless truths that changed my world-view and changed my life.

Looking back, I now understand that when l was in college I was trying to comprehend the Bible with my mind or my intellect alone and this caused me to miss the spiritual significance of the Word of God.

The Bible must be spiritually discerned. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says in 1 Cor 2:13-14, “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man (non-believer) does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned”. We need to learn how to rely on our Holy Spirit to discern the truth.

Isaiah says in chapter 55:8-9, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts”. In a nutshell God is saying we cannot fully understand his thoughts and ways because they are much higher than ours. After all He is the creator of the Universe, what have you created lately?

Because God is higher than our minds can fully comprehend He provided us His Holy Spirit to communicate with out spirit everything we need for this life and living in godly ways (2 Peter 1:3).

The Bible is not just a book written by the imaginations of men, but it is a God inspired book, God breathed as it were. All that is in the Bible was imparted to a group of people by God and what God wanted us to know can be found in the Bible or Scriptures. 2 Tim 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (truths), for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (right living), that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”.

The Bible is broken up into two major parts. The Old Testament followed by the New Testament. While it is important to understand that the entire bible is inspired by God it is also important to recognize that the Old Testament was written for the Jews who lived under the Law of Moses. The New Testament was written for those who put their trust in Jesus Christ.

As Christians the New Testament was written for us who live under Grace (God’s gift). Now most people who try to read the bible begin at the beginning in Genesis, that makes human sense, but I would suggest you begin in the New Testament since what is found in it applies to Christians. Later you can tackle the Old Testament from the perspective of the New Testament.

If you have not read the Bible or read the Bible lately I would urge you to try again. This time before you begin, ask God to reveal Himself to you in His Word. I would also suggest you start in the Gospel of John and then read, meditate, ponder, think about what you have read throughout the day. Try to read one chapter a day. After completing the book of John continue on to the book of Acts, Romans and etc. to the end of the Bible which is the book of Revelation.

If you are sincere I can promise you that God will truly amaze you.

In our next post we will be discussing How God reveals things to you in His Word, the Bible.
Post 6 Rehabilitation or Transformation

February 28, 2018

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In the last post we saw that we are more than body and soul; we are spirit, soul and body. Remember, the body communicates with the physical world, the soul communicates or forms relationships with the souls of other people. The spirit communicates with spirit realm and the born-again Christian is able to communicate with the Spirit of God!

Because of our new spiritual connection to God we are forgiven and there is no longer condemnation for sin. It was doubt, guilt shame and regret that tended to keep us living in the past with the belief that we were condemned, and that our lives could never change. However, in one tremendous miracle, when you repented and accepted Jesus into your life, you became a new creation! Forgiven, accepted and loved by God and His love means that He will never leave or abandon you. Show More
Post 5 The Spiritual Nature of Salvation

February 21, 2018

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Receiving salvation, through Jesus Christ, is not the end of a life-changing experience, but the beginning of something miraculous in your life. A new beginning! All of your sins have been forgiven and you are clean before God. Like the lowly caterpillar, you have been transformed into a beautiful butterfly. Now it’s time to soar! Show More

Unless you understand and believe in the spiritual nature of your salvation you will always find yourself in religious ritual and traditions, you will dry up and then give up. Jesus died on the Cross so that you could have a Relationship with Him! A relationship implies two-way communication. You speak to Him, that’s called prayer. God speaks to you, that’s called personal revelation- He reveals Himself to you.

To fully appreciate what God has done we need to look at the spiritual side of our nature. Most people tend to think of themselves as soul and body, but God created you with a spirit as well as soul and body. You are three in one spirit, soul and body just as God is three in one, the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit.

If you want to overcome the disappointments and scars of the past, the habits that have kept you in bondage, restore broken relationships and have a sense of purpose and joy in life, then you must have a “mind change”. That change is to see yourself as spirit, soul and body instead of just body and soul. This is such an important change in view and it will determine your success in overcoming in this life.

There are at least 3 important bible verses that confirm our three-part nature:

Genesis 2:7 “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 being (soul)”.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ”.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”.

Let’s take a closer look at the three parts of who you are, spirit, soul and body.

Looking at the diagram you will see that the overlap of Spirit, Soul and Body is where and who you are. To ignore the spiritual side of you is to live at 2/3^rd of your potential and ability. You are not just soul, or body or just spirit, but you are all three in one.

Let’s look at these three parts of who you are in terms of how each part interacts or communicates.

Body– your physical body communicates or interacts with the physical world. You communicate through your senses: touch, smell, hearing, sight, taste. Everything you know about the physical world you learned through physical experience. As a result of your experiences you have come to certain conclusions about the world we live in, of course not all those conclusions are true.

Soul– your soul is where your emotions, decision making or will, intellect and personality reside. Your mind, if you will, interprets all of the stimulus input from your physical body. The soul is also where all of your reasoning resides. Your soul communicates with the souls of other people and relationships, good and bad, are formed as a result of your soul.

Spirit- if your body communicates with the physical world, and your soul communicates with other souls… can you guess what your spirit communicates with? Yes, the spiritual realm! So, what is the spiritual realm? Briefly, there are 3 components: the spirit of God, the spirit of other people, and the spirit of the Devil.

Your past does not have to determine your future. Being a Christian means that everything is new. You may look in the mirror and see no change in your physically body- yet, you may not think differently right now in your Soul but being a believer means that your Spirit is made alive and you now are able to communicate with God. God’s love, guidance and power is made available to you by His Spirit.

Because of Jesus we can now have direct communication with God. God knows what you need and wants to help you be renewed and filled with His Holy Spirit.

Finally, in closing… Think about this expression:

“You are not a human being having a spiritual experience, but a spiritual being having a human experience”. anon.
Post 4 – How does one become Born-Again?

February 12, 2018

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In the last post “What is a Born-again Christian?” we saw that Jesus said, you must be born-again to see and enter the Kingdom of God (John 3:1-8). Two very important words to notice are, see and enter, the kingdom of God. Show More

Seeing the kingdom means to see the power and authority of the kingdom being released or manifested by those who are born-again or Believers. Romans 8:37 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” And Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” In other words, seeing the kingdom is the present reality of a supernatural life.

Entering the kingdom means obtaining eternal life with God in heaven. John 11:25 “Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die (physically), he shall live (forever).”

Here we see the twin benefit of believing in Jesus or having salvation,
1) an “overcoming” present life, , overcoming the trials and difficulties of life,
2) and the future reward of heaven.

An important truth or doctrine about God is that He always makes the first move; He initiates. A person may think that they have “found God”, but the truth is that God has been drawing that person to Himself. Jesus says in John 6:44, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day”. So, as you can see when person is drawn to, or curious, or intrigued about the teachings of Jesus it is because God the Father is “drawing” that person to the Truth, found in Jesus Christ.

Let’s be clear, to be “saved” or have salvation is a transaction, that is Jesus makes the invitation (remember God always moves first), but an individual must then accept the invitation. In Matthew 22:1-14 there is an illustration or Parable of Jesus called the Wedding Feast. A king sends his servants out to invite people to attend the wedding feast of his son. Some of those who were invited made excuses as to why they would not attend. They didn’t take the invitation seriously and did not realize the importance of the invitation. Some were too busy or had more important things to do. The king finds out about those who rejected the invitation and it is their rejection that condemned them. On the other hand, those who accepted the invitation are called the chosen. Chosen to reap the benefits of salvation.

We use the phrase, “to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, to mean that you have accepted God’s invitation and are Born-again or a Believer.
1. To accept Jesus as Lord or King means that you will follow his teachings which are found in His Word, the Bible.
2. To accept Jesus as Savior or deliverer means that you believe that He died for your sins at the Cross of Calvary and that one day you will go to Heaven to be with Him.

You are believing or trusting that as a result of Jesus’ death on the cross you are forgiven and now part of God’s family; and you believe in the resurrection of Jesus and therefore, have assurance you will also be resurrected and spend eternity in Heaven with Him. You see, you are loved, forgiven and accepted!

So how does one actually become Born-again or a Believer? The Apostle Paul says it best in Romans 10:9-13, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness (right living), and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. …13 For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

These are the promises of God; To confess with your mouth means that you are not ashamed to declare Jesus as your Savior. Tell someone of your decision to follow Jesus.

Believing in your heart means just that, you are not just reciting words or a formula. You are accepting by faith that Jesus died for you, that your sins have been washed away and your destination is Heaven.

If you are not a Born-again Believer I encourage you to make that decision today. You can do that with a simple prayer. Simply personalize Romans 10, which we just read, in the following way,

I am confessing with my mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in my heart that God has raised Him from the dead, I am saved. For with my heart I believe unto right living, and with my mouth I am confessing unto salvation. I am calling on the name of the Lord Jesus, therefore I am saved!