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QUESTION ASKED:

“Hey brother I have a question that I need clarification on, perhaps you can help my understanding. John 20:22 states that Jesus breathed on the disciples (believers) and said ‘RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST’. I was taught no one received the Holy Ghost until the day of Pentecost. Also no tongues mentioned here. So were they not saved because they spoke in no tongues, even though Jesus breathed the Holy Ghost on them but the fact that tongues is a sign of the Holy Ghost, yet wasn’t even present yet is a bit confusing to some. I have my own thoughts, just wanted to hear your humble opinion.”

REPLY:

A dear sister in Christ recently spoke to me concerning the oneness Pentecostal religionists who make tongues an essential to salvation and said they told her she was going to hell if she didn’t pray in tongues. My reply to her was as follows: “Yes to base salvation, the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23), on the gift of tongues (reserved only for those who have first received His gift of salvation, eternal life), is completely heretical. A big part of our lives in Christ is sorting through, rightly dividing His truth/Word and the falsehoods spread by false  religious teaching – which was Jesus’ greatest enemy when He walked the earth (Matthew 23, etc.). The LORD has a purpose in this in that He solidifies, forges His truth in His saints as they diligently search out His truth to re-prove (prove again) and more deeply, His truth to make us more mature (2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Corinthians 11:19). A Bible search for the word “establish” and “established” is a blessing…. and a prayer to the Father to ever more deeply root and ground us in Him and His truth (Colossians).”

Perhaps we can observe that Satan is only seeking to counterfeit that which is authentically of God. That’s his M.O. and job, right? See John 10:10. Seems the confusion on this matter means that Satan wants to confuse and cheat God’s people out of the fulness of the Holy Spirit.

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” 1 Corinthians 14:33

This being said, it’s not a salvation issue and yet, in this disciple’s biblical opinion, being baptized with the Holy Ghost is a ministry, a fruit-bearing issue. Jesus told His own that it was only “after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you” that they would be empowered to do His work (Acts 1:8). On a personal note: The power of God in my life was exponentially increased upon asking Him to endue my life with power from on high, to fill, baptize me in His Holy Ghost (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8, etc.). I had been saved nearly a year when this occurred. The power to minister was a night and day difference, immediately. Now that this is stated…. I certainly do not condemn nor question the salvation of anyone who sees this differently.

Perhaps Christ’s breathing on His disciples was a type of additional forthtelling, precursor of what was about to occur at Pentecost (Acts 1-2). He had already spoken to them about “the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name” (John 14:26). Now the day had arrived, the day of Pentecost was just ahead, where Christ’s followers were going to receive the Holy Ghost in the full measure, as He ordained them to walk in – to be comforted, taught, and empowered by Him.

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23  Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” John 20:21-23

Perhaps Jesus’ breathing on them signified the power and life to be soon given to them to do His work. This seems to fit in that the baptism with the Holy Ghost was to empower God’s people in doing His Gospel work, right?

But ye shall receive power, AFTER that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

As the Father filled and anointed Jesus the Son of God to do His mission, His work, so Jesus sends forth His people with His anointing and bless-ed power to do His work!

“Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.” John 20:21

Of this passage, Adam Clarke writes the following:

“He breathed on them – Intimating, by this, that they were to be made new men, in order to be properly qualified for the work to which he had called them; for in this breathing he evidently alluded to the first creation of man, when God breathed into him the breath of lives, and he became a living soul: the breath or Spirit of God (רוח אלהים ruach Elohim) being the grand principle and cause of his spiritual and Divine life.

Receive ye the Holy Ghost – From this act of our Lord, the influences of the Holy Spirit on the souls of men have been termed his inspiration; from in, into, and spiro, I breathe. Every word of Christ which is received in the heart by faith comes accompanied by this Divine breathing; and, without this, there is neither light nor life. Just as Adam was before God breathed the quickening spirit into him, so is every human soul till it receives this inspiration. Nothing is seen, known, discerned, or felt of God, but through this. To every private Christian this is essentially requisite; and no man ever did or ever can preach the Gospel of God, so as to convince and convert sinners, without it.”

As seen throughout Acts, tongues is a sign of the baptism with the Holy Spirit, not salvation. And no one is a candidate for our LORD’s baptism with His Holy Ghost, (“the gift of the Holy Ghost” reserved only for His people) until they are first born again, saved (Acts 2:38; John 14:17). The baptism with the Holy Spirit is given by God to all of His own people who call upon Him for it, ask Him. As is witnessed in the book of Acts with the earliest followers of Jesus, His holy apostles, and Christ Himself, this is the only way His powerful ministry can be performed in the earth.

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Acts 10:38

The explosive divine power that was unleashed on this world at and after Pentecost is something the world had never seen, and it happened in and through the lives of Christ’s people who were baptized with (immersed and clothed with) His Holy Spirit. This is why Jesus instructed His apostles to “tarry” or wait to be baptized with the Holy Spirit before going forth to fulfill His Great Commission.

“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And ye are witnesses of these things. 49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Luke 24:49

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For THE PROMISE is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” Acts 2:38-39 

John the Baptist spoke of this promise:

“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” Matthew 3:11

The seminaries were hi-jacked by Satan decades ago, at least. And so, there are many pretending to be in ministry today who have no power from on high. They are naked in the battle, powerless, and a laughable excuse of what the New Testament church is ordained of God to be in and to this fallen world.

There will be no power in ministry, in the life of the child of God “until ye be endued with power from on high.” Ok, look at these words from Christ again, and notice the word “after”:

“But ye shall receive power, AFTER (not before) that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The infilling or baptism with the Spirit is the gift of God exclusively to those who are already His and yet, it is an original Gospel essential for walking in the power of God. Remember the difference in power when Jesus came out of the dessert and the Holy Spirit had come upon Him in a special way? Read Luke 4.

“And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all… 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:14-15, 18

Perhaps from this we can observe that many today who are saved, are in a dry place, a dessert and God is calling them to come to Him afresh to receive “power from on high” from Him, the baptism with His Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49).

How else could God’s people do His work outside of being empowered by Him? They can’t. Several times Jesus promised, foretold that He was going to send the Holy Spirit to comfort and empower His people, to be with and in them when He left the earth. In fact, He said this would be far better! (John 16:7)

“If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” John 14:15-18 

The following is from the Life in the Spirit study Bible:

“The impartation of the Holy Spirit by Jesus to His disciples on resurrection day was not the baptism in the Spirit as experienced by them at Pentecost (Acts 1:5; 2:4). It was rather an infusing of the disciples for the first time with the regenerating presend of the Holy Spirit and with the new life from the risen Christ.

(1) During the last discourse that Jesus had with His disciples before His trial and crucifixion, He promised them that they would receive the Holy Spirit as the One who would regenerate them; ‘he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:17). Jesus now fulfills that promise.
(2) That John 20:22 refers to regeneration can be inferred from the phrase, ‘he breathed on them.’ The Greek word for ‘breathed’ (emphusao) is the same verb used in his (Adam’s) ‘nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.’ It is the same verb that is found in Ezek. 37:9, ‘Breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ John’s use of the verb in 20:22 indicates that Jesus was giving the Spirit in order to bring forth life and a new creation. That is, just as God breathed into physical man Jesus breathed into the disciples spiritual life and they became a new creation. Through His resurrection, Jesus became a ‘quickening (life-giving) spirit’ (1 Cor. 15:45).
(3) The words ‘receive ye the Holy Ghost’ establishes that the Spirit, at that historical moment, entered and began to dwell in the disciples. The verb for for ‘receive’ is aorist imperative (Gk. labete, from the word lambano), denoting a single act of reception. The Holy Spirit was given to regenerate them, to make them new creatures in Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17). This ‘receiving’ of life from the Holy Spirit preceded both their receiving the authority of Jesus (John 20:23) and their baptism in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4).
(4) Prior to this time, the disciples were technically true believers and followers of Jesus and were saved according to the old covenant provisions. Yet they were not regenerated in the full new covenant sense. Not until this point did the disciples enter into the new covenant provisions based on Jesus’ death and resurrection (see Mat. 26:28; Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:25; Eph. 2:15-16; Heb. 9:15-17). It was also technically at this time and not at Pentecost that the church was born. The spiritual birth of the first disciples and the birth of the church are one and the same.
(5) This passage is crucial in understanding the Holy Spirit’s ministry to the people of God. These two statements are true: (a) the disciples received the Holy Spirit (i.e., were indwelt and regenerated by the Holy Spirit) before the day of Pentecost; and (b) the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon them in Acts 2:4 was an experience occurring after their regeneration by the Holy Spirit. Their baptism in the Spirit at Pentecost was, therefore, a second and distinct work of the Spirit in them.
(6) These two separate and distinct works of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus’ disciples are normative for all Christians. That is, all believers receive the Holy Spirit at the time of their regeneration, and afterwards must experience the baptism in the Holy Spirit for power to be His witnesses (Acts 1:5,8; 2:4, 39).
(7) There is no Scripture foundation to suggest that Jesus’ bestowal of the Holy Spirit in John 20:22 was simply symbolical prophecy of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The use of the aorist imperative for ‘receive’ (see above) denotes reception at that moment and in that place. What occurred was a historical reality in space and time and John records it as such.”

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Articles

Read the Handwriting

A weary mother returned from the store,
lugging groceries through the kitchen door.

Awaiting her arrival was her eight-year-old son,
anxious to relate what his younger brother had done.

“While I was out playing and Dad was on a call,
T.J. took his crayons and wrote on the wall!

It’s on the new paper you just hung in the den.
I told him you’d be mad at having to do it again.”

She let out a moan and furrowed her brow.
“Where is your little brother right now?”

She emptied her arms and with a purposeful stride,
She marched to his closet where he had gone to hide.

She called his full name as she entered his room,
He trembled with fear — he knew that meant doom!

For the next ten minutes, she ranted and raved
about the expensive wallpaper and how she had saved.

Lamenting all the work it would take to repair,
she condemned his actions and total lack of care.

The more she scolded, the madder she got.
Then stomped from his room, totally distraught!

She headed for the den to confirm her fears,
When she saw the wall her eyes flooded with tears.

The message she read pierced her soul with a dart.
It said, “I love Mommy,” surrounded by a heart.

Well, the wallpaper remained, just as she found it,
with an empty picture frame hung to surround it.

A reminder to her, and indeed to all,
take time to read the handwriting on the wall !!!!

Pass It On to Another

If you truly desire to know more about how to really know the LORD, go here okay: Born Again: What is It?


YOUR CHILD is your heritage from God not money or materialism!!!!! (Psalms 127-128) WHAT King James Bible verse(s) are you teaching you child today? PARENTS who aren’t teaching their children literal SCRIPTURE in God’s love and joy today are out of God’s will. Repentance needed. Are you misleading your own children by teaching them to be “good church goers” OR authentic disciples who truly walk daily with Jesus? The LORD never told anyone to “let the local church teach your children”! That is the work of a counterfeit. YOU train your own precious children in God’s Word – instead of making them a churchianity hypocrite! Are you an authentic disciple or a typical counterfeit church goer?

Time to thoroughly TEACH OUR CHILDREN GOD’S LITERAL WORD – THE HOLY SCRIPTURES!!!!!!

The character of your children tomorrow depends on what you put into their hearts today.” Liza Young

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Abiding

The Blessing of Being Born of God, Born Again [podcast]


QUESTION:

“What does it mean to be ‘born again’?”

REPLY:

Great question. I am praying for you now. Born again is the same as regeneration we see in Titus 3:5-7. When the sinner (ALL of us) comes to God humbly, in repentance, turning his life to the LORD, and putting all of his faith now in Jesus Christ alone, God does a miracle in the person’s life—a change on the inside that is unmistakable and transforms that persons nature and life forever. From that moment onward, Christ reigns in that person’s life, filling him with love, joy, peace, etc. (Galatians 5:22-23). The LORD works from the inside out. First He saves, washes our sins away, and then dwells in that newly saved, born again temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

To be born again you have to go to God directly…. admitting you have sinned against Him, and receive Jesus into your life. It has to be personal. Religions are designed to keep you from God while claiming to be the way to God. Beware.

“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3

“Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again (2nd birth).” John 3:7

“The birth for which Christ contends is from above—by the agency of the Holy Spirit. Every man must have two births, one from heaven, the other from earth—one of his body, the other of his soul: without the first he cannot see nor enjoy this world, without the last he can not see nor enjoy the kingdom of God. As there is an absolute necessity that a child should be born into the world, that he may see its light, contemplate its glories, and enjoy its good, so there is an absolute necessity that the soul should be brought out of its state of darkness and sin, through the light and power of the grace of Christ, that it may be able to see, or to discern, the glories and excellencies of the kingdom of Christ here, and be prepared for the enjoyment of the kingdom of glory hereafter. The Jews had some general notion of the new birth; but, like many among Christians, they put the acts of proselytism, baptism, etc., in the place of the Holy Spirit and his influence: they acknowledged that a man must be born again; but they made that new birth to consist in profession, confession, and external washing.

The new birth which is here spoken of comprehends, not only what is termed justification or pardon, but also sanctification or holiness. Sin must be pardoned, and the impurity of the heart washed away before any soul can possibly enter into the kingdom of God. As this new birth implies the renewing of the whole soul in righteousness and true holiness, it is not a matter that may be dispensed with: heaven is a place of holiness, and nothing but what is like itself can ever enter into it.” Adam Clarke

“I can remember after getting saved my friends and my family immediately saying What happened to her?’ There was an immediate and complete change in me. God cleaned me from the inside out. I was made brand new and people noticed. My family asked ‘What has happened to her?’ Does anyone know? Yes! Jesus happened to me! Alleluia!” Karen Cochran

YOUR PRAYER TO GOD TO BE SAVED, TO BE FORGIVEN

Are You Ready to be Saved? Okay here’s a prayer to be God’s child. You have to admit the obvious, that you have sinned against God and turn to Him fully, turn your life over to Him who made you, and confess Jesus Christ as the new LORD and Savior of your life. Pray this …

Your Prayer to God … You must honestly admit your sins and receive Christ… Apply His holy blood to your life so that you may be saved, forgiven, and live eternally with Him. You must completely turn your life over to Him in repentance and faith. Now, pray the following prayer to God with all that is within you, from your heart and out loud:….

Dear heavenly Father, right now, if never before, I come to You as a broken and sinful person. Thank You for sending Your only begotten Son to die in my place for my sins. Thank You Jesus for coming to this earth to die and rise again to rescue me from sin and eternal hell and to save me for Your eternal glory. Right this moment, if never before, I receive You LORD Jesus. Come in and take over my whole life. I am all Yours and You are all mine. I love You Jesus and I will follow You from this moment forward till I am with You in Heaven forever! Please use me to help others know You dear LORD. In Jesus’ Name, amen.


How do we know someone is “born of God”?

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; … Now then we are ambassadors for Christ…” 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, 20

First off, if you are born again you are changed from the inside out … you desire to do God’s will now…. and are learning the need for the cross, the daily crucified life (Luke 9:23-25).

Let us remember that the biblical words “born again” (John 3:3, 7),  “born of God” (1 John 4:7), “regeneration,” and being a “new creature” in Christ go hand in hand or we can say, are synonymous.

“Born of God” appears 6 times in God’s Word and are all found in the book of 1 John:

1 John 3:9
Whosoever is BORN OF GOD doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is BORN OF GOD.

Those who are “born of God” do not live in sin. They repent or return (turn back) to the LORD, confessing all sin. If not they will “fall away” and be outside of Christ (Luke 8:13). See Can a Born Again Man be Un-Born Again? [podcast]


1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is BORN OF GOD, and knoweth God.

Those who are “born of God” walk in His love toward others.


1 John 5:1
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is BORN OF GOD: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

Those who repent and believe upon Christ are “born of God” and they love all other of Christ’s saints.


1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is BORN OF GOD overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Those who are “born of God” overcome this fallen world. By present and perpetual faith, they “overcometh the world.”


1 John 5:18
We know that whosoever is BORN OF GOD sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

Those “born of God” do not live in sin. Rather, they “keepeth” themselves from sin and therefore Satan. This is accomplished by what we read in 1 John 1 and 2—which spells out the walk of the true disciple of Jesus.

MAY GOD bless each disciple of Jesus today to abide in Christ by walking crucified and raised up by Him today (2 Corinthians 4:10-12). May “the fruit of the Spirit”—the “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance” be abundantly produced in the life of every saint of Jesus! May it be 100 fold LORD! Read John 15. If you have been drawn in by Christ (John 6:44; 12:32), have repented (Luke 13:3), have received Christ (John 1:12), and are born again (John 3:3), you are bought by the precious blood of the LORD Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:17-18).

YOUR PRAYER: Heavenly Father, You found and saved me into Your eternal kingdom by way of the precious blood of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. I stop this life here and now, and I give You praise. I love You LORD Jesus. I am no longer my own but Yours. I am crucified with Christ. Please work in me both to will and to do of Your good pleasure. I am all Yours LORD and I know You are all mine! Please fill this vessel with Your Holy Ghost afresh, and please use me. In Jesus’ name, amen Master Jesus!

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Ministry Today at the Local Market in Mexico [podcast]


From brother Juan:

“Glory to God, brother! We know that the Word of God is not imprisoned. Jeremiah was in the prison courtyard, and God said, ‘Call to me, and I will answer you and tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.’ And we know that the word of God never returns empty; it always fulfills its purpose, brother. So we fully trust that God will do the work to expand His kingdom for His honor and glory. To Him be all the honor, brother. Blessings.” Juan






“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

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