THE SPIRIT OF LIFE

The Spirit of life is the life-giving Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the author and giver of life, and the life He gives is free of condemnation. There is now no condemnation for the believer in Christ because of the saving work of Christ which sets His people free from the law that condemns.
The principle on which the Holy Spirit works in the Christian’s life operates in power. He can do what the law could never do.
It is interesting the word Holy Spirit is found more often in chapter eight of Romans than in any other chapter in the New Testament.
The Holy Spirit is the “distinguishing mark” of the believer. His very presence in the Christian means defeat of the power of sin in the believer’s life. The Holy Spirit rules within the heart.
“When the Holy Spirit comes into a person that person is liberated from bondage to evil and finds a new power within, a power that causes the defeat of sin and leads the liberated person into ways of goodness and love,” writes Leon Morris.
By the death of Jesus Christ the believer was freed from the law of sin (Romans 7:23, 25), and death (7:10-11, 13). That does not mean, however, that we are sinless even though we have been liberated from its dominion (6:18, 22). We have a new relationship to the law because of our new relationship with Christ.
Someone said, “Moses law has right but not might; sin’s law has might but not right; the law of the Spirit has both right and might.”
The Christian now has life in the Spirit. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death” (8:2). The law of the Spirit of life is in Christ Jesus. It is the principle of the new being, and this has freed us from the law of sin and death. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (v. 1).
This is the new spiritual principle of life. It is through our vital union with Christ that we have received this life-giving Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who has claim on our lives; the law no longer has any claim on the Christian because we have been set free from the law of sin and death. New principles now control the Christian’s life, with new dynamics. We have found deliverance in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The law no longer has any jurisdiction over the Christian. It can no longer lay any claim over you. We have been bought out of the slave market and set free to live this new life in Christ. God sent His Son to be our sin offering and die in our place to turn the wrath of God

CHRISTIAN WORD LIST

Amen ~ we agree; it is true; that is right; let it be so.

angel ~ God’s servant and *messenger in heaven.

apostle ~ one of the 12 men whom Jesus chose to be his special helpers.

baptize/baptism ~ to put a person into water to show that he wants to obey God.

Baptist ~ a person who *baptizes people (John the Baptist).

bless, blessing ~ to say or to do much good to a person; to call something holy; to ask God for good things to happen; to guard and to keep from evil things.

circumcise, circumcision ~ to remove the end part of skin from the male sex part; a sign of God’s special agreement with *Israel.

council ~ the group of *Jewish *priests and other leaders.

cross ~ a piece of wood that someone has fastened across another piece. People put Jesus on a cross to kill him.

crucifixion ~ to nail someone to a wooden cross in order to kill them.

crucify ~ to kill by *crucifixion.

demon ~ a devil who works for *Satan, the chief devil.

disciple ~ one who follows another and learns from him; a person who believes in Jesus; a person who follows the things that he teaches.

donkey ~ animal like a small horse.

empire, emperor ~ an empire is a group of nations under one ruler (called the emperor).

feast ~ special meal; *religious ceremony.

forgive ~ when someone stops being angry with another person who has done bad things.

Gentiles ~ people who are not *Jews.

grape ~ a small, sweet fruit that people make alcohol from.

holy ~ what God is like; different and better than all other things; all good with no bad in it; a thing that God has; separate from *sin, clean.

Holy Spirit ~ one person of the three persons who are God. He comes to help Christians to become more like God. We cannot see him. He comes to give people the power to do what God wants.

hypocrites ~ persons who pretend to be better than they are.

inn ~ a place that provides food and shelter for travelers.

Israel, Israelites ~ all the people from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Jew ~ a person who was born from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their children.

Jewish ~ a word that describes a *Jew or anything to do with a *Jew.

kingdom ~ land that a king rules.

Law ~ the rules that God gave to Moses for the *Jews.

Lord ~ name for God in the Bible; name that we use for Jesus when we obey him.

messenger ~ person who gives a message.

Messiah/Christ ~ the *Jews’ word for the king whom God would send to rescue them.

miracle ~ an event that seems to be against the usual laws of nature.

Mount ~ small mountain.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after Christ’s birth.

Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before Christ’s birth.

olive ~ a kind of tree that has fruit.

Passover ~ annual ceremony to remember when God rescued the *Jews from Egypt.

Pharisees ~ group of *Jews who were very strict about the law of Moses.

preach ~ to tell people about Jesus, and how to live for Jesus.

priest ~ a man that gave gifts and burned animals as a *sacrifice to God for the *Jews; a man that God chose to serve him.

prophecy ~ words that God gives to a person to tell other people.

prophet ~ one who tells God’s messages.

religious ~ people who belong to a religion.

resurrection ~ to come back to life after death.

Roman ~ person or thing that belongs to *Rome.

Rome ~ capital of a great *empire in *New Testament times.

Sabbath ~ day of rest when people should not work (Saturday for *Jews).

sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or to thank him for something.

Samaria ~ country on north border of Judah; its capital has the same name.

Samaritan ~ a person who comes from *Samaria.

Satan ~ chief evil spirit; the Devil.

Scripture(s) ~ Bible.

shepherd ~ one who looks after sheep.

sin/sinner ~ when people do things against God or other people.

Son of Man ~ Jesus called himself the Son of Man.

spice ~ powder that people make from certain plants to give flavor to food.

synagogue ~ a building where *Jews gather to pray and to study the *Old Testament.

tax-collector ~ man who received taxes for the government.

temple ~ special building in Jerusalem where *Jews *worshiped God.

tenant ~ person who occupies somebody’s property in return for rent.

tomb ~ cave in side of a hill for a grave.

Trinity ~ God who is three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the *Holy Spirit.

unleavened ~ bread without the substance that makes it rise.

vineyard ~ a place in which to grow *grapes.

worship ~ show honor and respect to God and praise him.

ANOINT TO WORSHIP

 To Anoint (Greek: Chrio)

    a.     consecrating Jesus to the Messianic office, and furnishing him with the necessary powers for its administration.
    b.    enduring Christian with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

To Worship (Greek Proskuneo) to kiss the hand to (towards) one in reverence; to bow down; to prostrate oneself before God.  

But keep in mind that we are to worship in Spirit and in Truth.  It’s not just with physical activity, but it’s a heart condition.

    

Worship is more than the way we sing praises unto the Lord or the way we lift our hands in admiration to the Lord.  It’s more than going through the motions and emotions.  True Worship is a lifestyle.  It’s giving complete total reverent love and allegiance to God regardless of what it looks like in the natural or feels like in the flesh.  Jesus said it best when He was in the garden, “. . . nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done.”  (Matthew 26:39)It’s complete obedience to God, not just the sacrifices we make by attending church services on Sunday and giving a small portion of our money to building the natural kingdom of God.  We are the living Church . . .those that are called out to do the Father’s will.  Jesus again said it best when He said to the woman at the well,

Matthew 13:21-24

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." 

How is it that we Worship in Spirit and Truth: It’s through the anointed power of the Holy Spirit. 

And what is Truth (Greek: Aletheia) Objectively

The truth as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man, opposing alike to the superstitions of the Gentiles and the inventions of the Jews, and the corrupt opinions and precepts of false teachers even among Christians 


Noticed that when Jesus was baptized the Spirit of God descended on him like a dove and lighting on Him. Especially notice what it states in (John 1:32)

The Baptism of Jesus 

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John  consented.   As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." 

Mark 1:10

 Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him;

 Luke 3:22

 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." 

John 1:32

John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him.

Now here is where the real worship takes place: When Jesus was lead into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tempted by the devil, He was tested in three areas, the lust of the flesh, the lust of eyes and the Pride of life.  Yet each time the Lord stood on the what the word of God said and He resisted the Devil and Satan had to flee.  Then God sent angels to minister to Jesus’ needs. 

The Temptation of Jesus

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.   And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."  But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"  Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,   and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'"
Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'"  Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;  and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me."   Then Jesus said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'"   Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him. 

Be aware of the counterfeits to God’s promises.  Satan always tries make you settle for less than God’s best and often it comes as a wolf in sheep clothing.

Jesus is a worshiper of the Father because even though He was fully man too, and even though He was tempted to settle for the riches and comforts of this world, He chose to honor the Father and give His life that the Father may win the lives of all.  A worshiper does not just give lip service and their things...He/She gives their life to one who gave them eternal life.Now that’s something to Shout about!!! Each day make an honest sincere heartfelt attempt to submit your life to the will of the Father.  Jesus showed you the way, the Holy Spirit is walking beside you to give you the power to do it, and the Father has already written the beginning from the end...and believe me there is a crown of Glory at the end and so much more than you can even imagine. 

So shout the victory in Christ Jesus, because it’s yours!!!

GOD IS MERCIFUL AND PATIENT

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine...do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." (2 Timothy 4:2,5)

  

According to a traditional Hebrew story, Abraham was sitting outside his tent one evening when he saw an old man; weary from age and journey, coming toward him. Abraham rushed out, greeted him, and then invited him into his tent. There he washed the old man's feet and gave him food and drink.

The old man immediately began eating without saying any prayer or blessing. So Abraham asked him, don't you worship God?

The old traveler replied, worship fire only and reverence no other god.

When he heard this, Abraham became incensed, grabbed the old man by the shoulders, and threw him out his tent into the cold night air.

When the old man had departed, God called to his friend Abraham and asked where the stranger was. Abraham replied, I forced him out because he did not worship You.

God answered, I have suffered him these eighty years although he dishonors Me. Could you not endure him one night?

It's hard to imagine the patience that God must have in order to deal with ALL of Creation including you and me. This Hebrew story told by Thomas Lindberg demonstrates that incredible patience of God.

In our Reading, the Apostle Paul shared with Timothy his thanksgiving for not only God's patience, but also for God's mercy, love and grace. Paul was definitely a child of God who tested the Heavenly Father's patience and mercy. As an agent of the Jewish Council, Paul, known then as Saul of Tarsus, spoke evil of Jesus, and with others persecuted the followers of God's Son, Jesus Christ. The mercy and forgiveness granted to Saul of Tarsus was a bold and profound message for future generations of believers. What incredible patience our God has. Who among us could be so patient? Not only was God patient with Paul, but also showed mercy by making such an enemy as Saul into an important representative of Christian faith.

Yet, Paul was selected to serve Jesus and to be an important representative of the Christian faith -- to demonstrate the Good News of what God has done and continues to do for all people through Jesus Christ! The apostle's testimony is a powerful expression of this important message. Paul emphatically wrote, his is a true saying, to be completely accepted and believed: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I am the worst of them, but God was merciful to me in order that Christ Jesus might show his full patience in dealing with me, the worst of sinners, as an example for all those who would later believe in him and receive eternal life.

Today, Paul is recognized as one of the most important Christian leaders in history; but if Paul considered himself the worst of sinners what does that mean for us? Can you or I think we are better than the apostle? That we are not sinners? An important aspect of those questions is shown in the spiritual lives of the Jewish leadership, which was opposed to Jesus. It was THEIR belief that THEY somehow earned special consideration or love from God. The Jewish leadership equated being loved by God with being a person who fulfilled all the requirements of THEIR religious laws. It was abhorrent to them to even consider the possibility that God loved sinners. Because Jesus welcomed and loved unclean sinners and the untouchables of society, the religious leader's whole understanding of their relationship with God was insulted.

Christ focus on saving sinners continues to create great tension today. Most of us do not like thinking of ourselves as sinners, so coming to terms with the Gospel message means we must face the reality that we ALL are sinners and need forgiveness.

We are called to remember we are all sinners. We are ALL in need of God's  grace, mercy, love and patience. If we are true followers of Jesus Christ, we are to welcome and follow our Savior's way of hospitality showing grace, mercy, love and patience toward all.

God's mercy and patience for all of us sinners has been shown powerfully in the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's Son! Let us follow God's and Christ's examples of mercy, patience, grace and love in the way we treat one another and welcome all people. Amen.

I think when you are Merciful and Patient like our Lord, your ministry work will be very happy and God will blessed your work abundantly. You have my support. Be blessed.

A MIRACLE

A terrible storm came into a town and local officials sent out an emergency warning that the riverbanks would soon overflow and flood the nearby homes. They ordered everyone in the town to evacuate immediately.
A faithful Christian man heard the warning and decided to stay, saying to himself, “I will trust God and if I am in danger, then God will save me.”
The neighbors came by his house and said to him, “We’re leaving and there is room for you in our car, please come with us!” But the man declined. “I have faith that God will save me.”
The flood waters rose higher pouring water into his living room and the man had to retreat to the second floor. A motorboat came by and saw him at the window. “We will come up and rescue you!” they shouted. But the man refused, waving them off saying, “Use your time to save someone else! I have faith that God will save me!”
The flood waters rose higher and higher and the man had to climb up to his rooftop.
A helicopter spotted him and dropped a rope ladder. A rescue officer came down the ladder and pleaded with the man, "Grab my hand and I will pull you up!" But the man STILL refused, folding his arms tightly to his body. “No thank you! God will save me!”
Shortly after, the house broke up and the flood waters swept the man away and he drowned.
The farmer goes to heaven. God sees him and says, “What are you doing here?”
 The man stood before God and said, “I put all of my faith in You. Why didn't You come and save me?”
And God said, “Son, I sent you a warning. I sent you a car. I sent you a motorboat. I sent you a helicopter. What more were you looking for?”

LORD TEACH MY CHILDREN TO PRAY

Prayer: The breath of the soul; must line up with God's will...................................................

(Excerpt from Selah: Think on This)

 

 

Today's question comes from Grace: I disagree with you. I will pray how and when I choose. I know for a fact that God answers my prayers.

 

Grace comes in two dimensions, vertical and horizontal.

Vertical deals with our relationship with God. (centers)

Horizontal deals with our human relationships. (centers)

 

 

Praying for others and praying for ourselves takes one into two dimensions. 

 

 

Two christian women were led to pray for another christian woman. This christian woman, they learned was on the verge of losing her house. What these two dear christian women didn't know, almost cost them their lives. The woman christian homeowner was losing her house due to sin; the sin of gambling. Galatians 6:19-21 says that they that do the works of the flesh shall not inherit the kingdom of God. This kind of praying though well intentioned is like throwing water on a forest fire. Don't assume that just because a person says they are a christian that they are living vertically. This woman was living horizontally. And grace comes in two dimensions and grace comes from Christ.  

 

 

The two christian women began to feel uneasy in the spirit. They stopped praying and asked God. The Holy Spirit said, "Ask the woman?" The woman christian homeowner fell to her knees as tears ran down her cheeks. She confessed her gambling addiction. Her gambling debt was the reason she was losing her house. The three christian women now armed with this confession were able to pray in one accord.

 

Anointing to Change

 

Father, in the name of Jesus, give me the anointing to change. I yield myself to Your presence and Your power. I open my heart, my eyes, my ears and my spirit to hear from You. Show me the areas of my life that need change. I now realize that it is Your desire that I change, so that You may prove Your good, perfect and acceptable will for my life. (Romans 13:2) I thank You now, Lord, for the beautiful new creation You will make of me. I declare this so now, in Jesus' name. Amen.

 

 

WHO'S IN CONTROL?

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Imagine a guy (we'll call him Fred) puts on a shirt. Across the chest, in huge letters, it says, "Jesus is Lord!" Fred has just labeled himself a Christian.
Yet when it comes to the way Fred acts, Jesus is definitely not in charge. When Fred misses a shot in tennis, he goes ballistic. And he just can't remember to take out the garbage—even though he's been told a dozen times. When he's with his girlfriend, he's always pushing the physical limits.
Who's in control? Certainly not Jesus. For Fred, his feelings rule. He's pretty much out of control.
Fred's shirt is just that: a shirt. The statement is empty. He's labeled himself a "Christian," but he sure doesn't act like one.
Fred's way of looking at faith would have been unimaginable to believers in the early church. To them, faith was not just something a person believed; it was something that had to be lived.

It meant a radically different way of life. They had to put their feelings in second place and put Jesus first—right where a person called "Lord" belongs.
These early believers worked so hard at following Jesus' example that someone began calling them "Christians." And it wasn't a compliment, either. You can almost hear it said with a sneer and a laugh: "You people are just a bunch of little 'Christs.' A bunch of Christians." But what could be better than being named after the person you most want to be like?
With the name, however, comes the responsibility to live in a way Jesus would be proud of. And that means living a life of self-control. It's not easy, because sometimes your desires will fight his will. But you don't have to struggle alone.
God is at work in and through your life. Even in the middle of temptation, he opens a door to give you a way out. You do not have to fall. You can have self-control.
Think back to the last time you gave in to temptation. Walk through the experience step-by-step. Do you see where God has provided a way out? It's there. Keep looking until you see it, then watch for it next time—before you fall.

From the Word:
"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."
Philippians 2:12-13