by Carl John Fechner | Dec 15, 2022 | Uncategorized
Is Tattooing and Body Piercing a Sin?
The simple answer is yes! Tattooing and body piercing is a sin. The Makers Handbook (The Bible) for Humans spells it out very clearly.
It is a form of witchcraft and becomes an open portal for the Kingdom of darkness and demonic forces access to the soul of a person and create a demonic stronghold in the person’s life.
Leviticus 19:28 states very clearly what God commands us to do.
“Never cut your bodies in mourning for the dead or mark your skin with tattoos, for I am the LORD.” NLT
This sounds strange! What has body piercing to do with witchcraft? Let’s take a walk through the Bible to help us understand this verse.
Who are we submitted to?
The Bible also refers to us as slaves or bondservants. Let’s look at what this word means from a Biblical point of view. We need to have a correct understanding of what it means to be a slave or bondservant.
We are all slaves to something, or to someone.
Romans 6:16 says,
Don’t you realise that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive His approval. NLT
In the times of the Old Testament, when people of God, Israelites, got into debt, they would sell themselves into slavery to be able to pay off their debt. That debt was considered to be paid off after six years maximum, and in the seventh year the person was released as a free person.
In Exodus 21:5 & 6 there is an interesting regulation about some of these slaves. It says,
5 But the slave may plainly declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free. 6 If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever
This slave willingly submitted himself to serve his master for the rest of his life. As a clear indication of his submission, his ear was pierced. He was to submit to no one else from that time on. Ear piercing always indicated submission to someone.
When we understand the good things that God wants to give us, we become His willing slaves or bondservants, because we know that there is real freedom in serving Him.
Beware of false gods/masters
It was very common for people of ancient times to wear earrings as amulets or charms, particularly showing their submission to the gods they worshipped and seeking protection from evil by the power of these gods.
They were often made in crescent shapes, (the moon) or disks, (the sun) or in animal shapes. The ears of these people were pierced so that they could wear these amulet rings, showing that they were submitted to these gods.
In Deuteronomy 12:29-32, Moses gives God’s command to His people prohibiting them from enquiring and following after the religious practices of the people in whose land they were settling.
They were being prepared to live in a new kingdom, just as we have been transferred into a new kingdom, the kingdom of Light.
Deuteronomy 12:29-32 says,
29 “When the LORD your God destroys the nations and you drive them out and occupy their land, 30 do not be trapped into following their example in worshiping their gods. Do not say, ‘How do these nations worship their gods? I want to follow their example.’
31 You must not do this to the LORD your God. These nations have committed many detestable acts that the LORD hates, all in the name of their gods. They have even burned their sons and daughters as sacrifices to their gods. 32 Carefully obey all the commands I give you. Do not add to them or subtract from them. NLT
God’s people were not to take on the practices of the peoples around them, because they were an abomination to Him. That included piercing the body to wear amulets or charms.
Let’s have a look at just two references to these practices in the Bible, before we read what it commands about them.
Firstly, in Genesis 35, Jacob and his family are returning to the land of their inheritance. Here is part of the story in verses 2-4,
2 So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Destroy your idols, wash yourselves, and put on clean clothing. 3 We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress. He has stayed with me wherever I have gone.” 4 So they gave Jacob all their idols and their earrings, and he buried them beneath the tree near Shechem. NLT
These earrings were gold charms that represented the foreign gods they once served and were of considerable value. But Jacob’s household had to make a choice if they were to serve the LORD. The gods and the earrings had to go.
In Exodus 32:2-4, we read that Israel began worshipping a golden calf as the god that had brought them out of Egypt. This is how it was made.
2 So Aaron said, “Tell your wives and sons and daughters to take off their gold earrings, and then bring them to me.”
3 All the people obeyed Aaron and brought him their gold earrings. 4 Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and moulded and tooled it into the shape of a calf. Th e people exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!” NLT
The golden earrings, worn by the wives and sons and daughters of the Israelites, out of which the molten calf was made, were undoubtedly amulets or charms, most likely in the shape of the sun and moon.
There was no other use for them as Israel went into the wilderness but as protective charms. And the Bible tells us that Israel worshipped the host of heaven, rather than the LORD who had created them. This golden calf idol was made out of the very amulets and charms that came with them from Egypt.
It caused Israel to turn away from God and made Him angry at their sin. This has application to us today, because Egypt speaks of the bondage of the kingdom of Darkness from which God has delivered us, and piercing the ear to wear those charms belongs to the same kingdom.
Now let’s return to Leviticus 19:28. We read a very specific command to God’s people regarding piercing the body.
28 “Never cut your bodies in mourning for the dead or mark your skin with tattoos, for I am the LORD. NLT
In ancient times cutting and piercing the body was a very common practice as people mourned the dead, amongst other things. God prohibited that practice, because it carried with it distinctly pagan ideas, and God said that the people of Israel were His children.
In ancient times, body piercing was widely practised in the worship of pagan gods. Tattoos were also worn in honour of and as a mark of submission to these pagan gods.
Tattooing is prohibited because of its pagan associations. For us today, it is worth noting that the images in catalogues of tattoos you might see in advertisements are mainly to do with themes from the kingdom of Darkness. That is no coincidence.
We need to consider this verse more carefully, because it means more than piercing the body on behalf of the dead. It can mean several things.
Here is an expanded translation of this verse, which takes in the literal meaning from the original language.
“You are not to permit any incisions (or piercing) in your flesh, in your skin, for the body, for the soul, or for personal desires, or on behalf of the living or dead, and you are not to permit tattoos of any kind on you; I AM the LORD!” DWS translation.
God cares about what we do with our body. He is the One who made it. The Bible says that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, 1 Corinthians 6:19. It is to be set apart for Him, and for no one else. We are to glorify God in our body.
Which kingdom does body piercing and tattooing belong to? The kingdom of darkness! As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are no longer in that kingdom!
A choice to make
Near the end of his life, Joshua challenged God’s people about who they would submit to. In Joshua 24:14, 15, he said,
14 “So honor the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD alone. 15 But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.” NLT
Joshua told Israel to put away forever the gods that Jacob and his household dealt with, the gods of Egypt, and the gods of the Amorites. The LORD alone was their God. They were to fear and serve Him only. Then he challenged them to make a choice. His choice was clear; he and his household would serve the LORD, and Him alone.
Today we are faced with the same challenge. To whom will we submit? For whom have we set apart our body? Let’s make the choice that our body is for the LORD. We can repent of body piercing and tattooing right now, and He will forgive and cleanse us of that opening for witchcraft as we set our bodies apart for Him.
Your next steps
If you want to be free from the demonic that has entered your soul as a result of body piercing and tattoos.
You need to remove every charm, ring/s etc. from your body and discard them—DO NOT sell them or give them to anyone else. Throw them in the rubbish bin.
Once that has been done, pray this;
Freedom Prayer
Read out aloud this prayer.
Dear Lord God, I repent of and renounce every generational sin or curse that has opened a door to a spirit of witchcraft in my family lines through body piercing and tattoos.
On behalf of my ancestors, I ask for forgiveness for those who had any involvement with tattooing and body piercing.
I repent and renounce every opening, known or unknown, I personally have given to a spirit of witchcraft through body piercing and tattooing.
Lord, I ask for your forgiveness and release from all these things. I renounce the hold of the spirit of witchcraft over my life, I break its power and command every unclean spirit that I have allowed into my soul through body piercing and Tattoos.
I refuse to allow them to steal my intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and the freedom of the Holy Spirit to move in my life.
Lord Jesus, I declare that its power over me be broken.
I thank You for Your forgiveness that You have freely given me, and I ask You, Holy Spirit, to fill that part of my life which was occupied by the spirit of witchcraft. I choose to receive a fresh infilling of Your Holy Spirit.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Anointing oil
The Tattoos and piercings in your body need to be anointed with oil.
The oil used in Bible times was olive oil. Wipe the oil over the tattoos and body parts that have been pierced and ask God to cover them with the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ and close any open doors that they have into your soul.
This is part of the teachings at a ®Growing Deep and Strong Encounter Weekend and is part of the ®Growing Deep and Strong Christian discipleship and leadership program.
More information and our contact details can be found on our website www.growingdeepandstrong.com
by Carl John Fechner | Dec 14, 2022 | Uncategorized
Holy Spirit, — A new era begins
Jesus taught His disciples that when He left this earth, He would send the Holy Spirit.
In John 14:16 & 17 His arrival was foretold and Jesus said this to His disciples,
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. NLT
The word Counsellor is also translated Helper. This means someone who has been called alongside as a barrister in court to plead our case.
There are two other things the Holy Spirit does for us.
Firstly, He helps us as believers to understand God’s truth.
Secondly, He gives us strength to live a life that is completely different from the world’s value system which is hostile to the way God wants us to live.
In John 14:16, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit is another Helper, that is, another of exactly the same kind as He Himself is.
Now The scene is set for the third Person of the Godhead to come and empower the disciples.
They were to continue what Jesus had begun to do and teach, to be just the same as He was on earth.
The Holy Spirit would enable them to perform signs and wonders and to teach with God’s authority, which would reveal God’s power through them.
In Acts 1:8 Jesus said,
8 But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” NLT
Notice that the disciples were to be witnesses. They would experience the coming of the Holy Spirit powerfully and be so touched that they could not help but tell everyone what they had seen and heard.
In Acts 2 we read of
The Holy Spirit’s arrival
Acts 1 tells us that there were 120 disciples who had been meeting together to wait and to pray. The disciples were all assembled in one accord, waiting.
Now we come to the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2, Pentecost was a Jewish festival celebrated annually at Jerusalem. People from all over the known world from many countries and languages came for this festival.
When the Holy Spirit came, it was
A noisy arrival
The Holy Spirit did not come secretly. He announced His arrival with plenty of noise!
Acts 2:2 & 3 tells us what happened.
2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. NLT
On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came in mighty power. The sound of a rushing mighty
wind announced to the physical and spiritual world that the Holy Spirit had arrived!
His arrival fulfilled Joel’s prophecy as well as the promise of Jesus to His disciples that He would send another Helper of the same kind as Himself.
As we read on through the story, we see that the Holy Spirit filled the waiting disciples with His power. Here are the main things that happened.
- The disciples began to speak in languages which were unknown to them, but understood by the international visitors.
- The visitors heard the disciples speaking of the wonderful works of God in their own language.
- The Holy Spirit’s power was so strong that some onlookers supposed that the disciples were drunk. They were not; they were under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
- From the Day of Pentecost on, no one ever again needed to wait to receive the Holy Spirit.
- From now on He was available to all who believed and asked for Him.
The people rushed together and were amazed at what they saw. They needed the
Phenomenon explained
So, Peter became the spokesman for the disciples and told the crowd what was happening. He told them that they were not drunk, as the crowd supposed, but they were under the influence of the Holy Spirit who had come upon them. He mentions that what they were witnessing was the fulfilment of a prophetic word that had been spoken by Joel almost 800 years previously.
In Acts 2:15-18 we read Peter’s account.
15 Some of you are saying these people are drunk. It isn’t true! It’s much too early for that. People don’t get drunk by nine o’clock in the morning.
16 No, what you see this morning was predicted centuries ago by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days, God said, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit upon all my servants, men and women alike, and they will prophesy. NLT
Holy Spirit Transformed Believers
Previously, the disciples and the people who were with them were uneducated fishermen, tax collectors, cowards, and people unskilled in public speaking. But now the Holy Spirit transformed them.
They became courageous men and women who spoke boldly about Jesus Christ and particularly about His resurrection without any fear of those who might oppose them.
They became channels of God’s blessings as they performed miracles, which were visible signs of God’s power. All that they did was now empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Take a look at Peter. He was weak and cowardly. At the time of Jesus’ arrest and before His crucifixion, Peter denied Him three times.
Now, filled with the Holy Spirit, he is completely transformed. He boldly steps forward and addresses the crowd who had heard the sound of the wind and the disciples speaking in other languages, but did not understand what was happening.
As we move on to Acts 4, we continue to be impressed with the
The boldness of uneducated men
As they went into the temple, Peter and John used their new power to command a man lame from birth to rise up and walk in the name of Jesus. He was totally healed and went with them into the temple walking and leaping and praising God.
When the people saw the man now walking, they gathered together to find out what was going on. Peter couldn’t help himself!
The Holy Spirit empowered him to speak boldly about the fact that the man was healed by the name of Jesus who had risen from the dead and that they needed to repent and believe in Him too.
The temple leaders were offended at this disorder in their place of worship and at the bold preaching. So, the Jewish leaders arrested Peter and John because of their bold preaching about Jesus.
In Acts 4:8 & 13 we read that they appeared before the Council of the Jews to answer for what they preached.
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Leaders and elders of our nation,
…………”
and went on to explain what had happened. Then verse 13 says,
13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. NLT
The Jewish Council recognized that these disciples were different. They recognised that they had been with Jesus because the Holy Spirit filled them with boldness as they opened their mouths to speak.
The word boldness means the ability to speak with freedom, courage and assurance, which is given by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Council could only threaten them not to speak in this name of Jesus again. The man who had been miraculously healed was standing right next to them, and they couldn’t argue against what they saw for themselves.
They had to let them go because they could find no charge to bring against them. Immediately Peter and John went back to the other disciples and told them what had taken place.
Then they had a powerful time of prayer as
The Disciples prayed for boldness
Listen to their prayer in Acts 4:29-31.
29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give your servants great boldness in their preaching.
30 Send your healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And they preached God’s message with boldness. NLT
And what incredible results came as they prayed! The whole house where they were gathered was shaken. The Holy Spirit filled them afresh and they spoke God’s message with boldness.
Powerful preaching that transformed the lives of those who heard! They worked miracles, healed sick people, and the needs of the disciples were met as they lived in one accord.
Whereas Jesus commanded the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit to come in power upon them, Peter told the crowd on the Day of Pentecost that they did not need to wait to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,
because now that He had come,
Holy Spirit is available to all
who would receive Him.
In Acts 2:38 & 39 we read this
38 Peter replied, “Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 This promise is to you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” NLT
We can apply what Jesus promised to His disciples to ourselves today.
- The Holy Spirit has come to be with us forever.
- He is available to all who believe and receive Jesus Christ—now!
- Today the Holy Spirit does not come upon a person just for a specific task, as He did in
the Old Testament.
- He remains with and in each believer forever.
- Peter promises that the Holy Spirit is available to whoever will repent and receive Jesus
Christ, from whatever race or culture they have come from. It makes no difference,
because God so loved the world,
What we have just considered is great because it includes you and me! No one is excluded! Just as the Holy Spirit worked among those who believed God in Bible times, He is still just as
active among us who believe today.
Let’s look at the work of Holy Spirit in our lives today.
Holy Spirit came to commune with us.
2 Corinthians 13:13 says,
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
The Holy Spirit is the One who communicates God’s love to us, talks to us about His mind and will, and personally relates to us because He is in us.
What a privilege to grow a relationship of love with the Holy Spirit! Then we can share life with Him and get to know Him personally.
That makes it easy to receive His good gifts with thankfulness because He knows us so well and we know Him, too.
Holy Spirit is our Helper
In John 16:7 & 13, Jesus said this to His disciples
7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the *Helper will not c o m e to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.
13 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come NKJV
The following is the Strong’s explanation of the term Helper and an extract from the NKJV Spirit Filled Life Bible we use in our ®Growing Deep and Strong Discipleship and leadership series.
*Helper
helper, parakletos (par-ak-lay-toss); Strong’s #3875: From para “beside,” and kaleo “to call,” hence, called to one’s side.
The word signifies an intercessor, comforter, helper, advocate, counselor. In nonbiblical literature, parakletos had the technical meaning of an attorney who appears in court in another’s behalf.
The Holy Spirit leads believers to a greater apprehension of gospel truths. In addition to general help and guidance, He gives the strength to endure the hostility of the world system.
In John 14:16, Jesus said
16 “And I will pray the Father, and a He will give you *another Helper that He may abide with you forever.
*Another
The following is the Strong’s explanation of the term Another and an extract from the NKJV Spirit Filled Life Bible we use in our ®Growing Deep and Strong Discipleship and leadership series.
another, allos (al-loss); Strong’s #243: One besides, another of the s a m e kind. The word shows similarities but diversities of operation and ministries.
Jesus’ use of allos for sending another Comforter equals “one besides Me and in addition to Me but one just like Me.
He will do in My absence what I would do if I were physically present with you.” The Spirit’s coming assures continuity with what Jesus did and taught.
Wow, how exciting is that? Jesus has given us One just like Him, to assist as we journey through our time here on earth.
This 5-part series on Holy Spirit is part of The Growing Deep and Strong® Series, an intentional Christian discipleship and small group leadership program to help you fast track and transform the life of a new Christian.
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by Carl John Fechner | Nov 8, 2022 | Uncategorized
Holy Spirit, the birth and the Ministry of Jesus Christ
Part 4 of the 5-part series is about
Holy Spirit, the birth and ministry of Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us Jesus’ conception was unique in all of human history. God’s plan was that Jesus should be conceived by the Holy Spirit so that the chain of sin inherited through our human ancestry could be broken.
And God had to send His angel Gabriel to reassure Joseph, Mary’s fiancé, that she had not been immoral, but had submitted to His plan to bring His Son into the world as a human being, to become the perfect sacrifice for the sin of mankind.
Here is the record in Matthew 1:20-21.
20 As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” NLT
The Bible tells us about…
THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST
At the age of thirty, before Jesus began what God the Father had Him called to do, Jesus was baptized in water in the Jordan River and in the Spirit by John the Baptist.
As He emerged from the water, the Holy Spirit came upon Him, and He began His ministry empowered by the Holy Spirit. Prior to His baptism he was known as Jesus of Nazareth, which just indicated where He lived.
Matthew 3:16 & 17 says,
16 After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him.” NLT
Jesus became the first human in history on whom the Holy Spirit descended and remained. After His baptism, Jesus of Nazareth became known as Jesus Christ, which means, Jesus the Anointed One. The Holy Spirit anointed Him in every aspect of His life and teaching. Even the miracles that Jesus did were empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Led By the Spirit
Even when Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted by the Devil, He was Led by the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:1 THEN JESUS, full of and controlled by the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led in [by] the [Holy] Spirit (AMPC)
And as He began to minister to the people in His country, He announced that as the Son of God He would be
Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:14 Then Jesus went back full of and under the power of the [Holy] Spirit into Galilee, and the fame of Him spread through the whole region round about. (AMPC)
Matthew 4:23 Jesus travelled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness.
Vs.24 News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon possessed or epileptic or paralysed—he healed them all. (AMPC)
Act 10:38 How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him. (AMPC)
As He ministered to His people, He
Fulfilled prophecy
Jesus Christ acknowledges the empowering of the Holy Spirit in His life.
Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, Vs. 19 and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come. “(NLT)
A new era begins
About 800 years earlier than the time of Jesus, God told a prophet by the name of Joel to write down in his prophecy that God’s Spirit would be poured out on all flesh, that is, on all human beings who believe in Jesus.
Joel 2:28 “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. Vs.29 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants—men and women alike. NLT
Jesus Christ told His disciples that He was going to leave this earth and he would send the Holy Spirit to help us while He was physically absent.
In John 14:16 & 17 we read what Jesus asked our heavenly Father
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. NLT
The word Counsellor is also translated Helper. This means someone who has been called alongside as a barrister in court to plead our case. There are two other things the Holy Spirit does for us.
Firstly, He helps us as believers to understand God’s truth.
Secondly, He gives us strength to live a life that is completely different from the world’s value system which is hostile to the way God wants us to live.
In John 14:16, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit is another Helper, that is, another of exactly the same kind as He Himself is.
Wow, what an exciting concept, Jesus prayed that the same Holy Spirit who empowered Him would
empower us to replicate the same style of ministry on earth as He did.
The scene is set
for the third Person of the Godhead to come and empower the disciples. They were to continue what Jesus had begun to do and teach, to be just the same as He was on earth. The Holy Spirit would enable them to perform signs and wonders and to teach with God’s authority, which would reveal God’s power through them.
In Acts 1:8 Jesus said,
8 But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” NLT
Notice that the disciples were to be witnesses. They would experience the coming of the Holy Spirit powerfully and be so touched that they could not help but tell everyone what they had seen and heard.
I trust you have enjoyed reading this, the above is an extract from what we teach on the Holy Spirit in the transformational ®Growing Deep and Strong series.
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In His Service
Carl John Fechner
by Carl John Fechner | Nov 8, 2022 | Uncategorized
HOLY SPIRIT—AUTHOR OF GOD’S WORD—THE BIBLE Part 3
The Bible was written through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately, God is the Author of the Bible, and the Holy Spirit communicated to the human writers what God wanted to be written.
Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16 & 17,
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.
17 It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do. NLT
The Bible doesn’t just contain the Word of God; it is the Word of God. The Holy Spirit inspired every word used in the Bible. (That is, as it was written originally).
The human writers of the Bible were not just like dictating machines. Their whole personality and intellect was involved as they wrote the various books of the Bible. Let’s have a look at
THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
and how the Bible is divided up.
The Bible has two main parts, the Old Testament and The New Testament.
The Old Testament consists of 39 books written by various human writers over 1500 years. The New Testament consists of 27 books written by various human writers over some 50 years or so.
The Bible was not written from our 21st century perspective. It was written in different countries, in different periods of history and in different cultures, and in different languages as well.
To understand what God wants to say to us, we must understand the Bible in the context in which it was written.
Truth is the same truth in every generation, and God was speaking truth to the people of Bible times as well. We need to understand their culture and history, so that we can apply those same truths in our culture and historical context today.
The more we understand of Bible times and culture, the more we will be able to hear what God wants to say to us today.
HOLY SPIRIT—AUTHOR OF GOD’S WORD—THE BIBLE
As He inspired these 40 humans to write the 66 books, even to the words they chose to use. This is seen in the fact that there is an amazing unity in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, from beginning to end.
There is harmony, progression of thought and an absence of contradiction in these 66 books. Humanly speaking, it would have been impossible for 40 writers, living in different countries, in different cultures and in different periods of history to have composed such an amazingly unified book.
The Bible is God’s Word, which is supported by the fact that almost 4000 times, words to the effect, “God said” — is used in the Bible. God is interested in talking to us personally, and one way He does that is through the Bible.
The Bible is not the product of elevated human consciousness or enlightened human intellect, but is directly “breathed” from God Himself.
2 Pet. 1:20, 21 elaborates this truth, and adds that none of what was given was merely the private opinion of the writer (v. 20) and that each writer involved in the production of the Holy Scriptures was “moved by” (literally, “being borne along”) the Holy Spirit.
This biblical view of the Bible’s derivation is called the plenary verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, meaning every word is inspired by the Holy Spirit of God.
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by Carl John Fechner | Nov 8, 2022 | Uncategorized
THE HOLY SPIRIT ACTIVITY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
In Old Testament times the Holy Spirit was not available to all who believe, as He is today. He only came upon a few select people to empower them for specific purposes that God had for them.
Here are some examples of the Holy Spirit activity in the Old Testament.
The Holy Spirit was at work right in the beginning when the earth was created. He was hovering over the primeval waters.
Genesis 1:2 says,
The earth was empty, a formless mass cloaked in darkness. And the Spirit of God was hovering over its surface. NLT
When God spoke His creative word, the Holy Spirit took that word and brought what was spoken into existence.
Right through the Bible the Holy Spirit always works with the Word of God to bring it into being. God speaks; the Holy Spirit acts, and something happens!
As The Executive
of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit carries out the plans and purposes of God the Father.
Later in Genesis we read the story of Joseph. He was a young man who was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and ended up in Egypt as the slave of a high official in the royal court.
Even as a slave, he was filled with the Holy Spirit, who gave him integrity and good success in everything he did. He was falsely accused by the official’s wife and thrown into prison for thirteen years in the prime of his life.
But even there, he was empowered by the Holy Spirit, and that was evident in his daily activities. While he was there in prison, he was summoned to interpret the dreams of the king of Egypt.
The Holy Spirit gave him such practical wisdom as he interpreted those dreams that even the Egyptian king had to acknowledge Joseph was completely different from everyone else he knew.
Genesis 41:38-39 says,
38 As they discussed who should be appointed for the job, Pharaoh said, “Who could do it better than Joseph? For he is a man who is obviously filled with the spirit of God.” 39 Turning to Joseph, Pharaoh said, “Since God has revealed the meaning of the dreams to you, you are the wisest man in the land! NLT
Pharaoh recognized that the Holy Spirit spoke to Joseph; He was the One who revealed the meaning of the dreams.
In Exodus we read that the
Holy Spirit Enabled craftsmen
After Israel left Egypt, the Holy Spirit gave ability to Bezalel and those who were involved with him in making the Tabernacle of Moses, the place where Israel worshipped God. This Tabernacle was designed to display something of God’s glory to Israel in the very way it was built.
Exodus 31:1-6 says,
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.
3 “And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
4 “to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze,
5 “in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.
6 “And I, indeed I, have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all who are gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you. NLT
Even today the Holy Spirit wants to give us wisdom and understanding just like He gave Bezalel. God is interested in giving us ability to work at our daily occupation in the power of the Spirit. This is one way we can show others each day that God is real in our lives.
The Holy Spirit also helped in leadership
After the people of Israel left Egypt, Moses was facing the increasing difficulty of leading the nation in the wilderness. He needed help. So, the LORD gave him instructions about how to spread the load of leadership.
Numbers 11:16 & 17 says,
16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Summon before me seventy of the leaders of Israel.
Bring them to the Tabernacle to stand there with you. 17 I will come down and talk to you there. I will take some of the Spirit that is upon you, and I will put the Spirit upon them also. They will bear the burden of the people along with you, so you will not have to carry it alone. NLT
The Holy Spirit empowered these seventy elders so that they could lead their people with the same care as Moses had and lead the nation according to God’s instructions.
When kings were commissioned in Old Testament Israel, they were anointed with oil, which indicated that the Holy Spirit would come upon them and empower them for leadership.
In 1 Samuel 16:13, we read that David was anointed with oil, and from that time the Holy Spirit came upon him. He became one of the greatest kings in Israel, because the Holy Spirit helped him to be an effective king.
Verse 13.13 So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the olive oil he had brought and poured it on David’s head. And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah. NLT
Seeing that the Holy Spirit is now available to all who believe in Jesus Christ, we can also rely on the anointing of His Spirit when we are called into a position of leadership, either in our daily occupation, or in the church.
The Holy Spirit also Gave supernatural strength
In the book of Judges we read that the Holy Spirit came upon a leader of Israel called Samson, and enabled him to do things that were beyond his own strength to perform. This was to show that God was with him and with the nation as they trusted and obeyed God.
The Holy Spirit Gave God’s power
Zechariah 4:6 says,
Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. NLT
Zerubbabel, as the governor of Judah, was overseeing the rebuilding of the Temple, which had been destroyed around 600 BC. God told him to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to see the work completed.
Zerubbabel’s authority or strength as the contractor was not the issue. The Holy Spirit was the One who provided everything that Zerubbabel needed to get the job done, and the same truth applies to us today.
The Holy Spirit makes available to us the power and authority of the Father and the Son. He enables all those who believe in Jesus to do things in His strength, rather than by their own human effort.
This is just a very small example of Holy Spirit activity in the Old Testament.
Part 3 of Holy Spirit is about “Holy Spirit and the ministry of Jesus Christ.
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