Bobby R. Edwards

Jesus: The Ultimate Spiritual Man

Proverbs 20:27 “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.”

The above statement is true whether you are a Christian or not. However, here is something we may need to understand about said lamp or a candle; they are what they are whether we light them up or not. We have several candles sitting in designated places throughout our apartment. They are there just in case there is a blackout or for a candlelight dinner with me and my boo. We know that candles and lamps have a purpose, to shine light into darkness. Jesus once said of Himself:

John 8: 12 “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” 13 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of yourself; your witness is not true”. 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going. 15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.”

In John 8: 12 He said He was the light of the world. No one on God’s green earth in a relationship with Christ would ever challenge that statement. Nevertheless, a certain group of people called Pharisees took offense to His claim. If you’re wondering why I mentioned them, it’s because in studying God’s Word I’m always asking who, what, when, where, why, and how. This helps me to arrive at the correct interpretation regarding what was said. Some aren’t concerned about the correct interpretation, their only concern is that you agree with them. I consider the audience to whom He spoke; why did he say it at that time, and so forth. The LORD had previously been teaching on The Mount of Olives, which was one of His favorite haunts. In the latter part of chapter seven, He spoke of the promise of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him would receive after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension would receive. You may agree with this or maybe you do not, the New Birth and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is conditional, first, you must believe. The people who heard these things were more than just a little confused. Some were certain that this man was a prophet, while others said, “This is the Christ.” Then some thought the Christ must come out of the City of David. Let us be clear about this one thing, there is nothing wrong with asking questions. When I say that, I do not mean questioning the Word with a spirit of doubt, but questioning The Word for clarity and learning, not looking for a reason to continue in sin. The questions this group of people asked created disharmony and division, not unity. However, I do applaud those who were convinced that Jesus was the Christ. Some of them wanted to take hold of Him; maybe they wanted to have Him arrested, do Him harm, or even kill Him. Everything had to be in sync God’s written Word. He was untouchable until the right time:

Galatians 4: 4 “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

What does all of this have to do with “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, Searching all the inner depths of his heart”? Christ called Himself “The Son of Man”, so what does that mean. We know the He was the Son of God, but He referred to Himself, as The Son of Man. Christ was fully God, and fully man. We know He shared the attributes of God the Father, while simultaneously sharing the attributes of mankind. Some people don’t know this, but Adam meant ‘mankind’. The scripture tells us in 1st Cor. 15: 45 “And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being (soul).” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

Please note that the first man became a living being or soul. Every man born from Adam’s loins has a living soul, full of desires, thoughts, intellect, mind, and most importantly, a will. We have the God-given ability to make choices. That part of Adam (mankind) gave way to disobedience. Christ, The Son of God and Son of man (last man Adam) was fully of man. Made up of everything we are, yet without a propensity toward sin. In other words, Christ was not led by His soul as we were; Christ, Jesus walked (was led) by His spirit. The first Adam allowed the lower functioning soul to eclipse his higher functioning spirit. Christ faced more temptations than the first Adam did. When Christ met His enemy, He did not waver at all. Even when He was in Gethsemane, it took a hot second for Him to put His will (soul) in its proper place by saying, “nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” for a very good reason. We are to walk with our human spirit, soul, body, in their correct order. We must operate in the same manner as our perfect example; Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul learned this valuable lesson and passed it on to us.

1st Thess. 5: 23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The candle of the LORD is our spirit man; not this meat-suit we wear, nor the passions of our soul. To be continued…

For My Friend, Faustin Fack Kamuanya

This post is inspired by a very special Facebook friend of mine; I love it when an inquiring mind ask questions that many of us (young or old) will never give them a second thought. I pray in The Name of Christ Jesus that this will be more than adequate to inform, bless and comfort all who lay their eyes on this writing. The question is, “is there a difference between Jesus and God?” I’m certain he means God the Son, and God the Father. There are far too many Believers among us, who have similar questions floating around in the back of their minds, but for whatever reasons, they will not ask. Maybe the cat (Pastor) has their tongue.

Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. 7 “The more they increased, The more they sinned against Me; I will change their glory into shame.”

Prov. 1: 22 ““How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? For scorners delight in their scorning, And fools hate knowledge.”

Hebrews 1: 1 “ God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

The Son Exalted Above Angels

5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”? 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” 7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” 10 And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. And they will all grow old like a garment; 11 They will perish, but You remain; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.” 13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?”

In Hebrews 1: 1, we see that God spoke to and through the fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) mainly through the Prophets from Genesis to Malachi. All one would need to do is briefly leaf through each book of The Old Testament. You might note how often God the Father spoke through them to stubborn and/or obedient Kings and Queens alike. Many of these messages were directed to His people; the Children of Israel. Now, back to the question; “Is there a difference between God the Father, and God the Son.”

First, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit (Godhead; Acts 17:29; Rom. 1:20; Col. 2:9) have always ad will always be the same in essence and power. They are co-equal in all things, even in the creations of all things in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth. Speaking of, every knee shall bow at the name of Jesus (Philp. 2:10). This is God the Fathers design because He has made Christ is His heir, and we are joint-heirs with Him (Rom. 8:17). God the Father is not His own heir; this is a substantial difference.

Secondly, read the entire prayer of Christ to His Father in John 17. The first three verses are “Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, 2 as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.” It’s obvious that the LORD is not praying to Himself. He is asking something of the Father that He cannot do for Himself. He said, “the hour has come”. The first question that should come to the readers mind is; what hour is He talking about? The hour of His suffering, His death, burial (entombment), resurrection, and His ascension back to The Throne. To ask these things of Himself would be unnecessary. When I was a child, there were certain things I could not do for myself. I could not tie my own shoes, my brothers or my mother would do that for me. In addition, I certainly didn’t know how to bathe and dress myself. If I should live long enough, those days will come again. Do you remember what the LORD said to Peter after His resurrection?

John 21:18 “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” When Christ gave up His life for you and I, He gave Himself over to sin (yet He never sinned), sickness, poverty, and death; He rendered Himself helpless (Philp. 2:8-9; Heb. 2:9; 2:14). His blood was the price He paid for our redemption. God the Father raised Christ from the dead. I will close with these last few verses, but we are not done. I used these verses specifically so that you might see two things, the Godhead is the same in essence, and in power, however, they are perform different operations. They are one in purpose, but they are not all the same person.

Acts 2: 25 For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades (not Hell, the grave), Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’ 29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore being exalted [b]to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.” To be continue…

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Those Being Led by the Spirit of God,
They are the Sons and Daughters of God (Rom. 8:14)

Acts 16: 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them. 11 Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. And we were staying in that city for some days. 13 And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. 14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.” Please read John 17 in its entirety. Focus on verses 20-23; you will be blessed. Jesus has prayed for all who believed in the Father through His (Christ Jesus) name.

 John 17: 20-23 “…that they ALL MAY BE ONE…THEY ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US…21 THAT THEY MAY BE ONE JUST AS WE ARE ONE I IN YOU;… THAT THEY MAY BE MADE PERFECT IN ONE”(Read the entire chapter).

1st Cor. 6: 15 “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 BUT HE WHO IS JOINED WITH THE LORD IS ONE SPIRIT WITH HIM. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”

I mentioned in a previous post on this blog that Paul’s vision in the night most likely came to him by way of a dream. When I read things like this in scripture, I always take into account ‘the when’ of its occurrence. It is possible that he may have been awake and when he saw this man appear to him, however, it’s not probable. In Acts 10: 11, Peter saw a vision while he was awake, but fell into a trance. The Greek word for ‘trance’ is ‘ekstasis’; this is where we get the word ecstasy. The word ekstasis means:

1) any casting down of a thing from its proper place or state, displacement
2) a throwing of the mind out of its normal state, alienation of mind, whether such as makes a lunatic or that of a man who by some sudden emotion is transported as it were out of himself, so that in this rapt condition, although he is awake, his mind is drawn off from all surrounding objects and wholly fixed on things divine that he sees nothing but the forms and images lying within, and thinks that he perceives with his bodily eyes and ears realities shown him by God.

The Apostle Paul had a vision, Greek word ‘horama’; 1) that which is seen, spectacle 2) a sight divinely granted in an ecstasy or in a sleep, a vision. The man said to Paul “Come over to Macedonia and help us”. Therefore, Paul, after seeing the vision, “immediately we sought to go to Macedonia”. The words ‘after’, ‘immediately’ and ‘the next day’ are all designations of time (the when), believe it or not, these things are important. This means there was no hesitation on their part, and the word ‘we’ is inclusive, meaning the author of this book is Dr. Luke (who also wrote the Gospel of Luke), was also traveling with Paul, Silas, and Timothy. Luke recorded the history of The Church based on time with Peter and Paul. He may have had other extra-biblical resources. Any good doctor and historian would possess a wealth of knowledge.

Read Christ words in John 10:1-13; I believe in this illustration (parable), Jesus is telling us to be cautious of what we hear and from whom we hear it. Jesus says He is not only the Good Shephard; He also is the door by which we enter into this grace known as salvation. The stranger, which is synonymous to “a stranger” allotrios: From G243; another’s, that is, not one’s own; by extension foreign, not akin, hostile: – alien, (an-) other (man’s, men’s), strange. And a hireling is misthōtos: From G3409; a wage worker (good or bad): – hired servant, hireling. These care only for themselves and what people say and/think. In my mind and experience, the stranger and the hireling are synonymous. We know that there have been, and still are millions of religious leaders who are in it for the money and number one, no point sugarcoating it. Just like the religious leaders of Christ day, He called them hypocrites, Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes. Now do not lump the anointed Prophets, Prophetesses, Kings and Queens that came before Jesus into that category. Many of these men and women, just like Jesus, were willing to lay down their lives for the people of God. They gave no thought about the ideology of corrupt Kings and Queens or false prophets; they did and spoke the things that came by way of the Spirit of God (Heb. 11).

After the death, burial (entombment), and resurrection, and ascension of the LORD Jesus Christ (back to The Throne), we have received the promise of the Holy Spirit (please read John 14:15-31); the indwelling Spirit of God, through whom we have communion with the whole of The Godhead (Look again at 1st Thess. 2:23). I cannot emphasize enough this one truth, we are one spirit with The LORD (1st Cor. 6:17). Therefore, since His Spirit is one with ours, there is a cause and effect. When the Believer receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit, He causes the effect of a fruit-bearing tree which springs forth out of our spirit (John 7:38):

Gal 5:22 “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]” (AMPC).

Rom. 8: 15 “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with, that we may also be glorified together.”

“Bears witness with” is the Greek word ‘summartureo’, is a verb meaning=bear joint witness
I will leave you with this. Take the time to look these verses up these verses and words for yourself, do not just take man or woman’s word for anything be a Berean (Rom. 3:3-4. Even if you don’t have a library, there’s a great big old internet out there.

G4789= Sugklēronomos; from the conj. sun. (4862), together, and klēronomos (2818), an heir, one who has a lot or who is allotted something. One who participates in the same lot, a joint heir (Rom. 8:17). Refers to a personal equality based on a equality of possession. In Heb. 11:9 it speaks of Isaac and Jacob in their relationship with Abraham; in 1st Pet. 3:7 of women in relationship to their husbands being joint heirs of the grace of life; in Eph. 3:6 of the Gentiles being joint-heirs with Israel (we have not replaced Israel) see also Eph. 1:11. To be continued…

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In this post, I must make an exception to my own rule, and that is…I hardly ever read the Bible known as The Message. Although as a teacher, I encourage others to check out various translations of the Bible and compare them, because often they can help bring clarity. Last night as I was watching TV, my spirit interrupted (being led by the Holy Spirit) and spoke to me intuitively. Christians usually like to say, “God spoke to me”, which could well be true. However, and I speak for myself and myself alone, the Holy Spirit is in communion (koinōnia) with my spirit. Anyways, I was led to read these verses below from The Message. This is the account of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well:

John 4: 21-23 “Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God’s way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you’re called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter. 23-24 “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. GOD IS SHEER BEING ITSELF—SPIRIT. Those who worship him must do it out of THEIR VERY BEING, THEIR SPIRITS, THEIR TRUE SELVES, in adoration.”

You are a spirit, you have a soul, and you live in a body. Eugene Peterson, the translator of The Message, hit that nail on the head that time. The way he put is staggering; GOD IS SHEER BEING ITSELF—SPIRIT. We’ve read the King James and other versions which simply say “God is a Spirit”, upper case S, and in reference to His worshipers (human being) lower case s. In The Message, Mr. Peterson’s translation, which is really a paraphrased version, says we must worship God “out of THEIR VERY BEING, THEIR SPIRITS, THEIR TRUE SELVES”. The Church has focused rigorously on who we are in Christ, what we have in Christ, and what we are in Christ. I am extremely thankful for those men and woman who have humbled themselves before our LORD and received the gift of revelation knowledge in these areas. Nevertheless, many of us have not taken a close look at exactly what we are as human beings, inside and out. Let us look at The LORD’S conversation with good old Nicodemus from The Message:

John 3: 1-2 There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren’t in on it.” 3 Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to—to God’s kingdom.” 4 “How can anyone,” said Nicodemus, “be born who has already been born and grown up? You can’t re-enter your mother’s womb and be born again. What are you saying with this ‘born-from-above’ talk?” 5-6 Jesus said, “You’re not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can’t see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit. 7-8 “So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.”

Of course, our bodies are not born again, we will one day have glorified bodies, made in the likeness of Christ glorious body (Rom. 8:29; 1st Cor. 15:50-57; 2nd Pet. 1:4; 1st John 3:2-3). Nor are our souls born again; our souls are comprised of mind, intellect, personality, will, and emotions. In addition, of course, there are several subroutines going on in the background constantly, such as breathing, the blinking of our eyes, and our unconscious mind (where dreams occur). The word soul in the Greek New Testament is ‘psuche’. This is where we get the word  psychic or psychology (workings of the mind). According to Rom. 12: 1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Concerning our bodies, the Apostle Paul said in 1st Cor. 9: 26 “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

Simply put, while we inhabit this earthly tent, we are responsible for the discipline of these bodies. We are also responsible for the renewing of our minds. If not for repetition, we wouldn’t have learned most of what we know. Our souls and bodies are not born again. However, that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit (The Holy Spirit) is spirit (the human spirit). I will leave you with this for now.

For the Chief Musician: A Psalm of David.

Psalm 139: 1 “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. 5 You have [b]hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You. 19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God! Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men. 20 For they speak against You wickedly; Your enemies take Your name in vain. 21 Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with [k]perfect hatred; I count them my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.” To be continued…

Those Being Led by the Spirit of God,

They are the Sons and Daughters of God (Rom. 8:14)

Please read Acts 16: 6-15, for the sake of saving the word-count on this document. If fact, it would be better for the reader to pick up their own Bible and study these verses for yourself. As you can see, the Holy Spirit forbade Paul and his companions to go into the regions of Asia, and Bithynia. When they arrived at Troas, a vision came to Paul in the night. I think it safe to assume that he was asleep at the time and the vision came to him by way of a dream. It says in Acts 2: 17…” Your young men shall see visions; your old men shall dream dreams” (Joel 2:28). These are the inner workings of the Holy Spirit leading and guiding them by the inner man (Eph. 3:16-19) on their journey. This is where the Holy Spirit resides and this is where He speaks to our regenerated human spirit. The Apostle Paul was very sensitive to the Spirit’s promptings (1st Tim. 4: 1-5) Many Christians leaders live their lives based upon the dictates of the flesh led by the soul. They bind themselves with legalism, and if you are not careful they will do the same to you.

This is a topical study on how The Holy Spirit leads via our human spirit then and now. For the sake of a reference point, let us add these three points as a reminder:

1. Conscience: Is the discerning organ that distinguishes right from wrong. Not by knowledge stored in the mind, but rather by spontaneous and direct judgment. The conscience is a blank slate at birth; it is developed over a period of time and experience. Our parents, siblings and our environment write on this blank slate. Once developed it is independent and direct, and will not bend to outside influence. (Rom. 2:14-16; Heb. 9:9-14; 10:19-22)

2. Intuition: instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes); an impression that something might be the case (hunch; suspicion) e.g. “he had an intuition that something had gone wrong” Or, “I had a feeling you would call me today”.. (Matt. 26:41; Mark 2:8; Acts 18:5; 1st Cor. 2:11

3. Communion or Fellowship= koinōnia: 1) fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse; 1a) the share which one has in anything, participation; 1b) intercourse, fellowship, intimacy. (Acts 2:42; 1st Cor. 1:9; 1st Cor. 10:16; Gal. 2:9; Eph. 3:9; Phi. 2:1; 1st John 1:3; 1st John 1:6)

John 14:21 “The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him [I will make Myself real to him].” (AMP) The fullness of the Godhead becomes a reality to us by the indwelling Holy Spirit. We walk by the unseen (2nd Cor. 5:7; 2nd Cor. 4:18; Heb. 11:1) not by our five senses. In other words, the spiritual Christian lives his or her life from the inside out. However, the spirit and soul can never be separated; they can only be distinguished. 

We are spirits, we have a soul and we tabernacle (live) in a flesh and blood body. One day this body will undoubtedly separate itself from the spirit and soul; we call this physical death. The Believer should have no fear because Christ has dealt a crushing blow to what men fear most:

1st Cor. 15: 53 “For this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades (grave), where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” To allow legalism and the law to bind us is to give power to sin. Anyone who walks according to your spirit, which is in communion with the Spirit of God will know what it truly means to be free.

The spirit and soul cannot be separated, they can only be distinguished. That word ‘tabernacle’ is crucial because most people believe that their body (tabernacle) is the sum total of our human existence. God created us in his image and likeness. We know that God is a tri-part being, so it is safe to conclude that we also are tri-part beings:

1st Thess. 23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Apostle Paul tells us via the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the sum of a human being is three in one. He is not speaking figuratively here; nor is it a metaphor. Even if we should die and return to dust, that dust will be reconstituted and brought back together with our spirit and soul.

We should take a closer look at Paul’s journey to Philippi. He wrote in Rom. 8: 14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God”. Maturity leads to Sonship, immaturity means we are still babes in Christ, who cannot make the distinction between their spirit and soul, much like children. As children, it’s  difficult for toddlers to rightly divide the Word of Truth (1st Tim. 2:15). That is why we need Teachers in the Body of Christ. Their job is to lead us to living water (John 4:14). Maturation has little to do with how long a person has been a Christian, or how often they go to church (it’s not a competition), but it has everything to do with the time we spent in communion with the Holy and studying the Word of God, A mature Christian will have an unquenchable thirst for God in everyday ( Matt. 5:6).

In the case of the Apostles, we must pay close attention to how they heard the Spirit of God, and how they responded to His still voice. Many of us are still waiting for that booming voice from the sky. If you allow yourself to believe that is the only way He speaks to you, you will not get very far in The Kingdom.

In Acts 16, Paul received instruction twice regarding his itinerary, and a third time he saw a vision in a dream. These came to him via the indwelling Spirit of God. When we deprive ourselves of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we grope around in darkness, always seeking signs or something to feel. With that said, I will leave you to read Acts 17: 19-28 on your own. To be continued…

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Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

Acts 16: 6 “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

Acts 21: 8 On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied. 10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’ ” 12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Our focus here is how we hear and respond to the Holy Spirit. In a previous post, I mentioned three modes of listening within ourselves. By way of repetition, Jesus said “Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’ (John 3:5-7). Dr. Luke wrote:

Acts 1: 4 “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

In Acts 16: 6-10, we see the Apostle Paul, Silas, and Timothy traveling through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia. In Acts 15 Paul and Barnabas received letters from the Jerusalem Council regarding instructions on how the Gentile converts should live as Christians. The main body of these letters talked about placing no heavy burdens upon them. Some men had come down from Judea teaching that Gentile converts be circumcised according to the Law of Moses in order to be saved. These were probably a part of, if not the same Judaizers who troubled the brothers in Galatia. It is interesting how the Gentiles were getting saved and filled with the Holy Spirit in spite of the Law of Moses. Paul wrote in Galatians 2: 20 “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Ephesians 2: 5-8 supports this doctrine in saying “even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

What some fail to realize to this day is that there is no work of human hands that constitutes salvation. We all are touched with a bit of narcissism to a greater or lesser degree. We want credit for the things we do. If we helped an elderly person across the street, we expect a thank you. When we give financial gifts to our church, we make sure that our name is on that envelope, not only for recognition for our good works by the leaders of that church but also for our tax write-off. I would ask that you not take offense by this. However, I know human beings and how easily we are offended; after all, I happen to be one of them. This shoe does not fit everyone, because not everyone will take offense by this truth. Preachers have been teaching for centuries that “deny thyself” means to deny yourself cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, having a good time at a party and the like. What Christ truly meant was that we should put off that old man (or woman), who by nature is self-centered and has an innate need to hog the spotlight. These men who came out of Judea wanted to override the work that Christ has done that sets people free; releasing them from the bondage of the Law.

Ezekiel 36: 24 “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

There are six ‘I’s in verses 24-27. It is a promise made to the children of Israel. However, when Christ came to His own, and His own rejected Him, this promise came to fruition in the Gentiles with a view of making Israel jealous (Rom. 10:19; 11:11). I said that to say this; the work is an operation of God in the spirit of man, not the flesh. Therefore, Christ Jesus receives every ounce of the Glory. If you help someone in any way, it should be because of the promptings of the Spirit of God in your human spirit. When we do good works in our own strength, as polite and socially acceptable as it is, we need to hear a please and thank you. The question is; who or what is your motivation? To be continued…

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Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

Acts 16:6 “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. 7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. 8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

Acts 2: “14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only [e]the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. 21 And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.”

The last post was titled “Walking According to the Spirit”; this is what we see happening in the lives of Christ first disciples turned Apostles. Peter said that in the last days “I (God The Father; John 14:15-21) will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh”. However, not all flesh will keep Christ commandments and not all will see (not with our eyes) Him. Therefore, if we choose to go our own way, we will not receive the Holy Spirit. I thought that it might be worth mentioning because people tend to look for contradictions in the Bible so in order to have an excuse to continually live in sin. If we love Him, it is an honor to keep His commandments. This is not about keeping the Law of Moses, but the royal law of love (James 2:8). Royal is the Greek word ‘basilikos’, which means “befitting or worthy of a king”. Moses was never a King; on the other hand, Jesus Christ is King of kings and LORD of Lords…so we obey our King.

Toward the end of chapter fifteen, Paul and Barnabas disputed over John/Mark returning with them to the newly established churches in Galatia. In this, I see that even the so-called greatest among us can be flawed. Paul could not help to remember that this young man bailed on him once before in Pamphylia. Maybe he was still nursing old wounds. We all have similar situations in our lives from our brothers and sister in the household of faith. Sometimes we are the one who crushed someone else’s spirit. Either way, Christ teaches us to forgive one another of our trespasses, even as God has forgiven us. He places our sins in a metaphorical place called the sea of forgetfulness. The truth is, there is no verse of scripture that says that. Christians, including myself, have been quoting this coined phrase for centuries. The closest the Bible comes to it is:

Micah 7: 19 “He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” You can also look in the margin of most Bibles and find similar references (2nd Sam. 12:13; Isa.38:17; 43: 25; Zech. 3: 9 and Heb. 9: 26). We must be careful not to read into God’ Word what is not there. Having said that, it seems that the Apostle Paul did not want to have a repeat performance by the same person. Even though the contention became sharp, I truly believed they repented and remained in love. The Greek word for ‘contention’ in Acts 15: 39 is ‘paroxusmos’ which means: 1) an inciting, incitement 2) irritation. In our modern-day vernacular, they worked each other’s last nerve. We learn from the Holy Spirit that we cannot always see eye to eye on every single matter. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26-27). The proof is in the pudding, because the Holy Spirit was not grieved (Eph. 4:30), nor was He quenched (1st Thess. 5:19). This is where Barnabas and Paul parted ways. Barnabas continued his journey to Cyprus. While Paul and Silas, who happened to be a Prophet, continued their journey through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Most importantly out of all of this, the show (mission) must go on.

Even though Paul had some quirts about traveling companions, he remained obedient to the truth. We can clearly see him and his fellow-brethren prompted by the Holy Spirit. The question is; how is the Spirit leading them? Did they hear an audible voice? Does He appear as a pillar of cloud by day, and pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13: 21-22)? The answer is no, not in this dispensation. The Spirit of God was in these men. He led them from the inside out. Let’s take a look at something from my last post:

• Conscience: Is the discerning organ that distinguishes right from wrong. Not by knowledge stored in the mind, but rather by spontaneous and direct judgement. The conscience is a blank slate at birth, it is developed over time; a slate written on by parents, siblings and our environment. Once developed, it’s independent and direct and will not bend to outside influence. (Rom. 2:14-16; Heb. 9:9-14; 10:19-22)

• Intuition: instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes); an impression that something might be the case (hunch; suspicion) e.g. “he had an intuition that something had gone wrong”. (Matt. 26:41; Mark 2:8; Acts 18:5; 1st Cor. 2:11

• Communion or Fellowship= koinōnia: 1) fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse; 1a) the share which one has in anything, participation; 1b) intercourse, fellowship, intimacy. (Acts 2:42; 1st Cor. 1:9; 1st Cor. 10:16; Gal. 2:9; Eph. 3:9; Phi. 2:1; 1st John 1:3; 1st John 1:6)

  These are three basic functions of the human spirit. Whether we are a Christian or not the human spirit is influencing our thoughts and actions. For instance, if a child is born to racist parents, their views of the world will most be imprinted on that child’s conscience. We learn right from wrong from whoever happens to be our caretaker. If they repeatedly express hatred for some other culture or ethnicity, that hatred becomes the compass for their conscience. The Bible says in Prov. 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it”. This verse is a two-edged sword. If a child came up in a dysfunctional environment, nine times out of ten, when he is old he will be dysfunction. They will think and behave like their parents. Their conscience will curse what their parents cursed, or bless what their parents blessed. This is something we need to understand ourselves if we want to live as spiritual men and women.

  Gal. 5: 16 “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 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. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”.

  I want to leave you with this thought. If our flesh is lusting or at war with the Holy Spirit, and The Holy Spirit is at war with our flesh, wouldn’t it stand to reason that our flesh would have lost that fight thePmoment it stepped into the ring with Almighty God? To be continued….

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Written By:

Pastor Henry Lubega

GIVE ME THE HUNGRY,THE ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE. GIVE ME THE MARGINALISED. THOSE WHO ARE MISTREATED, OPPRESSED AND SELECTED AGAINST BY THE HEARTLESS, GIVE ME THE SICK, THE POOR, THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE…..CLEAN DRINKING WATER, MEDICATION ,FOOD, CLOTHES, SHELTER AND EDUCATION. GIVE THEM TO ME AND I WILL FEED THEM WHEN HUNGRY, I WILL SHARE WHAT I POSSESS WITH THEM. I WILL TREAT THEM WHEN THEY ARE SICK. I WILL GIVE THEM CLOTHES WHEN NAKED AND COLD. I WILL TAKE THEM TO SCHOOL SO THEY CAN LEARN THE PRINCIPLES OF SURVIVAL. I WILL TAKE A GOOD CARE OF THEM. BECAUSE GOD LOVES THEM, AND JESUS DIED FOR THEM, I WILL EMPOWER THEM SO THAT WHEN OPPORTUNITIES AVAIL THEIR WAY, THEY WILL UTILIZE THEM, HENCE A LIFE WORTH LIVING.
#RESTORE,HOPE
#KINDNESS
#PRAYERS
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Written By:

Henry Lubega

If people can give attention to the Word of God, they will be strong in life. Give yourself to the Word of God. When God announces you and puts His seal on you, they bring strange demonic attacks on you. Without the Word of God, you will not be able to stand against the attacks. Anointing without the Word of God cannot work in your life. No Word of God = No Direction in life. Sometimes you limit God in your mind because you don’t have the Word of God in you. So when people say they are confused but in reality they keep speaking in tongues; it is because they do not have the Word of God in them.

“The throne of grace”,what makes the grace strongest is its throne.listen! There is a throne and there is grace hence throne of grace. Now! “What is the throne of grace?”.listen to me by revelation, the word says run to the throne not to the grace, why? Because you will find grace in its throne, hallelujah!. Fall in the throne and you will obtain mercy and find grace.The word says Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”. My fathers! My brothers! My pastors! Bishops and all churches listen to son!!!! “LOVE” is the throne of “GRACE” and its in there in the throne where we obtain mercy and find grace. Church, fall in love(throne of grace), husbands and wives, fall in love and many more relationships, companies and organisations and we shall obtain mercy and find grace. One Church fellowship attacks another, why? Pastor attacks another pastor, why?couple divorce, why?one man poisons another, why?, listen” they are not in the throne(love) of grace and therefore merciless and no grace in them. Church and all nations and all creation must run to the throne of grace so that we host mercy in our hearts. If another man of God makes a mistake, have mercy and find grace to pray for and forgive him and you will receive more grace in you and in your ministry. Paul understood this throne of grace and said” Ephesians 3:17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love”. The throne of grace must become a permanent home in you and me. Paul added” Ephesians 3:18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];” paul actually by revelation understood the throne of grace and this throne defines God himself” Ephesians 3:19 [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!” New creation, we must go back while running and fall completely to the throne of grace and stay there, that is your place, hallelujah!!!. This message is too much in and my beloved, pray with me that God opens more doors of utterance.

Also, please cheerfully give your financial gifts to this orphanage, large or small to Pastor Henry Lubega @ Reach A Hand Children’s Ministry And Orphanage: Or use wave.com , a quick and easy way to send money to Africa. You will need this phone no. +256703678764

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The complete man is a trinity
((Some insights are based upon the book by Watchman Nee-The Spiritual Man)

1st Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body (Tri-part being) be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Hebrews 4:12 “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 (corporeal), and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

A. What the man is depends upon what the soul is, or who is in charge. The soul expresses a person as a unique individual; his personality and the organ of his free will. If the soul should choose to obey God, it will allow the spirit to rule over the man. Mankind, apart from obeying God is soulical. However, in juxtaposition when obedient to God’s Word, he is spiritual.

The Resurrection of the Body

John 12:20 “Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. 21 Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. 23 But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. 24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”

1^st Corinthians 15: 41 “There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. 45 And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being (soul; psuche).” The last Adam became a life-giving (of the spirit, quickening as respects the spirit, endued with new and greater powers of life) spirit. 46 However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. 47 The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we  shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

B. If we think of ourselves as living souls, we remain in the first man Adam who made us all sinners. On the other hand, if we abide in Christ and His Word, we cease to be soulish because the last man Adam is a life-giving Spirit.

1^st Thessalonians 4:13 “But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Thus, we shall always be with the Lord.”

When the priest made a sacrificial offering onto The LORD, they would dissect the animal in such a way that all of it’s internal organ are exposed. A spiritual person (man or woman) will willingly make themselves an offering onto The LORD in the same manner. Remember Christ likened His own body as broken and open. Isaiah 53 tells us in verse 7 “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.”

Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”

C. We are spiritual beings housed in a physical body. That combination of clay (dust of the ground), and the breathe of life (Spirit of God) created a living soul. Both spirit and soul are Incorporeal-1 : not corporeal : having no material body or form; synonymous to- bodiless, ethereal, formless, immaterial,

Rom. 8: 5-16 the flesh is at war with your spirit. 1^st Peter 2:9-12

1. The body is world consciousness (senses); Romans 8: 5 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

2. The soul is self-consciousness; (mind, volition, and emotions) 1^st Corinthians 3: 3 “for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?” (Matt. 16:24)

3. The human spirit is given for God-consciousness; John 4:23 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”(Matt. 11:28-30)

The order in which God wants to deal with us is; 1^st spirit; 2^nd soul; 3^rd body. It is vital that the believer understands that he has a spirit, and ultimately he is a spirit. That which is born of flesh is flesh, but that which is born of Spirit is spirit;

John 3:1 “There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

D. The soul does want to do its thing. Madonna sang, “I’m just a material girl living in a material world.”

These days most Christians substitute the works of the soul as the works of the spirit. All communication from The Spirit of God occurs in your new born, recreated human spirit. Selfishness is all about the soul dominating the spirit. This is why it’s so difficult to find a truly spiritual Christian. We must understand what emanates from the spirit, what emanates from the soul, and what emanates from the flesh (or carnality). This verse is a reference to the condition of mankind before the entrance of The Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:9 “But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

1^st Cor. 5: 4 mentions “my spirit”; Rom. 8: 16 says “our spirit”; 1^st Cor. 14: 14 “my spirit”; 1^st Cor. 14: 32 “the spirits of the prophets”; Prov. 25: 28 “his own spirit”; Hebs. 12: 23 “the spirits of just men”; Zech. 12: 1 “the spirit of man within him”.

It is of the utmost importance that the believer comes to the realization that he has and is a spirit. Every communication from The Spirit of God takes place in the human spirit. If we cannot discern the difference between spirit, soul, and body, we will find ourselves confined to the holy place, which represents the self/soul. We want to move deeper into the Holy of Holies, where the Spirit of God abides with our Great High Priest Christ Jesus where He carries out worship on our behalf and will to us how to do the same. If remain in the Holy Place we will never come into contact the Holy Spirit. Even worst, we can stay in the outer court, which represents the flesh (Rom. 8:7 sarx) and its depravity.

According to The Word of God and human experience, the human spirit expresses itself mainly in three ways. We see a type of these functions in the structure of Moses Tabernacle in the wilderness. The Apostle Paul wrote:

Sectarianism Is Carnal

1^st Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal (sarkikos), as to babes in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions (dichostasia) among you, are you not carnal and behaving (peripateō: to walk) like mere men? 4 For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? 5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. 16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If anyone defiles (phtheirō: corrupt, to destroy) the temple of God, God will destroy (phtheirō: corrupt, to destroy)  him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Jesus said: Matt. 15: 1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles  a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles (koinoō: 1) to make common 1a) to make (Levitically) unclean, render unhallowed, defile, profane 1b) to declare or count unclean) a man.” 12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” 15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16 So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” (James 1:26-27; 3:5-8)

Sarx (Carnal) : 4) the flesh, denotes mere human nature, the earthly nature of man apart from divine influence, and therefore prone to sin and opposed to God

1. Conscience: Is the discerning organ that distinguished right from wrong. Not by knowledge stored in the mind, but rather by spontaneous and direct judgement. The conscience is a blank slate a birth, it develops over time; written on by parents, siblings and environment. Once developed, it’s independent and direct and will not bend to outside influence. (Rom. 2:14-16; Heb. 9:9-14; 10:19-22)

2. Intuition: instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes); an impression that something might be the case (hunch; suspicion) e.g. “he had an intuition that something had gone wrong”. (Matt. 26:41; Mark 2:8; Acts 18:5; 1^st Cor. 2:11

3. Communion or Fellowship= koinōnia: 1) fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse; 1a) the share which one has in anything, participation; 1b) intercourse, fellowship, intimacy. (Acts 2:42; 1^st Cor. 1:9; 1^st Cor. 10:16; Gal. 2:9; Eph. 3:9; Phi. 2:1; 1^st John 1:3; 1^st John 1:6) To be continued…

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