Friday, January 30, 2009

Backslidden?

What Does It Mean To Be Back Slidden?


Q. What does it mean to be backslidden? You say we cannot lose our salvation, or act in any way that will cause us to lose our salvation. The bible says sin will separate us from God. How can we sin and still go to heaven?

A. To answer your first question, backslidden is a term some believers apply to others who they feel have reverted to some of their former ways after becoming saved.

Personally I think all Christians are back sliders to some degree, and that those who accuse others of back sliding are judging them in violation of the Lord’s command.(1 Cor. 4:5) “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone,” is still good advice.

As to your second question, sin does separate us from God. That’s why we need a Savior. Jesus died so that our sins could no longer keep us out of God’s presence. Even after we’re saved we still sin, so Jesus had to die for all our sins, past present and future. After we’re saved we should still confess each time we sin so that God can purify us from all our unrighteousness (1 John 1:9) and continue to bless us, but our initial decision to accept the Lord’s death as payment in full for all the sins of our life is all that’s needed to assure our place in heaven (Ephesians 1:13-14)


Website: www.gracethrufaith.com




Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Paradise

Where Is Paradise?


Q. In a recent question you said that Paradise is part of Hades where those who died in faith went to wait for Jesus to die for them. You said after the Resurrection He took them to Heaven. But in 2 Cor. 12:2 and 4 Paul spoke of going to the 3rd Heaven which he called Paradise, and in Rev. 2:7 it speaks of the tree of life being in the paradise of God. Based on these two verses which are written after the cross and happened after the cross, it appears to me that paradise is not part of Hades.

A. There’s a lot of confusion here because obviously the verses you cite don’t refer to Hades. Paradise is a word of Persian origin that means garden and is meant to invoke visions of the Garden of Eden. In 2 Cor 12:2 Paul said he went to the 3rd heaven, which means the Throne of God. Then in verse 4 he called it Paradise. In Rev. 2:7 the same location is called the Paradise of God.

According to Strong’s concordance the word paradise was used for both places. It seems that Jews thought of Paradise as being part of Hades, while the early church Fathers believed that “the paradise in which our first parents dwelt before the fall still exists, neither on the earth or in the heavens, but above and beyond the world.”

We know that when Jesus spoke to the thief about going to Paradise with Him that very day, He wasn’t talking about the Throne of God, because in John 20:17 on Resurrection Morning He told Mary He hadn’t gone there yet.


Website: www.gracethrufaith.com





Sunday, January 25, 2009

Morning Glory

John Belt:
"Morning Glory - Abide in His Light"

John BeltMorning Glory


When we start our day we need to make sure we get a dose of the Morning Glory of God. That glory, which we experience in our times with the Lord, goes with us throughout the day. Every day we need to be saturated with His Presence. Every day we need the daily bread from Heaven. We need to allow the Lord to make His Word alive in our hearts. It is when we come into His glory that all things, old and new, come alive within our hearts.


John 15:7, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

It is abiding in the resurrection power of Jesus that opens up the doors of revelation and ignites our spirits, opening our eyes to the realities of Heaven. We are Heavenly creatures living in the earthly realm. Our spirit is "more" real than our fleshly body. Our body will perish and we will get a new one. But our spirit man is eternal. Our spirit is the divine center of all God-activity in our being.

John 7:38, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

Allow the food for your spirit to take priority over all other things. If we are not experiencing the deep well within, it may be clogged with earthly distractions. Pay the price to make sure that your well stays open and functioning at the highest level. There is a maintenance, discipline, and focus that keeps the well in your spirit flowing.

Enter His Gates

Psalm 100:4, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

One of the first things we can do to keep our well functioning is to start our day, every day, with praise and thanksgiving, communing with God in the Spirit. It starts with being Holy Spirit sensitive and understanding the reality of having our spirit connected into the anointing of His Presence. It is true that the anointing is for others, but it also true that the anointing is for us to know Him and His truth.

1 John 2:20, "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things."

That anointing from the Lord teaches us all things. There are anointings for specific purposes, but there is an anointing for our devotional and prayer life. When you begin to develop the habit of opening your day with praise, thoughts can sometimes come to distract us off course. If they are important, quickly write them down. If not, cast them down. Then we can move into deeper worship. Stay on course.

God calls us to intimacy in His glory. Abiding in Jesus is all about starting our days right and ending our days right. We do this with Him as the beginning and the end. Live a life of thanksgiving, blessing and encouragement and displace complaining, criticism and accusation. Complaining opens the door to snake bites and the venom of the enemy. Thanksgiving opens the door to the healing and life-giving virtue of the Spirit.

Problem Solvers

This year we will have things to overcome - just as every year. It is important, as always, to have our morning glory time. God is calling us to be problem solvers this year, to be filled with the wisdom of His Spirit. With this we must be a Holy Spirit people. The Holy Spirit is not an option.

We cannot be enamored with teachings and people but with Jesus and getting to know Him through the person of the Holy Spirit. All else falls by the wayside. I like good teaching. But the Lord is the focus. If we are intoxicated with His love, that will be the only motivation we need to follow Him.

John 16:13-15, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you."

When we are a people that know the ways of the Spirit and understand His Word, we will be filled with the ability to overcome difficulties and solve problems. Some can find problems, create problems and maintain problems, but God is looking for those who solve them. That takes a life of faith.

Find Victory in Your Heart

It is important to surround ourselves with people who have an overcoming spirit and are filled with faith so that we are willing to learn and follow that example. Press into that extra mile with the Lord. Go the distance. Don't settle for mediocrity. His righteous ones will live by His faith. Find victory in your heart. He is the victory!

1 Samuel 30:6, "...David strengthened himself in the LORD his God."

This life is a journey. Each one of us must walk out our own unique path as the Lord leads us. Each of us have choices to make; we must make them wisely. Don't worship at the altars of yesterday. Don't stay somewhere just because your relatives lived and died there. Get out of the box and find God adventures in your life. You're only on earth one time. Be connected with God, have a plan, let Him order your steps and find your life in Him.

Isaiah 43:19, "Behold, I will do a new thing...it shall spring forth!"

God is always into "new things." Heaven is loaded with new things. Tap into our heavenly resources, get creative and remove all the boundaries of the natural mind, believing God for His best in 2009!

Isaiah 12:3, "Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation."

Let your light burn brightly as you dwell in the glory of His light each day and as you wake each day with a thankful heart.

In His Overwhelming Love,

John Belt
Live In His Presence Ministries

Email: admin@liveinhispresence.com

Website: www.liveinhispresence.com




Saturday, January 24, 2009

Who are we?

Who Are We, Anyway?

A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

www.gracethrufaith.com

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor 5:17) You may look and even feel the same as you did before you were saved, but in God’s eyes you’re totally different. The old you no longer exists. As far as He’s concerned, you’re a new creation, as righteous as He is. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21)

Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13) This change came about as the result of a new birth. No matter who your earthly parents are, or what their nationality is, God has given you the authority to be born again as one of His children.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Gal. 3:26-28) You might have been a Jew or a gentile before you were saved, but now you’re neither. You belong to an entirely new race of Human, and God has adopted you directly into His family.

His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. (Ephes. 2:15-16) Since the Fall of Man, God has never been able to dwell successfully among His people. They simply can’t live according to the standards of Holiness He requires. But He loves us too much to abandon us. So after the cross He began taking some from the Jews and some from the Gentiles, forming His new race of Human, and by His death making us as Holy as He is. The ones He takes are the ones who ask to be taken. Finally He now has children with whom He can dwell in peace.

But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir. (Gal. 4:4-7) But that’s not all He did at the cross. Being His children makes us His heirs, inheritors of Creation. In both Greek and Roman cultures, even a biological son had to be legally adopted by his father in order to qualify as an heir. This usually happened between the ages of 14 and 18 and was intended to prevent wayward, rebellious, or incompetent offspring from getting their hands on dad’s estate. It was called receiving the full rights of a son. When you were born again as a child of God, whether male or female, you immediately received the full rights of a son, qualifying you as His heir.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Rom. 8:15-17) Since we have allowed the death of our Lord to wipe away our debt of sin, thereby sharing in His sufferings, we are entitled by the power of the Holy Spirit to call the Creator of the Universe our Daddy and share with the Lord Jesus the inheritance set aside for Him. This inheritance is identified in Psalm 2:7-8. I will proclaim the decree of the LORD : He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. By agreeing to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you are qualified to share in this inheritance.

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. (Ephes. 2:6-7) Note the past tense of the verbs. As Far as God is concerned this has already been accomplished in Heaven, even though we wait for it to happen on earth. In other words it’s as good as done. And in ages yet to come, when God is asked, “What was the greatest demonstration of Your love for Your people,” He’ll point to us, the church.

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephes. 2:10) This literally means that we’re His work of art, the very best example of His creative genius. We are destined to spend eternity in His presence, to rule and reign with Him in His Kingdom. We’re future Kings and Priests in training for our coming coronation.

Let’s Begin Acting Like The Royalty We Are

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”
Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28-29) So what does this training consist of? We must believe with all our hearts that Jesus did what He came to do, and entrust our eternal destiny to His completed work alone.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12) With the power of the Holy Spirit invested within us, we must strive to love each other as He loved us.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephes. 4:22-24) We must begin to change our attitude about life, letting our gratitude for what He’s done for us permeate every aspect of our lives. Here are some examples.

Be joyful always; (1 Thes. 5:16) No matter what happens, we should be so thankful for all He’s given us that nothing can steal our joy.

Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thes. 5:17-18) He wants a never ending conversation with us, and for us to find something in every situation that we can give thanks for, because He knows this will make us happier.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:4-7) No matter what happens, our reaction should be to rejoice. We should worry about nothing, pray about everything, and be thankful for anything. In return He will give us peace in our lives. Peace that never fails. Peace that’s beyond our understanding. The peace of God Himself.

So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matt. 6:31-33) He knows we need food, a place to live, and clothes to wear during our life on Earth. He promised to provide all these things for us, if we’ll just make Him our first priority.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Phil 4:8) He has given us an incredibly powerful mind, the limits of which are beyond measure. There’s no end to the things we can create in our imaginations. Such power can be destructive when it’s used improperly, such as when we focus on hate, or greed or envy. He wants us to focus our minds on good things, things that are beautiful, pure, excellent and praiseworthy. He knows this will make us happier and healthier.





Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Prayer of Faith

11.11 Common mistakes in the prayer of faith

Sometimes, we may not get results in the prayer of faith due to a lack of revelation of what Christ has accomplished on the cross. Let me share three common mistakes in the prayer of faith by using the example of healing.

1) Uncertainty over God’s Will

When we pray for healing, we should not say, “Lord, IF it is Your will, heal me.” This prayer has no basis of faith as there is an uncertainty reflected by the word “if”. First of all, we need to be certain if it is God’s will to heal.

In Matt 8:2, a leper came to Jesus and asked if Jesus was willing to heal him. Jesus said He was willing. The leper had to know that. Today, we know God’s will through Jesus. Isaiah 53:5 declares, “By His stripes we are healed.” Beloved, have no doubt that it is God’s will to heal – Jesus has paid the price for your healing!

2) Lack of Revelation of “Christ the Healer”

When we pray for healing, we do not say, “Lord, PLEASE heal me.” When people pray for healing as a knee-jerk reaction to a crisis, they end up pleading. Their prayers are filled with anxiety.

It is important to receive a personal revelation of “Christ the Healer”. Those who have a revelation of Christ the Healer would be unshaken in a crisis; they do not plead but turn to Him in faith and quiet confidence.

3) Lack of Revelation That “It is finished”

When we pray for healing, we do not say, “Lord, I pray that YOU HEAL me.” If we truly understand the redemption work on the cross, all our healing was accomplished when Jesus cried, “It is finished.” For God, there is no more work to be done for healing. For us, it is a matter of enforcing what was accomplished 2,000 years ago on the cross by speaking to the circumstances. The way to receive is by faith through our spoken word.

When Peter quoted Isaiah 53:5, he used the past tense. He said, “By whose stripes you WERE healed” (1 Pet 2:24). He was looking back at the finished work on the cross.

When we receive this revelation, we will end up “speaking to the mountains” instead of “asking in prayer”. All the successful ministers throughout Church history who experience great results in the prayer of faith always spoke to their mountains.

11.10 How to pray the prayer of faith (part 4) – Standing in faith

What happens after we have prayed? Sometimes we receive immediate results. On other occasions, the manifestation of the results may take a little longer. Do we look at the circumstances with our natural eyes and begin to doubt? If we do so, we will nullify the power of prayer.

2 Cor 5:7 says that we are to walk by faith and not by sight. I know how hard it can be but we are to believe that the mountain has already been removed in the spiritual realm, and that the manifestation has to follow. We should see the prayer answered through our spiritual eyes. We have prayed and it is settled!

Mark 11:24 (Revised Standard Version) says that whenever we pray the prayer of faith, we must believe that we have received. It is in the past tense.

(Mark 11:24, Revised Standard Version)
THEREFORE I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED IT, and it WILL BE YOURS.

Hence, we should be giving thanks to God between the time of prayer and the manifestation of the results. We should also maintain our faith by meditating on God’s Word and by proclaiming victory over the circumstances.

Some are of the view that the prayer of faith can be prayed only once. But on one occasion, Jesus prayed for a blind man twice (Mark 8:22-25), and the healing was progressive. If the results do not manifest immediately, we should continue visualizing and proclaiming to the circumstances to release our faith. As we do so, we should also continue giving thanks for His finished work.

A few years ago, I woke up with soreness on my heels. I thought it was due to too much exercise. But the pain remained and grew worse. Soon I was unable to even stand up to worship on Sundays. So I prayed the prayer of faith for healing. I told myself that I had a lot more places to go to. But nothing happened. Week after week, I would proclaim my healing as I took the Holy Communion. I was still thanking God for my healing one year later.

One day, the doctor said that if things didn’t improve, he would have to inject steroids into my heels. I didn’t want to be injected with steroids. I continued giving thanks. A few days before my appointment, the pain disappeared. The healing only manifested over a year later.

11.9 How to pray the prayer of faith (part 3) – Resting our faith in Jesus

When we pray the prayer of faith, we do not focus our faith on our faith. It is not how hard we believe. It is who and what we believe. We rest our faith in Jesus. Using the name of Jesus is a common expression that we are resting our faith in Him.

When Jesus completed the work on the cross, God raised Him up and gave Him the name above very other name – in heaven, on earth and beneath the earth. It is the most powerful name in the whole universe. This explains why Satan tries to degrade the name of Jesus, and Hollywood uses His name disrespectfully as a swear word.

(Phil 2:9-11)
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the NAME which is ABOVE EVERY NAME, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The name of Jesus represents His Person as well as the fullness of His authority. He has given us the right to use His name because we represent Him and He has delegated His full authority to us on earth. This explains why Mark 16:17-18 says, “IN MY NAME they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

We are to execute our authority using the name of Jesus. Therefore, when we pray the prayer of faith, we put our faith in the name of Jesus, which represents His Person and His authority. In Acts 16:18, Paul commanded an evil spirit to come out of a girl in the name of Jesus. Another powerful example was how Peter prayed for the lame man at the gate called Beautiful.

(Acts 3:6-8, 16)
Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but WHAT I DO HAVE I give you: IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST OF NAZARETH, RISE UP AND WALK.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.

And His name, through FAITH IN HIS NAME, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the FAITH which COMES THROUGH HIM has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

Peter spoke to the problem, not to God. He focused his faith in the name of Jesus. He attributed the healing to faith in His name.

11.8 How to pray the prayer of faith (part 2) – Speaking to the mountain

In the last lesson, we said that there were 4 important principles in the prayer of faith. The first was to believe the promise from God’s Word. God’s Word cannot fail; it is the basis for our faith.

Today, let us talk about how we can release that faith through prayer. Many people talk to God about their mountain. But God wants us to talk to our mountains about God.

Every healing, every miracle and every promise has been purchased on the cross 2,000 years ago. We do not have to ask God anymore. It had already been given when Jesus cried, “It is finished.” We just need to enforce those promises as kings and priests by speaking them into existence. Our faith is released through our outward confession.

We will now show you that the prayer of faith is not even talking to God. It is simply speaking to the mountain to be cast out, or calling forth His promise. The famous passage which teaches us about the prayer of faith is in Mark 11:22-24.

(Mark 11:22-24)
So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever SAYS TO THIS MOUNTAIN, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. THEREFORE I say to you, whatever things you ASK WHEN YOU PRAY, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”

This passage shows us that the prayer of faith is through speaking to the mountain. Jesus equates “asking in prayer” with “saying to the mountain”. Therefore, when we speak to the mountain, we are actually asking in prayer. Jesus shared this passage to explain how the fig tree which He cursed earlier withered away. He simply spoke to it saying, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again” (Mark 11:14).

This principle of “speaking” is used throughout the Bible especially in praying for the sick, in raising the dead, in casting out evil spirits and in praying for the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 3:6-8, 9:17, 9:40, 16:18; Mark 5:41; Luke 4:39; John 11:43). We can also apply this principle to the other promises of God. For example, you can speak to your mountain of debts. You can proclaim life to the barren womb. You can speak to yourself to receive wisdom, love, joy and peace of the Lord.

Therefore, in the prayer of faith, we should be speaking to the mountain to be cast out, or to call forth God’s promise. God will back us up in heaven when we enforce His victory. So stop talking to God about your mountain; start talking to your mountain about God.

11.7 How to pray the prayer of faith (part 1) - Believing in the promise

There are four simple principles in the prayer of faith. Firstly, we believe the promise. Secondly, we speak to the mountain. Thirdly, we rest our faith in Jesus. Finally, we must maintain our faith in Jesus after praying. Remember that these are not formulas. More importantly, let an understanding of the principles produce faith in our hearts. We should always depend on the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to pray; as we keep our eyes on Jesus, our high priest.

1) Believing in the promise

God’s Word gives us certainty of His promises and produces faith in us. As such, when we understand more of God’s Word, our faith increases and we get more results in the prayer of faith. Here are some examples of God’s covenant promises:

1) Forgiveness and salvation (Is 53:5; John 3:16; Eph 2:8)
2) The gift of no condemnation (Rom 8:1)
3) The gift of righteousness (2 Cor 5:21; Rom 5:17)
4) Baptism in the Spirit with the new prayer language of tongues (Acts 1:8, 2:1-4)
5) The leading of the Holy Spirit from within (Rom 8:14)
6) A divine destiny in life (Heb 12:1-2; Ps 139:16)
7) Family salvation (Acts 16:31)
8) The power of the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:19-21)
9) The gifts of the Spirit (Eph 4:7-8)
10) Spiritual authority over Satan (Eph 2:6; Rev 1:6; Mark 16:17-18)
11) Angelic help (Heb 1:14)
12) Freedom from fear and having a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7)
13) The love of God (Rom 5:5; Gal 2:20)
14) The joy of God (Neh 8:10; John 16:24; Rom 14:17, 15:13)
15) The peace of God (Is 53:5; Phil 4:6; Rom 5:1, 14:17)
16) Boldness (Prov 28:1)
17) Wisdom and possessing the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16; James 1:5)
18) Prosperity of the soul (3 John 2)
19) Deliverance from trouble and victory (Ps 91:15; Deut 28:7)
20) Financial blessings (2 Cor 8:9; Phil 4:19; 3 John 2; Deut 8:18)
21) Promotion (Deut 28:13)
22) Redemption of lost years (Joel 2:25)
23) Physical healing (Is 53:5; 1 Pet 2:24)
24) Divine health (Rom 8:11; 3 John 2)
25) Renewal of your strength and youth (Is 40:30-31; Ps 103:5)
26) Good sleep (Ps 127:2)
27) Fruitfulness of the womb and having blessed children (Ps 128:3)
28) Long life (Ps 91:16; 118:17)
29) Deliverance from labor pains (Gen 3:16; Gal 3:13)
30) Divine protection (Ps 91)

The list is not exhaustive. The abundant covenant promises in the Bible are for you to discover in this exciting journey. You can you possess your promises in Christ.

11.6 The prayer of faith

Many believers do not realize that there are different types of prayers with different rules. We can apply the wrong rules and end up not getting the right results. It is like playing rugby according to soccer rules.

The Apostle Paul spoke of praying to God with “all kinds of prayer” (Eph 6:18, The New Century Version). The Amplified version says, “With all manner of prayer and entreaty.” Paul was talking about more than one type of prayer.

(Eph 6:18, NCV)
Pray in the Spirit at all times with ALL KINDS OF PRAYER, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God’s people.

In order to engage in prayer effectively as New Covenant priests of God, we need to first know the different types of prayer. Each of these prayers applies to different situations and the principles for each are different. Applying the right principles for each type of prayer with the help of the Holy Spirit will get us the required results.

Let us start with the prayer of faith. The prayer of faith is used to possess the covenant promises of God. It is used when the Bible gives us a specific promise and His will is clear. God’s Word is a legal covenant and it gives us a legal basis to receive His promises. The condition to receive His promises is faith.

We can only use the prayer of faith when we have spiritual authority over the subject matter. We can pray for our families, our children, our spiritual dependants, our possessions and ourselves.

However, one believer cannot exercise faith on behalf of another believer who is not a spiritual dependant. That person has to exercise his faith over his personal spiritual domain. We can pray in agreement with, intercede and make supplications for that person. These other kinds of prayer will also be covered later.

by Joshua Lye
Website: www.dailyrhema.blogspot.com



Can we Christians celebrate The Feasts?

Celebrating The Feasts


Q. After the birth of the church on the day of Pentecost (which was mostly if not all Jewish) did the members of the church continue to practice or celebrate the seven feasts? Here is the reasoning behind my question (and please correct me if I am wrong)… the Lord never intended the Jewish people to stop being Jewish, He just intended for them (like all of us) to be believers in the one whom the Father hand sent. So would practicing/celebrating the feasts of Israel be considered legalistic? I can’t wait to hear your answer…

I love your ministry and what you do for our Lord, may He continue to richly bless you.

A. I helped found and for over a year was the pastor of a Messianic Fellowship. We celebrated all the feasts because they all point to Jesus. He fulfilled 3 of them in His first coming (Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits), birthed the Church in the 4th one (Pentecost) and will fulfill the remaining three in the 2nd Coming (Trumpets, Yom Kippur and Tabernacles) It’s hard to find a clearer picture of the Messiah than the Feasts of Israel and every Gentile believer would gain much from celebrating them from a Messianic perspective.


By Jack Kelley

Website: www.gracethrufaith.com



Discipline and Dying to Self

9.72 But I discipline my body and bring it to subjection

If dying to self in the New Covenant is to have faith in Jesus (to see yourself crucified with Him), then where is the role of discipline? It sounds too simple, you may say. If we don’t have to put our old nature under, then why does Paul talk about disciplining his body? Many people still want to wrestle within themselves.

Let us refer to the verse where Paul talks about disciplining his body, to read it in its context.

(1 Cor 9:26-27)
Therefore I RUN thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I FIGHT: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

Paul talks about running not with uncertainty, but the certainty of faith. When the Bible talks about running a race, it refers to the race of faith.

(2 Tim 4:7)
Fight the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

(Hebrews 12:1-12)
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…

Paul talks about fighting not as one who beats the air, but as one who disciplines his body. What fight is Paul referring to? It is the fight of faith.

(1 Tim 6:12)
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

What is Paul’s motivation to want to be disciplined to run the race and to fight the fight of faith? It is his faith in Jesus – the author and finisher of faith.

When we believe our new identity in Christ and when we believe our calling in Christ, we experience a sense of discipline to want to finish the race. But when we lack faith, and we try to discipline ourselves to make up for that lack of faith, we wont get anywhere.

Today, when we talk about discipline, know that there is a powerful discipline that comes through faith. This is the faith that caused Paul to labor more abundantly than the rest. Faith is a powerful force.

9.71 Set your mind on the things of the Spirit

We have said that the spiritual battlefield for the believer is really in the mind. Do we align our minds with the finished work of Christ or do we not? Do we see our identity in Christ or do we not?

The finished work of Christ is a reality in the spirit realm. Your true identity in Christ is a reality in the spirit realm. Jesus has given us His Spirit in the spiritual realm. But we have a choice to make with our minds.

We can both set our mind on the things of the Spirit and live on the basis of the reality of the spirit realm, or we can walk according to the flesh in the natural realm.

We can look at the finished work in the spirit realm instead of looking at circumstances in the natural realm. We can see our true identity in the spirit realm, or we can see the carnal man in the natural realm. We can draw for the power of the Spirit in the spirit realm, or we can labor in our human strength in the natural realm. We can draw from the zoe life of God in the spirit realm, or we can experience death in the natural realm.

The following verse tells us how we should live our lives in the New Covenant.

(Romans 8:5-6)
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

We are to live according to the Spirit by setting our minds on the things of the Spirit. When we do so, we will experience life and peace.

When we walk in the Spirit according to our new identity, we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Fulfilling the lust of the flesh happens to those who set their minds on the things of the flesh.

(Gal 5:16-17)
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another…

This is a powerful verse to reinforce to us that dying to self is not about wrestling with self. It is about yielding to the Spirit. We do not wrestle with darkness; we simply turn on the light to dispel darkness. The key is to walk by faith in the Spirit.

9.70 Be transformed by the renewing of your mind

The spiritual battlefield for the believer is really in the mind. Do we align our minds with the finished work of Christ or do we not? Do we see our identity in Christ or do we not?

The following verse talks about spiritual warfare. It talks about pulling down strongholds in our minds, casting down arguments and every thing that comes against the knowledge of God. It talks about bringing EVERY THOUGHT into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Our every thought should be aligned with the finished work of Christ.

(2 Cor 10:4-5)
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…

Now that is a journey. The first step is to know that “IT IS FINISHED!” Some have not even come to that place. Thereafter, we can start to read the Word to discover what has changed since the finished work! It is a journey to renew our minds with the truths of the New Covenant.

Romans 12:2 says that we are not to be conformed to the world, but be TRANSFORMED by the RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. Transformation starts from the mind. When the mind is renewed, we will know the will of God.

(Rom 12:1-2)
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

In the same passage, Romans 12:1 says that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice for the purposes of God. The way that we can do it is first, to have the renewing of our mind.

The spirit is born again with the seed of Christ and the union of the Holy Spirit. The mind is to be renewed by the truths of Christ. Then the body is presented as a living sacrifice. This is divine order.

9.69 Be renewed in the spirit of your mind

The last lesson, we said that the choice is for the believer to either walk by faith according to his new nature in Christ, or to walk in the memory of the old man (who was crucified with Christ).

How we behave does not change the reality. But knowing the reality will change how we behave. Let us share a powerful passage to illustrate the point.

(Eph 3:20-24)
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the OLD MAN which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and BE RENEWED in the spirit of your mind, and that you PUT ON THE NEW MAN which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

First of all the passage tells us that we should put off the old man. The old man has been crucified with Jesus. He no longer exists. He is dead. He is the old man. We have to put off the memory & the consciousness of that old man.

Secondly, it tells us that we are to put on the new man (the new creation) which was [past tense] created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Now the new man is the real you. It is the new you. It is created according to God. The real you is righteous and holy. We are to live in the reality of the new man.

How do we do that? Why is there a struggle in some Christians between the new identity versus the old identity? The struggle is one of faith – to believe our new identity and to walk in that consciousness.

The passage tells us that we are to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind”. When our mind is conscious of our new identity, the verse tells us that we can then put on the new man, or to walk in the consciousness of the new man.

Once again, the verse tells us that the challenge is not to put down the old man, it is to believe that the old man is dead, and to walk by faith in the new man. It is a fight of faith. The renewal of our minds to the truths of the New Covenant is an ongoing process. Tomorrow, we will share another verse that talks about the renewal of our minds.

9.68 Therefore reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin

Some may ask, “If my body is holy, then why do I still sin?” The body still has its fives senses, and its desires. The Bible calls it the lust of the flesh. But that is not your true nature. Your true nature is created according to God in righteousness and holiness.

The sinner is enslaved to the lusts of the flesh, and it becomes part of his nature. But the believer is no longer a slave to sin but to righteousness. The believer has to choice and the God-given ability to walk according to the Spirit.

The believer can choose to walk in his real nature (the new creation) or he can still choose to walk in the memory of the old nature (the old man). God gives us a choice. Conversely in the same manner, a sinner has a choice to either do good or bad, but he remains a sinner.

So what is the challenge in the New Covenant? It is not to fight against the sin-nature. It is to believe (faith) that we are a new creation in Christ, so as to walk by faith in that reality. It is a choice and a state of mind. It is a consciousness that comes through faith.

The Bible uses words like, “RECKON yourselves to be dead indeed to sin.” The word RECKON speaks of a consciousness that comes through faith.

The Bible also tells us that we have a choice to walk by faith. It uses terms like, “DO NOT let sin reign…” and “DO NOT present…”

(Rom 6:10-13)
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, RECKON YOURSELVES to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Therefore DO NOT let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And DO NOT present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but PRESENT YOURSELVES to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.

The body is the channel and the instrument that can be used for good or bad. When we reckon (conscious) that we are a new creation, we are able to present our members as instruments of righteousness to God.

So what is the secret and the key? It is faith – to believe our new identity in Christ. When we do so, we will start to walk in the new man.

9.67 Is your body sinful or holy?

If you asked a Christian, “Is your body sinful or holy?” they will probably tell you that the body is sinful. They will likely tell you that the sin nature is in the body, which is why they have to beat their bodies to keep it under. There are Christian groups that even practice inflicting their bodies.

But what do you think? For a while, I wondered if the born again experience only impacted our spirit, while the sin nature is still retained in the body. Have you asked such questions?

The Bible tells us that our “body of sin” has been done away with. This happened when we were united in death with Jesus. Our old man (the old nature) was crucified with Christ that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

(Gal 2:19-20)
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Doesn’t that change the way we view our body? It is no longer the body of sin! In fact, another verse tells us that our “body” is the temple of the Holy Spirit. If the body is sinful, then how can the Holy Spirit indwell our body?

(1 Cor 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?

Let us go one step further by cross-referencing another verse that talks about us being the temple of the Holy Spirit. Now it says that the temple of God is Holy, which temple you are.

(1 Cor 3:16)
Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Since the temple is our body, and the temple is holy, it actually means that our bodies are holy to God. It is not sinful. We do not inflict our bodies. We respect our bodies and we present our bodies as vessels of honor to the Lord.

9.66 It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me

In the last lesson, we said that the answer to the question of dying to self is found not in our actions but in a Person – Jesus. A lot of people focus on their effort to put the flesh under and they fail. But when we come face to face to Jesus, the journey truly begins.

Let us share a very powerful verse in the Bible.

(Gal 2:19-20)
For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

The first point is that we have died to the law that we might live to God. Many people still see themselves as sinners trying to keep the law to attain to die to self. But the Bible says that it is not the answer. In fact, we have died to the law. We do not live for the law or on the basis of the law. We do not die to self by our efforts.

So what is the answer? The Bible says that we have been crucified with Christ. That old man died with Christ. And we have been resurrected into newness of life with Christ. This is why Paul says that, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” He is conscious that the old man is dead and he is a new creation.

He does not have to struggle with that which is dead; as long as he lives on the basis of the new creation. Sure he is still in the body and he is still in the flesh. He is not in heaven yet. But though he is still in the flesh, he lives by faith in the Son of God.

Likewise, how do we live as a new creation in Christ? By faith! By faith in the Son of God! So the Christian life is not one where a believer struggles with the old man. The old man has died. It is a struggle or fight of faith – where the believer struggles with believing his identity as a new creation in Christ. It is a struggle of believing that Christ lives in the believer.

So the key to dying to self is not to kill that old man. It is to believe that the old man is already dead because of Christ. It is to start walking by faith on the basis of the finished work of the cross. When we walk by faith, we will experience resurrection power. We will find that it is no longer we who live, but Christ lives is us and through us.

9.65 The answer is found in a person - Jesus

Earlier, we shared that the sin problem came not through our actions, but through Adam. The act of sin is a consequence of the sin problem. Today, we will show you the contrasting verse – which tells us that the solution is not found in our actions, but through Christ. And when we have the solution in Christ, we will bear fruit of the Spirit.

Through Adam came sin and condemnation. Through Jesus came the gift of righteousness and justification.

(Romans 5:18-19)
Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Paul contrasts between the power of sin through Adam versus the power of grace through Jesus. Sin is powerful. Through one man’s offense many died. But grace is more powerful. Paul says that “MUCH MORE” the grace of God and the gift [of righteousness] by that grace abound to many. So if the problem was powerful, the solution in Christ is even more powerful.

(Romans 5:15)
For if by the one man’s offense many died, MUCH MORE the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many.

What will happen to those who receive the grace of Jesus? – those who receive salvation, receive the gift of righteousness, receive empowerment by the Spirit, live on the basis of Hid grace? Paul says that they will reign in life.

They will reign over sin, over Satan, over problems and circumstances. They will walk in dominion. They will walk in newness of life, instead of the memory of the old man. They will be dead to self through Christ by faith.

(Romans 5:17)
For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will REIGN IN LIFE through the One, Jesus Christ.

So as we discuss on the topic of dying to self, remember to approach it correctly. If we are looking for the answer through our actions (like many do), we will be in a constant state of struggle with little success. But if we understand that the answer is found in Jesus, and we put our faith in Him, we will start walking in that reality.

9.64 Jesus condemned sin in the flesh

Yesterday, we talked about the sin problem faced by Paul and us. The solution could not be found in trying by self-effort to die to self. The solution is to be delivered from the body of death. The answer is found in a Person – Jesus!

Paul declares that the person who could deliver him from the body of death is Jesus. Jesus is the answer for us.

(Romans 7:24-25)
O wretched man that I am! WHO will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God—through JESUS CHRIST our Lord!

How did Jesus do it? He came down to this earth as a man to dies on the cross and to condemn sin in the flesh. He came to deal with the root problem of sin nature. He paid the price for sin and He took the condemnation for sin.

He washed away our sins and He gave us His righteousness. Because we have been made righteous, He is able to put His Spirit in us. While His righteousness is the new wine skin, The Holy Spirit is our new wine – the power behind the New Covenant believer. And when we walk according to the power and leading of the Spirit, we find the power to walk in righteousness.

(Romans 8:3-4)
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He CONDEMNED SIN IN THE FLESH, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

So how do we die to self? How do we die to the old man? We do so by believing in Jesus, be receiving Him. When we believe in Him, we are united in His death and resurrection. Our old man was crucified with Him that the BODY OF SIN may be done away with. This means that the sinful nature has been done away with in Christ.

(Romans 6:5-6)
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our OLD MAN WAS CRUCIFIED with Him, that the BODY OF SIN might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

The key in faith – believing what Jesus has accomplished. And to believe that we were crucified with Him, and that we are resurrected in Him. We are to walk by faith in that reality.

9.63 Through one man sin entered the world

Before we can deal with dying to self – or dying to the sin nature, we need to understand how that sin nature came about. Many people think that we are sinners because we sin. But the Bible tells us that we sin because we are sinners. How did we become a sinner? It was not through our actions. We were born with the sin nature.

Sin entered the world through Adam. Because all of us were in Adam when he sinned, therefore sin spread to all men. We didn’t have a choice. We were born with the sin nature because we were in Adam. We sin because we were born sinners.

(Romans 5:12-14)
Therefore, just as THROUGH ONE MAN SIN ENTERED THE WORLD, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned…

Can the sinner overcome the sinful nature through his own effort? This is the question of “dying to self”. There was a man in the Bible who did better and tried harder than the rest. He was a determined man who tried to keep God’s laws perfectly. If anyone could have succeeded it would be him. But he failed. This man is Paul.

Paul wanted to do good and to keep God’s laws. But he could not because of the sinful nature dwelling in his flesh. The evil that he willed not to do, that he practiced. He was in a dilemma. He was struggling within himself to his best ability but did not find the victory. Have we experienced the same? Finally he cried, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?”

(Romans 7:14-20, 24)
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. But now, it is no longer I who do it, but SIN THAT DWELLS IN ME. For I know that in me (that is, in MY FLESH) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but SIN THAT DWELLS IN ME.

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

The solution is not in struggling with that sinful nature. The solution is to be delivered from that sinful nature. He asked, “Who will deliver me…” The answer is found in a Person. We shall continue tomorrow.

9.62 Dying to self the New Covenant way

Today, we move on to discuss another popular topic - dying to self. We will contrast between the approaches under the Old Covenant vs. the New Covenant.

I have been a Christian for the last 28 years. The impression I got growing up in church is that the Christian is a sinner and the sin nature is in his body. As a result, he needs to put his sinful nature under – he needs to die to self.

How does he do that? He tries to keep God’s laws. He denies himself through fasting and prayer. In some extreme cases, they even beat themselves and kneel on rocks. He keeps the demands of God almost legalistically – his Bible study, his evangelism efforts, his church attendance, etc.

Don’t get me wrong, a lot of these things are good i.e. prayer, studying the Bible, sharing your faith, etc. But there is a better way to accomplish these under the New Covenant. There is a different source, and a different cause-effect relationship. We want to share from the New Covenant which is built on better promises.

What we have described above is really dying to self under the Old Covenant way. God knew that the people were sinners. But the people did not know it. That sinful nature came from Adam. So God gave them the law to keep, in order to prove if they could overcome that sinful nature through their self-effort in keeping the law.

They had to put that sinful nature under, and strive hard to keep the law of God. But they failed. The law gave its verdict that no man could die to the sinful nature of self. There has to be another was. God would send His Son Jesus to deliver mankind from that sinful nature.

Today, most people are still trying to approach God the old way. They still believe they are sinners trying to be righteous, and they still fail. People get burnt out, discouraged, and some even give up because the Christian life is impossible.

Let’s be frank, have you felt that way before? Can you identify with what I have described? I went through that journey for many years until I realized that God had provided a better way after the cross. The finished work of Jesus changed everything.

For the next few lessons, we will explore this topic through the Word of God.

9.61 Salvation through belief in the truth of the Gospel

Today, let us share more verses to further reinforce the truth on “obedience of faith” under the New Covenant.

As mentioned, the key in the New Covenant is about right believing, which results in right living. The key is to belief in the truth of the Gospel. Under the Old Covenant, they had to keep the law perfectly in order to attain to righteousness. Nobody attained to it. The law pronounced a verdict that all had sinned. They used the blood of animals to cover their sins until Christ came.

Then Jesus kept the law perfectly. He imputes righteousness to those who belief in Him. Today, the issue is whether we believe in what Christ has done on our behalf. We receive salvation through the obedience of faith – through faith in Him.

The following verse in Romans tells us that salvation is received by “belief in the truth” of the Gospel of grace that Paul presented. If salvation comes through right believing (in contrast to works of the law), then you can imagine how important the “obedience of faith” is.

(Romans 6:17-18)
But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and BELIEF IN THE TRUTH, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Another verse below talks about the righteousness of God that comes by faith. It says that in Christ, what matters is faith working through love. It is not about doing things under the law (circumcision or uncircumcision). To the Galatians, Paul said that they started out their race in faith, but the departed from “obeying the truth” by reverting to law.

(Galatians 5:5-7)
For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. You ran well. Who hindered you from OBEYING THE TRUTH?


Paul again equated “obeying the truth” to the “obedience of faith” in Jesus. Today, how do we live our Christian lives? Are we law centered? Do we focus on obeying the do’s and don’ts of Christianity? Or are we Christ centered; and our focus is on believing in Him? When we believe in Him, and we walk according to His leading, God is truly pleased with our obedience of faith.

by Joshua Lye
Website: www.dailyrhema.blogspot.com



Gospel and the End Time Mission!

13.4 What is the gospel message?

What is the gospel message? Gospel means good news. What is this good news? Jesus has died for the sin of the world and He has given them His gift of righteousness. The gospel reveals the true righteousness of God that comes from Jesus. This is opposed to the righteousness of the law (Rom 3:21; Phil 3:9).

(Rom 1:16-17)
For I am not ashamed of the GOSPEL of Christ, for it is the power of God to SALVATION for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

The true gospel is also called the “gospel of the grace of Christ” (Gal 1:6-9) or “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). There is no other gospel acceptable before God. When the Galatian Church was swayed towards the law, Paul said that they were turning to a “different gospel” (Gal 1:6). He said that those who preached the law “pervert the gospel of Christ” (Gal 1:7).

We have to be clear about this truth because if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain (Gal 2:21).

The Full Gospel of Christ

The good news of the gospel is holistic. It is not just forgiveness of sins, but it is the message of love, peace, joy, healing, wholeness, protection, deliverance, etc. The root word for salvation, “sozo” in Greek, is all encompassing. This is the full gospel. It is also consistent with what we shared earlier – that our covenant promises cover every aspect our lives. Let us look at the good news that Jesus proclaimed.

(Luke 4:18)
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the GOSPEL to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed…”

Jesus’ gospel message includes good news for the poor (financial), healing of the brokenhearted (soul), freedom for captives of sin and Satan (spiritual), recovery of sight for the blind (physical) and liberty for the oppressed (spiritual, soul). God cares for us holistically.

13.3 We are the light of the world

Earlier we shared that God is life and God is love, but God is also light (1 John 1:5; John 8:12). Since God lives in us, we have light in us (Eph 5:8). Jesus said that you are the light of the world and you are to let your light shine before men.

(Matt 5:14-16)
“YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN…”

The Bible uses several important terms in its instructions pertaining to the great commission. Let us lay down these terms to expound on our calling with greater clarity.

Who do we represent? We are the ambassadors of Christ (2 Cor 5:20). It is a high calling as we represent the King of kings and the Lord of lords from the heavenly kingdom.

What is our function? God has given us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18). Our role is to tell the world that Christ has reconciled them to God (verse 19).

What is our message? We preach the remission of sins (Luke 24:47). God is not imputing their trespasses against them (2 Cor 5:19).

What is the proof that Christ lives? The early disciples were witnesses to the fact that Christ died and rose again on the third day (Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:22). What about us? We can only be effective witnesses if we first experience the resurrected Christ in a living relationship. The Holy Spirit also helps to bear witness through signs and wonders (Heb 2:4).

How do they see the resurrected Christ? They see Christ through our lives. We are an epistle of Christ to be known and read by all men (2 Cor 3:2-3). The Life of Christ displayed in us is the light that shines in this world.

What is the desired outcome? Make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19). A disciple is a follower of Christ. We want to help people to receive salvation and to walk with Christ in the newness of life.

What is the follow up action? We are to teach the new disciples to follow everything that Christ has taught us through the Word. This will help to establish their faith in Christ (Matt 28:20).

13.2 Jesus gave the great commission

Jesus preached the gospel for 3 years. He taught and healed the sick. Before He ascended to heaven, He gave His disciples the great commission:

(Matt 28:19)
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…

God loves the world and desires for none to perish. He wants us, who have received His great love, to share it with those who do not know Him. God desires that the gospel be preached to all the nations before Jesus returns again. Every single lost sheep is precious. Luke 15:10 says that there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents. God rejoices and delights in the salvation of the sinner.

We are the End-time Church

Do you know that we are living in the last days? Major prophecies have already been fulfilled, including Israel being restored as a nation in 1948 (Matt 24:32). The Internet age and the age of global air travel as prophesied in Daniel 12:4 are already at hand. We are becoming a cashless society and chip implants in humans for all types of transactions are already a reality (Rev 13:17). The stage has been set for the appearance of the anti-Christ.

Over the last 5 centuries, every major truth of God hidden in the Tabernacle of Moses has been restored to the Church through world revivals. Even today, as God is preparing the Church for the rapture – to enter boldly to the Throne of Grace – we are experiencing a powerful revival of the Gospel of Grace. Even as we prepare to meet the Bridegroom – Jesus – the Church is being pointed back to the Jesus through this revival.

We are the end-time Church that will be Raptured soon. We must share the gospel and do our part to fulfill the great commission as a response to His love and grace. Our immediate responsibility is to share with those around us.

13.1 NEW SERIES - REVELATIONS ON EVANGELISM

We have finished the series on worship. I hope that you have enjoyed it. Today, we shall start on a new series on the topic of evangelism, a very popular topic among Christians.

When I was a student, a senior told me that I had to evangelize and win souls for God in order to get God’s affirmation – and get to heaven. As an impressionable teen, I was fired up to evangelize and even got one soul saved. But then I realized that I did not know what the Gospel message was all about. And after evangelizing zealously for weeks, trying hard to convert souls, I got burnt out. Have you been through that before?

Let’s launch into our discussion. Some people say that the purpose for our existence and the mission of the Church is to fulfill the great commission. That is only half the truth.

(Matt 28:19)
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…

Jesus said that we are to seek FIRST the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt 6:33). What is the kingdom of God? What is His righteousness? They are both related. Rom 14:17 defines the kingdom of God.

(Rom 14:17)
…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.


The kingdom of God is within us. It is experiencing righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. To experience God is to walk in relationship with Him. Our relationship with God is first priority for we were created to fellowship with Him. When we have experienced Him, we would be transformed to share His reality with others and to fulfill the great commission.

When we go for evangelism without a relationship, we are trying to expand the kingdom of God without first seeking to experience the kingdom of God. That will not work. We will be trying to get people into a religious system because we can only replicate what we have experienced (or what we have not). When we go through a religious routine, like me, we will soon we will be burnt out.

In this series, we share important revelations pertaining to fulfilling the great commission.

by Joshua Lye

Website: www.dailyrhema.blogspot.com