28 July 2009
Dear Prayer Partners,
1. Sorry for the long silence! I decided to give you guys a short break from my mails! But I am back now.
2. The past few months I was busy with my doctorate lectures and assignments. I am still currently doing it. Please pray for divine wisdom and strength to complete it. This is my 4th module out of seven and then a thesis (probably starting mid next year).
3. But the main thing that kept me busy was developing teaching notes for a new course that I would be teaching for the seminary. The main topic is contextualization, and I am shaping it to be contextualizing in a postmodern generation.
4. Every time I develop a new topic, I would be out of circulation for a couple of months as I have to sit down and study and organize and translate them! The lack of Malay-language materials is just atrocious. The church cannot mature and be strong without them. Pray for me as well as others who are involved in this area of the kingdom.
5. I would be teaching this course in mid-August at a seminary in Penang to about 40 pastors. I covet your prayers as I strive to complete the materials on time. It is a big topic in mission and requires some deeper understanding. This would help many of the pastors and evangelists to be more effective as they reach out to others in a cross-cultural context.
6. Despite my silence during the past few months, I had the opportunity to preach in my church discipling-leadership retreat. As a result of that, I hope to start a mailing list about this important and critical component in a church’s life. Pray that it will minister to people, and if you want to be on the list to receive mails regarding mentoring-leadership and such issues, let me know.
7. My traveling season is starting soon. After teaching in Penang seminary, I will be heading to Kuching, Sarawak to preach in a family camp there. Pray that the church will be revived and become true worshippers.
8. If time permits, I may visit Miri and Sabah on my way back. I was supposed to conduct some Bible study sessions for them in July, but I have not been able to find the time to do so. My apologies to all. The harvest is ripe but the laborers are few! I hope to conduct more Bible studies in the future.
9. In Sept, I will be preaching for another family camp in Cameron Highlands, with the theme on the power of the Holy Spirit. In the same month, I may be doing some ministry among indigenous people. Pray for me to be filled with the anointing of the Spirit to minister to all these different groups.
10. Pray for me in the various ministries ~ mentoring-leaders, disciple-making, camp preaching, seminary-lecturing, Bible studies, material development, counseling cases, translating resources, etc. And each of these ministries will impact different individuals and communities.
May each of us respond wholeheartedly to the Lord’s gracious love and mercy. May we continually lift up His name and glorify Him forever!
P/S: Our phone line provider upgraded our handphones. But due to some technical situations, I lost some numbers. Could u email your hp numbers to me so that I can update my phone book? TQ.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Today, many will find abundance in simplicity. Why not you?
Why not you?
Today, many will awaken with a fresh sense of inspiration. Why not you?
Today, many will open their eyes to the beauty that surrounds them. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to leave the ghost of yesterday behind and seize the immeasurable power of today. Why not you?
Today, many will break through the barriers of the past by looking at the blessings of the present. Why not you?
Today, for many the burden of self doubt and insecurity will be lifted by the security and confidence of empowerment. Why not you?
Today, many will rise above their believed limitations and make contact with their powerful innate strength. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to live in such a manner that they will be a positive role model for their children. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to free themselves from the personal imprisonment of their bad habits. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to live free of conditions and rules governing their own happiness. Why not you?
Today, many will find abundance in simplicity. Why not you?
Today, many will be confronted by difficult moral choices and they will choose to do what is right instead of what is beneficial. Why not you?
Today, many will decide to no longer sit back with a victim mentality, but to take charge of their lives and make positive changes. Why not you?
Today, many will take the action necessary to make a difference. Why not you?
Today, many will make the commitment to be a better mother, father, son, daughter, student, teacher, worker, boss, brother, sister, & so much more. Why not you?
Today is a new day!
Many will seize this day.
Many will live it to the fullest.
Why not you?
-- Steve Maraboli
Today, many will awaken with a fresh sense of inspiration. Why not you?
Today, many will open their eyes to the beauty that surrounds them. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to leave the ghost of yesterday behind and seize the immeasurable power of today. Why not you?
Today, many will break through the barriers of the past by looking at the blessings of the present. Why not you?
Today, for many the burden of self doubt and insecurity will be lifted by the security and confidence of empowerment. Why not you?
Today, many will rise above their believed limitations and make contact with their powerful innate strength. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to live in such a manner that they will be a positive role model for their children. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to free themselves from the personal imprisonment of their bad habits. Why not you?
Today, many will choose to live free of conditions and rules governing their own happiness. Why not you?
Today, many will find abundance in simplicity. Why not you?
Today, many will be confronted by difficult moral choices and they will choose to do what is right instead of what is beneficial. Why not you?
Today, many will decide to no longer sit back with a victim mentality, but to take charge of their lives and make positive changes. Why not you?
Today, many will take the action necessary to make a difference. Why not you?
Today, many will make the commitment to be a better mother, father, son, daughter, student, teacher, worker, boss, brother, sister, & so much more. Why not you?
Today is a new day!
Many will seize this day.
Many will live it to the fullest.
Why not you?
-- Steve Maraboli
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Marry someone that you enjoy listening and talking to
10 Top Secrets to a Long and Happy Marriage From Happily Married Couples
By Samuel M Stone
When you look at the statistics of divorce in the United States they really are alarming, almost half of all marriages fail in divorce. This raises a few questions such as "What is the secret to a long and happy marriage?" All marriages will have their ups and downs, but something is wrong when almost half are failing. In a recent survey of happily married couple here is the 10 most common things they said why they are successful.
1. Always make time for the two of you.
2. Remember that marriage is sometimes a bed of roses and sometimes there are thorns.
3. Never go to bed angry.
4. Remember that people do fight. It's how you do it that matters. So fight naked
5. Before starting an argument, consider if it's really worth it.
6. Marry someone that you enjoy listening and talking to.
7. For each time you vent about your husband/wife to your friends, tell three positive stories.
8. Remember that "love is like childhood. You need to learn to share."
9. Marriage is not 50/50, its two people giving 100/100 all of the time.
10. Never pass up an opportunity to say "I love you".
If you take a close look at all of these guidelines they are nothing new and won't cost you any money, however if you practise them and some of them will require a lot of practise for some of you, there is no reason why you can't have a long and happy marriage like many others in the United States and around the world. And as a bonus here is a extra guild line for 11. Be quick to say "I'm sorry".
By Samuel M Stone
When you look at the statistics of divorce in the United States they really are alarming, almost half of all marriages fail in divorce. This raises a few questions such as "What is the secret to a long and happy marriage?" All marriages will have their ups and downs, but something is wrong when almost half are failing. In a recent survey of happily married couple here is the 10 most common things they said why they are successful.
1. Always make time for the two of you.
2. Remember that marriage is sometimes a bed of roses and sometimes there are thorns.
3. Never go to bed angry.
4. Remember that people do fight. It's how you do it that matters. So fight naked
5. Before starting an argument, consider if it's really worth it.
6. Marry someone that you enjoy listening and talking to.
7. For each time you vent about your husband/wife to your friends, tell three positive stories.
8. Remember that "love is like childhood. You need to learn to share."
9. Marriage is not 50/50, its two people giving 100/100 all of the time.
10. Never pass up an opportunity to say "I love you".
If you take a close look at all of these guidelines they are nothing new and won't cost you any money, however if you practise them and some of them will require a lot of practise for some of you, there is no reason why you can't have a long and happy marriage like many others in the United States and around the world. And as a bonus here is a extra guild line for 11. Be quick to say "I'm sorry".
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Death and Life are in the POWER of the Tongue
I dare you to read this 2-3 times a day, You will get RESULTS!!!
Confession (Homologeo)- To say the same things that God has said.
Please read the following scriptures upon rising in the morning, at lunch or midday, and retiring at night. Remember the Bible declares in Proverbs 18:21, "Death and Life are in the POWER of the Tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
The Power of Daily Confessions
Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate therein Day and Night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way Prosperous, and then thou shalt have Good SUCCESS.
Mark 11:23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; He shall have whatsoever he saith.
POWER CONFESSIONS
God is MY SOURCE
Phil 4:19
But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 3:20
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the Power that worketh in US.
2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.
1 John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in YOU, than he that is in the world.
Romans 8:37
Nay, in all these things we are more than Conquerors through Him that loved us.
Isaiah 54:17
No Weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 43:1-2
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, FEAR NOT: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
CONFESSIONS AGAINST FEAR
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of Power, and of Love, and of a Sound Mind.
Psalms 27:1-2
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
Psalms 91:5-7
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
HEALING CONFESSIONS
Ex 15:26
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Psalms 103:3
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Isaiah 53: 4-5
Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are Healed.
James 5: 14-15
Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of Faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Matthew 8:17
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
FINANCIAL CONFESSIONS
Luke 6:38
GIVE, and it shall be Given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
3 John 2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaveth an inheritance to children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
Genesis 26:12
Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.
2 Corinthians 9:6
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Confession (Homologeo)- To say the same things that God has said.
Please read the following scriptures upon rising in the morning, at lunch or midday, and retiring at night. Remember the Bible declares in Proverbs 18:21, "Death and Life are in the POWER of the Tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
The Power of Daily Confessions
Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate therein Day and Night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way Prosperous, and then thou shalt have Good SUCCESS.
Mark 11:23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; He shall have whatsoever he saith.
POWER CONFESSIONS
God is MY SOURCE
Phil 4:19
But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 3:20
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the Power that worketh in US.
2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place.
1 John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in YOU, than he that is in the world.
Romans 8:37
Nay, in all these things we are more than Conquerors through Him that loved us.
Isaiah 54:17
No Weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD.
Isaiah 43:1-2
But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, FEAR NOT: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shall not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
CONFESSIONS AGAINST FEAR
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of Power, and of Love, and of a Sound Mind.
Psalms 27:1-2
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
Psalms 91:5-7
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
HEALING CONFESSIONS
Ex 15:26
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
Psalms 103:3
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Isaiah 53: 4-5
Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are Healed.
James 5: 14-15
Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of Faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Matthew 8:17
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
FINANCIAL CONFESSIONS
Luke 6:38
GIVE, and it shall be Given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.
3 John 2
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
Proverbs 13:22
A good man leaveth an inheritance to children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.
Genesis 26:12
Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him.
2 Corinthians 9:6
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
22 Specific Sins That Could Keep You Out of Heaven?!
Can A Christian Lose His Salvation?
Once saved, always saved? Can a Christian lose his or her salvation after they have truly accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior?
There is divided opinion in the Body of Christ right now on this question. Many believe that you cannot lose your salvation - no matter how many bad things you may end up doing. The Bible says that we are "sealed" with the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation and that nothing can break this seal - no matter how bad and heinous the sins are after that person has already been saved.
Others believe that God will not be mocked and that you can lose your salvation if you get into some of the more heavier and heinous type sins.
I believe there are several verses in Scripture that really do answer this question - with one verse in particular. After studying these verses very carefully, it is my own personal opinion that a Christian can lose their salvation after having already been saved. However, I do believe that you really have to get into some of the heavier type sins before this will actually happen.
I believe that the seal we have with the Holy Spirit is a very strong and powerful seal - but that it can be broken if that person with his own free will has chosen to live this life on the darker side.
I'll go ahead and give you the main verses from Scripture that deal with this possibility. You'll each have to judge for yourself whether or not you feel these verses are implying that a Christian can lose his salvation.
For those of you who are really wanting an answer to this question - I would highly recommend that you study these verses very carefully, and then ask God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, to give you His answer on this issue due to the extreme importance of it.
1. A Falling Away
In my opinion, this first verse hits the nail right on the head. Here is the verse, and then I will point out several key phrases showing that it might be possible for a Christian to lose his salvation.
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
For the earth which brings in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned." (Hebrews 6:4-8)
First notice the specific wording being used to describe what I believe is a saved and born again Christian:
* Those who were once enlightened
* Have tasted the heavenly gift
* Become partakers of the Holy Spirit
* Have tasted the good Word of God
You cannot be a "partaker of the Holy Spirit" unless you are saved and born again. Only Christians receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. Nonbelievers do not have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of them like Christians do. You can only be a partaker of the Holy Spirit if you already have Him living on the inside of you.
Only a Christian can truly "taste the good Word of God." Unless you have the Holy Spirit living on the inside you - you can never fully understand the Bible because all of the Bible was really written by God the Father through the Holy Spirit.
Much of the Bible has to be spiritually discerned and this is done by and through the Holy Spirit. It is the job of Holy Spirit to teach us all things and to guide us into all truth.
As a result of the Holy Spirit helping you to understand the Bible when you are reading it - you then start to become "enlightened" as the above verse states. You cannot become truly enlightened unless you already have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you and He is working with you to help you understand the spiritual truths that the Bible is trying to give to you.
Put it all together - you cannot be truly enlightened, be a partaker of the Holy Spirit, and have the ability to "taste" the Word of God and the powers of the age to come unless you are a born-again Christian. I believe these specific words being used are showing that this verse is specifically talking about Christians.
And then watch what it says next: "For it is impossible ... if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance ..."
I think the key words in those phrases are "if they fall away." What is considered a "falling away?" Obviously God the Father will be the final judge on what is considered a falling away from Him.
A good example might be someone who turns completely to the dark side and decides he wants to worship Satan as a result of the wealth and power that Satan may be able to give him while he is still living down here on this earth.
There have been documented cases of priests and ministers who have literally "sold out" to the devil in exchange for more of the material and lustful pleasures of this life. They have literally become true Satan worshippers. I personally think something like this would qualify as a "falling away" - a deliberate turning away from God to serve His adversary, the Devil.
Other extreme examples would be Christians who have decided to join and live in some type of organized crime, who get into killing and murdering others for their own gain and profit, men who become rapists or serial killers, etc.
As you will see in some of the other verses listed below - God will not be mocked. I believe that some of these heavier types of sins can cause a Christian to lose his salvation if they do not get these heavier types of sins confessed and forgiven before they die.
Notice the above verse also says that: "For it is impossible ... to renew them again to repentance" if they fall away into the more heavier types of sins. The key word is "impossible" - meaning that God is not going to allow them to come back in after they have probably passed what may be considered some kind of "point of no return." The Bible tells us that the Spirit of God will not strive with a man forever.
Put all of the above together - and I think that the above verse is telling us that it is definitely possible for a Christian to lose his salvation if the "falling away" is considered to be serious enough and extreme enough in the eyes of God.
2. Sinning Willfully After Receiving the Knowledge of the Truth
This next verse is another real scary verse. The above verse talks about a "falling away" that could cause you to lose your salvation. This next verse goes another step further and specifically talks about "sinning willfully" after we have already received the knowledge of the truth from God. Here it is:
"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord." And again, "The Lord will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:26-31)
Notice the first part of this verse says that if we "sin willfully" after having already received the knowledge of the truth. Again, I believe this wording could be implying that we are talking about Christians.
The second part of this verse seems to confirm that possibility when it talks about trampling Jesus underfoot and insulting the Spirit of grace, which is the Holy Spirit Himself. Then notice it says that "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" in direct reference to the statement about sinning willfully after having already received the knowledge of the truth.
I believe the words "no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" is implying a definite loss of salvation if someone has pushed the envelope to far with God the Father.
3. Becoming Entangled Again in the Pollutions of the World
Here is another verse that matches up with the verse mentioned above. It talks about, after having already received the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the dangers of returning back again to the "pollutions of the world" from which we have just come out of. Here it is:
"For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:20)
Again, I believe this verse is specifically talking about Christians when it talks about escaping the pollutions of this world "through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." You cannot have true knowledge about Jesus unless you have become saved and born again by accepting Him as your personal Lord and Savior.
Notice this verse specifically states that it would be much worse for you to have become saved and then turn back to your old sinful ways into the pollutions of this world than to never have become saved in the first place.
The key phrase in this verse is "the latter end is worse for them than the beginning." The word "beginning" is referring back to when we were not saved. If you are not saved, you cannot make it into heaven. What could be worse than never being saved in the first place. However, this verse is going one step further and it is literally telling us that it would be worse for us, after initially getting saved, if we once more return back to the sins we were operating in before we got saved.
If that is worse than never getting saved in the first place - then I believe this verse is another one telling us that it is possible to lose your salvation after initially getting saved.
4. 22 Specific Sins That Could Keep You Out of Heaven
If some of the above verses are possibly implying that you can lose your salvation - then what are some of the specific sins that could cause you to lose your salvation? These next two verses will give you some of those specific sins.
Are these next two verses talking about Christians or nonbelievers? If you match these two verses up with the ones listed above - then I believe that some of these sins, if being committed by Christians on a regular and frequent basis, could get them into major trouble with the Lord and possibly be endangering their salvation with Him. Here they are:
* "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9)
* "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19)
Notice that the sin of adultery is specifically mentioned in both verses. Does this mean any Christian who regularly cheats on his or her spouse may be in danger of losing their salvation? Maybe God is thinking that if you can't stay faithful and loyal to your spouse - then maybe you won't be able to stay faithful and loyal to Him for all of eternity once you enter into heaven.
Look at what happened to Satan and one third of all the angels. They couldn't stay faithful and loyal to the Lord, and as a result, they tried to rebel against Him and were eventually thrown right out of heaven!
The word "sodomite" refers to a man having sexual relations with another man - which is another word for describing the sin of homosexuality. According to Webster's dictionary, the word "licentiousness" refers to one who "disregards accepted rules and standards, one who is morally unrestrained, especially in sexual matters."
There is no doubt that the above two verses are talking about nonbelievers. But is it also talking about Christians? I guess we will all find out once we cross over into heaven and see who has made it and who has not. But I wouldn't want to be taking my chances with the Lord by wallowing in any of the above sins on any type of regular and frequent basis.
5. Not Everyone Who Calls Jesus "Lord, Lord" Will Make it Into Heaven
This next powerful verse is coming directly from Jesus Himself. He specifically states that not everyone who calls Him "Lord, Lord" is going to make it into heaven - but only those who do the will of God the Father.
The key word in this verse is the word "will" - the will of God the Father. What is the will of God the Father? One of His definite "wills" is that we stay out of serious sin - especially some of the specific sins mentioned in the above two verses.
When Jesus is using the words of those calling Him "Lord, Lord" - is He referring to Christians or nonbelievers? I personally believe that He may be referring to Christians. How can you truly call Jesus "Lord, Lord" unless you have become saved and born again by accepting Him as your "Lord" and Savior.
If Jesus is specifically referring to Christians with this phrase - then this is another verse that is showing that a Christian could possibly lose their salvation. Once you have become saved, and then you go back or start to enter into some of the heavier sin areas - which would be going against the "will" of God the Father - then I believe that you could be endangering your own personal salvation with the Lord.
I believe this verse is also telling us that God will not be mocked! You cannot accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and then turn around and start to enter into some of these heavier sin areas - and then think you can get away with it and that God will just look the other way.
The sins of adultery and homosexuality are two very scary sins for any Christian to want to engage in with the way some of the above verses are worded. I would not want to be tempting my eternal fate with God the Father by engaging in these two sins or any of the other sins mentioned in the above two verses.
Here is the verse:
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (Matthew 7:21)
Notice that Jesus is specifically talking about people who have prophesied and cast out demons in His name. Is Jesus referring direct to Christians? I believe that He is - especially on the second act that these people had been doing - casting demons out of people in His name.
An unbeliever cannot cast demons out of someone because they do not have the legal authority to be able to do so. Demons are cast out of people by the power of the Holy Spirit. You have to have the Holy Spirit and His power living and operating on the inside of you before you can cast demons out of someone.
Only born-again Christians have the Holy Spirit living and operating on the inside of them - unbelievers do not! As a result, unbelievers do not have the power of the Holy Spirit or the legal authority from God the Father to cast demons out of anyone - including themselves if they have been caught in their death grip.
Two Scripture verses will back this up. In Acts 19:13-16, several Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call on the name of Jesus to try and cast demons out of several people. When they tried to cast these demons out in the name of Jesus, one of the evil spirits replied back to him stating that they knew Jesus and Paul, but they did not know him.
Then the man who had the demon in him jumped on the Jewish exorcists, overpowered them and literally "prevailed" against them. The men then ran out of the house "naked and wounded."
In other words, the Jewish exorcists had no divine power or authority to be trying to take these demons on and not only were they not able to cast the demons out, but the demons were allowed to physically attack them and were able to drive them right out of the house without a stitch of clothing left on them! And these men were Jewish men - not total unbelievers.
Here is the verse giving us this specfiic information:
"Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches ... And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"
Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded." (Acts 19:13-16)
Notice in the first verse listed above that Jesus is not contesting that these people really were casting demons out of people in His name. I believe He is directly acknowledging that these people really were casting demons out in His name. And if Jesus is acknowledging that fact - then these people have to be born-again Christians - because only born-again Christians have the power of the Holy Spirit operating on the inside of them to be able to cast demons out of anyone.
I have heard some scholars argue that the people Jesus is referring to in this verse were unbelievers, not saved Christians. These unbelievers were then casting demons out of people and prophesying in His name as a direct result of operating under some kind of demonc influence or possession. In other words, they were all doing this operating under the power of a demonc spirit rather than the power of the Holy Spirit. However, the second verse stated above is telling us that unbelievers cannot cast demons out of people, even if they are operating under some kind of demonic influence and power.
Another powerful verse to help back up the revelation that demons are not going to be casting out other demons in a person is found in Mark 3:20-30. In this verse, the Scribes are accusing Jesus of casting demons out of people by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons.
Jesus then responds back stating that Satan is not going to be casting out Satan and that a kingdom will not be be able to stand if it becomes divided against itself. In other words, not even Satan or one of his demons are going to try and cast out other demons in a person as they would just be defeating their own purposes in trying to do so.
If Satan or one of demons are not going to be casting demons out of anyone, and if unbelievers do not have the power or authority to be able to cast out demons - then the people Jesus is referring to in this first verse have to be born-again Christians - not unbelievers.
And then notice what Jesus says next - that He will tell them to depart from Him and that He never knew them because they "practice lawlessness." The keys words as to why they may lose their salvation is due to the fact that they were "practicing" lawlessness.
The word "practice" means someone who is deliberately, intentionally and wilfully breaking and going against some of God's basic laws and commandments. It is someone who is doing this on a regular and consistent basis - not someone who is just occassionally slipping up.
Again, I believe that Jesus is giving us a major clue in this verse in that He is really talking about Christians, not unbelievers. And if He is, then this verse is more powerful proof that a Christian can lose his salvation if they push the envelope too far and for too long with the Lord with no intentions of ever pulling out of their sinful behavior and no remorse for doing it in the first place.
6. A Sin Leading to Death
This next verse is very interesting. It talks about a sin that could lead to death and a sin that will not lead to death. I believe that the word "death" could be referring to the deaths of our souls once we die and cross cover - which would mean going straight to hell when we die. Again, is this verse referring to Christians?
If it is, then it is definitely delineating between certain types of sins. It is implying that some sins are obviously worse than others. Some of these sins could cause us to lose our salvation and other types of sins will not. Here is the verse:
"There is a sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death." (1 John 5:16-17)
God will obviously be the final judge on what sins could lead to death and which ones will not. But again, as a Christian, I would not want to be tempting my eternal fate with God the Father by engaging in some of the heavier sins mentioned in the above verses - thinking that God will look the other way just because we got saved earlier on in our lives.
7. Fallen From Grace
The Bible specifically tells us that we are "saved by grace." However, this next verse specifically says that we can "fall from grace." If you put both of these phrases right next to one another - then I believe they could be telling us that a Christian could lose his salvation.
I believe that the words "fallen from grace" means exactly what it is saying. If we have been "saved by grace" - then we can also "fall from that same saving grace." This might be another powerful verse from the Lord showing that we can lose our salvation.
Notice also in the first part of this verse where it talks about becoming "estranged from Christ." If you put those three words right next to the words "fallen from grace" - and they are all in the same verse - then once again I believe the implication may really be there that you can lose your salvation - and that another phrase to describe losing your salvation with God and Jesus is "falling from grace" - falling from the saving grace which initially got you saved in the first place!
Here is the verse:
"You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4)
Put this verse together with all of the other ones mentioned above - and the Scriptural evidence may really be there that a Christian could possibly lose his salvation if they try and push the envelope to far with God the Father by falling into and engaging in some of the heavier type sins as described above.
8. Having Your Name "Blotted Out" From the Book of Life
I will leave with you with one very scary intense verse from the Bible. This verse is coming direct from Jesus Himself from the Book of Revelation.
"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not BLOT OUT his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." (Revelation 3:5)
The Book of Life is a Book that has every single saved and born again believer recorded in it. Once you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, your name is then written and recorded in this Book.
But notice what Jesus says in reference to this specific Book. He specifically says that he who "overcomes" will not have his name "blotted out" from this Book. The word "blot" means "to rub or wipe out, to erase or get rid of."
The fact that Jesus is telling us that our names can literally be blotted out from this Book is just another major piece of Scriptural evidence showing us that we can lose our salvation with Him. If your name could not be blotted out from this Book, then Jesus would have never made this specific statement. But since He did, I believe this is another powerful Scripture verse that is showing us that we can lose our salvation.
Also notice the specific word that Jesus is using to tie in this possibility - the word "overcomes." What is it that Jesus wants us to overcome? One of the things that He definitely wants us to overcome is the temptation to fall and enter into some of these heavier sin areas. The Bible tells us that we must "endure" temptation.
To endure a temptation means you do not give into it, you do not cross the line - but if by chance you do fall into a specific temptation, to immediately pull out of it as soon as you can. If you do not, and you do not overcome and pull out of this temptation within the time span that God is giving you to pull out of it, then your name could be blotted out from His Book of Life for all of eternity!
The other thing to pick up with the specific wording that Jesus is using in this verse is that once He blots out your name from His Book of Life - it will be for all of eternity. There will be no second or third chance to get back in once you have been officially erased from His Book - just like the first verse I listed at the beginning of this article is telling us.
There is no other indication in this verse or any other verses in the Bible that this blotting out of your name can be reversed or rescinded. The tone and straight forward way this verse is being worded is all showing us that not only can person's name be actually blotted out from this Book, but that once it is, it will be for all of eternity.
Again, if this was not an actual possibility, then Jesus would have never worded this verse the way He did. But the fact that He is specifically using the words of having your own personal name blotted out from His Book of Life is all showing us that this is a definite possibility if we have gone too far and wallowed too long in a heavier sin area.
Conclusion
You will each have to come to your own conclusions as to whether or not you feel a Christian can lose his salvation with the way all of the above verses are worded. I personally believe that all of the above verses mean exactly what they are saying.
If you put all of the above verses together and right next to one another like you would pieces to a jigsaw puzzle - then I believe that God the Father is giving us major insight and revelation that a Christian can lose his salvation if he "falls away," if he "falls from grace," if he becomes "estranged from Christ," if he gets involved in a "sin that leads to death," if he goes against the "will" of God the Father, if he returns once again to the "pollutions of the world" and if he "sins willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth" that is contained in both God and Jesus.
I personally believe that all of the above verses, and specifically some of the key phrases mentioned in these verses, are simply way too much Scriptural evidence all showing that it is possible for a Christian to lose his or her salvation.
God and His Word will not be mocked. He will not put up with some of His own falling into some of these heavier type sins - and then think that He will turn a blind eye to their sins, while all the while condoning their sinful activities thinking that the Blood of Jesus will keep them covered till the day they die.
I'm afraid some Christians, who are living and dwelling in some of these heavier type sins on a regular and frequent basis, are going to be in for a big surprise once they die and cross over and have to meet God and Jesus for their own final judgment.
All of the above is serious food for thought!
Once saved, always saved? Can a Christian lose his or her salvation after they have truly accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior?
There is divided opinion in the Body of Christ right now on this question. Many believe that you cannot lose your salvation - no matter how many bad things you may end up doing. The Bible says that we are "sealed" with the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation and that nothing can break this seal - no matter how bad and heinous the sins are after that person has already been saved.
Others believe that God will not be mocked and that you can lose your salvation if you get into some of the more heavier and heinous type sins.
I believe there are several verses in Scripture that really do answer this question - with one verse in particular. After studying these verses very carefully, it is my own personal opinion that a Christian can lose their salvation after having already been saved. However, I do believe that you really have to get into some of the heavier type sins before this will actually happen.
I believe that the seal we have with the Holy Spirit is a very strong and powerful seal - but that it can be broken if that person with his own free will has chosen to live this life on the darker side.
I'll go ahead and give you the main verses from Scripture that deal with this possibility. You'll each have to judge for yourself whether or not you feel these verses are implying that a Christian can lose his salvation.
For those of you who are really wanting an answer to this question - I would highly recommend that you study these verses very carefully, and then ask God the Father, through the Holy Spirit, to give you His answer on this issue due to the extreme importance of it.
1. A Falling Away
In my opinion, this first verse hits the nail right on the head. Here is the verse, and then I will point out several key phrases showing that it might be possible for a Christian to lose his salvation.
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
For the earth which brings in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned." (Hebrews 6:4-8)
First notice the specific wording being used to describe what I believe is a saved and born again Christian:
* Those who were once enlightened
* Have tasted the heavenly gift
* Become partakers of the Holy Spirit
* Have tasted the good Word of God
You cannot be a "partaker of the Holy Spirit" unless you are saved and born again. Only Christians receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation. Nonbelievers do not have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of them like Christians do. You can only be a partaker of the Holy Spirit if you already have Him living on the inside of you.
Only a Christian can truly "taste the good Word of God." Unless you have the Holy Spirit living on the inside you - you can never fully understand the Bible because all of the Bible was really written by God the Father through the Holy Spirit.
Much of the Bible has to be spiritually discerned and this is done by and through the Holy Spirit. It is the job of Holy Spirit to teach us all things and to guide us into all truth.
As a result of the Holy Spirit helping you to understand the Bible when you are reading it - you then start to become "enlightened" as the above verse states. You cannot become truly enlightened unless you already have the Holy Spirit living on the inside of you and He is working with you to help you understand the spiritual truths that the Bible is trying to give to you.
Put it all together - you cannot be truly enlightened, be a partaker of the Holy Spirit, and have the ability to "taste" the Word of God and the powers of the age to come unless you are a born-again Christian. I believe these specific words being used are showing that this verse is specifically talking about Christians.
And then watch what it says next: "For it is impossible ... if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance ..."
I think the key words in those phrases are "if they fall away." What is considered a "falling away?" Obviously God the Father will be the final judge on what is considered a falling away from Him.
A good example might be someone who turns completely to the dark side and decides he wants to worship Satan as a result of the wealth and power that Satan may be able to give him while he is still living down here on this earth.
There have been documented cases of priests and ministers who have literally "sold out" to the devil in exchange for more of the material and lustful pleasures of this life. They have literally become true Satan worshippers. I personally think something like this would qualify as a "falling away" - a deliberate turning away from God to serve His adversary, the Devil.
Other extreme examples would be Christians who have decided to join and live in some type of organized crime, who get into killing and murdering others for their own gain and profit, men who become rapists or serial killers, etc.
As you will see in some of the other verses listed below - God will not be mocked. I believe that some of these heavier types of sins can cause a Christian to lose his salvation if they do not get these heavier types of sins confessed and forgiven before they die.
Notice the above verse also says that: "For it is impossible ... to renew them again to repentance" if they fall away into the more heavier types of sins. The key word is "impossible" - meaning that God is not going to allow them to come back in after they have probably passed what may be considered some kind of "point of no return." The Bible tells us that the Spirit of God will not strive with a man forever.
Put all of the above together - and I think that the above verse is telling us that it is definitely possible for a Christian to lose his salvation if the "falling away" is considered to be serious enough and extreme enough in the eyes of God.
2. Sinning Willfully After Receiving the Knowledge of the Truth
This next verse is another real scary verse. The above verse talks about a "falling away" that could cause you to lose your salvation. This next verse goes another step further and specifically talks about "sinning willfully" after we have already received the knowledge of the truth from God. Here it is:
"For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord." And again, "The Lord will judge His people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Hebrews 10:26-31)
Notice the first part of this verse says that if we "sin willfully" after having already received the knowledge of the truth. Again, I believe this wording could be implying that we are talking about Christians.
The second part of this verse seems to confirm that possibility when it talks about trampling Jesus underfoot and insulting the Spirit of grace, which is the Holy Spirit Himself. Then notice it says that "there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" in direct reference to the statement about sinning willfully after having already received the knowledge of the truth.
I believe the words "no longer remains a sacrifice for sins" is implying a definite loss of salvation if someone has pushed the envelope to far with God the Father.
3. Becoming Entangled Again in the Pollutions of the World
Here is another verse that matches up with the verse mentioned above. It talks about, after having already received the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the dangers of returning back again to the "pollutions of the world" from which we have just come out of. Here it is:
"For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire." (2 Peter 2:20)
Again, I believe this verse is specifically talking about Christians when it talks about escaping the pollutions of this world "through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." You cannot have true knowledge about Jesus unless you have become saved and born again by accepting Him as your personal Lord and Savior.
Notice this verse specifically states that it would be much worse for you to have become saved and then turn back to your old sinful ways into the pollutions of this world than to never have become saved in the first place.
The key phrase in this verse is "the latter end is worse for them than the beginning." The word "beginning" is referring back to when we were not saved. If you are not saved, you cannot make it into heaven. What could be worse than never being saved in the first place. However, this verse is going one step further and it is literally telling us that it would be worse for us, after initially getting saved, if we once more return back to the sins we were operating in before we got saved.
If that is worse than never getting saved in the first place - then I believe this verse is another one telling us that it is possible to lose your salvation after initially getting saved.
4. 22 Specific Sins That Could Keep You Out of Heaven
If some of the above verses are possibly implying that you can lose your salvation - then what are some of the specific sins that could cause you to lose your salvation? These next two verses will give you some of those specific sins.
Are these next two verses talking about Christians or nonbelievers? If you match these two verses up with the ones listed above - then I believe that some of these sins, if being committed by Christians on a regular and frequent basis, could get them into major trouble with the Lord and possibly be endangering their salvation with Him. Here they are:
* "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6:9)
* "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:19)
Notice that the sin of adultery is specifically mentioned in both verses. Does this mean any Christian who regularly cheats on his or her spouse may be in danger of losing their salvation? Maybe God is thinking that if you can't stay faithful and loyal to your spouse - then maybe you won't be able to stay faithful and loyal to Him for all of eternity once you enter into heaven.
Look at what happened to Satan and one third of all the angels. They couldn't stay faithful and loyal to the Lord, and as a result, they tried to rebel against Him and were eventually thrown right out of heaven!
The word "sodomite" refers to a man having sexual relations with another man - which is another word for describing the sin of homosexuality. According to Webster's dictionary, the word "licentiousness" refers to one who "disregards accepted rules and standards, one who is morally unrestrained, especially in sexual matters."
There is no doubt that the above two verses are talking about nonbelievers. But is it also talking about Christians? I guess we will all find out once we cross over into heaven and see who has made it and who has not. But I wouldn't want to be taking my chances with the Lord by wallowing in any of the above sins on any type of regular and frequent basis.
5. Not Everyone Who Calls Jesus "Lord, Lord" Will Make it Into Heaven
This next powerful verse is coming directly from Jesus Himself. He specifically states that not everyone who calls Him "Lord, Lord" is going to make it into heaven - but only those who do the will of God the Father.
The key word in this verse is the word "will" - the will of God the Father. What is the will of God the Father? One of His definite "wills" is that we stay out of serious sin - especially some of the specific sins mentioned in the above two verses.
When Jesus is using the words of those calling Him "Lord, Lord" - is He referring to Christians or nonbelievers? I personally believe that He may be referring to Christians. How can you truly call Jesus "Lord, Lord" unless you have become saved and born again by accepting Him as your "Lord" and Savior.
If Jesus is specifically referring to Christians with this phrase - then this is another verse that is showing that a Christian could possibly lose their salvation. Once you have become saved, and then you go back or start to enter into some of the heavier sin areas - which would be going against the "will" of God the Father - then I believe that you could be endangering your own personal salvation with the Lord.
I believe this verse is also telling us that God will not be mocked! You cannot accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and then turn around and start to enter into some of these heavier sin areas - and then think you can get away with it and that God will just look the other way.
The sins of adultery and homosexuality are two very scary sins for any Christian to want to engage in with the way some of the above verses are worded. I would not want to be tempting my eternal fate with God the Father by engaging in these two sins or any of the other sins mentioned in the above two verses.
Here is the verse:
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (Matthew 7:21)
Notice that Jesus is specifically talking about people who have prophesied and cast out demons in His name. Is Jesus referring direct to Christians? I believe that He is - especially on the second act that these people had been doing - casting demons out of people in His name.
An unbeliever cannot cast demons out of someone because they do not have the legal authority to be able to do so. Demons are cast out of people by the power of the Holy Spirit. You have to have the Holy Spirit and His power living and operating on the inside of you before you can cast demons out of someone.
Only born-again Christians have the Holy Spirit living and operating on the inside of them - unbelievers do not! As a result, unbelievers do not have the power of the Holy Spirit or the legal authority from God the Father to cast demons out of anyone - including themselves if they have been caught in their death grip.
Two Scripture verses will back this up. In Acts 19:13-16, several Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call on the name of Jesus to try and cast demons out of several people. When they tried to cast these demons out in the name of Jesus, one of the evil spirits replied back to him stating that they knew Jesus and Paul, but they did not know him.
Then the man who had the demon in him jumped on the Jewish exorcists, overpowered them and literally "prevailed" against them. The men then ran out of the house "naked and wounded."
In other words, the Jewish exorcists had no divine power or authority to be trying to take these demons on and not only were they not able to cast the demons out, but the demons were allowed to physically attack them and were able to drive them right out of the house without a stitch of clothing left on them! And these men were Jewish men - not total unbelievers.
Here is the verse giving us this specfiic information:
"Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches ... And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"
Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded." (Acts 19:13-16)
Notice in the first verse listed above that Jesus is not contesting that these people really were casting demons out of people in His name. I believe He is directly acknowledging that these people really were casting demons out in His name. And if Jesus is acknowledging that fact - then these people have to be born-again Christians - because only born-again Christians have the power of the Holy Spirit operating on the inside of them to be able to cast demons out of anyone.
I have heard some scholars argue that the people Jesus is referring to in this verse were unbelievers, not saved Christians. These unbelievers were then casting demons out of people and prophesying in His name as a direct result of operating under some kind of demonc influence or possession. In other words, they were all doing this operating under the power of a demonc spirit rather than the power of the Holy Spirit. However, the second verse stated above is telling us that unbelievers cannot cast demons out of people, even if they are operating under some kind of demonic influence and power.
Another powerful verse to help back up the revelation that demons are not going to be casting out other demons in a person is found in Mark 3:20-30. In this verse, the Scribes are accusing Jesus of casting demons out of people by Beelzebub, the ruler of demons.
Jesus then responds back stating that Satan is not going to be casting out Satan and that a kingdom will not be be able to stand if it becomes divided against itself. In other words, not even Satan or one of his demons are going to try and cast out other demons in a person as they would just be defeating their own purposes in trying to do so.
If Satan or one of demons are not going to be casting demons out of anyone, and if unbelievers do not have the power or authority to be able to cast out demons - then the people Jesus is referring to in this first verse have to be born-again Christians - not unbelievers.
And then notice what Jesus says next - that He will tell them to depart from Him and that He never knew them because they "practice lawlessness." The keys words as to why they may lose their salvation is due to the fact that they were "practicing" lawlessness.
The word "practice" means someone who is deliberately, intentionally and wilfully breaking and going against some of God's basic laws and commandments. It is someone who is doing this on a regular and consistent basis - not someone who is just occassionally slipping up.
Again, I believe that Jesus is giving us a major clue in this verse in that He is really talking about Christians, not unbelievers. And if He is, then this verse is more powerful proof that a Christian can lose his salvation if they push the envelope too far and for too long with the Lord with no intentions of ever pulling out of their sinful behavior and no remorse for doing it in the first place.
6. A Sin Leading to Death
This next verse is very interesting. It talks about a sin that could lead to death and a sin that will not lead to death. I believe that the word "death" could be referring to the deaths of our souls once we die and cross cover - which would mean going straight to hell when we die. Again, is this verse referring to Christians?
If it is, then it is definitely delineating between certain types of sins. It is implying that some sins are obviously worse than others. Some of these sins could cause us to lose our salvation and other types of sins will not. Here is the verse:
"There is a sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death." (1 John 5:16-17)
God will obviously be the final judge on what sins could lead to death and which ones will not. But again, as a Christian, I would not want to be tempting my eternal fate with God the Father by engaging in some of the heavier sins mentioned in the above verses - thinking that God will look the other way just because we got saved earlier on in our lives.
7. Fallen From Grace
The Bible specifically tells us that we are "saved by grace." However, this next verse specifically says that we can "fall from grace." If you put both of these phrases right next to one another - then I believe they could be telling us that a Christian could lose his salvation.
I believe that the words "fallen from grace" means exactly what it is saying. If we have been "saved by grace" - then we can also "fall from that same saving grace." This might be another powerful verse from the Lord showing that we can lose our salvation.
Notice also in the first part of this verse where it talks about becoming "estranged from Christ." If you put those three words right next to the words "fallen from grace" - and they are all in the same verse - then once again I believe the implication may really be there that you can lose your salvation - and that another phrase to describe losing your salvation with God and Jesus is "falling from grace" - falling from the saving grace which initially got you saved in the first place!
Here is the verse:
"You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:4)
Put this verse together with all of the other ones mentioned above - and the Scriptural evidence may really be there that a Christian could possibly lose his salvation if they try and push the envelope to far with God the Father by falling into and engaging in some of the heavier type sins as described above.
8. Having Your Name "Blotted Out" From the Book of Life
I will leave with you with one very scary intense verse from the Bible. This verse is coming direct from Jesus Himself from the Book of Revelation.
"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not BLOT OUT his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels." (Revelation 3:5)
The Book of Life is a Book that has every single saved and born again believer recorded in it. Once you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, your name is then written and recorded in this Book.
But notice what Jesus says in reference to this specific Book. He specifically says that he who "overcomes" will not have his name "blotted out" from this Book. The word "blot" means "to rub or wipe out, to erase or get rid of."
The fact that Jesus is telling us that our names can literally be blotted out from this Book is just another major piece of Scriptural evidence showing us that we can lose our salvation with Him. If your name could not be blotted out from this Book, then Jesus would have never made this specific statement. But since He did, I believe this is another powerful Scripture verse that is showing us that we can lose our salvation.
Also notice the specific word that Jesus is using to tie in this possibility - the word "overcomes." What is it that Jesus wants us to overcome? One of the things that He definitely wants us to overcome is the temptation to fall and enter into some of these heavier sin areas. The Bible tells us that we must "endure" temptation.
To endure a temptation means you do not give into it, you do not cross the line - but if by chance you do fall into a specific temptation, to immediately pull out of it as soon as you can. If you do not, and you do not overcome and pull out of this temptation within the time span that God is giving you to pull out of it, then your name could be blotted out from His Book of Life for all of eternity!
The other thing to pick up with the specific wording that Jesus is using in this verse is that once He blots out your name from His Book of Life - it will be for all of eternity. There will be no second or third chance to get back in once you have been officially erased from His Book - just like the first verse I listed at the beginning of this article is telling us.
There is no other indication in this verse or any other verses in the Bible that this blotting out of your name can be reversed or rescinded. The tone and straight forward way this verse is being worded is all showing us that not only can person's name be actually blotted out from this Book, but that once it is, it will be for all of eternity.
Again, if this was not an actual possibility, then Jesus would have never worded this verse the way He did. But the fact that He is specifically using the words of having your own personal name blotted out from His Book of Life is all showing us that this is a definite possibility if we have gone too far and wallowed too long in a heavier sin area.
Conclusion
You will each have to come to your own conclusions as to whether or not you feel a Christian can lose his salvation with the way all of the above verses are worded. I personally believe that all of the above verses mean exactly what they are saying.
If you put all of the above verses together and right next to one another like you would pieces to a jigsaw puzzle - then I believe that God the Father is giving us major insight and revelation that a Christian can lose his salvation if he "falls away," if he "falls from grace," if he becomes "estranged from Christ," if he gets involved in a "sin that leads to death," if he goes against the "will" of God the Father, if he returns once again to the "pollutions of the world" and if he "sins willfully after having received the knowledge of the truth" that is contained in both God and Jesus.
I personally believe that all of the above verses, and specifically some of the key phrases mentioned in these verses, are simply way too much Scriptural evidence all showing that it is possible for a Christian to lose his or her salvation.
God and His Word will not be mocked. He will not put up with some of His own falling into some of these heavier type sins - and then think that He will turn a blind eye to their sins, while all the while condoning their sinful activities thinking that the Blood of Jesus will keep them covered till the day they die.
I'm afraid some Christians, who are living and dwelling in some of these heavier type sins on a regular and frequent basis, are going to be in for a big surprise once they die and cross over and have to meet God and Jesus for their own final judgment.
All of the above is serious food for thought!
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that all of the Bible is God-breathed
The Power of the Word of God
There are many liberal Christians who are starting to question the validity and authenticity of the Bible. I will not use this article to debate the origins of the Bible, all of the authors who wrote the books, and how the different translations came into being. There are plenty of good books at your local Christian bookstore that deal with this topic very extensively.
After studying the Bible in its complete entirety - there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that all of the Bible is God-breathed - and that all of it has come directly to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit.
For those of you who believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible and that all of it has truly come from God the Father, I will use this article to give you some extremely powerful verses from Scripture to show you that not only did all of the Bible come direct from God the Father through the Holy Spirit to all of the authors who wrote all 66 books of the Bible - but I will also give you some powerful verses from the Bible showing you how powerful the actual words of the Bible really are, and how they can dramatically help to change and transform you into the kind of person that God really wants you to become in Him.
The actual words of the Bible are anointed by the Holy Spirit Himself - and they have the full ability to completely change and transform you if you are willing to work with the truths that are contained in the actual words.
Jesus says in the Bible that you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. However, you first have to know what the truth is before the truth can start to work to set you free.
This is why Kind David said we must meditate on the words of the Bible - so we can find out what their true meaning is and how these truths can apply to our daily lives. Meditating on the Bible means to think about, to chew on, to try and figure out what the meaning of the words and the different passages of the Bible are all about.
Though the Book is long, God has made it as simple and easy as He possibly could. Think about this. There is only one Bible. In one Book, God has given us everything we need to know about Himself, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the basics of our salvation through the death of His Son, how He wants us to live this life, the things He wants us doing and the things that He does not want us doing.
In this one Book are all the ways and commandments of our Lord, and all the information we are ever going to need on what is awaiting all of us on the other side when we die and cross over - heaven for the saved and hell for the unsaved.
I believe the number one reason God created the human race was for intimate fellowship. Even to the amazement of the angels in heaven, God seems to have some type of special longing and love for the human race. The fact that God would send His one and only Son down to our earth in the flesh to go through the worst form of physical death at the time He came, all just to bring us back to Himself, really does show us how much God really does love all of us.
The Bible tells us that the love that God has for all of us is like a "consuming fire." These two words are showing us a love that is of maximum intensity. With this kind of intense love for us, I believe that God is trying to tell all of us one main thing - and that one main thing is that He is looking to enter into a one-on-one personal love relationship with each one of us.
Think about this - that the one and only all-powerful God of the entire universe is looking to make a direct personal connection with you on an individual and unique basis.
If you really step back and look at the big picture and all the things that we see in this life - what is the one thing that most of us long for in this life? What is the one thing that will make you cry when you see this portrayed on the movie screens? It is the longing for a true soul mate. It is the longing for a pure, true and unconditional love from a person of the opposite sex.
There is nothing that can satisfy the deeper longings of your soul the way that true love can. However, there is just one small catch with this scenario. Even though some of us may have found their true soul mates in this life, there is one more small thing that has not been met.
No matter how perfect you think your mate may be, bottom line - your mate is still not perfect since the Bible tells us that all men and all women have sinned and have fallen way short of the glory of our God. What this means is that no matter how good of a love relationship you may have with your mate, that person is still not capable of giving you perfect love because that person is not perfect in his or her very nature.
Thus every single one of us still has that little hole in our soul that just can't seem to be filled with anything else in our lives. No matter how much money we have, no matter how many material possessions we have, no matter how many loving children we have - there is still something missing and none of these things can completely fill that little hole that is in all of our souls.
God has purposely left a vacuum, a hole and a void in each one of our souls when He created us. And the only thing that can fill this hole and void is God the Father Himself, His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.
There is absolutely nothing else on this earth that can fill that void. People are literally chase the wind trying to find anything and everything to fill that void - and no matter how many lovers they have, no matter how many marriages they enter into, no matter how many toys they buy with the money they have - nothing they chase after in this life will fill that hole in their souls.
The only thing that will fill that void and hole in your soul is finding and then entering into a personal love relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. There is nothing else that will fill that void!
Since God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are perfect in Their actual natures and have no dark side to Their personalities, then They, and only They, are the only Ones who are capable of giving you a perfect, pure and unconditional love that no one else can give you on this earth.
This is why the Bible tells us that we will find a peace that will pass all human understanding once we have accepted Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior and have become truly born again. That peace we will find is the result of finding the one true Person who can fill that empty void that is on the inside of each and everyone of us - and that one Person is God Almighty Himself.
However, once you have found God through accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, there is now something you must do. You must now grow in the knowledge of God and grow in the personal relationship that He wants to establish with you. And how do you start to grow in the personal relationship He wants to establish with you and grow in the knowledge that He wants you to have about Him? By diving head first into the Bible!
When two lovers first meet and fall in love with one another, the first thing they naturally and instinctively want to do is to learn as much as they can about one another.
How can you truly fall in love with another person unless you first seek to know everything you can about your lover, his or her past, where they have been, what they have been through, who are all of their friends and family, etc. Once you really fall into true love with someone, you will have a hunger to find out as much as you can about them and their past.
It's the exact same way in our relationship with God. God obviously knows everything about each one of us, but we do not know everything about Him, His Son or His Spirit. So the only possible way that we can learn all about God is to read and study from the Bible, since the Bible is the only Book that we have down here on this earth that will give us detailed information as to who the Three of Them really are.
If a true born-again, Spirit-filled Christian is really in love with God and really wants to deepen the personal relationship that they have now established with God - then the first thing that person will really want to do is to get into the Bible so that they can find out everything they possibly can about this awesome God of ours.
The more knowledge you gain about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit from studying the Bible - the stronger and deeper your personal relationship will become with the Three of Them.
As you will see in the Scripture verses listed below, there are several other incredible things that will start to occur in your life if you really seek to study the Bible with the intentions on wanting to learn more about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in order to deepen the personal relationship that you have now established with the Three of Them.
I will break these Scripture verses down under appropriate captions so you can see how powerful the Word of God really is and how it can dramatically transform and change the quality of your life if you are willing to study, learn and seek to apply the truths that are in this incredible Book.
Study these verses very, very carefully. These verses are showing you how powerful the Bible really is. Since all of the Bible comes direct to us from God the Father, you can completely trust and rely on that what you will read from the Bible will be 100% pure solid God-truth.
I will break these Scripture verses down under the appropriate captions below so that you can fully grasp the revelation that is being given to you by the Lord.
1. All of Scripture is Given to Us By Inspiration From God the Father
These first two verses will specifically tell us, without any other possible interpretation, that all of the Bible has been given to us by "inspiration of God" through holy men who were "moved by the Holy Spirit" to write what they wrote!
In other words - all of the words in the Bible have come direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit. The specific authors of the Bible then wrote under the guidance, inspiration and illumination of the Holy Spirit.
This is why you can completely trust that what you will read from the Bible will be 100% pure solid God-truth! There is no other book on our earth that contains direct words from God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ other than the Holy Bible. God Himself has personally arranged that all of the revelation that He wants us to have in this life about Him and His Son would all be contained in this one incredible Book.
Here are the two specific verses telling us this:
• "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16)
• "... knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20)
The first verse specifically tells us that all of Scripture, not just some or part of it, comes direct to us by inspiration from God the Father. The second verse then takes us one step further and tells us that the holy men of God who wrote the Bible all wrote under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit Himself. It also says that no part of Scripture was of any private interpretation of these authors.
The first verse also lays out the groundwork as to what the Bible is going to be used for - for establishing solid Christian doctrine in the real truths of God, and for instruction in the knowledge and ways of God, so that we may all be made complete and thoroughly equipped to go to work for God in the calling that He has set up for each and every one of us in this life.
These two specific verses are powerful foundational verses in which our study of Scripture has to be based on. If you do not believe that all of the Bible is truly the inspired and infallible Word of God - then the Holy Spirit is not going to move on you to start to really work the truths that are contained in the Bible to change, mold and transform you into the kind of person that God wants you to become in Him.
Bottom line - if you want the truths that are contained in the Bible to really be able to change and transform you - then you have to believe that all of the Bible comes direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit. If you do not, then the Bible will have little or no transforming effect on you and your life.
2. The Word of God is Living and Powerful
As you will see in the following verses, the words that are contained in the Bible are living, powerful and sharper than any two edge sword we can make on this earth.
In other words, the words in the Bible have God's supernatural life in them. They are literally anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit Himself. This is why the words and the truths contained in the Bible have the supernatural ability to change and transform you into the kind of person that God wants you to become in Him.
That is why Jesus told the apostles to "feed" His sheep. When you read and study the Bible for increased learning, you are feeding yourself with the direct and anointed words from God Almighty Himself.
Many Christians who do not regularly feed off of the Bible have no idea on what they are really missing out on. The Words that are in the Bible are pure solid spiritual food that have the supernatural ability to feed your mind, soul and spirit. Nothing else will feed your inner man like reading from the Bible will.
Just like our human physical bodies need physical food to be able to survive - so does our mind, soul and spirit. The food that we feed our physical bodies will not nourish our mind, soul or spirits. The only thing that can spiritually feed and nourish us on the inside are true solid spiritual truths. And the only true solid spiritual truths that can feed us to cause any kind of true spiritual growth to occur in this life are truths that come direct from God the Father and Jesus Christ.
There are no other spiritual truths from any other sources that we can feed off of that will cause any kind of real spiritual growth to occur in this life. Any other source is just dead meat. It has no supernatural life or ability to change you because it is not coming direct from God the Father and thus has no anointing on it.
All other false religions and New Age type thinking have no supernatural ability to change and spiritually transform you in this life. Only the truths that are contained in the Bible have this ability.
Now here are 9 major power verses showing you how much supernatural life and power there really is in the Word of God.
1. "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
2. "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)
3. "Is not My word like a fire?" says the Lord, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:29)
4. "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63)
5. "This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life." (Psalm 119:50)
6. "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart ..." (Jeremiah 15:16)
7. "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103)
8. But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' " (Matthew 4:4)
9. "... as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." (1 Peter 2:2)
Notice all of the food analogies that God is using to compare His Word with. What He is trying to tell us is that when you are studying the words that are contained in the Bible - you are spiritually feeding yourself with supernatural nutrition!
I believe that all of the above Scripture verses are trying to tell us one thing - that the Word of God is living, powerful, and real spiritual food for the soul and spirit of every man and every woman who is willing to feed off of it.
3. The Word of God is Pure Solid Truth
If the Bible is telling us that all of Scripture is coming direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit - then the next thing that the Bible will be telling us is that all of the words that are coming direct to us from God in this Book are 100% pure solid truth.
If God is all-perfect and all-powerful, then this means His intelligence and knowledge on all things is all-perfect. And if His knowledge on all things is all-perfect, then this means that all of the words that He is conveying to us in the Bible can be counted on as being perfect words, thereby giving us perfect knowledge.
This means that all of the Bible can be counted on as being 100% pure solid God-truth with no errors and no mistakes. The Bible tells us that all humans will only know in part with what knowledge we are able to gain down here on this earth. Thus every book you read from human authors will never be totally perfect in the knowledge that the author is trying to transmit to you.
However, since all of the Bible is coming directly to us from God Himself - then the Bible is the only Book that we have down here on this earth that is totally and completely perfect in the knowledge that it is trying to transmit to us.
This is why the Bible has the ability to change your life. No other book on this earth has the amount and quality of wisdom and knowledge that this Book has - all because this knowledge and wisdom is coming direct from God the Father Himself.
Now here are 4 very good verses from Scripture that are specifically telling us that every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is 100% pure solid truth.
1. "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:5)
2. "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." (Psalm 12:6)
3. "For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." (Psalm 33:4)
4. "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." (John 17:17)
Notice the first verse says that the words that come from God are "pure" words. The last verse then says that all of God's words are "truth." Put those two verses together and you get that all of the words that come from God are "pure truth."
Pure means 100% pure - which means that all of God's words are pure 100% solid truth with no errors or mistakes. This is why the Word of God is also called infallible and inerrant. If the Bible says that a thing is so - then it is so - end of discussion. You can literally bank your life on it!
4. The Word of God Can Sanctify You
If all of the words of the Bible are pure 100% solid truth - then this means that all of the words in the Bible have the supernatural ability to sanctify you - especially since all of the Bible has the anointing of the Holy Spirit Himself on the entire Book.
God's ultimate and highest aim for all of us after we become saved and born again is to sanctify us, to transform us, to mold and shape us into the express image of His Son Jesus.
It is the job of the Holy Spirit to start this molding, transforming and sanctifying work in us after we get saved. However the Holy Spirit needs something to work with in order to get this transformation process kicked into full gear - and that something is knowledge. God wants you to have full knowledge on what it is He wants to change about you before He really starts to move you into this sanctification process.
And where do you get the knowledge that will get God to start this sanctification process within you? From the Bible! There is no other book that we can learn and study from that will give us the direct knowledge that we will need from God the Father to get Him to start this sanctification process within us.
It's the Word and the Spirit working together in a believer's life that will get God to start working full force in your life to change you into the kind of person He really wants you to become in Him.
Here are several powerful verses from Scripture specifically telling us all of this. The first two verses will tell you that God can literally sanctify you by His Word.
1. "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." (John 17:17)
2. " ... that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:26)
3. "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes." (Psalm 119:9-12)
4. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." (John 15:3)
5. " ... and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21)
6. "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Notice the last verse says that the Word of God can "effectively work in you." This means when you start reading and studying the Bible in order to gain more knowledge about God - it will start to effectively work in you to start to change you into becoming a better and more holy person.
Just think of the power that this Book has to dramatically change and transform the quality of your entire life. True happiness and true inner fulfillment can only be found on the inside of your being, not on the outside with material things and possessions.
Hollywood is living proof that money, fame and notoriety will not buy you true inner happiness. There are many in Hollywood who truly have what they think is "all" - yet they are miserable, unhappy, depressed and go from one shrink to another - all in an effort to try and find what is still missing in their lives and why they can't seem to find true happiness with all of the earthly wealth they have accumulated.
The only way to find true happiness in this life is to become saved and born again through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ - and then enter into a dynamic personal relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. From there, you are to start seeking after the knowledge about God and all of His ways by studying and reading the Bible on your own.
The personal relationship you will establish with God, and the knowledge that you will gain about God from reading and studying from the Bible is what will dramatically transform the quality of your life down here on this earth. Nothing else on this earth will do that for you!
5. The Word of God Will Give You Knowledge and Wisdom
The Bible tells us that we are to grow in the knowledge and ways of God. And the number one way in which we will grow in the knowledge of God is by studying and feeding off of the Bible. There is no other way! If you don't seek to learn more about God and Jesus by studying from the Bible, then your spiritual growth in the Lord will stagnate and you will stop growing in Him.
There are no shortcuts to true spiritual growth in the Lord. You have to pay your dues - and those dues are that you have to gain and increase in knowledge about God before the Holy Spirit will really start to spiritually grow you in the Lord. And the only Book that will give you this secret knowledge in order to really be able to spiritually grow and mature in the Lord is the Bible.
And not only has God given us everything that we will ever need in this one Book - but He has also given us His Holy Spirit, whose main job is to "teach us all things" and to "guide us into all truth."
Several verses I will list below will tell you that the Holy Spirit Himself will be the One to personally open up the meaning of Scripture for you so that you can see the knowledge that God the Father is trying to transmit to you through this Book! This is a supernatural work that can be done for you by the Holy Spirit if you are willing to go into a seeking mode with Him when you study the Bible.
Here are several good verses telling us that the Word of God can impart true knowledge and true wisdom to us, and that God does want us growing in the knowledge of Him, His Son and His Holy Spirit.
1. "... but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)
2. "And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures." (Luke 24:45)
3. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you." (John 14:26)
4. "However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth ..." (John 16:13)
5. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31)
6. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another ..." (Colossians 3:16)
7. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path ... The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple ... Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me." (Psalm 119:105, 130, 133)
8. "My son, give attention to My words; incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh." (Proverbs 4:20)
All of the above verses are showing us how powerful the words that are coming direct from God and Jesus really are. The Word of God can truly change your life - but only if you are willing to spend some quality time seeking to understand what is in this most incredible Book.
6. The Word of God Will Stand Forever
The last thing you will really need to grasp on the power of the Word of God is that the Word of God will last and stand forever - both in this life and the next life to come when we all enter into heaven.
Here are 3 good verses from Scripture telling us that the Word of God is not chained and that it will endure to all generations - both in this life and the next life to come, which means forever!
1. "... for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained." (2 Timothy 2:9)
2. "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations ..." (Psalm 119:89)
3. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8)
Not only will your study of Scripture profit you in this life, but it will also profit you in the next life to come - which will be heaven.
I personally believe that we still continue to study the Bible even when we all enter into heaven. I don't believe any one human can truly master the Bible in this lifetime. There is simply way too much knowledge, wisdom and revelation that is contained in this one Book for any one human to be able to fully grasp all of it in this lifetime.
I believe that the Bible is like a treasure chest that has no bottom to it. And to think that all of this knowledge is contained in just one Book! Only a true God of the entire universe could have put this much knowledge and revelation into one Book.
Conclusion
I'll leave you with one last thought. Each Christian must make their own personal decision on this. Once you have become saved and born again by accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior - you now have one of two choices to make.
You can either choose to press in and start seeking after God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit by spending regular quality time in the Bible to learn as much as you can about the Three of Them - or you can just leave well enough alone, figure you have as much of God as you will ever need in this life, and go on your merry way living for the world and the things of this world - never ever increasing your knowledge base about the Lord, and never really growing in the knowledge of God and all of His ways.
I'm afraid most Christians in this day and age are taking the latter approach. Most Christians have either never read the Bible in its complete entirety or have read very little of it in their own personal walks with the Lord.
This is one of the reasons we have started up this website - to try and show you how much working knowledge there really is in the Bible and how this knowledge can dramatically change and transform the quality of your life.
As I have shown you with all of the above Scripture verses, the Word of God is:
• Powerful
• Pure Solid Truth
• Alive, Living and Anointed
• Sharper than Any Two-Edged Sword
• Can Spiritually Nourish Your Mind, Soul and Spirit
• Has the Ability to Sanctify and Cleanse You
• Has the Ability to Teach You, Guide You and Direct Your Steps in this Life
• And Will Last and Stand Forever - Both in this Life and the Next Life to Come
What more can you ask for in one Book? Bottom line - there is simply no other book on our earth that has this amount of unlimited knowledge direct from God Himself like this one Book has. And it is all there for the taking for anyone who wants to dive in and take the journey.
There are many liberal Christians who are starting to question the validity and authenticity of the Bible. I will not use this article to debate the origins of the Bible, all of the authors who wrote the books, and how the different translations came into being. There are plenty of good books at your local Christian bookstore that deal with this topic very extensively.
After studying the Bible in its complete entirety - there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that all of the Bible is God-breathed - and that all of it has come directly to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit.
For those of you who believe in the literal interpretation of the Bible and that all of it has truly come from God the Father, I will use this article to give you some extremely powerful verses from Scripture to show you that not only did all of the Bible come direct from God the Father through the Holy Spirit to all of the authors who wrote all 66 books of the Bible - but I will also give you some powerful verses from the Bible showing you how powerful the actual words of the Bible really are, and how they can dramatically help to change and transform you into the kind of person that God really wants you to become in Him.
The actual words of the Bible are anointed by the Holy Spirit Himself - and they have the full ability to completely change and transform you if you are willing to work with the truths that are contained in the actual words.
Jesus says in the Bible that you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. However, you first have to know what the truth is before the truth can start to work to set you free.
This is why Kind David said we must meditate on the words of the Bible - so we can find out what their true meaning is and how these truths can apply to our daily lives. Meditating on the Bible means to think about, to chew on, to try and figure out what the meaning of the words and the different passages of the Bible are all about.
Though the Book is long, God has made it as simple and easy as He possibly could. Think about this. There is only one Bible. In one Book, God has given us everything we need to know about Himself, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the basics of our salvation through the death of His Son, how He wants us to live this life, the things He wants us doing and the things that He does not want us doing.
In this one Book are all the ways and commandments of our Lord, and all the information we are ever going to need on what is awaiting all of us on the other side when we die and cross over - heaven for the saved and hell for the unsaved.
I believe the number one reason God created the human race was for intimate fellowship. Even to the amazement of the angels in heaven, God seems to have some type of special longing and love for the human race. The fact that God would send His one and only Son down to our earth in the flesh to go through the worst form of physical death at the time He came, all just to bring us back to Himself, really does show us how much God really does love all of us.
The Bible tells us that the love that God has for all of us is like a "consuming fire." These two words are showing us a love that is of maximum intensity. With this kind of intense love for us, I believe that God is trying to tell all of us one main thing - and that one main thing is that He is looking to enter into a one-on-one personal love relationship with each one of us.
Think about this - that the one and only all-powerful God of the entire universe is looking to make a direct personal connection with you on an individual and unique basis.
If you really step back and look at the big picture and all the things that we see in this life - what is the one thing that most of us long for in this life? What is the one thing that will make you cry when you see this portrayed on the movie screens? It is the longing for a true soul mate. It is the longing for a pure, true and unconditional love from a person of the opposite sex.
There is nothing that can satisfy the deeper longings of your soul the way that true love can. However, there is just one small catch with this scenario. Even though some of us may have found their true soul mates in this life, there is one more small thing that has not been met.
No matter how perfect you think your mate may be, bottom line - your mate is still not perfect since the Bible tells us that all men and all women have sinned and have fallen way short of the glory of our God. What this means is that no matter how good of a love relationship you may have with your mate, that person is still not capable of giving you perfect love because that person is not perfect in his or her very nature.
Thus every single one of us still has that little hole in our soul that just can't seem to be filled with anything else in our lives. No matter how much money we have, no matter how many material possessions we have, no matter how many loving children we have - there is still something missing and none of these things can completely fill that little hole that is in all of our souls.
God has purposely left a vacuum, a hole and a void in each one of our souls when He created us. And the only thing that can fill this hole and void is God the Father Himself, His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit.
There is absolutely nothing else on this earth that can fill that void. People are literally chase the wind trying to find anything and everything to fill that void - and no matter how many lovers they have, no matter how many marriages they enter into, no matter how many toys they buy with the money they have - nothing they chase after in this life will fill that hole in their souls.
The only thing that will fill that void and hole in your soul is finding and then entering into a personal love relationship with God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. There is nothing else that will fill that void!
Since God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are perfect in Their actual natures and have no dark side to Their personalities, then They, and only They, are the only Ones who are capable of giving you a perfect, pure and unconditional love that no one else can give you on this earth.
This is why the Bible tells us that we will find a peace that will pass all human understanding once we have accepted Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior and have become truly born again. That peace we will find is the result of finding the one true Person who can fill that empty void that is on the inside of each and everyone of us - and that one Person is God Almighty Himself.
However, once you have found God through accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, there is now something you must do. You must now grow in the knowledge of God and grow in the personal relationship that He wants to establish with you. And how do you start to grow in the personal relationship He wants to establish with you and grow in the knowledge that He wants you to have about Him? By diving head first into the Bible!
When two lovers first meet and fall in love with one another, the first thing they naturally and instinctively want to do is to learn as much as they can about one another.
How can you truly fall in love with another person unless you first seek to know everything you can about your lover, his or her past, where they have been, what they have been through, who are all of their friends and family, etc. Once you really fall into true love with someone, you will have a hunger to find out as much as you can about them and their past.
It's the exact same way in our relationship with God. God obviously knows everything about each one of us, but we do not know everything about Him, His Son or His Spirit. So the only possible way that we can learn all about God is to read and study from the Bible, since the Bible is the only Book that we have down here on this earth that will give us detailed information as to who the Three of Them really are.
If a true born-again, Spirit-filled Christian is really in love with God and really wants to deepen the personal relationship that they have now established with God - then the first thing that person will really want to do is to get into the Bible so that they can find out everything they possibly can about this awesome God of ours.
The more knowledge you gain about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit from studying the Bible - the stronger and deeper your personal relationship will become with the Three of Them.
As you will see in the Scripture verses listed below, there are several other incredible things that will start to occur in your life if you really seek to study the Bible with the intentions on wanting to learn more about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in order to deepen the personal relationship that you have now established with the Three of Them.
I will break these Scripture verses down under appropriate captions so you can see how powerful the Word of God really is and how it can dramatically transform and change the quality of your life if you are willing to study, learn and seek to apply the truths that are in this incredible Book.
Study these verses very, very carefully. These verses are showing you how powerful the Bible really is. Since all of the Bible comes direct to us from God the Father, you can completely trust and rely on that what you will read from the Bible will be 100% pure solid God-truth.
I will break these Scripture verses down under the appropriate captions below so that you can fully grasp the revelation that is being given to you by the Lord.
1. All of Scripture is Given to Us By Inspiration From God the Father
These first two verses will specifically tell us, without any other possible interpretation, that all of the Bible has been given to us by "inspiration of God" through holy men who were "moved by the Holy Spirit" to write what they wrote!
In other words - all of the words in the Bible have come direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit. The specific authors of the Bible then wrote under the guidance, inspiration and illumination of the Holy Spirit.
This is why you can completely trust that what you will read from the Bible will be 100% pure solid God-truth! There is no other book on our earth that contains direct words from God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ other than the Holy Bible. God Himself has personally arranged that all of the revelation that He wants us to have in this life about Him and His Son would all be contained in this one incredible Book.
Here are the two specific verses telling us this:
• "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16)
• "... knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:20)
The first verse specifically tells us that all of Scripture, not just some or part of it, comes direct to us by inspiration from God the Father. The second verse then takes us one step further and tells us that the holy men of God who wrote the Bible all wrote under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit Himself. It also says that no part of Scripture was of any private interpretation of these authors.
The first verse also lays out the groundwork as to what the Bible is going to be used for - for establishing solid Christian doctrine in the real truths of God, and for instruction in the knowledge and ways of God, so that we may all be made complete and thoroughly equipped to go to work for God in the calling that He has set up for each and every one of us in this life.
These two specific verses are powerful foundational verses in which our study of Scripture has to be based on. If you do not believe that all of the Bible is truly the inspired and infallible Word of God - then the Holy Spirit is not going to move on you to start to really work the truths that are contained in the Bible to change, mold and transform you into the kind of person that God wants you to become in Him.
Bottom line - if you want the truths that are contained in the Bible to really be able to change and transform you - then you have to believe that all of the Bible comes direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit. If you do not, then the Bible will have little or no transforming effect on you and your life.
2. The Word of God is Living and Powerful
As you will see in the following verses, the words that are contained in the Bible are living, powerful and sharper than any two edge sword we can make on this earth.
In other words, the words in the Bible have God's supernatural life in them. They are literally anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit Himself. This is why the words and the truths contained in the Bible have the supernatural ability to change and transform you into the kind of person that God wants you to become in Him.
That is why Jesus told the apostles to "feed" His sheep. When you read and study the Bible for increased learning, you are feeding yourself with the direct and anointed words from God Almighty Himself.
Many Christians who do not regularly feed off of the Bible have no idea on what they are really missing out on. The Words that are in the Bible are pure solid spiritual food that have the supernatural ability to feed your mind, soul and spirit. Nothing else will feed your inner man like reading from the Bible will.
Just like our human physical bodies need physical food to be able to survive - so does our mind, soul and spirit. The food that we feed our physical bodies will not nourish our mind, soul or spirits. The only thing that can spiritually feed and nourish us on the inside are true solid spiritual truths. And the only true solid spiritual truths that can feed us to cause any kind of true spiritual growth to occur in this life are truths that come direct from God the Father and Jesus Christ.
There are no other spiritual truths from any other sources that we can feed off of that will cause any kind of real spiritual growth to occur in this life. Any other source is just dead meat. It has no supernatural life or ability to change you because it is not coming direct from God the Father and thus has no anointing on it.
All other false religions and New Age type thinking have no supernatural ability to change and spiritually transform you in this life. Only the truths that are contained in the Bible have this ability.
Now here are 9 major power verses showing you how much supernatural life and power there really is in the Word of God.
1. "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)
2. "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11)
3. "Is not My word like a fire?" says the Lord, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23:29)
4. "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63)
5. "This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life." (Psalm 119:50)
6. "Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart ..." (Jeremiah 15:16)
7. "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103)
8. But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' " (Matthew 4:4)
9. "... as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." (1 Peter 2:2)
Notice all of the food analogies that God is using to compare His Word with. What He is trying to tell us is that when you are studying the words that are contained in the Bible - you are spiritually feeding yourself with supernatural nutrition!
I believe that all of the above Scripture verses are trying to tell us one thing - that the Word of God is living, powerful, and real spiritual food for the soul and spirit of every man and every woman who is willing to feed off of it.
3. The Word of God is Pure Solid Truth
If the Bible is telling us that all of Scripture is coming direct to us from God the Father through the Holy Spirit - then the next thing that the Bible will be telling us is that all of the words that are coming direct to us from God in this Book are 100% pure solid truth.
If God is all-perfect and all-powerful, then this means His intelligence and knowledge on all things is all-perfect. And if His knowledge on all things is all-perfect, then this means that all of the words that He is conveying to us in the Bible can be counted on as being perfect words, thereby giving us perfect knowledge.
This means that all of the Bible can be counted on as being 100% pure solid God-truth with no errors and no mistakes. The Bible tells us that all humans will only know in part with what knowledge we are able to gain down here on this earth. Thus every book you read from human authors will never be totally perfect in the knowledge that the author is trying to transmit to you.
However, since all of the Bible is coming directly to us from God Himself - then the Bible is the only Book that we have down here on this earth that is totally and completely perfect in the knowledge that it is trying to transmit to us.
This is why the Bible has the ability to change your life. No other book on this earth has the amount and quality of wisdom and knowledge that this Book has - all because this knowledge and wisdom is coming direct from God the Father Himself.
Now here are 4 very good verses from Scripture that are specifically telling us that every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is 100% pure solid truth.
1. "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:5)
2. "The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times." (Psalm 12:6)
3. "For the word of the Lord is right, and all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord." (Psalm 33:4)
4. "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." (John 17:17)
Notice the first verse says that the words that come from God are "pure" words. The last verse then says that all of God's words are "truth." Put those two verses together and you get that all of the words that come from God are "pure truth."
Pure means 100% pure - which means that all of God's words are pure 100% solid truth with no errors or mistakes. This is why the Word of God is also called infallible and inerrant. If the Bible says that a thing is so - then it is so - end of discussion. You can literally bank your life on it!
4. The Word of God Can Sanctify You
If all of the words of the Bible are pure 100% solid truth - then this means that all of the words in the Bible have the supernatural ability to sanctify you - especially since all of the Bible has the anointing of the Holy Spirit Himself on the entire Book.
God's ultimate and highest aim for all of us after we become saved and born again is to sanctify us, to transform us, to mold and shape us into the express image of His Son Jesus.
It is the job of the Holy Spirit to start this molding, transforming and sanctifying work in us after we get saved. However the Holy Spirit needs something to work with in order to get this transformation process kicked into full gear - and that something is knowledge. God wants you to have full knowledge on what it is He wants to change about you before He really starts to move you into this sanctification process.
And where do you get the knowledge that will get God to start this sanctification process within you? From the Bible! There is no other book that we can learn and study from that will give us the direct knowledge that we will need from God the Father to get Him to start this sanctification process within us.
It's the Word and the Spirit working together in a believer's life that will get God to start working full force in your life to change you into the kind of person He really wants you to become in Him.
Here are several powerful verses from Scripture specifically telling us all of this. The first two verses will tell you that God can literally sanctify you by His Word.
1. "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." (John 17:17)
2. " ... that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:26)
3. "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Lord! Teach me Your statutes." (Psalm 119:9-12)
4. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." (John 15:3)
5. " ... and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21)
6. "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Notice the last verse says that the Word of God can "effectively work in you." This means when you start reading and studying the Bible in order to gain more knowledge about God - it will start to effectively work in you to start to change you into becoming a better and more holy person.
Just think of the power that this Book has to dramatically change and transform the quality of your entire life. True happiness and true inner fulfillment can only be found on the inside of your being, not on the outside with material things and possessions.
Hollywood is living proof that money, fame and notoriety will not buy you true inner happiness. There are many in Hollywood who truly have what they think is "all" - yet they are miserable, unhappy, depressed and go from one shrink to another - all in an effort to try and find what is still missing in their lives and why they can't seem to find true happiness with all of the earthly wealth they have accumulated.
The only way to find true happiness in this life is to become saved and born again through the shed Blood of Jesus Christ - and then enter into a dynamic personal relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. From there, you are to start seeking after the knowledge about God and all of His ways by studying and reading the Bible on your own.
The personal relationship you will establish with God, and the knowledge that you will gain about God from reading and studying from the Bible is what will dramatically transform the quality of your life down here on this earth. Nothing else on this earth will do that for you!
5. The Word of God Will Give You Knowledge and Wisdom
The Bible tells us that we are to grow in the knowledge and ways of God. And the number one way in which we will grow in the knowledge of God is by studying and feeding off of the Bible. There is no other way! If you don't seek to learn more about God and Jesus by studying from the Bible, then your spiritual growth in the Lord will stagnate and you will stop growing in Him.
There are no shortcuts to true spiritual growth in the Lord. You have to pay your dues - and those dues are that you have to gain and increase in knowledge about God before the Holy Spirit will really start to spiritually grow you in the Lord. And the only Book that will give you this secret knowledge in order to really be able to spiritually grow and mature in the Lord is the Bible.
And not only has God given us everything that we will ever need in this one Book - but He has also given us His Holy Spirit, whose main job is to "teach us all things" and to "guide us into all truth."
Several verses I will list below will tell you that the Holy Spirit Himself will be the One to personally open up the meaning of Scripture for you so that you can see the knowledge that God the Father is trying to transmit to you through this Book! This is a supernatural work that can be done for you by the Holy Spirit if you are willing to go into a seeking mode with Him when you study the Bible.
Here are several good verses telling us that the Word of God can impart true knowledge and true wisdom to us, and that God does want us growing in the knowledge of Him, His Son and His Holy Spirit.
1. "... but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18)
2. "And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures." (Luke 24:45)
3. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you." (John 14:26)
4. "However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth ..." (John 16:13)
5. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31)
6. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another ..." (Colossians 3:16)
7. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path ... The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple ... Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me." (Psalm 119:105, 130, 133)
8. "My son, give attention to My words; incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh." (Proverbs 4:20)
All of the above verses are showing us how powerful the words that are coming direct from God and Jesus really are. The Word of God can truly change your life - but only if you are willing to spend some quality time seeking to understand what is in this most incredible Book.
6. The Word of God Will Stand Forever
The last thing you will really need to grasp on the power of the Word of God is that the Word of God will last and stand forever - both in this life and the next life to come when we all enter into heaven.
Here are 3 good verses from Scripture telling us that the Word of God is not chained and that it will endure to all generations - both in this life and the next life to come, which means forever!
1. "... for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained." (2 Timothy 2:9)
2. "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness endures to all generations ..." (Psalm 119:89)
3. "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8)
Not only will your study of Scripture profit you in this life, but it will also profit you in the next life to come - which will be heaven.
I personally believe that we still continue to study the Bible even when we all enter into heaven. I don't believe any one human can truly master the Bible in this lifetime. There is simply way too much knowledge, wisdom and revelation that is contained in this one Book for any one human to be able to fully grasp all of it in this lifetime.
I believe that the Bible is like a treasure chest that has no bottom to it. And to think that all of this knowledge is contained in just one Book! Only a true God of the entire universe could have put this much knowledge and revelation into one Book.
Conclusion
I'll leave you with one last thought. Each Christian must make their own personal decision on this. Once you have become saved and born again by accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior - you now have one of two choices to make.
You can either choose to press in and start seeking after God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit by spending regular quality time in the Bible to learn as much as you can about the Three of Them - or you can just leave well enough alone, figure you have as much of God as you will ever need in this life, and go on your merry way living for the world and the things of this world - never ever increasing your knowledge base about the Lord, and never really growing in the knowledge of God and all of His ways.
I'm afraid most Christians in this day and age are taking the latter approach. Most Christians have either never read the Bible in its complete entirety or have read very little of it in their own personal walks with the Lord.
This is one of the reasons we have started up this website - to try and show you how much working knowledge there really is in the Bible and how this knowledge can dramatically change and transform the quality of your life.
As I have shown you with all of the above Scripture verses, the Word of God is:
• Powerful
• Pure Solid Truth
• Alive, Living and Anointed
• Sharper than Any Two-Edged Sword
• Can Spiritually Nourish Your Mind, Soul and Spirit
• Has the Ability to Sanctify and Cleanse You
• Has the Ability to Teach You, Guide You and Direct Your Steps in this Life
• And Will Last and Stand Forever - Both in this Life and the Next Life to Come
What more can you ask for in one Book? Bottom line - there is simply no other book on our earth that has this amount of unlimited knowledge direct from God Himself like this one Book has. And it is all there for the taking for anyone who wants to dive in and take the journey.
You are right. You are the king.
A Fox and a Tiger
Spiritual Story by Unknown
One day a tiger was hunting around in a forest. An unlucky fox was met and caught by the tiger. For the fox, the inescapable destination was very clear -- death. Despite the danger, the fox thought hard to find a way out.
Promptly, the fox declared to the tiger, "How dare you kill me!"
On hearing the words the tiger was surprised and asked for the reason" The fox raised his voice a bit higher and declared arrogantly: "To tell you the truth, it's I who was accredited by God to the forest as the king of all the animals! If you kill me, that will be against the will of God, you know?"
Seeing that the tiger became suspicions, the fox added: "Let's have a test. Let's go through the forest. Follow me and you will see HOW THE ANIMALS ARE FRIGHTENED OF ME." The tiger agreed.
So the fox walked ahead of the tiger proudly through the forest. As you can imagine, the animals, seeing the tiger behind, were all terribly frightened and ran away. Then the fox said proudly: "There is no doubt that what I said is true, isn't it?"
The tiger had nothing to say but to acknowledge the result. So the tiger nodded and said:
"You are right. You are the king."
Spiritual Story by Unknown
One day a tiger was hunting around in a forest. An unlucky fox was met and caught by the tiger. For the fox, the inescapable destination was very clear -- death. Despite the danger, the fox thought hard to find a way out.
Promptly, the fox declared to the tiger, "How dare you kill me!"
On hearing the words the tiger was surprised and asked for the reason" The fox raised his voice a bit higher and declared arrogantly: "To tell you the truth, it's I who was accredited by God to the forest as the king of all the animals! If you kill me, that will be against the will of God, you know?"
Seeing that the tiger became suspicions, the fox added: "Let's have a test. Let's go through the forest. Follow me and you will see HOW THE ANIMALS ARE FRIGHTENED OF ME." The tiger agreed.
So the fox walked ahead of the tiger proudly through the forest. As you can imagine, the animals, seeing the tiger behind, were all terribly frightened and ran away. Then the fox said proudly: "There is no doubt that what I said is true, isn't it?"
The tiger had nothing to say but to acknowledge the result. So the tiger nodded and said:
"You are right. You are the king."
Inner healing is a ministry that seeks to deal with inner emotional pain
Christian Inner Healing Prayer
Definition of Inner Healing
Inner healing is a ministry that seeks to deal with inner emotional pain. This inner pain may be present due to negative life experiences. An example of this is someone who was badly treated by one or both parents during childhood. They may have been sexually abused or perhaps just generally ignored - not properly valued and loved. In the thoughts of those who practise inner healing ministry, the negative experience is the cause of emotional pain which the victim carries with them long after the damage occurred. If someone suffered rejection in childhood, there may be evidence of this in the present. Perhaps that person may find it difficult to love others, or perhaps they may experience depression or a negative life attitude due to the damage.
The belief that there is value in inner healing ministry is based on Biblical truths. In Psalm 34:18 we read, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit." It is clear from this and many other scriptures that we can be hurt by others and by circumstances in our lives. It is also clear that God loves us and cares for us in an active way. He listens to prayer and is able to answer. He is also able to intervene and heal. Isaiah 53:5 prophesies about Jesus and his redemptive work on the cross. It says, "...by his wounds we are healed." This statement refers to the damage that is done to us through the sin that we commit. This restoration includes healing from the negative effects of sin committed against us, or from the effects of damaging situations. If we accept that we can carry hurt from past (and present) experiences, and that God cares about this and is able to heal us, it makes sense to pray and invite the Spirit to come in healing and help those who are damaged.
It should be made very clear that proper diagnosis of a person's problems requires wisdom and, sometimes, medical help also. The problems that people experience can be wide in their nature and, furthermore, come out of a large range of experiences and causes. For example, someone may suffer from evil or obsessive thoughts as a result of either demonic influence or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However, both may be the case and, if so, inner healing prayer may not be appropriate; the treatment of OCD by a medical professional may be sufficient. Later, the demonic problem can be dealt with because there is no longer a foothold for the enemy to exploit. One example is someone suffering from depression. This may have no root cause as such, but is due simply to a chemical imbalance in the brain and requiring drug therapy treatment. However, in our opinion, it is highly conceivable that the onset of such a condition could have roots in negative past experiences. If the person receives ministry for those past hurts, it is possible that their depression will alleviate.
As has been said, wisdom and an unbiased and balanced approach are needed as we ourselves seek help, or as we seek to help those who suffer, from emotional and mental problems. Without looking for a complete solution from any one particular source of help (be that inner healing prayer, medical treatment of depression, or any other approach), it should be possible to find the right form(s) of treatment. Furthermore, time itself has a healing effect as does our own relationship with God and contact with His loving presence. Also, strong friendships and relationships with others - which is important for our wellbeing in any case - can further act to restore the confidence of those with damaged emotions.
How Inner Healing Works
Inner healing ministry would start with conversation and counsel with the person who is suffering to try to establish the cause of that person's problem. It is advisable to have two people to pray and counsel if possible. Even if there is only one person available to minister, that person should usually be of the same sex as the counsellee to prevent any sexual distraction. An exception might be if there is a situation where this would be inadvisable. For example, the counsellee may have a homosexual inclination and a member of the same sex might cause a distraction to the ministry process. It should also be noted that, if there are two people counselling and one is of a different sex to the counsellee, this may inhibit the counsellee from conversing freely about some areas of their experience or problem. A solution to this may be to have counselling and prayer sessions held separately, or for the other member of the prayer team to arrive at a certain time, once conversation has taken place, just to pray.
Counsellors should carefully consider the possibility of a mental disorder or condition being present in the counsellee which may need treatment. If a disorder is present, or is actually diagnosed, this certainly does not mean that inner healing is therefore unnecessary. Above all, prayer ministry should endeavour to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and words of knowledge from God which can provide insight into the cause of a person's problem and some of the ways in which they may be helped. The Holy Spirit is invited to visit the person in the present and take away the pain and negative effect of hurt from the past.
God is able to meet us at our point of need and only He knows in the fullest sense what we are experiencing and the true causes of our problems. It is important to approach inner healing ministry tentatively and humbly so as not to inadvertently "place" problems upon people which may not be the true source of their negative emotional symptoms. An example of this is a counsellor who states outright that a person's current condition, for example depression, is definitely caused by their mother's lack of love for them in childhood and inner healing ministry should be pursued - however long it takes.
Practical Implementation in the Church
In any given church, there may be a lot of emotional need and potentially a significant demand for inner healing ministry. For a church with little knowledge or experience of inner healing, it is likely to be a sizeable challenge to start to train her members in this ministry. However, if the church does want to help people in this way, it is important that at least some basic training and guidance be provided by the leadership. Leaders have a responsibility to ensure that people are helped and not harmed by those ministering. Courses in inner healing ministry are run by some churches and organisations. You can, hopefully, find information about such courses by running searches related to your country through some of the major Christian index sites. This is described below under "Web links".
Although prayer ministry made available in a Christian meeting does not have the benefit of individual discussion and counselling for a person's problems, it can still be very beneficial to people. Furthermore, if one-to-one ministry is not available in a church due to lack of training or people resources, then prayer ministry which is regularly available, during or at the end of meetings, does at least provide an opportunity for help. Whatever the type of needs people have, they can receive help from God in this way. If those responding to an invitation for prayer want to share with the person praying for them what their need is, this sort of targeted prayer is particularly helpful.
Those ministering should pray with sensitivity and love. It is important and wise to strictly follow a rule that those ministering should pray for members of the same gender to avoid accidental touch or sexual attraction resulting from close proximity. We are all human and such rules are essential. An exception to this rule might again be in the context of several people praying for an individual and there being at least one person of the same gender as the receiving person. This would be coupled with very sensible placement of touch if the member of the opposite gender praying is laying on hands. For example, touching the shoulder but not the chest area (this is certainly the case for women!). In conclusion, there are cultural and commonsense considerations which will influence how a church runs its prayer ministry.
Definition of Inner Healing
Inner healing is a ministry that seeks to deal with inner emotional pain. This inner pain may be present due to negative life experiences. An example of this is someone who was badly treated by one or both parents during childhood. They may have been sexually abused or perhaps just generally ignored - not properly valued and loved. In the thoughts of those who practise inner healing ministry, the negative experience is the cause of emotional pain which the victim carries with them long after the damage occurred. If someone suffered rejection in childhood, there may be evidence of this in the present. Perhaps that person may find it difficult to love others, or perhaps they may experience depression or a negative life attitude due to the damage.
The belief that there is value in inner healing ministry is based on Biblical truths. In Psalm 34:18 we read, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit." It is clear from this and many other scriptures that we can be hurt by others and by circumstances in our lives. It is also clear that God loves us and cares for us in an active way. He listens to prayer and is able to answer. He is also able to intervene and heal. Isaiah 53:5 prophesies about Jesus and his redemptive work on the cross. It says, "...by his wounds we are healed." This statement refers to the damage that is done to us through the sin that we commit. This restoration includes healing from the negative effects of sin committed against us, or from the effects of damaging situations. If we accept that we can carry hurt from past (and present) experiences, and that God cares about this and is able to heal us, it makes sense to pray and invite the Spirit to come in healing and help those who are damaged.
It should be made very clear that proper diagnosis of a person's problems requires wisdom and, sometimes, medical help also. The problems that people experience can be wide in their nature and, furthermore, come out of a large range of experiences and causes. For example, someone may suffer from evil or obsessive thoughts as a result of either demonic influence or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. However, both may be the case and, if so, inner healing prayer may not be appropriate; the treatment of OCD by a medical professional may be sufficient. Later, the demonic problem can be dealt with because there is no longer a foothold for the enemy to exploit. One example is someone suffering from depression. This may have no root cause as such, but is due simply to a chemical imbalance in the brain and requiring drug therapy treatment. However, in our opinion, it is highly conceivable that the onset of such a condition could have roots in negative past experiences. If the person receives ministry for those past hurts, it is possible that their depression will alleviate.
As has been said, wisdom and an unbiased and balanced approach are needed as we ourselves seek help, or as we seek to help those who suffer, from emotional and mental problems. Without looking for a complete solution from any one particular source of help (be that inner healing prayer, medical treatment of depression, or any other approach), it should be possible to find the right form(s) of treatment. Furthermore, time itself has a healing effect as does our own relationship with God and contact with His loving presence. Also, strong friendships and relationships with others - which is important for our wellbeing in any case - can further act to restore the confidence of those with damaged emotions.
How Inner Healing Works
Inner healing ministry would start with conversation and counsel with the person who is suffering to try to establish the cause of that person's problem. It is advisable to have two people to pray and counsel if possible. Even if there is only one person available to minister, that person should usually be of the same sex as the counsellee to prevent any sexual distraction. An exception might be if there is a situation where this would be inadvisable. For example, the counsellee may have a homosexual inclination and a member of the same sex might cause a distraction to the ministry process. It should also be noted that, if there are two people counselling and one is of a different sex to the counsellee, this may inhibit the counsellee from conversing freely about some areas of their experience or problem. A solution to this may be to have counselling and prayer sessions held separately, or for the other member of the prayer team to arrive at a certain time, once conversation has taken place, just to pray.
Counsellors should carefully consider the possibility of a mental disorder or condition being present in the counsellee which may need treatment. If a disorder is present, or is actually diagnosed, this certainly does not mean that inner healing is therefore unnecessary. Above all, prayer ministry should endeavour to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and words of knowledge from God which can provide insight into the cause of a person's problem and some of the ways in which they may be helped. The Holy Spirit is invited to visit the person in the present and take away the pain and negative effect of hurt from the past.
God is able to meet us at our point of need and only He knows in the fullest sense what we are experiencing and the true causes of our problems. It is important to approach inner healing ministry tentatively and humbly so as not to inadvertently "place" problems upon people which may not be the true source of their negative emotional symptoms. An example of this is a counsellor who states outright that a person's current condition, for example depression, is definitely caused by their mother's lack of love for them in childhood and inner healing ministry should be pursued - however long it takes.
Practical Implementation in the Church
In any given church, there may be a lot of emotional need and potentially a significant demand for inner healing ministry. For a church with little knowledge or experience of inner healing, it is likely to be a sizeable challenge to start to train her members in this ministry. However, if the church does want to help people in this way, it is important that at least some basic training and guidance be provided by the leadership. Leaders have a responsibility to ensure that people are helped and not harmed by those ministering. Courses in inner healing ministry are run by some churches and organisations. You can, hopefully, find information about such courses by running searches related to your country through some of the major Christian index sites. This is described below under "Web links".
Although prayer ministry made available in a Christian meeting does not have the benefit of individual discussion and counselling for a person's problems, it can still be very beneficial to people. Furthermore, if one-to-one ministry is not available in a church due to lack of training or people resources, then prayer ministry which is regularly available, during or at the end of meetings, does at least provide an opportunity for help. Whatever the type of needs people have, they can receive help from God in this way. If those responding to an invitation for prayer want to share with the person praying for them what their need is, this sort of targeted prayer is particularly helpful.
Those ministering should pray with sensitivity and love. It is important and wise to strictly follow a rule that those ministering should pray for members of the same gender to avoid accidental touch or sexual attraction resulting from close proximity. We are all human and such rules are essential. An exception to this rule might again be in the context of several people praying for an individual and there being at least one person of the same gender as the receiving person. This would be coupled with very sensible placement of touch if the member of the opposite gender praying is laying on hands. For example, touching the shoulder but not the chest area (this is certainly the case for women!). In conclusion, there are cultural and commonsense considerations which will influence how a church runs its prayer ministry.
In the postmodern era, the purpose of a sermon is to transform a life
First Steps
Many pastors who preach to postmodern people say that one of the greatest challenges is to earn the right to be heard and believed. We earn this right by being authentic, biblical, relevant and holistic.
Authenticity
People today crave authenticity. That's why Johnny Cash, the singer, had a great appeal among young people even in his elderly years. His video "Hurt" is linked to the right.
How can we be authentic communicators? For centuries it was taught that authentic speech entails three elements:
Logos = our words
Ethos = our character
Pathos = our conviction
In other words, authentic communication involves not just what we say, but who we are. If this was true for centuries in the past, it is especially true in the postmodern era.
Postmodern people respond best to those who are:
Transparent
People want to know who we are and what we do, not just what we say and believe. They want to know the difference the living God makes in our own lives.
Genuine
It is not enough just to read words from a manuscript. Do we have an honest passion as well?
Respectful
Postmodern people do not like to be controlled or manipulated. They do not respond to guilt or obligation. They do not want emotionalism for its own sake.
Focused on God
Our purpose is to change lives (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We are followers of God, not preaching machines. We teach people to be disciples, not trained listeners.
Being Biblical
Postmodern people are non-authoritarian. They view the world in a relational, connected way in which many people contribute to leadership and knowledge, not just a few. Postmodern people will listen to others, but they also want people to listen to them!
This is why many pastors have adopted a more conversational tone in their preaching to postmodern people. The idea is to be non-authoritarian, both by sounding less threatening and by reflecting in our sermons the thoughts and words of our listeners. We do not have to force things because we know the authority lies in the text, not in ourselves.
Because the authority lies in the text, our role as preachers is to provide an explanation of the text so that people can experience its authority in their lives.
When a sermon explains a text, we call it expository preaching. This can take many forms — logical presentation, narration, drama or role playing. Whatever form we use, the important thing is that we are explaining the text so it can develop authority in the lives of our listeners.
Many people detest expository preaching. Perhaps they heard an "expository sermon" that was little more than a dry, exegetical lecture full of background material. In the modernist era, preachers who preached like this sometimes excused themselves by quoting Isaiah 55:11: “My word . . . will not return to me empty.”
But expository preaching is not an exegetical lecture. It is explaining a text until it comes alive and relevant in the lives of people.
A chef on a cooking show explains things to us to help us understand. But the chef never elevates the explanation above the meal. The goal of the show is always clearly understood. In our preaching, our true purpose is not merely to inform people; it is to transform them. We clarify things, to clear the way for God to work.
In the modern era, expository sermons were often strong in explanation and short on application. They spoke to the mind — not the heart or the will. In the postmodern era, application has grown in importance. Explanation is still essential, but application may now take up half or more of a sermon. People are that broken. The human heart is complex and hard-wired to the core. In our explanation of a text, our goal is to help that scripture break through into the depths of a person's life. That takes hard work.
Being Relevant
So, how do we do application well?
There comes a point, in the explanation of a passage, when the logic of the text begins to catch fire in the hearts of people. When this happens, they begin sensing the implications for their own lives. God begins speaking to them. You can hear the room grow very still.
That’s when the expository sermon shifts from explanation into application. Having walked people into the text, we begin to walk the text into their daily lives.
We do this — not by telling them what to do — but by borrowing pages from the playbooks of their own lives. We paint pictures from their lives. There, before them, suddenly appear their workplace, their school and the people from their lives.
How does the Word speak to the minimum wage earner with a cash-flow problem? To the aging woman who lives far from her children? To the powerful business leader? To the high school girl who already stars in her own soap opera of a life? We create the scenarios and then walk people through them.
We mention the tough decisions they face. We remind them of moments of anguish we all encounter. We mention life’s weaknesses and struggles. They imagine themselves looking their colleague in the eye, or meeting their nemesis in the grocery store. But this time, they have the Word speaking to them. As we walk the Word through their lives, God touches their hearts. We borrow pages from the playbooks of their lives so God can re-write those pages.
Good application comes by being filled with God. We are pregnant with God’s words and seek to bear those words into this world. We succeed when we help people encounter the living God in their daily lives. Doing application well is a work of art. It is not the job for a hack. It takes a special touch. We are dealing with the human heart.
Doing good application is revealing God’s character to the world. It is not an exercise in legalism. There are things in the Bible that should not exist today. Who wants to see slavery re-born, or harems? Knowing God, we sense that such monsters from the past should not be allowed to live in the present. Our knowledge of what the living God is like keeps us from being ridiculous in our application.
Knowing God also safeguards us from preaching mere morality. We preach mortality, not morality. The Bible is not a book of ethics. Nor is it a how-to-manual. Rather, it is a book of redemption. It depicts our pride, our failure, our fate and our cry for mercy. Application is not about giving pointers to people for their self-improvement. It is about pointing people to grace.
That means we must be wary of setting behavioral goals for others in our preaching. We cannot tell the Holy Spirit what to do. We can just lead a person into the presence of God and leave the two of them to talk. Someone once observed that many sermons incorrectly conclude with one of four applications: “do more, pray more, give more or love more.” But such mantras are just new words from old Pharisees. They just lay obligations on hearts, instead of allowing God to speak grace.
Sermons are grace talks. We preach grace, and then gratitude. Application is of the right kind when it enables people to encounter the living God of grace and glory.
We must allow it to unfold naturally. It should not be rushed. Haddon Robinson remarks that people feel "preached at" when we launch into the application of our message too soon. We need to give people time to understand a passage and agree to its meaning. Only then do they become open to applying it to their lives. If the application comes too soon, it sounds wrong.
This is why postmodern sermons are not necessarily short. It takes time to do both explanation and application well. If we short-change the explanation, or relegate the application to the edges, the transformative power of our sermon will become diminished. What will hold people as they listen? It will be the transformation they feel is happening within them. People have all the time in the world for what is important for them.
In the modernist era, the purpose of many sermons was to inform the mind. This is why we were told to have a strong introduction — to capture the attention of our listeners. And we were encouraged to keep our sermons short, because "people have a short attention-span." The conclusion, or application, of a sermon was often no more than an after-thought.
In the postmodern era, the purpose of a sermon is to transform a life. Introductions are still important and we still need to be aware of our sermon's length. But when a sermon has caught fire, why should it end after 20 minutes? Once a sermon starts burning on its own, let it. Argue the case convincingly. Appeal to the mind. Speak to the emotions. Create the desire within people to respond. Give people what they need to have God change their lives.
In our preaching, we are arguing for God. As Paul wrote, "we are Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us" (2 Cor 5:20). If this is so, then we need to argue convincingly.
Some are saying we should not argue to convince. We should end our sermons in a postmodern way with something like, "Now, this is what I think. What do you think?" The idea is to show respect to everyone's opinions.
But would you hire a lawyer who argued your case for you like that before a jury? Wouldn't you hire the most convincing lawyer you could find? Paul writes, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor 10:5).
The most effective preaching will be both convincing and respectful. To do both well, we need to conceive of a sermon as a two-directional form of communication. As someone has put it, it is like a dialogue in which we represent the voice of our people to God and have God speak to the people from the text.
Being Holistic
In the modern era, people often tried to understand something by breaking it down into its component parts. Postmodern people are different. They like to understand something in terms of its whole. This means that our preaching needs to be holistic. Here are several ways to help sermons to be more holistic:
Preaching a holistic discipleship
Many modernist sermons perpetuated a false dichotomy between social action and spirituality/evangelism. Postmodern people see no such dichotomy. For them, both are just different aspects of loving our neighbor as ourselves and loving God. Today, holistic preaching is not afraid to call people to draw closer to God in their hearts and to serve God in the thick of the world.
Preaching to create a people for God
The modernist era was highly individualistic. Many of the sermons were directed to an individual's need for salvation or to our personal struggles in our lives of discipleship.
But a closer study of the New Testament reveals three aspects to the Gospel: (1) individual salvation, (2) being formed into a people for God and (3) working together as the people of God to transform the world. Our preaching should reflect the same. We should bring people to Christ, create a people for God, and inspire the people of God to serve God in the world. Our emphases should be on redemption, reconciliation and world transformation.
This meshes with the needs of postmodern people. Many postmodern people keenly sense the need for community and the necessity to live out discipleship together as a people for God. This is especially true if someone comes from a broken life and needs personal healing.
When we preach with all three emphases — redemption, reconciliation and world transformation — we present people with the need to know and be known, to forgive and be forgiven and to love and be loved. Such preaching also contrasts the empty promises of this run-down world with the Gospel, so we will be grateful to know Christ, to be a part of God's people, and to be empowered to serve God in the world.
Preparing messages in community
Since the time of Descartes, modernists considered research to be "a thinking subject who observes an object." Many preachers still follow this modernist approach in how they prepare their sermons. They study their text and draw their conclusions about their audience at a distance.
One of the positive things about postmodernism is that it has reminded us of the value of preparing our sermons in community. When we observe and think apart, stuck in an office alone, we might conclude that we are the source of all truth. But when we prepare our sermons in community, we realize how our sermons can be shaped by the Holy Spirit working through that community.
Preparing messages in community begins with our own attitude. Is yours a "top-down ministry," in which all wisdom has to flow from you? Or are you receptive to the Spirit of God speaking from the people you serve?
Do you have a pastoral heart that is open to people and that opens people up? Do people feel free to talk with you? Or do they become cautious when you are around? Do you make it safe for them to be honest with you about their real doubts and struggles?
As pastors, do we honestly seek feedback from the people we serve? When I did some work for a magazine publisher, it struck me how eagerly the "mag team" sought feedback from their target audience. They did not mind if someone criticized their ideas — they wanted an effective product. Their jobs depended on a successful magazine. In a sense, they were creating their magazine in community with those who would read it.
I visited a postmodern church called H20, in Orlando, Florida. The topic that day was on lust. The pastor did a tremendous job on this difficult subject. He spoke forthrightly, but also with great pastoral sensitivity. It was because he and his pastoral team prepared the message in community with their congregation. The staff spent a lot of time with various individuals, interacting with them as people and understanding what they were thinking and struggling with.
There are other ways that help us to prepare messages in community. Some pastors go on a yearly retreat with a group to pray and think through future messages. Other pastors host a focus group on the next week's text. I have heard of one pastor who asks different individuals to compile clippings for future topics to be preached. Many pastors work with creative worship teams to integrate a whole worship experience around a theme. Often, pastors will make a point of visiting people at home or where they work. Other pastors actively encourage dialogue after a sermon. One of my friends places a card by every seat that reads, "Want to talk together about what you heard today? Let's have coffee this week."
When we prepare our sermons in community, it gives us a renewed respect for those we serve and a greater awareness of their struggles. We will serve as one of them rather than as a distant, isolated figure.
For Further Reading
A good beginning place for learning about relevant, expository preaching is Haddon Robinson’s Biblical Preaching and Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching.
Start with Robinson, then study Chapell, who goes deeper. No one should preach without reading Chapell's thoughts on redemptive sermons in chapters 10-11.
Many pastors who preach to postmodern people say that one of the greatest challenges is to earn the right to be heard and believed. We earn this right by being authentic, biblical, relevant and holistic.
Authenticity
People today crave authenticity. That's why Johnny Cash, the singer, had a great appeal among young people even in his elderly years. His video "Hurt" is linked to the right.
How can we be authentic communicators? For centuries it was taught that authentic speech entails three elements:
Logos = our words
Ethos = our character
Pathos = our conviction
In other words, authentic communication involves not just what we say, but who we are. If this was true for centuries in the past, it is especially true in the postmodern era.
Postmodern people respond best to those who are:
Transparent
People want to know who we are and what we do, not just what we say and believe. They want to know the difference the living God makes in our own lives.
Genuine
It is not enough just to read words from a manuscript. Do we have an honest passion as well?
Respectful
Postmodern people do not like to be controlled or manipulated. They do not respond to guilt or obligation. They do not want emotionalism for its own sake.
Focused on God
Our purpose is to change lives (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We are followers of God, not preaching machines. We teach people to be disciples, not trained listeners.
Being Biblical
Postmodern people are non-authoritarian. They view the world in a relational, connected way in which many people contribute to leadership and knowledge, not just a few. Postmodern people will listen to others, but they also want people to listen to them!
This is why many pastors have adopted a more conversational tone in their preaching to postmodern people. The idea is to be non-authoritarian, both by sounding less threatening and by reflecting in our sermons the thoughts and words of our listeners. We do not have to force things because we know the authority lies in the text, not in ourselves.
Because the authority lies in the text, our role as preachers is to provide an explanation of the text so that people can experience its authority in their lives.
When a sermon explains a text, we call it expository preaching. This can take many forms — logical presentation, narration, drama or role playing. Whatever form we use, the important thing is that we are explaining the text so it can develop authority in the lives of our listeners.
Many people detest expository preaching. Perhaps they heard an "expository sermon" that was little more than a dry, exegetical lecture full of background material. In the modernist era, preachers who preached like this sometimes excused themselves by quoting Isaiah 55:11: “My word . . . will not return to me empty.”
But expository preaching is not an exegetical lecture. It is explaining a text until it comes alive and relevant in the lives of people.
A chef on a cooking show explains things to us to help us understand. But the chef never elevates the explanation above the meal. The goal of the show is always clearly understood. In our preaching, our true purpose is not merely to inform people; it is to transform them. We clarify things, to clear the way for God to work.
In the modern era, expository sermons were often strong in explanation and short on application. They spoke to the mind — not the heart or the will. In the postmodern era, application has grown in importance. Explanation is still essential, but application may now take up half or more of a sermon. People are that broken. The human heart is complex and hard-wired to the core. In our explanation of a text, our goal is to help that scripture break through into the depths of a person's life. That takes hard work.
Being Relevant
So, how do we do application well?
There comes a point, in the explanation of a passage, when the logic of the text begins to catch fire in the hearts of people. When this happens, they begin sensing the implications for their own lives. God begins speaking to them. You can hear the room grow very still.
That’s when the expository sermon shifts from explanation into application. Having walked people into the text, we begin to walk the text into their daily lives.
We do this — not by telling them what to do — but by borrowing pages from the playbooks of their own lives. We paint pictures from their lives. There, before them, suddenly appear their workplace, their school and the people from their lives.
How does the Word speak to the minimum wage earner with a cash-flow problem? To the aging woman who lives far from her children? To the powerful business leader? To the high school girl who already stars in her own soap opera of a life? We create the scenarios and then walk people through them.
We mention the tough decisions they face. We remind them of moments of anguish we all encounter. We mention life’s weaknesses and struggles. They imagine themselves looking their colleague in the eye, or meeting their nemesis in the grocery store. But this time, they have the Word speaking to them. As we walk the Word through their lives, God touches their hearts. We borrow pages from the playbooks of their lives so God can re-write those pages.
Good application comes by being filled with God. We are pregnant with God’s words and seek to bear those words into this world. We succeed when we help people encounter the living God in their daily lives. Doing application well is a work of art. It is not the job for a hack. It takes a special touch. We are dealing with the human heart.
Doing good application is revealing God’s character to the world. It is not an exercise in legalism. There are things in the Bible that should not exist today. Who wants to see slavery re-born, or harems? Knowing God, we sense that such monsters from the past should not be allowed to live in the present. Our knowledge of what the living God is like keeps us from being ridiculous in our application.
Knowing God also safeguards us from preaching mere morality. We preach mortality, not morality. The Bible is not a book of ethics. Nor is it a how-to-manual. Rather, it is a book of redemption. It depicts our pride, our failure, our fate and our cry for mercy. Application is not about giving pointers to people for their self-improvement. It is about pointing people to grace.
That means we must be wary of setting behavioral goals for others in our preaching. We cannot tell the Holy Spirit what to do. We can just lead a person into the presence of God and leave the two of them to talk. Someone once observed that many sermons incorrectly conclude with one of four applications: “do more, pray more, give more or love more.” But such mantras are just new words from old Pharisees. They just lay obligations on hearts, instead of allowing God to speak grace.
Sermons are grace talks. We preach grace, and then gratitude. Application is of the right kind when it enables people to encounter the living God of grace and glory.
We must allow it to unfold naturally. It should not be rushed. Haddon Robinson remarks that people feel "preached at" when we launch into the application of our message too soon. We need to give people time to understand a passage and agree to its meaning. Only then do they become open to applying it to their lives. If the application comes too soon, it sounds wrong.
This is why postmodern sermons are not necessarily short. It takes time to do both explanation and application well. If we short-change the explanation, or relegate the application to the edges, the transformative power of our sermon will become diminished. What will hold people as they listen? It will be the transformation they feel is happening within them. People have all the time in the world for what is important for them.
In the modernist era, the purpose of many sermons was to inform the mind. This is why we were told to have a strong introduction — to capture the attention of our listeners. And we were encouraged to keep our sermons short, because "people have a short attention-span." The conclusion, or application, of a sermon was often no more than an after-thought.
In the postmodern era, the purpose of a sermon is to transform a life. Introductions are still important and we still need to be aware of our sermon's length. But when a sermon has caught fire, why should it end after 20 minutes? Once a sermon starts burning on its own, let it. Argue the case convincingly. Appeal to the mind. Speak to the emotions. Create the desire within people to respond. Give people what they need to have God change their lives.
In our preaching, we are arguing for God. As Paul wrote, "we are Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us" (2 Cor 5:20). If this is so, then we need to argue convincingly.
Some are saying we should not argue to convince. We should end our sermons in a postmodern way with something like, "Now, this is what I think. What do you think?" The idea is to show respect to everyone's opinions.
But would you hire a lawyer who argued your case for you like that before a jury? Wouldn't you hire the most convincing lawyer you could find? Paul writes, "We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor 10:5).
The most effective preaching will be both convincing and respectful. To do both well, we need to conceive of a sermon as a two-directional form of communication. As someone has put it, it is like a dialogue in which we represent the voice of our people to God and have God speak to the people from the text.
Being Holistic
In the modern era, people often tried to understand something by breaking it down into its component parts. Postmodern people are different. They like to understand something in terms of its whole. This means that our preaching needs to be holistic. Here are several ways to help sermons to be more holistic:
Preaching a holistic discipleship
Many modernist sermons perpetuated a false dichotomy between social action and spirituality/evangelism. Postmodern people see no such dichotomy. For them, both are just different aspects of loving our neighbor as ourselves and loving God. Today, holistic preaching is not afraid to call people to draw closer to God in their hearts and to serve God in the thick of the world.
Preaching to create a people for God
The modernist era was highly individualistic. Many of the sermons were directed to an individual's need for salvation or to our personal struggles in our lives of discipleship.
But a closer study of the New Testament reveals three aspects to the Gospel: (1) individual salvation, (2) being formed into a people for God and (3) working together as the people of God to transform the world. Our preaching should reflect the same. We should bring people to Christ, create a people for God, and inspire the people of God to serve God in the world. Our emphases should be on redemption, reconciliation and world transformation.
This meshes with the needs of postmodern people. Many postmodern people keenly sense the need for community and the necessity to live out discipleship together as a people for God. This is especially true if someone comes from a broken life and needs personal healing.
When we preach with all three emphases — redemption, reconciliation and world transformation — we present people with the need to know and be known, to forgive and be forgiven and to love and be loved. Such preaching also contrasts the empty promises of this run-down world with the Gospel, so we will be grateful to know Christ, to be a part of God's people, and to be empowered to serve God in the world.
Preparing messages in community
Since the time of Descartes, modernists considered research to be "a thinking subject who observes an object." Many preachers still follow this modernist approach in how they prepare their sermons. They study their text and draw their conclusions about their audience at a distance.
One of the positive things about postmodernism is that it has reminded us of the value of preparing our sermons in community. When we observe and think apart, stuck in an office alone, we might conclude that we are the source of all truth. But when we prepare our sermons in community, we realize how our sermons can be shaped by the Holy Spirit working through that community.
Preparing messages in community begins with our own attitude. Is yours a "top-down ministry," in which all wisdom has to flow from you? Or are you receptive to the Spirit of God speaking from the people you serve?
Do you have a pastoral heart that is open to people and that opens people up? Do people feel free to talk with you? Or do they become cautious when you are around? Do you make it safe for them to be honest with you about their real doubts and struggles?
As pastors, do we honestly seek feedback from the people we serve? When I did some work for a magazine publisher, it struck me how eagerly the "mag team" sought feedback from their target audience. They did not mind if someone criticized their ideas — they wanted an effective product. Their jobs depended on a successful magazine. In a sense, they were creating their magazine in community with those who would read it.
I visited a postmodern church called H20, in Orlando, Florida. The topic that day was on lust. The pastor did a tremendous job on this difficult subject. He spoke forthrightly, but also with great pastoral sensitivity. It was because he and his pastoral team prepared the message in community with their congregation. The staff spent a lot of time with various individuals, interacting with them as people and understanding what they were thinking and struggling with.
There are other ways that help us to prepare messages in community. Some pastors go on a yearly retreat with a group to pray and think through future messages. Other pastors host a focus group on the next week's text. I have heard of one pastor who asks different individuals to compile clippings for future topics to be preached. Many pastors work with creative worship teams to integrate a whole worship experience around a theme. Often, pastors will make a point of visiting people at home or where they work. Other pastors actively encourage dialogue after a sermon. One of my friends places a card by every seat that reads, "Want to talk together about what you heard today? Let's have coffee this week."
When we prepare our sermons in community, it gives us a renewed respect for those we serve and a greater awareness of their struggles. We will serve as one of them rather than as a distant, isolated figure.
For Further Reading
A good beginning place for learning about relevant, expository preaching is Haddon Robinson’s Biblical Preaching and Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching.
Start with Robinson, then study Chapell, who goes deeper. No one should preach without reading Chapell's thoughts on redemptive sermons in chapters 10-11.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce
In love? It's not enough to keep a marriage, study finds
Reuters - Wednesday, July 15
SYDNEY - Living happily ever after needn't only be for fairy tales. Australian researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and it's a lot more than just being in love.
A couple's age, previous relationships and even whether they smoke or not are factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last, according to a study by researchers from the Australian National University.
The study, entitled "What's Love Got to Do With It," tracked nearly 2,500 couples -- married or living together -- from 2001 to 2007 to identify factors associated with those who remained together compared with those who divorced or separated.
It found that a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.
Children also influence the longevity of a marriage or relationship, with one-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage -- either from a previous relationship or in the same relationship -- having separated compared to just nine percent of couples without children born before marriage.
Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce.
A couple's parents also have a role to play in their own relationship, with the study showing some 16 percent of men and women whose parents ever separated or divorced experienced marital separation themselves compared to 10 percent for those whose parents did not separate.
Also, partners who are on their second or third marriage are 90 percent more likely to separate than spouses who are both in their first marriage.
Not surprisingly, money also plays a role, with up to 16 percent of respondents who indicated they were poor or where the husband -- not the wife -- was unemployed saying they had separated, compared with only nine percent of couples with healthy finances.
And couples where one partner, and not the other, smokes are also more likely to have a relationship that ends in failure.
Factors found to not significantly affect separation risk included the number and age of children born to a married couple, the wife's employment status and the number of years the couple had been employed.
The study was jointly written by Dr Rebecca Kippen and Professor Bruce Chapman from The Australian National University, and Dr Peng Yu from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Reuters - Wednesday, July 15
SYDNEY - Living happily ever after needn't only be for fairy tales. Australian researchers have identified what it takes to keep a couple together, and it's a lot more than just being in love.
A couple's age, previous relationships and even whether they smoke or not are factors that influence whether their marriage is going to last, according to a study by researchers from the Australian National University.
The study, entitled "What's Love Got to Do With It," tracked nearly 2,500 couples -- married or living together -- from 2001 to 2007 to identify factors associated with those who remained together compared with those who divorced or separated.
It found that a husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.
Children also influence the longevity of a marriage or relationship, with one-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage -- either from a previous relationship or in the same relationship -- having separated compared to just nine percent of couples without children born before marriage.
Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce.
A couple's parents also have a role to play in their own relationship, with the study showing some 16 percent of men and women whose parents ever separated or divorced experienced marital separation themselves compared to 10 percent for those whose parents did not separate.
Also, partners who are on their second or third marriage are 90 percent more likely to separate than spouses who are both in their first marriage.
Not surprisingly, money also plays a role, with up to 16 percent of respondents who indicated they were poor or where the husband -- not the wife -- was unemployed saying they had separated, compared with only nine percent of couples with healthy finances.
And couples where one partner, and not the other, smokes are also more likely to have a relationship that ends in failure.
Factors found to not significantly affect separation risk included the number and age of children born to a married couple, the wife's employment status and the number of years the couple had been employed.
The study was jointly written by Dr Rebecca Kippen and Professor Bruce Chapman from The Australian National University, and Dr Peng Yu from the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
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