God And His Word Are One
Matthew 22:37-38
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You
shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all
your soul, and with all your
mind.’ 38 This is the first and
great commandment.
On my journey of my Christian
walk I have come across a lot of
Christians that just don't seem
to have a passion for the Word
of God, or even a passion for
each individual person of the
Trinity. If you asked them...do
you Love God, they probably
would say yes...but if asked
why...not sure many would have
an answer. It all depends on
what they believe, or have been
taught.
If you asked me...I would tell
you how much I love all three,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and
tell you why, because of the
knowledge I have learned about
them all by reading and
meditating on the Word of God. I
strive to make Mark 12:30 a
reality in my life, every day.
A lot of people that has
accepted Jesus into their heart
have a heart of thankfulness to
Jesus and his sacrifice for us.
They are thankful that they are
going to Heaven. They don't
expect a lot out of their
christian walk, or very high
expectations that God has a plan
for them. They are content to go
to Church every Sunday...and
possibly miss a few now and
then. They can sing the old song
"When we all get to
Heaven...what a day of rejoicing
that will be. When we all see
Jesus, we'll sing and shout the
Victory"
but not rejoice and have victory
here on earth, for what God has
provided for us to live this
life. There is no real hunger to
get to know God and His Word
more. No moving forward in their
walk, except maybe the odd
sermon that spurs them on to be
a better person, a better
Christian. But nothing earth
shaking that makes them want
more!
I know that this is true because
I have seen it in others and
experienced it for many years in
my own life, until as a teenager
I developed a deep hunger within
me that there had to be more to
this Christian walk. I knew that
I loved Jesus, but had no idea
what he was really all about,
and no idea who the Father and
the Holy Spirit were, because I
was never taught. The church I
grew up in was very strong on
getting saved, but never went
past that into a fuller life in
God.
Now don't get me wrong, I loved
and appreciated the church I
grew up in, I got saved as a
result of the children's program
when I was 5. It just didn't go
far enough. It wasn't until I
was in my teens that I started
to realize that I needed and
wanted more. I went to teen camp
and when there was an alter call
and I wanted to go forward...but
didn't know why. I had Jesus,
what was this hunger in me that
told me there was more. It
wasn't until I was in my
twenties that I finally got some
answers. It wasn't that Jesus
wasn't enough...it was that he
never intended for us to accept
him alone. He wanted us to
receive the Holy Spirit and the
Father into our daily lives and
let the whole Trinity be a part
in your understanding of who
they are and what is promised in
the Word of God, to help us to
live a full Christian life.
John 14:16-20 (NKJV)
16 And I will pray the Father,
and He will give you another
Helper, that He may abide with
you forever 17 the Spirit of
truth, whom the world cannot
receive, because it neither sees
Him nor knows Him; but you know
Him, for He dwells with you and
will be in you. 18 I will not
leave you orphans; I will come
to you.
"Indwelling of the Father and
the Son"
19 A little while longer and the
world will see Me no more, but
you will see Me. Because I live,
you will live also. 20 At that
day you will know that I am in
My Father, and you in Me, and I
in you.
That is God's divine plan! The
Father, Son and Holy Spirit want
to have an active part in your
whole life, spirit, soul and
body.
Once I found this out and I
received the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit, my life changed
completely! Yes I was always
going to go to Heaven when I
accepted Jesus into my
heart...but I have a life I have
to live in the here and now and
I can use all the help I can get
to live this life here on earth.
I found a new joy and victory
that I had never known before,
and not only did I love Jesus
more, I began a relationship
with My Heavenly Father and the
precious Holy Spirit, my teacher
and guide.
John 16:12-14
12 “I still have many things to
say to you, but you cannot bear
them now. 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. 14
He will glorify Me, for He will
take of what is Mine and declare
it to you. 15 All things that
the Father has are Mine.
Therefore I said that He will
take of Mine and declare it to
you.
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness, For
they shall be filled.
So why is it that so many people
just don't have that joy in
their Christianity? That hunger
to know God better? The victory
that we all need to lift us up?
A lot of it is because of what
they are taught. That God is the
author of sickness and that he
lets it come on us to "teach
us". Well according to the
scriptures above, that is the
job of the Holy Spirit...to
teach us and guide us...into
truth! Not sickness, tragedy,
disasters and so on.
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.
In my quest to understand why
people just don't seem to want
to move forward in their
relationship for God, I believe
that He showed me this
If a child is in a home where
they are never encouraged, told
they are bad, useless, and will
never amount to anything. What
happens to them. First they
start to believe it and
secondly, they start to dispise
their parents that are
continually putting them down.
They will have a poor self image
of themselves and most of the
time a fear or hatred for the
one that has made them feel that
way.
So if they get saved and are
then taught that God is up there
sending or allowing sickness on
us and other disasters into our
lives, do you think they will
think any different of Him? Yes
they have accepted Jesus
sacrifice and in turn, love him
for it. But unfortunately their
image of a loving Heavenly
Father just is not there. They
can't understand that God Is
Love!
I John 4:7-11
Knowing God Through Love
7 Beloved, let us love one
another, for love is of God; and
everyone who loves is born of
God and knows God. 8 He who does
not love does not know God, for
God is love. 9 In this the love
of God was manifested toward us,
that God has sent His only
begotten Son into the world,
that we might live through Him.
10 In this is love, not that we
loved God, but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. 11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we
also ought to love one another.
Seeing God Through Love
12 No one has seen God at any
time. If we love one another,
God abides in us, and His love
has been perfected in us. 13 By
this we know that we abide in
Him, and He in us, because He
has given us of His Spirit. 14
And we have seen and testify
that the Father has sent the Son
as Savior of the world. 15
Whoever confesses that Jesus is
the Son of God, God abides in
him, and he in God. 16 And we
have known and believed the love
that God has for us. God is
love, and he who abides in love
abides in God, and God in him.
The Consummation of Love
17 Love has been perfected among
us in this: that we may have
boldness in the day of judgment;
because as He is, so are we in
this world. 18 There is no fear
in love; but perfect love casts
out fear, because fear involves
torment. But he who fears has
not been made perfect in love.
19 We love Him because He first
loved us.
I was blessed to have wonderful
loving parents. And so when I
went looking for more of God, it
was easy for me to accept Him
into my life as a loving Father,
because of the example of the
earthly Father I had.
Now I know that not every
circumstance is the same. There
are many Christians that came
from a loving background like
me. But if they are taught that
God is up there allowing these
things to teach us...something,
how can they be expected to love
him in the way that they should.
I believe that your personality
has a lot to do with it as well.
I am normally a very inquisitive
person. Very outgoing and
seeking knowledge of new things.
I have taught myself many skills
because of it. So for me I just
knew that there had to be
more...and fortunately, I never
let bad teaching stick. It
rolled off me like water on a
duck's back.
But unfortuately a lot of people
can't do that. So they take in
that kind of teaching...and it
takes a lot of unlearning to get
past it to the truth.
But if they could just ask God
to reveal Himself to them...I
know that He would. He did it
for me and He will do it for
them as well. God crosses what
seems like impossible obstacles,
just to bring us closer to Him.
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let
him ask of God, who gives to all
liberally and without reproach,
and it will be given to him.
2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes
of the Lord run to and fro
throughout the whole earth, to
show Himself strong on behalf of
those whose heart is loyal to
Him.
So how do we change? How does
someone go from barely hanging
in there...to on fire for God
and His Word?
1. By Receiving the Holy Spirit
John 20:22 And when He had said
this, He breathed on them, and
said to them, “Receive the Holy
Spirit.
Acts 1:8 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.”
Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles
who were at Jerusalem heard that
Samaria had received the word of
God, they sent Peter and John to
them, 15 who, when they had come
down, prayed for them that they
might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 For as yet He had fallen upon
none of them. They had only been
baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus. 17 Then they laid hands
on them, and they received the
Holy Spirit.
1 Thessalonians 1:5
5 For our gospel did not come to
you in word only, but also in
power, and in the Holy Spirit
and in much assurance, as you
know what kind of men we were
among you for your sake.
2. By the Word and Prayer.
Once you receive the Baptism of
the Holy Spirit, you should
receive a hunger to study the
Word of God. However some don't.
So what you need to do is make a
decision to start to study it,
starting with the Gospels and
get to know Jesus all over
again. And then on to the book
of Acts and continue through the
epistles, and I know that God
will make the Word come alive to
you as He did for me and so many
others.
Isaiah 55:1-3
[ An Invitation to Abundant Life
]
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come
to the waters; And you who have
no money, Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what
is not bread, And your wages for
what does not satisfy? Listen
carefully to Me, and eat what is
good, And let your soul delight
itself in abundance. Incline
your ear, and come to Me. Hear,
and your soul shall live; And I
will make an everlasting
covenant with you
8-11 “For My thoughts are not
your thoughts, Nor are your ways
My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For
as the heavens are higher than
the earth, So are My ways higher
than your ways, And My thoughts
than your thoughts.
10 “For as the rain comes down,
and the snow from heaven, And do
not return there, But water the
earth, And make it bring forth
and bud, That it may give seed
to the sower And bread to the
eater, 11 So shall My word be
that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I
please, And it shall prosper in
the thing for which I sent it.
2 Timothy 2:15
15 Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God, a
worker who does not need to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth.
How do we help others to change?
Pray for them.
Over the years I have learned,
that not everyone wants to hear
what you have to say about what
I have discussed in this lesson.
I have lost friends because of
it. Hard to believe that people
actually don't want to hear that
there is more to the Christian
life then what their church has
taught them, but it's true. They
will defend "Their Church" above
what the Word of God tells us.
It's a shame, and heartbreaking,
because many die believing that.
Hosea 4:6a
My people are destroyed for lack
of knowledge.
But you can't give up sharing
the good Word. I have gained
wisdom since how to detect when
someone is really seeking the
truth. Those are the ones you
can teach.
The others, you pray for. And
hopefully through time, they
will be ready to listen. To help
that, pray the following prayers
for them.
Philippians 1:Thankfulness and
Prayer
3 I thank my God upon every
remembrance of you, 4 always in
every prayer of mine making
request for you all with joy, 5
for your fellowship in the
gospel from the first day until
now, 6 being confident of this
very thing, that He who has
begun a good work in you will
complete it until the day of
Jesus Christ; 7 just as it is
right for me to think this of
you all, because I have you in
my heart, inasmuch as both in my
chains and in the defense and
confirmation of the gospel, you
all are partakers with me of
grace. 8 For God is my witness,
how greatly I long for you all
with the affection of Jesus
Christ. 9 And this I pray, that
your love may abound still more
and more in knowledge and all
discernment, 10 that you may
approve the things that are
excellent, that you may be
sincere and without offense till
the day of Christ, 11 being
filled with the fruits of
righteousness which are by Jesus
Christ, to the glory and praise
of God.
Ephesians 1:16-23 King James
Version (KJV)
16 do not cease to give thanks
for you, making mention of you
in my prayers: 17 that the God
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of glory, may give to you
the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of
Him, 18 the eyes of your
understanding being enlightened;
that you may know what is the
hope of His calling, what are
the riches of the glory of His
inheritance in the saints, 19
and what is the exceeding
greatness of His power toward us
who believe, according to the
working of His mighty power 20
which He worked in Christ when
He raised Him from the dead and
seated Him at His right hand in
the heavenly places, 21 far
above all principality and power
and might and dominion, and
every name that is named, not
only in this age but also in
that which is to come. 22 And He
put all things under His feet,
and gave Him to be head over all
things to the church, 23 which
is His body, the fullness of Him
who fills all in all.
God never intended for us to not
understand Him or His Word. It
is not a mystery...if you have
revelation through the Holy
Spirit. All will come to light
and you will be able to live a
fuller more enriched life in
close fellowship with the
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Colossians 1:26-28
26 the mystery which has been
hidden from ages and from
generations, but now has been
revealed to His saints. 27 To
them God willed to make known
what are the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the
Gentiles: which is Christ in
you, the hope of glory. 28 Him
we preach, warning every man and
teaching every man in all
wisdom, that we may present
every man perfect in Christ
Jesus.
That's what God wants for us, to
live the life that He intended
for us to have. Not beaten down
and sad, heavy with pain and
disappointment. These things
will come as long as we are on
this earth, we just don't have
to allow them to stay on us if
we learn what His Word has
provided for us.
We don't deny that sickness
exists, we just deny it the
right to stay on our bodies. And
the same applies to depression
or any other oppression the
devil tries to bring on us.
Deuteronomy 30 talks about the
blessing and the cursing of the
Old Covenant.
The following verses tell us
about the choice God gave them
regarding these
The Choice of Life or Death
11 “For this commandment which I
command you today is not too
mysterious for you, nor is it
far off. 12 It is not in heaven,
that you should say, ‘Who will
ascend into heaven for us and
bring it to us, that we may hear
it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it
beyond the sea, that you should
say, ‘Who will go over the sea
for us and bring it to us, that
we may hear it and do it?’ 14
But the word is very near you,
in your mouth and in your heart,
that you may do it. 15 “See, I
have set before you today life
and good, death and evil, 16 in
that I command you today to love
the Lord your God, to walk in
His ways, and to keep His
commandments, His statutes, and
His judgments, that you may live
and multiply; and the Lord your
God will bless you in the land
which you go to possess. 17 But
if your heart turns away so that
you do not hear, and are drawn
away, and worship other gods and
serve them, 18 I announce to you
today that you shall surely
perish; you shall not prolong
your days in the land which you
cross over the Jordan to go in
and possess.
19 I call heaven and earth as
witnesses today against you,
that I have set before you life
and death, blessing and cursing;
therefore choose life, that both
you and your descendants may
live; 20 that you may love the
Lord your God, that you may obey
His voice, and that you may
cling to Him, for He is your
life and the length of your
days; and that you may dwell in
the land which the Lord swore to
your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, to give them.”
This was Old Covenant, and yet
Hebrews tells us this
Hebrews 8:4-7 New King James
Version (NKJV)
4 For if He were on earth, He
would not be a priest, since
there are priests who offer the
gifts according to the law; 5
who serve the copy and shadow of
the heavenly things, as Moses
was divinely instructed when he
was about to make the
tabernacle. For He said, “See
that you make all things
according to the pattern shown
you on the mountain.” 6 But now
He has obtained a more excellent
ministry, inasmuch as He is also
Mediator of a better covenant,
which was established on better
promises. A New Covenant 7 For
if that first covenant had been
faultless, then no place would
have been sought for a second.
So whatever He promised the
Isrealites...we get...and more!!
Therefore choose life!! Don't
choose curses and death...Choose
the life that God has provided
for you through Jesus! You will
never be the same!!
I hope that you have enjoyed
this lesson and want to apply it
to your life. And if you aren't
ready to take this message to
heart, I will pray for you, so
that some day you will be able
to see the light and truth in
what I have shared.
God Bless You!
©2019
