The Dual Nature of Christ

I realize it has been a while since I have posted. I apologize for the delay. Personal matters required my full attention. But with the help of the Lord and your prayers things will be back on track. Let’s continue where we left off with Pastor Joe Guinta’s excellent book “Any More Questions.” I recommend everyone purchase their own copy.

The Dual Nature of Christ

Parts taken from the tract "One Man, One Spirit" by Pastor Joseph M. Giunta Sr.

Over the next few sessions  we will discuss statements that Christ made that have been misunderstood (and misused) to say that the Father and the Son are two separate and distinct persons of the Godhead. Christ never referred to the Father as a separate person. What was He referring to then?

To better understand these statements that were made we will first need to visit the doctrine of Christ's dual nature. Oneness and Trinitarians alike can agree on the fact that Jesus was dual-natured. Both will readily make the statement that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. However, the disagreement arises rapidly when we begin discussing what, or who, these natures are; namely, the God nature.

The belief in only one God is called monotheism, which comes from two Greek words: monos, meaning alone, one, single, and Theos, meaning God. This is an essential doctrine for Christians to believe. The purport of this doctrine is that it not only places God alone, but also unequaled. (The (Oneness of God, David Bernard)

God is a Spirit (Jn. 4:24). This truth is consistent ihroughout the entire bible. He is called "the Father of spirits (Heb 12:9) As a Spirit, God is an intelligent, supernatural being who does not have a physical body (Lk. 24:3''). Not having a physical nature, He was not visible or physically tangible to mankind. This was  the main reason for the incarnation.

The bible teaches that there is only one Spirit that makes up the Godhead (Eph. 4:4). There are not multiple spirits in the Godhead of whom one manifested in a flesh body as the Son of God. The Spirit that performed the creation of the universe is not different or distinct from the Spirit that was in Christ, or from the Spirit that is active in the church today. There is but one Spirit of God, and He is immutable, unending, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. Other references to this truth can be found in (Genesis 1:2; 1 Corinthians 12: 4-13; Ephesians 2:18; Ephesians 4:5) to name a few.

When we see that one Spirit move as the Father, we see the same Spirit that was incarnate in Christ's person. It is also the same Spirit that we see in action in the life of a believer in the church body. Paul described it as "one and the selfsame Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:11). The word selfsame means exact. The essence of the Spirit has been compared to or illustrated by the substance, H2o. When you have water in a cup it is H2o in liquid form. If you freeze the water from the cup, it is no longer liquid but ice, or if you boil it, it will become steam. The form changed, but the substance was always the same, unchanged. So it is with the Spirit, the form may change, but the substance is immutable.

Jesus promised to send "another comforter", or the Holy Ghost. A few verses later He said "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you" (John 14:18). When you have the Holy Ghost you truly have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you. Now the Lord is that Spirit (2 Cor. 3:17). We see Jesus clearly being identified with that one Spirit, it is no wonder why He said it was the Father who dwelt in him that did the works (Jn. 14:10).

The centrality of this teaching goes back to the very earliest of time, at creation. Then it was firmly stated in what is known as "the Shema" (Deuteronomy 6:4). This is the core value of Judaism and true Christianity. The Jewish people recognize this as Jehovah or YHVH, and consider pluralizing the Lord's oneness, blasphemy. This is to say there is one Lord (Eph. 4:5).

Acts 10:36 says, "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is Lord of all:)". Jesus on earth was God manifest in the flesh. He was the fullness of God embodied in humanity. He was not a half God half man hybrid. He was 100% God and 100% man. He was the fullness of both natures interpenetrated into one being. He was the Son of God by way of humanity, and God Himself by way of His deity. Simply stated... "For in Him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. (Colossians 2:9)

These verses of scripture are very clear and explicitly definitive in declaring that Christ is God. If this is so, then where is the problem? The problem arises when we start to probe the trinitarian doctrine for explanation on which of their persons it is that actually embodies this man Christ through the incarnation. The bible is very clear about who dwelt in Jesus making Him God. It was the Father (Is. 9:6, Jn. 2:19, Jn. 8:19-30, Jn. 10:30, Jn. 14:10-11, Jn. 14:13, Jn. 17:21). The scriptures never declare one time that God the Son indwelt Jesus. In fact, the words "God the Son" aren't declared anywhere in scripture. It is a term that is foreign to biblical verbiage.

The dual nature of Christ doesn't even make sense  When looking at it as the Son being indwelt by the son. What  makes the Son, a son if he were never begotten by the Father?  Would He really be the Son, who was never begotten? This shows that the Son is not an eternal being, but that sonship began in the womb of the virgin. This was not the Father in heaven sending the second person (God the Son) to indwell a man and do a work while He and the third person (Holy Spirit) stayed back and watched. This is so far away from biblical truth.

What we really see is a beautiful symphony of God's perfection and wisdom in action at the incarnation. God, who is the Father, placed His seed in the womb of the Virgin Mary and she brought forth a son called Jesus (Mt. 1:18-23). This son would be the savior of all mankind. This was called Emmanuel or God with us (Mt. 1:23).

This Jesus was completely human because He was born of a woman, His mother. He grew both in wisdom and stature as a man (Lk. 2:52). He was both hungry and thirsty as a man (Jn. 19:28). He wept (Jn. 11:35), slept (Mt. 8:24), mourned (Jn. 11:38) and scorned as a man (Mt. 21:12). He did all that a human does in life with the only exception; sin. He was completely perfect, but He was completely human.

This same Jesus was not just a man, but was also completely God. This is so because He was conceived by the Spirit of God (Mt. 1:20). God is His literal begetting Father (Jn. 3:16). We see Jesus do many things that a man could not do even though He be the Son of God. Jesus raised the dead (Jn. 11:43). Who can raise the dead except God? We see Jesus walk on water (Jn. 6:19). Jesus saw Nathanael before He ever even met him in person (Jn. 1:48). He knew what people thought in their hearts without them ever saying a word (Mk. 2:8). These things He did as God. For what man could do these miracles except the Father be with Him (Jn. 3:2)?

The thoughts that Jesus perceived in the hearts of these men without them saying a word (Mk. 2:8) started because of the actions of Jesus prior in the story. They reasoned within themselves because Jesus, the man that stood in front of them, forgave the sins of a man sick with palsy. Their reasoning... "Why doth this man speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?" (Mk. 2:7) Jesus forgave sins. No man can do that in and of Himself, not even the Son of God. This He did as God. We know this is the case because of the first part of the response of the men. "Why doth this man speak blasphemies?" It would not be considered blasphemy to call Himself God's Son. He did that many times and they just thought He was crazy. It was when He, being a man, made Himself Jehovah that they wanted to kill Him for blasphemy. "The Jews answered Him, saying, for a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, maketh thyself God" (Jn. 10:33). Jesus Christ was not only completely man, but also fully God and had no problem making that clear in the ears of all who would listen.

Why would the dual nature seem illogical at all? Think about it, when a child is born to his parents, he is not half from his mother and half from his father. He is not only half his mother's child. He is completely of his mother and completely of his father. I was born to James and Linda Giunta (Hammack - maiden name). I am not a half a Giunta because my mother is a Hammack. I am completely Giunta (Ask my mom, she will tell you). Without my father I could not be born. Without my mother I could not be born. I am completely of both of my parents. Why would this truth be any different in Jesus? He is completely man because of His mother's DNA, and completely God because of His Father's DNA. He was both a God product as well as a human product, both completely and simultaneously. Jesus had both human and God DNA as the makeup of His person. He was completely full of God DNA and completely full of human DNA. This makes Jesus both God and man. This is the dual nature of Christ.

More questions to come…

To order your copy of “Any More Questions” contact the author at:
Rev. Joesph M. Guinta, Sr.
720 Riddle St. #10
Howell, MI 48843

How to Pray for Your Pastor

--I want to pray for my pastor as never before, especially in the hour that we live!

Behind every great leader, there is someone who is willing to sacrifice for him. This is true of the heroes of the Bible; it is just as true of today's pastors. They need people who will intercede for them in powerful, consistent, specific prayer. An intercessor is someone who bears another's burdens. When Moses' hands were tired, Aaron and Hur inteceded by holding up his hands, and the battle was won (Exodus 17:8-13). Likewise, we can hold up the hands of our pastors through prayer and see God win the battle in our churches and cities!

Jesus called three of His disciples to go with Him into one of His brightest hours and one of His darkest hours. Each time the assignment was the same: to pray for Him. Because they were willing to pray, they had the opportunity to minister to the One who ministered to so many others. They saw Him during His struggle and they saw Him in His glory. If Jesus needed men to pray for Him, how much does your pastor want and need your prayers?

If the truth were known, the hearts of pastors all over the world are echoing the cry of the Apostle Paul: "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak" (Ephesians 6:18-20).

Three reasons why you should pray for your pastor:

#1 Love: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2). When you pray for your pastor, you are helping him bear the burden of the ministry. You are showing your love for him, and thereby obeying the greatest commandment-the law of love.

#2 Humility: Intercessory prayer focuses on his needs. This kind of prayer will break the chains of pride that keep so many people from becoming what they could be in God. You will be submitting yourself to him in the true biblical sense, which produces tremendous power.

#3 Unity: Praying for your pastor-his personal and ministerial needs-will bind your heart together with his. As you promote the work of the kingdom and unite with your pastor in his vision for your church and city, you will become a vessel for the Spirit to move through. It was this kind of unity that preceded the first revival of the New Testament church-the Day of Pentecost.

The burden of today's ministers is a heavy one. But you can help your pastor fulfill his God-given call through intercessory prayer. The greatest gift you can give your pastor is prayer.

PERSONAL PRAYER NEEDS

Humility: Pray that your pastor would walk humbly with His God, seeking His will and direction in all things (Micah 6:8). Pray that his heart would be strong in the midst of trials and accusation and that he would commit himself into the hands of Him who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23). Pray that he would learn and grow through every circumstance and that he would give God glory for every victory. Pray that he would give thanks in all things, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.

Relationships: Personal contact is a powerful force in our lives, either for good of for evil (1 Corinthians 15:33). Pray that your pastor would not be corrupted by the necessary contact with a sinful world and that his heart would withstand the influences of his worldly acquaintances. More importantly, pray that he would influence every person he meets for good and that he would be a shining witness in his personal life for the Lord Jesus Christ. Especially pray for peace in his dealings with people-his family, friends, business associates, and church members, for disharmony can produce a great deal of unnecessary stress.

Balance: "If you go too far to one extreme or the other, you'll wind up in a ditch." Pray that your pastor would maintain a steady, consistent walk, and that he would not be swayed by dangerous extremes. Pray that his course would be steadfast and unwavering. Pray that his character would combine the strength and gentleness of the Lord-the Lion and the Lamb.

FAMILY PRAYER NEEDS

Relationships: There is a lot of pressure in being the family of a full-time minister. Pray for the peace of God to cover and protect the fabric of your pastor's family. Pray that God's anointing would ease the friction and produce a loving atmosphere. Pray that your pastor would be a godly leader of his home, giving his family the love and attention they need to grow.

Protection: Pray a covering of God's protection over the family of your pastor. Pray against negative pressures and distractions. Pray that as your pastor abides in the presence of God that no destructive force would touch his home and that God's angels would keep his family (Psalm 91:9-11).

SPIRITUAL PRAYER NEEDS

Power: Pray that your pastor would be energized by the Holy Ghost for his daily pastoral duties. Pastoring means so much more than preaching, and your pastor needs spiritual vitality to help meet the needs of others day in and day out. Bless him with all the strength and power that he needs. Pray that he would be strong in the Lord and the power of His might and that he would be prepared to do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13).

Holiness: Pray for a hedge of purity around your pastor. Cover his eyes, his mind, his steps, and his heart with holiness that he would not fall into temptation or the snares of the devil. Pray for his words to be seasoned with grace and for his mind to be stayed on the Lord. Pray that he would be well pleasing in all things to God.

Accountability: God's ministers must be accountable. Many of the attacks of the enemy can be warded off or avoided completely if the man of God is protected by being transparent with another strong man of God. Pray that God would bring such a man into your pastor's life and that God would continue to cultivate that relationship. Pray that your pastor will remain open to such a friendship.
Warfare: Jesus said, "Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered" (Mark 14:27). Satan knows that if he can bring down the man of God, the work of God will be severely hindered in your city. Pray the armor of God over your pastor (Ephesians 6:10-18). Quote Scriptures for his protection (Psalm 91; Luke 19:10; etc.). Pray that no weapon formed against him would prosper (Isaiah 54:17), that he would not be ignorant of the enemy's devices, and that the enemy would not gain advantage over him (2 Corinthians 2:11).

What About Matthew 28:19?

A friend of mine asked why we as Apostolics ignore the words of Jesus, in favor of those of Peter.

So should we obey Matthew 28:19. Absolutely yes, context, context, context. Matthew, Mark and Luke all recorded the events of the day of the resurrection of Jesus. In Matthews account, he says in the name of the father, (father not a name) of the son (son is not a name) and of the holy ghost (holy ghost is not a name.) Mark went for simplicity. He summarizes it by simply saying, he that believes and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16:16. But Luke goes into more detail. Luke 24:45-49

45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might the scriptures.

46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead on the third day:

47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem.

48 And ye are witnesses of these things.

49 And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Connect the dots, context, context, context. It all connects to Acts 2:38 . When you obey Acts 2:38 you obey Matthew 28:19.

Ain't it Funny?!

FUNNY ISN'T IT?
....how a $10 bill looks so big when you take it to Church, but so small when you take it to the grocery store.
....how long a 2 hour service is, but how quick a 2 hour movie is.
....how we can't think of anything to say when we pray, but don't have difficulty thinking of things to talk about with a friend.
....how thrilled we are when a game goes on overtime, but complain when our Pastor is preaching "overtime".
....how hard it is reading a chapter in the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a best-selling novel.
....how people want to get a front seat at any game or concert, but scramble to get a back seat at Church.
....how we need 2 or 3 weeks advance notice to fit a Church event into our schedule, but can adjust our schedule for other events at the last moment.
....how difficulty some people have learning a simple Gospel well enough to tell others, but how simple it is for the same people to understand and spread gossip.
....how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
....how everyone wants to go to Heaven, but provided they do not have to believe, or to think, or to say, or do anything.

Holiness vs Legalism

Holiness is beautiful, legalism is binding; holiness brings life, legalism brings death. They are as different as night and day, and yet at first glance they can seem similar, because they both stand against sinful behavior and call for holy living. How can we distinguish between the two?

Legalism is rules without relationship, emphasizing standards more than the Savior, and laws more than love. It is a system based on fear and characterized by joyless judgmentalism, producing futility instead of freedom.

To an unsaved person, the legalist preaches justification by works, saying, “You’re a wicked sinner and you need to get rid of all your filthy habits if you want the Lord to accept you.” There is no grace in this message; no exalting of the life-changing, sin-cleansing power of the blood of Jesus; no clear proclamation of mercy.

The declaration of God’s love expressed through the cross is muffled, if it is even heard at all. Consequently, the proof of the new birth is seen almost entirely in what someone no longer does, and this continues to be the pattern for believers within the church: They are judged almost entirely by a few external standards (which, in many cases, are not even expressly mentioned in the Word) and they are monitored by conformity to the particular group’s code of conduct. The result is external conformity rather than inward transformation—and that means either self-righteousness of self-condemnation (or both!).

Of course, it is absolutely true that God has very high standards, and for anyone honestly reading the Word, there can be no doubt that He calls us to live by very high standards—in our thoughts, words and deeds; in our attitudes; in our sexuality; in our families; in our relationships; and much, much more. (See Eph. 5:1-6.)

Tragically, legalists—despite their best intentions—get things terribly wrong. First, they try to change a person from the outside in, whereas God deals with us from the inside out. Second, they fail to present a balanced picture of the Lord, putting too little stress on His mercy and too much emphasis on His wrath. Third, they do not point the struggling sinner (or believer) to the Lord’s supernatural empowerment, making holiness a matter of human effort alone. Finally, they add laws, standards, commandments, customs and traditions that are not found in the Word, making those things even more important than the biblical commandments themselves.

In contrast, true, scriptural holiness begins with the heart and flows from an encounter with God and His Word. It calls for repentance in response to the Lord’s gracious offer of salvation and it offers a way to be holy—the blood of Jesus and the Spirit of God. Biblical holiness is free, although it requires discipline and perseverance. For the legalist, nothing is free. Everything must be earned! That’s why legalism leads to bondage and holiness leads to liberty.

As Ralph Cudworth explained many years ago, “I do not mean by holiness the mere performance of outward duties of religion, coldly acted over, as a task; not our habitual prayings, hearings, fastings, multiplied one upon another (though these be all good, as subservient to a higher end); but I mean an inward soul and principle of divine life (Rom. 8:1-5), that spiriteth all these.”

It is that inward spiritual principle that must be cultivated—the principle of intimacy with Jesus, the principle of being renewed in our minds by His Word and Spirit, the principle of being conformed to His image and character, hating what He hates and loving what He loves.

As Dr. Kent Hughes expressed in his book Disciplines of a Godly Man, “There is a universe of difference between the motivations behind legalism and discipline. Legalism says, ‘I will do this thing to gain merit with God,’ while discipline says, ‘I will do this because I love God and want to please him.’ Legalism is man-centered; discipline is God-centered.”

Unfortunately, the moment you preach biblical holiness, many Christians put their hands over their ears and say, “That’s legalism! That’s condemnation! That’s man-made religion! That’s the dead letter of the law! You won’t put me in bondage! I won’t listen to stuff like that!” As Robert Brimstead observed, “The idea of living strictly by what the Bible says has been branded as legalism.”

And so, these Christians run from the dangerous clutches of legalism and fall into the deadly grasp of license—that self-deceived state of fleshly liberty, catering to their carnality rather than crucifying it. 

What a terrible error!Whatever comes naturally to these “liberated” believers is accepted as normal (and “understood,” of course, by the Lord), while biblical commandments are brought down to the level of their own experience, and anything that brings any kind of spiritual pressure to bear on them is rejected as not being the easy yoke and light burden of Jesus. And when the Holy Spirit brings conviction on people like this, they rebuke the devil for trying to condemn them.

To quote Oswald Chambers, “Liberty means ability not to violate the law; license means personal insistence on doing what I like. … To be free from the law means that I am the living law of God, there is no independence of God in my make-up. License is rebellion against all law. If my heart does not become the center of divine love, it may become the center of diabolical license.”

What then is the antidote? Flee from legalism, stay far away from license, and run to holiness. Reject humanly birthed, external religion. Give no place to false teaching that excuses carnality, and instead, embrace new covenant, heart transformation—and in the power of the Spirit, supernaturally enabled by God’s grace, deal ruthlessly with sin in your life. That is the path to freedom!

HOW TO MAKE GOD ANGRY/Reflections on Not Trusting God

In my morning times with the Lord I've been reading through the Old Testament. Looking again at the history of God's dealings with His people, it jumps out that God was angered with ancient Israel because of their idolatry, their stiff-necked rebellion, and their unbelief.

Psalm 78 recounts the children of Israel's sagas of skepticism. Even after God had dramatically caused water to gush from the rock, the people essentially said, "Yeah, He produced water but I'll bet He can't give us meat in this wilderness." It was posited in the form of a half-mocking question: "Can God spread a table in the desert?" (Psa. 78:19, NIV).

God's response to their faithlessness was swift and strong. "Therefore the Lord heard this and was furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel, because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His deliverance" (Psa. 78:21-22).

God demonstrated His authority over the environment with a deluge of manna and a blinding rain of quail. He also gave these skeptics something else -- spiritual famine. "He gave them their request [for meat], but sent leanness into their soul" (Psa. 106:15).

Here is the Psalmist's verdict: "How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! Yes, again and again, they tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel" (Psa. 78:40-41). Their unbelief thwarted their own deliverance. In this sense, they limited God. That's one indictment I don't want over my life.

These Old Testament stories "were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope" (Ro. 15:4). A serious caveat unfolds from these stories for our situation and our times. There is way too much "wilderness whining" coming out of people, churches, and ministries. "Well, with the economy the way it is . . ." "In this kind of climate, we can't even think about growing; we're just trying to hold our own." "Obviously, we'll have to cut back." Confessions of faith are being subverted by declarations of doubt.

Are we making God angry? Are we limiting the Holy One of Israel?

Life sees to it that we walk through some deserts. But while we may be walking through the desert we are not subject to the desert. We belong to another Kingdom and we are subject only to King Jesus. While others die from the blazing heat, we live under God's protective cloud. While those not in covenant with God perish from the cold, we are warmed by a pillar of fire. God provides and spreads a table in our desert!

You may have lost your job. Your investments may have tanked. But I have a message for you. If you belong to Jesus Christ you're going to get through this! You're not going to starve. Your needs will be met. And there's a Promised Land in your future!

Let's not tempt God by unbelief. Let's not limit the Holy One of Israel. Watch your words -- and trust your King for supernatural protection and abundant provision.

Healing is in the Believer's Job Description!

Are you a believer and a follower of Jesus Christ? Because Jesus is our Lord, we take His commands very seriously. Most of us have heard the great commission in Matthew 28:18-20. First, He gave us the great commission, to go into all the world, preach the gospel and baptize. Then in verse 20, we are instructed to teach everything that He commanded.

Matthew 28:18 – 20

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen

In the following passages from Matthew, Jesus is commanding His disciples. Notice the common message and theme that we saw in Matthew 28. As we go preach the Gospel, He gives the signs that should follow us, including healing!

Matthew 10:7

7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Matthew 11:1

1Now it came to pass, when Jesus finished commanding His twelve disciples, that He departed from there to teach and to preach in their cities

Note: Between Matthew 10:7 and Matthew 11:1, the break in the chapter is something man put in (not God). It goes to follow that Matt 11:1 does not have a time lapse from chapter 10. Read the verses together as if they were not separated by chapter and see how they flow together.

Jesus taught His disciples how to preach the kingdom. When we study Scriptures, it is important to not only notice what is said, but also what is NOT said. In this passage, Jesus did NOT give an end date for His commands.

Mark 16:15 – 20

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 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.” 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen

Notice that verse 18 states that believers (1) Shall lay hands on the sick, and (2) They shall recover.

Let’s back up to verse 15. How long are we to preach the Gospel? It says we are to preach to every creature. That means that we can stop our work when every creature has heard the Gospel. Jesus said until that time, we are to keep preaching with signs following. Healing has not passed away, and will not as long as believers are doing their job.

And that’s not all! Jesus does not stop with the list of signs that follow believers in Mark 16. Read what He says in John 14:12:

John 14:12 -15

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. 15 If you love Me, keep My commandments.

We believe on Jesus, so we are authorized and commanded to not only do the works that He did, we are to do GREATER works! What works did Jesus do? Healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out devils, fed the multitudes, commanded the weather and preached the Gospel. Jesus said that we are able to do these things because He went unto the Father. Jesus gave no ending criteria to these mighty works, He only gave the beginning: “because He went to the Father.”

In verse 15, we see that if we love Him, we are to keep His commandments. Often when Christians hear the word, “commandments,” we think of the 10 commandments given to Moses; Jesus is talking about doing everything that He commanded and did, and even greater things. Jesus ALWAYS healed the sick. We have no record of Jesus refusing or being unable to heal someone. If we love Jesus, we will lay hands on the sick and God will heal them. By laying hands on the sick, we are also obeying the command to love our neighbor.

To get a different perspective, turn Jesus’ statement in verse 12 around: We cannot say that we love Jesus if we do not keep His commandments.

We don’t need prompting, we have Scripture

To be led, do the Word; take the Word literally.

The Holy Spirit leads us into all Truth. Once He leads us into truth, we are responsible for acting on it.

When you stand before people, you represent God to them; when you stand before God, you represent the people to Him.

We are to love God and love our neighbor, doing to others as we would want done for us.

We are led by truth and compassion.

No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care.

We know that divine healing and divine health are ours because Jesus paid for all sickness and disease at the whipping post. He was also given all authority over everything after He rose from the dead; thus so have we.

We know that Jesus said that we only need to believe (have faith) and we will receive healing, along with all the other blessings and promises of God. Remember that healing is only one of the promises of God. There are many others, and they are all received in the same way.

Show Me In The Bible!

“Show me in the Bible,” Those who are argumentative about doctrine and standards sometimes say these very words. They know not what spirit they are of. “Show Me In The Bible!” Really? You want to be shown in the Bible just where it says those very words, and then you’ll obey and comply? Otherwise you’re not changing?

I May Have A Hard Time Believing You. Here Is Why:

1. God Said To Adam And Eve:
    Genesis 2:16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
    Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
    God said not to do it; Adam and Eve did it anyway.

2. Angels Personally Escorted Lot And His Family Away From Judgment, Warning Them To Not Look Back.
    Gen 19:17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
    Lot’s wife looked back anyway.

3. God told Israel to possess the Promised Land
    Deuteronomy 1:26 Notwithstanding ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God:
    God said go possess the Promised Land and Israel didn’t obey.

4. Saul – Told By God To Smite And Destroy King Agag, The People And Cattle.
    1 Samuel 15:9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
    Saul Didn’t.

I Am Not Convinced That Every Pentecostal Would Obey Some Things In The Bible Even If You Read The Chapter And Verse To Them.

If I Am Wrong, Then Why Is There Still A Running Debate On The Subjects Of:
    Jewelry – 1 Tim 2:9, 1 Pet 3:3
    Women Wearing Men’s Apparel – Deut. 22:5
    Women Not Cutting Their Hair – 1 Cor. 11
    Men Not Wearing Long Hair – 1 Cor. 11
    Setting Some Wicked Thing Before Your Eyes – Psa. 101:3
    Modesty – 1 Tim 2:9
    The Essentiality Of The New Birth; Acts 2:38 Repentance, Baptism In Jesus Name, Receiving The Holy Ghost, Evidenced By Speaking In Tongues.
    Pastoral Authority – Matt 16:19, Heb. 13:17
    Holiness – inside and out – Heb. 12:14, Lev. 20:7, Rom 12:1
To Some, It’s Not Even Enough That It Is Written In The Bible.

    Evidence seems clears to most pastors that just because God said it, does not mean everyone will obey.
    Some Christian Boys And Girls Still Date Sinners. Regardless of 2 Cor. 6:14
    Some People Still Stay Home From Church – Regardless Of What Heb. 11:25 Says.
    Some Still Don’t Pay Tithes Properly Or Faithfully In Spite Of Mal. 3:10
    Some Still Love The World. Even After Reading 1John 2:15
    Some Are Still Lovers Of Pleasure More Than Lovers Of God. Ignoring 2 Tim. 3:4
    Some Still Won’t Submit To Their Pastor And Obey. Even After Reading Heb. 13:17

The Last Days
    2 Peter 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
    2 Peter 2:11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
    2 Peter 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
    2 Peter 2:13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
    2 Peter 2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
    2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Remember The Man That Picked Up Sticks On The Sabbath Day?
    Numbers 15:32 And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day.
    Numbers 15:33 And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.
    Numbers 15:34 And they put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him.
    Numbers 15:35 And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.
    Numbers 15:36 And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses.
 No place in the law did it mention that picking up sticks was a sin. It turned out that not only was it a sin, but a sin for which the sinner met with death so quick there was no opportunity for him to repent or atone for his sin.
    Had he killed someone? No
    Did he talk against God? No
    Did he curse Moses? No
    Was He immoral? No
    Did he worship an idol? No
    His only sin was picking up sticks on the Sabbath Day

 Nothing In The Law Said, “Thou Shalt Not Pick Up Sticks On The Sabbath Day.” Evidently this man felt safe because no one could show him in the Bible where it said not to.
    Like the rest of Israel, he knew the basic Ten Commandments and the law of not building a fire on the Sabbath.
    Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
    Exodus 35:3 Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day.
That’s it! That’s the requirements he knew. If you had told him not to pick up sticks, he might have said, “Show me in the Law.” He felt justified and safe.
    This man looked for a loophole and thought he had found one.
    Nothing was mentioned about sticks.
    This man had not started any fire.
    He felt he was within the boundaries of keeping the Sabbath day holy.
    He thought he was justified in his actions because nowhere did the law say anything about sticks.
    This Man Died For Doing Something That The Scriptures Never Warned Him About.
    He was not sinning in his mind, but he was sinning in God’s mind.
Those watching him pickup sticks took him to Moses and Aaron to see what they thought.
Even they were not sure, so they held him in confinement until they could ask God. God said this man should surely be put to death. Have all the people stone him with stones so that he dies.

I worry about people who are vocal and quick to voice their opinion against careful living and holiness.
These are some of the same folks who ask for chapter and verse. Even if they had chapter and verse, the chances are slim they would obey.
Be careful of what loophole you think you may have found. It may not be a loophole after all.
Don’t play with the Bible.
If God would kill a man for doing something that is not written down in black and white, how much more severe will he be on those who ignore what is written in His Word.

Between You And Me, You Better Put That Stick Down!

Were Ananias and Sapphira Believers?

Were Ananias and Sapphira believers who were judged by God because of their blatant sin? According to one prominent pastor, they were not, since things like this do not happen to believers in Jesus, to those under grace, since the Lord already took our judgment on the cross. Is this pastor correct?
Actually, the text does not tell us explicitly whether they were believers or not, but without a doubt, this account was recorded as a lesson for all of us, and the New Testament makes very clear that the Lord sometimes judges His own blood-bought people who engage in blatant sin.
Are we willing to accept the testimony of the Word of God?
This pastor, who is a gifted teacher with many good things to say, claims that in Acts 5, it is “very clearly stated” that Ananias and Sapphira were not believers, and for him, the lesson we learn from this passage of Scripture is that God will judge those who try to hurt the church, which is “very consoling” for him.
Of course, the New Testament does say clearly, “If anyone destroys God’s temple [which refers to us, His people], God will destroy him” (1 Cor. 3:17, ESV), but again, that is not the lesson of Acts 5.
To be clear, nowhere does Acts 5 say that Ananias and Sapphira were not believers. It only says that they conspired to deceive. So, we are not told about whether they were unsaved deceivers or believers who conspired to deceive.
What we do know is that as a result of the judgment that fell on this couple, “great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things” (Acts 5:11). Great fear!
If this was God’s protective hand, keeping the church from being deceived by this unsaved couple—as this pastor alleges, and which he finds “very consoling”—then why did “great fear” come “upon the whole church”?
For argument’s sake, let’s say that Ananias and Sapphira were not true believers. The church still saw this as an example of God’s holiness and of the reality of the presence of His Spirit, as a result of which great fear came upon the believers (as opposed to great consolation).
What about this pastor’s teaching that “even when you sin, there is no more judgment,” because Jesus took our judgment on the cross?
Actually, the Word says that there is no condemnation—meaning final judgment, damnation—for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:1), so in that sense, absolutely, Jesus took our judgment at the cross. In Him, we will never be condemned, and that is something to shout about. Praise God for that!
But the New Testament plainly states that God does judge His people, meaning that He brings loving discipline and correction, sometimes sternly. And while it is gloriously true that our sins are forgiven in Jesus, there can be still consequences to our sins in this life, just as an alcoholic forgiven for decades of drinking may still develop cirrhosis of the liver.
Paul addresses the question of divine discipline in 1 Corinthians 11, where he rebukes the believers there because of their abuses at their communal meals where they partook of the Lord’s Supper. Some were getting drunk on the wine while others were eating all the bread before the other hungry believers arrived, which made a mockery out of this sacred meal.
He wrote, “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world” (vv. 27-32).
Some hyper-grace teachers argue vigorously that it was unbelievers at Corinth who got sick or died when they partook of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner.
But the overall text of 1 Corinthians makes such an interpretation impossible, since Paul writes to the church (ekklesia) in Corinth, to those sanctified in Messiah Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 1:2), and every time he says “you” or “we” or “us,” he is referring to believers, often in contrast with the lost. (See, for example, 1 Corinthians 5:9-10; 6:1-6; 14:23-26.)
The immediate context of 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 also makes clear that Paul is speaking about believers, referring to “many of you” being sick (with some even dying), speaking of the need for us to judge ourselves so that we will not be judged by the Lord, and stating clearly that when He does discipline us, it is so that we will not be “condemned along with the world.” (This does not mean that God makes us sick; the sickness and dying were evidence of something being very wrong, pointing here to divine discipline.)
But these are not the actions of an angry, mean-spirited, fault-finding, nitpicky God. They are the actions of a compassionate and holy Father who loves us more than we could ever imagine and who, in strong actions motivated by love, sometimes disciplines us to keep us from destroying ourselves, destroying others or bringing reproach to His name.
This should cause us to walk in holy fear—meaning reverential awe—before Him, as Peter wrote: “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pet. 1:17-19).
It was Peter who also wrote, “For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Pet. 4:17).
Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 10:1-12 that the judgments God brought on the Israelites in the wilderness were written down for our benefit, so that we would not follow in their footsteps. May I quote a portion of this to you?
 “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.’ We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (vv. 6-12).
Why give these warnings if we could not possibly be judged (again, I didn’t say condemned) or disciplined by the Lord? And why did Paul say over and again, “Don’t do this and don’t do that,” if, as is commonly taught by hyper-grace leaders, the New Testament way of turning believers away from sin is to speak only of the goodness of God, since it is His goodness alone that leads us to repentance?
The fact is, just as the fear of the Lord came on Israel when Nadab and Abihu were judged in Leviticus 10 (for the context, be sure to read the previous chapters), the fear of the Lord came on the early church when Ananias and Sapphira were judged in Acts 5. This teaches us an important lesson about God’s holiness, a lesson about the sacred responsibility of ministering before Him (see Lev. 10:3).
That’s why Hebrews 12 closes with this exhortation for us as children of the new covenant, for those who have not come to Mount Sinai but to the heavenly Jerusalem: “See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. ... Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire” (vv. 25, 28-29; the CSB renders verse 28 with, “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us hold on to grace. By it, we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe.”).
This too is part of the New Testament message of grace.
Will we receive it, or will we turn the Word on its head to conform it to what we already believe?
Please do give this prayerful consideration before the Lord. We cannot afford to trivialize these holy truths.