February 8, 2025

Who are we to try and usurp the will of God? Paul knew this well when the prophet Agabus warned him that he would be taken into custody in Jerusalem. But, Paul, being given this information, did not change his plans to go there. He went so far as to admonish them for wanting him to stay in safety rather than go to Jerusalem and face prison time or possibly be killed. Once there, the brethren welcomed him in, but some there admonished him for not sticking to the Mosaic law by entertaining Gentiles. I believe this is one of those instances where "if in Rome you do like the Romans do" because he went through a cleansing ritual so he could enter the temple, but it was there that they accused him, forced him out of the temple, and called for him to be taken into custody. I'm all about peace and safety, but at what point should we let that go and not be afraid to stand firm on God's Word and do the hard things He has called us to do? Time is drawing near, and we may be forced to choose. What are you going to do if put in that situation? Do not cower, but allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into what is right in the eyes of God. We must be like Paul and not let our comfort dissuade us from doing what God calls us to do. Stand strong, mighty warriors of God, and remain in your armor because you never know when God might call you to war. 

Then Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. Acts 21:13-14

February 7, 2025

Baptism is a cleansing after repentance, which was the baptism of John. However, our baptism is the baptism of Jesus; the person baptizing you lays their hands on you and baptizes you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When John baptized Jesus, the Holy Spirit lit on him like a dove, and God spoke verbally, introducing Jesus as his son. Does it happen to us like that? Not likely. Most people in the United States are dead to the movement of the Holy Spirit, so there is little evidence of his infilling, like speaking in tongues and prophesying. During Paul’s time, Apollos preached but only received John’s baptism. He was an eloquent preacher, knew the scriptures, and believed in Jesus, but Aquila and Pricilla filled him in on the missing truths about Jesus to help his message. Nowhere does it say he was baptized in the Holy Spirit, but I believe he must have been at some point in his ministry, possibly by Aquila and Pricilla. Otherwise, his message would have fallen flat. If you are saved and haven’t been baptized, make an appointment with your preacher and get it done; it is your public profession of faith. Baptism is also obedience and has significance in the kingdom of God. 

This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. Acts 18:25-26

February 6, 2025

As Paul traveled to spread the gospel of Jesus, he was warned by the Holy Spirit not to go to Asia. It doesn’t say he had a vision, so you have to wonder if it was a vision or if others had received the same warning and they collaborated. Whatever the case, they determined not to go there. While in Thyatira, they met a woman named Lydia who decided to trust in Jesus, and her whole household came to know him. While there, they went into the city to spread the word about Jesus, and this woman, a soothsayer who brought in a lot of money for her master, followed them around, calling them out.

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. Acts 15:17

That seemed like a good thing for her to say, but it was driving them crazy, so Paul cast out that demon from her, and her master lost all hope of any gain from her possession. Because of it, Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison. While in jail, they sang hymns and prayed, and suddenly, an earthquake shook the jail, and all the doors opened. The jailer was so fearful of what would happen if the prisoners escaped that he drew his sword to kill himself. Paul stopped him and told him they were all there; because of that, he accepted Jesus as his Savior. The jailer cleaned up their wounds, was baptized, and Paul and Silas were released. We will see that jailer in heaven. You can see from this story that no matter how bad our situation is, God can use it for good and to further His kingdom's purpose. Stand firm if you are going through a rough situation and wait it out; God can use it for His good.

Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:29-31

February 5, 2025

Did you know that Paul was stoned for preaching the gospel? The people raged against him, threw stones at him, and dragged him out of the city for dead. Then, the disciples gathered around him, and he stood up and walked away. God was not finished with him. He brought salvation to the Gentiles; thank God for Paul bringing Jesus to us and giving us a chance to have our sins forgiven. We must remember that we are not here to live a fanciful life, and we may encounter hardships, but it’s nothing that Jesus didn’t encounter; look at what Paul went through as he started churches and appointed elders. The life of a Christian may not be easy in the minds of ordinary people, but we have the Holy Spirit, who gives us the ability to endure whatever comes upon us because of our belief in Jesus. Until you’ve suffered from hanging on the cross and had heavy rocks thrown at you, leaving you for dead, you haven’t come close to what our Savior and Paul went through. The other disciples went through traumatic deaths also. It all goes back to this verse in James: 

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. James 1:2-3

When you go back to the Greek word for "temptations," "peirasmos," it is also rendered as "adversity," so you can see we are to be grateful that we are doing enough for the kingdom to face trials; it means we are doing something right. 

And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. Acts 14:19-20

February 4, 2025

Flesh versus spirit; I’ve pondered this a lot because of the approach of Jesus’ return. Think about it for a minute. What keeps our flesh alive? Food, water, air? What keeps our spirit alive? Emotions. Happiness, joy, anger, trauma, belief, sorrow, hope, fear, love, etc. Even our physical well-being contributes to our mind, will, and emotions, like hunger and thirst. And like choosing the proper food, we must avoid what is poisonous to our spirits so it is maintained in a good and healthy manner. Jesus always points us in the direction of the spirit. He didn’t come to save our bodies; he came to save our souls by giving us his Spirit. Don’t get me wrong, we need our bodies to expand the spiritual kingdom for the here and now, but it’s not everything.

Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Acts 11:16 

Are you nourishing your spirit with the Word of God? Yes, our minds and bodies are melded together as one here on earth, but when God calls us home, it is not our physical body that will be welcomed into heaven. We will eventually get a glorified body like Jesus had when he showed himself alive, but I think it will be when we return as the Church to the New Heaven and New Earth. As you go about your days, think about your spiritual health, and ask God to help you heal from wrong thinking so you can cope with whatever the enemy tries to throw at you. When things go awry, my go-to phrase is “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.” He will comfort you when you reach out to him and soothe your spirit. 

February 3, 2025

The early church had a dispute over some of the widows being unfairly treated, so they appointed deacons to handle the chores so the apostles could spend their time preaching rather than waiting tables. Stephen was one of those deacons, and even though he was in a lower position than the preachers, he was full of wisdom and could have filled a preaching role. Because Stephen was knowledgeable, some historians say he may have been taught under Gamaliel just as Paul had been. When there was controversy, Stephen stepped up to handle the situation, and the Holy Spirit filled his mouth with words, and the malignant men couldn't counter what he said because it all made sense. Jesus told us not to practice our response and let the Holy Spirit take over. Steven's encounter was the perfect example of how we are supposed to handle such situations. If we follow this example and allow the Holy Spirit to do his job, maybe Jesus will stand up and welcome us into the kingdom of heaven as he did Stephen. None of us want to be martyred, but if it happens, it happens. We know our home is not of this earth; we belong to the kingdom of heaven.

And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Acts 6:12-13 & 15

February 2, 2025

Biblical scholars can come close to the interpretation of Daniel and John’s book of Revelation. However, they may not be exact and can only rely on what the Holy Spirit chooses to tell them. Can they misinterpret the cues they are getting from him? Absolutely. We judge and interpret based on what we already know and the atmosphere we are surrounded by, and sometimes that is not a very accurate litmus test because these men, though guided by the Holy Spirit, only knew of their current surroundings. Therefore, our picture is vastly different because our technology has increased, causing what we see to be very different than what they saw during that time. Could they have seen what we see now? All things are possible with God. However, they may not have been able to explain it. Don’t be upset if you’ve heard every explanation in the world and still feel that you’re in the dark; these matters are in the hands of God, and He will reveal them to you as He sees fit. The main point is to ensure you are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, trusting Jesus until the end, and that the beast hasn’t marked you for destruction. If you are reading this and have been following my posts “To the followers of Christ,” you should have nothing to worry about. Hold on to what you have until the end. 

And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: Revelation 13:15-16