Tag: Holy Spirit

We Are Fellow-Workers And Co-Healers With God, Part 3

Salvation is a free gift from God. We do not earn it through works. However, sin can separate us from God. And if we continue living in sin we could die in sin, separated from God. When a righteous person turns away from righteousness, commits iniquities and dies in them, God will punish him or her for his or her deeds. All the righteousness that he or she did shall not be remembered, so says God in Ezekiel 18:21-28 (and other passages in Ezekiel).

When the prodigal son went away from his father, he was still the son of his father. However, he was no longer enjoying the benefits in his father’s house. But when he returned home, his father received him back. He did not have to be conceived again in his mother’s womb and be born physically again to regain his status as his father’s son. When he renounced the life that he was living, he was automatically restored to his position in his father’s house.

So is the salvation that God gives to us. If we stray away and return, God receives us. We do not have to be baptized again for God to take us back. However, if we remain in sin, and die in sin, then we die in sin away from God. If the Prodigal Son had remained in the foreign land, and died there, he would have died away from his father.

Some Christians hold the view that a Christian cannot fall into a similar situation. They believe that no Christian can lose his or her salvation. That is true to some extent. However, a Christian can reject salvation after receiving it. The Apostle Paul indicated the possibility of Christians apostatizing. In 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3, he wrote that, before the Day of the Lord, apostasy will first occur among believers in the Church, and the man of sin, who is destined for destruction, be revealed.

Furthermore, in Hebrews 6:4-6, we read that it is impossible to renew people who were once enlightened, have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were partakers of the Holy Spirit. The passage says that such people are crucifying to themselves the Son of God afresh and putting Him to an open shame. These people were believers who have tasted the heavenly gift and were partakers of the Holy Spirit. That means they were genuine believers. For only genuine believers can partake of the Holy Spirit and taste the heavenly gift. They were believers at some time in their lives before forsaking their faith in Jesus. They abandoned their faith in Jesus Christ and became unbelievers.

And in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 the Apostle Paul tells us that a falling away – apostasy – of believers in the church will occur first before Jesus Christ returns. The Greek word used is apostasia, which means a departure, a rebellion. The word apostasia according to Thayer’s Definition, is a falling away, defection, apostasy. Strong’s Definitions include defection from truth – falling away, forsake.

The Holy Spirit chose the word for Paul. Whatever explanation we may give apart from what the Apostle Paul wrote will be our own uninspired reinterpretation of what the Apostle wrote. Paul was intelligent enough, and was inspired by the Holy Spirit, to choose the word apostasia.

You may not be happy with what Paul wrote or the word he chose. Yet you cannot change the meaning of what he intended. He chose the word under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Apostasia, as stated, means rebellion, departure. It means a falling away or departure from what one had or believed.

Paul said people will turn away from God. In 1 Timothy 4:1 Paul warns that the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times, some people shall depart from the faith. Departing from the faith means they first believed and held to the faith. And then decided to forsake or depart from the faith they believed and held to. The Greek word used is aphistemi. Thayer’s Definitions include cause to withdraw, to remove, to go away, to desert, to fall away. And Strong’s Definitions include to remove, instigate to revolt, desert, depart, draw (fall) away, withdraw self.

Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 10:12 Paul advises, “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he falls.” The word used is pipto, to descend from a higher place to a lower, to be thrust down, to fall from a state of uprightness, to perish, etc., (Thayer).

For this reason, we must constantly remind ourselves to remain steadfast in our lives with God. As co-workers with God, we must constantly examine our lives to see if we are on the right path with God. We must be guided by the Holy Spirit in all that we do. Because we are the channels that God uses. We are God’s ambassadors. And the Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, (Ephesians 1:13-14). Ponder over this statement in Ephesians 1:13-14. We are marked or sealed for Christ until the final day that we shall be caught up to be with Him. Once we are saved, we are saved forever. We can’t lose it and go back another time to become born again the second time.

However, as we have seen from the Bible, we can, if we want to, walk away from God. Our deeds can lead us away from God. We may slowly drift away from God, and eventually drift out of the Kingdom of God completely. An individual can also intentionally reject God, as Paul says some will do in the latter times in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and 1 Timothy 4:1.

God will not compel us to remain believers if we choose to apostatize, rebel or depart from the faith. However, God prefers that we remain faithful believers. This is one of the hard facts in the Bible. And we cannot change it because it is not our word. Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:20 that no prophecy of the scripture is of one’s own interpretation. And Paul says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (2Timothy 3:16; KJ2000).

Passages in the New Testament, written by the Apostles Paul and Peter, indicate that Christians can apostatize and fall out of God’s Kingdom. As I mentioned earlier, we may find some statements hard to accept. But we have no right to change their meanings. Else there would be confusion as each of us would be providing our own interpretations to suit what we want.

The Holy Spirit knew the words He chose.The Holy Spirit will not say white if He means black.

Therefore, Paul warns that there will be a falling away (apostasy) by some Christians, (2 Thessalonians 2:3). Paul again warns the young Timothy that the Spirit says clearly that in the last times some people will abandon the faith by following deceitful spirits, the teaching of demons, and the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences have been burned by a hot iron, (1 Timothy 4:1-2).

So, while God’s salvation is meant to be permanent, the individual, by his deeds and will, can walk away. God will not compel the individual if he or she chooses to walk away from the salvation that he or she received from God.

The unrighteous cannot live with God unless he or she discards his or her sinful life. So, if you decide, you can rebel against God and drift away into Satan’s kingdom. However, there is no salvation in Satan’s kingdom.

Paul’s warning that some will become apostates – (that they will rebel, they will abandon, they walk away from the true faith they had, they will reject the faith they had received) – indicates that they will make a conscious abandonment of their faith in Christ.

Some believe that such were never true believers in the first place. Well, Paul did not say that in his writing. And I do not want to go into that argument. But what I know is that Peter and Paul, in their writings, warn true believers of the possibility of apostasy occurring among believers.

The epistles were written to guide us (and warn us) on how to live righteously to complement our faith in God.

The Bible does not say that regardless of one’s actions, one will be saved and remain saved. The Bible says we are saved once, and we do not need another act to obtain salvation again. Salvation is a gift from God. However, we are saved unto good works. We do good works and live according to God’s will as proof that we have been saved from unrighteousness, (Ephesians 2:8-10).

Therefore, Paul asks, “Shall we continue to sin so that grace may abound. God forbid…” (Romans 6:1-2). If you drift way from God, you are walking away and abandoning God.

Though the gift of God is free and eternal, you can apostatize and forsake the gift (as we read in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 and 1 Timothy 4:1-2). Satan has a subtle way of deceiving and seducing people. He makes people to focus on ‘once saved, forever saved’ and takes their minds away from the other passages in the Bible that warn of the possibility of apostasy. So that they may indulge in sinful acts and subtly be led away from God.

To be continued…

We are Fellow Workers and Co-Healers with God, Part 2

Our union with God, by His Spirit, gives us direct access to God. The individual is connected to God by God’s Spirit. “He that is joined (kollao – to join oneself to, to glue together, etc.,) unto the Lord is one spirit with Him,” (1 Corinthians 6:17). He communicates to the individual through His Spirit. We relate to God and worship Him by the Spirit, (John 4:24; Philippians 3:3). And God gives us dominion (radah, to rule – to dominate) over His creation (Genesis 1:26).

This is not so in other religions. In Christ Jesus, we have a better and direct way to God. The Old Testament covenant contained faults (Hebrews 8:6-9). So, the new was given which made the old obsolete, (Hebrews 8:13).

The Bible advises us to acquaint ourselves with God (Job 22:21). Therefore, cultivate the habit of reading and learning the truth to empower yourself. People who study accumulate knowledge and become enlightened.

The Holy Spirit should have free access to the spirit of the believer. As mentioned earlier, (in Part 1), the human being is a spirit living in the body of flesh. And so, God, in pouring His Spirit upon an individual, is pouring His Spirit upon (into) that individual’s spirit. The human body is, therefore, the temple for both the human spirit and God’s Spirit.

But the person must be open to receiving the Holy Spirit into his or her spirit. Because the Holy Spirit will not force His operation on an individual. The Holy Spirit will work in the person’s spirit if the individual opens and receives the Spirit of God.

Belief (faith) enables us to accept or receive God’s Spirit into our spirit. The 120 disciples first believed, accepted the Holy Spirit, and then prepared themselves as they waited for the actuation of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5). On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell upon them. The Spirit actuated the Power of God and enabled them to speak in tongues, (Acts 2:1-4).

The Holy Spirit Himself actuates His power in our spirits. But we must first prepare ourselves and allow for the actuation.

Miracles are manifestations of the Power of the Holy Spirit (God). God’s Spirit, working together with your spirit, (1 Corinthians 6:17) makes them happen. God’s Spirit makes them possible because of your faith in Him. As illustrated earlier, the milk transforms the water. The water does not transform itself. The transforming power, in our case, is the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, Paul asserts categorically that if you connect your spirit to God’s Spirit, you become one spirit with God. God, by His Spirit, indwells you, and your spirit and God’s Spirit become one, (1 Corinthians 6:17).

As stated earlier, this is a hard saying. But delving deeper into the Bible enables us to understand this mystery and truth. Remember that even many of the disciples of Jesus could not accept some of His statements.

When we pray, God’s Spirit synchronizes events and our declarations to make realities occur, (Job 22:28). Your desires become realities (Mark 11:24) because God’s Spirit turns them into realities, (John 14:10).

Being co-workers with God, (and his Spirit indwelling us), we must also live holy lives.

The Transformation

We are transformed by the Holy Spirit working in our spirits, as I illustrated earlier using water and milk. Transformation does not automatically happen just because an individual believes. You must first initiate the process by renewing your mind, changing your mental attitude, and allowing your thoughts and actions to align with God’s will, (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:22). Discard your former behavior or conduct and be not conformed to the world. If you do not yield your body as an instrument of unrighteousness, (Romans 6:13), the Spirit will work with you to reshape your thoughts and perspectives to align with God’s ways.

The desire and the plan start with you, and God directs your steps, (Proverbs 16:9). So, God helps you to complete what you started, if it agrees with God’s will.

If we believe, but do not allow the actuation of the Spirit, the Holy spirit will not actively be involved in our lives or in our spirits in what we do. We will be acting in the flesh and not in the spirit. Though we may not lose our salvation yet. Even though we are God’s spiritual children, if we do not allow for the actuation of the power of the Spirit in our lives, we will be powerless Christians. We may still be God’s children but spiritually powerless. However, we may drift away from God and eventually may lose our salvation. (Detailed discussion on this in Part 3).

We read in Job 22:21-23 that we will know God, and know how we relate to Him, if we acquaint ourselves with Him. For those who know their God are strong and they accomplish great things, (Daniel 11:32).

The Christian is a member of a holy priesthood offering acceptable spiritual sacrifice to God through Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 2:5). The Christian is an instrument or a channel God uses to perform miracles or answer prayers.

God Works Miracles Through Us.

A church in Accra invited me to hold a spiritual revival for them. Three days into the five-day revival service, the leaders of the church told me about a woman who used to be one of their staunch members but backslid because of an unfortunate occurrence.

Her son was critically ill and at the point of death. She ran to her pastor who lived about five kilometers away only to learn that the pastor had traveled to the northern part of the country.

So, she took her dying child to a prophetess who lived close by her pastor’s home. As the prophetess held the boy praying, the child died.

The woman was angry that God had failed her despite her faith in God and all that she had done for God. She did not understand why God would forsake her and let her son die. She vowed not to go to church again. He faith in Jesus and Christianity died.

I explained to her how God had given her the power in the name of Jesus. I made her understand that while she was running and seeking for someone to pray for her son, she could also have used the name of Jesus to pray and Jesus would have saved her son from dying.

I took her through the pages of the Bible and made her know why and how God had not failed her. The Pastor feeds the congregation the Word and prays for them. The individual must take in the Word and digest it to actualize his or her miracles.

Your faith remains dormant or dead if you do not activate it. When a mother feeds her child, and the child eats and digests what the mother feeds him or her, the child will live and grow. If the child does not eat what the mother feeds him or her, the child will not grow well and may even die.

To help actuate the faith of the individual, Jesus would ask, “You believe that I am able to do this?” And they answered, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it unto you,” (Matthew 9:28). In Mark 9:23-28, Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes.” The father of the child cried, and said with tears, “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” Jesus rebuked the foul spirit and cast it out of the child.

I taught her to actuate faith and actualize miracles. The woman’s faith was restored, and she became a strong believer in Christ again.

While we seek the help of people who are spiritually elevated, we should also know that God is with us and will hear us when we cry to Him, (Jeremiah 33:3). God has made it possible for the Christian to call upon Him any time in the name of Jesus Christ, (John 14:13-14).

At the time I was visiting her, she had another son, who was about six years old, also sick. I told her that, though she could seek help from me and others, if she also prayed and exercised her faith, God would answer. I taught her to exercise her faith and pray. Miracles started happening in her life. She became more committed to Jesus and resumed her good works for the church.

One day, her other son went into a crisis and collapsed. The boy collapsed in the same manner as the other one had years earlier. But this time, she determined she was not going to let that son go. She remembered that I said God has given us power in the name of Jesus Christ to help us in times of need. She put her hand on the boy and prayed. Afterwards she rushed the boy to the Hospital.

They took the boy to the emergency ward. The doctor and nurses worked to revive him. But the boy was not responding. Then the doctor and the nurses had to rush to a new emergency.

The woman refused to yield. She went to a corner in the ward, kneeled and prayed to God to let her son live. She told God that she was not ready to let that son go.

She felt a hand touch her shoulder. She turned and saw a nurse telling her the doctor had returned to her son. They were hoping the boy would now respond. She stood up and walked with the nurse to the bed, still praying and asking God for the life of her son.

A while later, the boy responded and moved a little. Eventually, he regained full consciousness and opened his eyes. Some hours later the boy was strong and told the mother he wanted to go home. But the doctor said they had to monitor him for at least a day. The following day the boy was discharged from the hospital and his mother took him home.

The woman, like Jabez, (1 Chronicles 4:9-10) realized that she could change the situation by calling upon God to save her son. She prayed like King Hezekiah prayed and asked God to heal him and reverse the death that God had pronounced upon him. God heard him and granted him fifteen years more to live, (2 Kings 20:1-7). The boy grew up and became a young man.

God has given us the power, in the name of Jesus Christ, to change our situations.

Do not say your church is not spiritual. You are a living stone, adding to other living stones building up into God’s spiritual house. Collectively the members are a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God, through Jesus Christ. If your Church is not spiritual it is because you are not spiritual.

To be continued…

We Are Fellow Workers And Co-Healers With God, Part1

We Are Fellow workers and co-healers with God.

“For we are God’s co-workers. You are God’s farmland and God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3:9; ISV)

What does that make us? We are God’s co-workers. Therefore, are we also co-healers with God? We become fellow workers with God when we accept to be God’s ambassadors, proclaiming God’s grace to the world. Jesus commanded us to go into the world and proclaim the gospel to all people. To be effective, Jesus provides us with protection and power against the onslaughts of Satan and evil forces, (Luke 10:19; Mark 16:17-18).

In our present discussion we are delving into hard-to-accept statements of the scriptures and into deeper areas in the spiritual realm. Some of the words and statements in the Bible may be hard to accept, but they are God’s Words. And God knows why He chose those words to make such statements.

The Bible advises us to acquaint ourselves with God and know Him properly so that we can understand how God works in our lives, (Job 22:21-29). People who study accumulate knowledge, become enlightened, and are strengthened spiritually.

It is not strange to hear that some people find some statements in the Bible hard to accept. Even some of the disciples of Jesus found some of Jesus’ statements hard to accept, (John 6:60-63). But we do not have the right to vary the meaning of God’s Word or statements. We must accept them as the Holy Spirit chose them for us. God is the originator of His Words, and they mean what God says. We cannot vary God’s Words and intentions. If God intended differently, He would have chosen the appropriate words. So, let us delve into the Bible, and with the help of etymology, we shall discover who and what we are.

If we are co-workers with God, then we are also co-healers with God! That stance might sound too audacious for us to assume. But God’s Words in the Bible seem to tell us so. God works miracles and heals through us. We are the instruments and the channels of blessing that God uses to express His love and sovereignty to the world.

The Christian is referred to as a living stone, adding unto other living stones building up God’s spiritual house. Collectively Christians are a holy (or a royal) priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God, through Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 2:5, 9; Revelation 1:5-6).

God will never allow the enemy to cause havoc on His field or destroy His building. So, He empowers us with the Holy Spirit, (Acts 1:8). And nothing can destroy or harm us, (Luke 10:19).

Sin broke our relationship with God, and we lost our God-given power. God restored that by sending Jesus. And through Jesus Christ we become co-workers with God, (1 Corinthians 3:9), and Jesus’ ambassadors (or representatives). Furthermore, if we are faithful, His divine Spirit co-ordinates with our spirits to make us effective as His co-workers.

How do we become one spirit with God?

We cannot share in God’s essence. So, how does God make us to partake in the divine nature and be members of His divine body? (1 Corinthians 12:27; 2 Peter 1:4). How does God share His divine nature with us, (2 Peter 1:4)? How does God pour His Spirit upon us, (Joel 2:28)?

God is Spirit and we can relate to Him only in the spirit, (John 4:24). We, too, are spirits in the bodies of flesh. God created the human body from the earth and then breathed His Spirit into the body and the person became a living soul, (Genesis 2:7; Ecclesiastes 12:7).

The Bible says, “… the person who unites himself with the Lord becomes one spirit with him,” (1 Corinthians 6:17; ISV).

So, how does an individual become one spirit with the Lord?

As we cannot join our human bodies to God we are, therefore, joined to Him in the spirit. And in the spirit, we become one with the Lord, (1 Corinthians 6:17). As indicated, the human being is a spirit indwelling the body of flesh. God’s Spirit also indwells our human bodies. So, God pours his Spirit upon us, (Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17), that is, into our spirits. And both spirits, (God’s Spirit and our human spirit), become one spirit indwelling the human body. That was still hard to comprehend until God illustrated to me using milk and water.

Many years back, I was pondering and struggling to understand this wonderful act and mystery of God in the believer, and God used milk and water to illustrate.

Both are liquids. But milk is whitish (or creamy) while water is colorless and transparent. If the milk is poured into the water, the water changes color. The water does not change itself. The milk transforms the water, and the water becomes milky in color and in taste. The more you pour the milk into the water, the more whitish or creamy the water becomes. The water loses its color and its taste and now looks and tastes milky.

In the same manner, the Spirit of God transforms the human spirit. Just as the water becomes milky when the milk is poured into it, so also the Spirit of God transforms the human spirit into becoming God’s spiritual child (Romans 8:9, 14-17). The more the Spirit of God is poured into the human spirit, the godlier he or she becomes.

The body remains flesh, but the spirit of the person in the body now becomes God’s child in the spirit, or God’s spiritual child. The same way the vessel (or container) that the water is in remains the same vessel without changing. The human being, who is spirit in the body of flesh, becomes the child of God by spiritual adoption. Though the body remains the normal body.

The Holy Spirit baptism transforms the human spirits into God’s spiritual children, (Mark 1:8; Acts 1:5; Romans 8:14-17). Before then we are just spirits inhabiting the human body. But through baptism God’s Spirit infuses our spirits with Himself to become one spirit with the Lord, (1 Corinthians 6:17). And as God’s children we are to live holy lives as our Heavenly Father is holy, (1 Peter 1:16).

We are, therefore, made spiritual, or transformed spiritually, by God’s Spirit working in our spirits.  And we must remain godly, living holy lives because God is holy. We must avoid all forms of unrighteousness, (1 Peter 1:16).

If filth (or dirty water) is poured into the transformed water, the water will change color and lose the purity that the milk infused into it. In the same manner, if a transformed person indulges in sinful acts, that person’s spirit will become contaminated. And the individual will lose the infusion of purity of the Holy Spirit.

The Christian is a child of God and can approach God directly. The Bible confirms that God relates to us in the same manner we relate to our children.

According to the New Testament doctrine, the Holy Spirit indwells the individual who truly accepts Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, (Mark 16:17-18; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:37-39). The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, (Acts 2:37-39; Joel 2:28-29; John 14:12-16).

Non-Christians go to spiritualists (fetish-priests, juju men, juju women, Islamic clerics or teachers, – the mu’alims – popularly known as mallams in Ghana and Nigeria). They tell the spiritualists their problems or needs and the spiritualists speak to their juju divinities or deities and receive the answers or perform rituals for answers.

But Christian spirituality does not require us to go to a spiritualist for spiritual power. Because God pours His Spirit into the spirit of the Christian, and the Christian’s body becomes the dwelling place of the Spirit of God, (Ephesians 2:22).

In Christianity, the individual’s body is the temple or the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, God Himself indwells the believer and is near to the believer at any time. And so, the Christian is elevated higher than ordinary people. God’s Spirit indwelling the Christian transforms the Christian to become God’s spiritual child, (Romans 8:14-17). Psalm 82:6 states that they are the children of elohim.

People felt Jesus blasphemed when He said He was the Son of God. But “Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your Law, “I said, you are gods”? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came — and Scripture cannot be broken — do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?” (John 10:34-36; ESV).

Similarly, some people today think people blaspheme when they interpret some scripture passages literally and believe that they are actually what the words say they are.  And so, they attempt to water down the meanings of some of the words or statements in the Bible by providing their own interpretations. But the Scripture cannot be broken. What God says means exactly that.

The word used in Psalm 82:6 for ‘gods’ is ‘elohim’, (sometimes spelt eloheem). The word means divine ones, gods, rulers, judges, and is also the word used to refer to the true God. And in John 10:35 the word theos was used. The Greek word theos means a god or goddess.

Jesus quoted the passage and interpreted it as it is. Indicating that we must always interpret the Word of God as it is written or as it is used in the scriptures. We must not change the meaning even if we find it hard to accept. God will choose the appropriate words if He means otherwise. We create confusion with the different interpretations that we give. Such interpretations are mostly according to our individual whims. But we cannot teach God what to say and the words He should use.

The Spirit of God is comfortable living in us if we cleanse our spirits (inner being, the inner self) of sins, (Matthew 5:8; 2 Timothy 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:14-15; 1 Peter 1:15-17).

If we indulge in sins as worldly people do, we make God’s Spirit uncomfortable. And He cannot perform His work in our lives as He would. Then we become spiritually unproductive, though we may still be God’s children. Eventually, we may lose our standing with God’s Spirit.

Though He gives us power when we receive His Spirit (Acts 1:8), His Spirit regulates and supervises us in accordance with the Mind of God. God cannot leave all His powers into our hands to use as we want. So, we ask, and He performs, (Job 22:28). He does so by His Spirit indwelling us, (John 14;10).

God’s Spirit defines us. We are what the Spirit of God says. So, the Bible says, “Let the weak say, ‘I am strong,’” (Joel 3:10). And the poor can declare he or she is rich because God’s Spirit will create the wealth. If you focus your mind on God’s Spirit, and obey Him, you shall ask what you want, and God shall do it for you, (John 14:12-15; John 16:23-24).

By His Spirit, He created all things out of nothing. And by His Spirit He will make things happen. He works through us to perform His grace upon people. He chooses us according to His divine wisdom and not because we are perfect.

God created the universe and put us on this planet earth to enjoy what He created, (Genesis 1:26-31). Therefore, be happy. Do not feel depressed. Nothing can suppress you unless you allow it. Your body is the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. And He lives in you if you let Him, (1 Corinthians 6:19).

So, before you say your church is not spiritually strong, ask yourself if you are strong spiritually. The individuals make the church. Therefore, if the church is not spiritual, it is because the individuals are not spiritual.

My new book, ‘Actualizing The Holy Spirit Power’, which is coming out soon, delves extensively into how God’s Spirit harmonizes with our human spirit to perform miracles. The book also discusses how sin grieves the Holy Spirit, interfering with the free flow of God’s Spirit in our lives, thus, hindering the miracles in our lives.

To be continued…

Strive for Peace

Welcome to The Peacemaker, known as Conquering Without Being Violent.  Our motivator is Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Strive for peace with everyone.

“Strive for peace with everyone, and for holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14; ESV)

The Bible enjoins us to strive for peace with all people.

Think of what good you can do for people, your community, and your country. Always promote peace and love. Have good thoughts and ideas concerning humanity. Be an agent of peace. Feed your mind with good thoughts and ideas.

Avoid arguments as much as possible. There may be times when you cannot avoid arguments. In such a situation Dr. Winch, a psychologist, recommends that, instead of engaging in a protracted debate, state your case clearly and calmly, and then end the discussion.

The Bible tells us not to waste our time arguing with people when it is obvious that they are not ready to reason. End the discussion when you observe that the discussion is proving unproductive. But make your point clear before you decide not to continue.

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:23-25

23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. (ESV)

Arguments breed quarrels. God’s servant must not be quarrelsome. We must be gentle, and kind. We should teach instead of attacking people who disagree with us. Paul advises that we should be teachable when correcting people who are wrong. We should not only teach but be ready to learn from people who disagree with us if what they say makes sense. We must listen and then analyze what they say. We should always try to make friends with people even when we disagree with them.

Abraham Lincoln said, “I conquer my enemies when I make them my friends.” So, don’t consider people who do not readily accept your views as enemies. Find ways to make them your friends.

Some people do not accept their faults. They will argue and try to prove others wrong, even when they are wrong. Be patient when dealing with such people, knowing that you, too, are expressing a different opinion.

People who don’t want to admit that they are wrong will not listen to opposing views. They will vehemently argue against you and anything that you say. Don’t waste your time arguing with people who do not listen to you and don’t want to listen to you.

Just declare your position, and then let go. But let the person who is arguing with you know your position. It is important to make your views known. But you don’t compel people to accept your views. Even God does not compel us. He says in Isaiah 1:18, “Come now, let us reason together.” God does not compel us, but he encourages us to reason with him.

In Isaiah 43:26 God says, “Let us review the situation together, and you can present your case if you have one,” (NLT).

We read in Proverbs 19:11, “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.”

Do not use anger or violence to correct angry and violent people. You can be stern in your remarks without being loud and angry.

You can be moderately stern, or even moderately angry just enough to express your displeasure about the attitude that your opponent is exhibiting, without being too angry or violent.

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:14, “Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen,” (NIV). And in Proverbs 20:3 we read, “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling,” (NLT),

Violent people love violence. Evil minds enjoy inflicting pain on people.

Evil minds lie against other people. They are cold when they lie. They even believe in their lies and don’t care about the consequences. Their conscience is seared with hot iron (1 Timothy 4:1-2) and they don’t even feel God’s Spirit prodding them when they are doing wrong.

The Ghanaian weekly, The Spectator, on Saturday, February 26, 2011, in the “Obaa Yaa” column, published a letter under the headline, “My Wife Is Very Difficult.” It was written by a man who had been married for 10 years at the time of writing. The woman he married was making life hell for him. She was difficult and refused to listen or understand him.

He wrote that his wife was individualistic and selfish. She did not consult him in anything she did. She listened more to people than to him. When he threatened to divorce her, she pleaded with him to rescind his decision and promised to change. But despite the assurances she gave him, she went back to her old ways.

Another letter by a 29-year-old man, to the Ghanaian weekly, The Mirror, was published on Saturday, June 27, 2009. The young man was married to a 25-year-old woman, and they had been married for three years and had a two-year-old daughter. He indicated in his letter that he and his wife were Christians.

He wrote,                                                         

“Recently, we had a misunderstanding and while we exchanged sharp words, she slapped me. The problem was reported to our Pastor who asked one of the church elders to help settle the dispute.

When we got home, she was in the bedroom, so I called her requesting her to come for the settlement. This irritated her so much that she came out and slapped me again in front of the church elder.

I have decided to divorce her as a result of such gross disrespect but because of our marriage vows before God, I find it difficult to do. I need your help.”

Romans 12:2 and Ephesians 4:23 advise Christians to change their mental attitude and be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we can know God’s will, and what is proper and pleasing to him.

Study to know the will of God. The Bible explains how we should relate to each other, and how we should love each other. Feed your mind with thoughts of love and good deeds and practice them.

Use your mind constructively under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Do not fight people who disagree with you. Do not curse or hate people who regard themselves as your enemies. Disagreements should not make people enemies.

Use encouraging words to correct them from wrong-doing to do what is right. Let them understand why they should avoid exhibiting negative behaviors. You can disagree with their negative stance or attitude without being frontal with your arguments.

Jesus used the reverse method of engagement when he encountered the Samaritan woman in John 4:5-42.

The woman responded sarcastically when Jesus asked her for water to drink. But Jesus responded by using the reverse approach. He ignored her remarks, but told her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Please give me a drink,’ you would have been the one to ask him, and he would have given you living water,” (ISV). Jesus addressed her needs and told her that if she knew who she was speaking to and the gift of God she would have asked for living water from him.

As you read the dialogue, you notice that Jesus spoke about life in general and the woman’s needs without demeaning the woman. Even when she eventually swallowed her pride and asked him to give her the living water, Jesus did not tell her bluntly that she had to repent of her sins of promiscuity first.

Of course, she had to confess and repent before God would forgive her. But knowing the situation between the Jews and the Samaritans, it was not wise for a Jew to tell a Samaritan in the face that he or she was a sinner and must first repent and confess his or her sins before he or she could receive the blessings of the living water. Jesus used the reverse method to make her aware of the need to confess and repent of her sins before she could obtain forgiveness.

By now, because of how Jesus had dialogued with her, she and Jesus had become friendly towards each other. So, when Jesus told her to go and bring her husband, she could tell him she had no husband. Though Jesus knew that she was living with a man who was not her husband, he did not tell her that straight in the face. He asked her to go and bring her husband, expecting her to confess voluntarily.

At this point in their meeting, the woman and Jesus were now friendly towards each other. So, she could easily tell Jesus that she didn’t have a husband, though she was living with a man. It would not have been easy for her to confess to a stranger, and a Jew for that matter, that she was living in sin with a man who was not her husband. But Jesus had changed the atmosphere from antagonistic to friendly and peaceful. And so, she could easily tell Jesus that she didn’t have a husband. It wouldn’t have been easy for her to tell him if antagonism existed between them. Remember that the Jews and the Samaritans were not friendly to each other.

Jesus had doused the enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans and made it easy for her to confess her sinful state to a stranger who was a Jew. It is easier to tell an acquaintance your faults or sins than to a stranger or an enemy. And Jesus had broken down the enmity wall between them and created an atmosphere of friendship. So, she could tell him, a Jew, that she had no husband.

And her confession opened the way for Jesus to talk about her previous life with five men, and her current situation that, even “…the man you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true.” (ISV)

If Jesus had not first created an atmosphere of friendliness it would not have been easy for the Samaritan woman to tell him, a Jew, that she was a sinner. The atmosphere of friendliness made it possible for Jesus, a Jew, to remind a Samaritan woman of her life of promiscuity without the Samaritan becoming offended.

Jesus maintained the peace while he reminded the woman of her sinful life without offending her.

Unfortunately, some people speak like the piercing of the sword. The tongue of the wise, however, promotes healing, (Proverbs 12:18).

Change your mental attitude, stop violence, believe in yourself, press on to success

You may stop to rest and then continue the race. But don’t quit the race. You can win. So, persevere to the end and the prize will be yours. No quitting. Focus on the prize and continue running towards the goal.

The transformation

While running to get the prize, show compassion to people you meet. Forgive wrongs done against you. Let God avenge you, for he says, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay…” (Romans 12:19).

Meditate always on what is noble. No lies, no gossiping, no dishonesty, and don’t hate.

In Philippians 4:8 we read,

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (ESV)

God gave us minds so we can make decisions. But our minds degenerated, became corrupted and we glided down into the abyss of hate, murder, lies, fear, and all kinds of evil and negativity.

The Bible tells us to renew our minds by rejecting and discarding all evils. The Bible tells us to feed our minds with love, kindness, and righteous thoughts.

What we feed the mind leads to action. According to neuroscience, actions are performed when neurons connect to send and receive information or instructions. Neurons are cells within the nervous system. They send and receive information within our bodies. And our bodies act per the instructions of the mind. The Psalmist says in Psalm 139:14, “… I am fearfully and wonderfully made,” (ESV).

Neuroscience explains that when information is received, the brain sends the information to the action zone. The neurons interconnect with each other to send the information to the parts of the body where actions are to occur.

The mind is an action center. And our thoughts decide how we feel and act. You cannot succeed if you don’t believe in yourself. You must believe in yourself and act on your beliefs to achieve your vision. Though we cannot get rid of our emotions entirely, we can regulate and control how we react to situations.

Success does not come easily. So, continue running until you receive the prize (1 Corinthians 9:24; Philippians 3:14).

Thoughts have creative power. What goes on in the mind attracts reality. Inventions begin as thoughts in the minds of inventors. If you constantly believe that you will be a winner, and work at it, you will break through adverse circumstances and become a winner.

The body responds to the way we think, feel, and act. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Faith begins in the mind. And neuroscience explains that there is a special relationship between how our minds work and what kind of results we get. Faith and positive thoughts make us approach life and business with optimism. Faith motivates us to overcome self-limiting beliefs. Faith motivates us and helps us to conquer the challenges in life.

Repeating an action creates a pattern of behavior that is etched in our mind or the brain. The more you practice or perform an act, the more you solidify that action. And habit is formed. In later actions, the body follows the pattern that has been formed.

Faith motivates us to act. When we repeat actions, we train the body to learn to do the actions. Actions become easier by repetitions and eventually become automatic or almost automatic. The actions are then performed with little or no thought at all.

Faith invites the Holy Spirit to work in your spirit and actualize your vision. And you eventually become what you think and do. You become stronger by overcoming obstacles.

Information creates emotions, which in turn leads to action. Your eyes (the sight) and ears (the hearing) pick information for the brain to process. Processing the information leads to action, and action turns into being.

When you do something repeatedly, your body learns to do it better, more easily, and automatically. Your mind and body are now conditioned to work together. Any time information about the action is sensed, your body can subconsciously go into action, without you consciously thinking about it. Our thoughts, therefore, are translated into how we live, how we will succeed, or how we will fail.

The mind turns vision into reality as our thoughts create the emotions to stimulate our desires and actualize the vision. And the brain processes the information we feed it and creates a pattern of behavior.

Jesus said,

22 “Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours,” (Mark 11:22-24; ESV)

You actualize your vision when you put your thoughts into action.

Meditate on God’s love and truthfulness. Believe that God is truthful and will perform what you ask him to do (Numbers 23:19; 2 Timothy 2:13). Learn to be good, kind, honest, and non-violent. The Holy Spirit indwelling you is comfortable with these characteristics and works unhindered in such environment.

The Spirit of God indwelling you transforms your spirit. Milk transforms water by making it become milky or whitish. So also, the Spirit of God indwelling you transforms you spiritually. However, the Holy Spirit cannot transform your spirit if you do not surrender yourself completely and if your spirit is contaminated. Desire God’s Spirit and yield your spirit to God’s Spirit, and God will transform you.

If you surrender to the Holy Spirit, He will direct your spirit. Yield to the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16-17) and He will fill your spirit with His power. He will enable you to speak and act in His power (Acts 1:8; Acts 2;4; Mark 16:17). The Holy Spirit helps us to be loving, kind, and truthful.

Neuroscience teaches that the mind decides how we perceive things and respond to challenges. Furthermore, neuroscience explains that our behaviors are developed through repeated actions. Repeating an action will ingrain it in the brain to become a habit. Ephesians 4:22-24 instructs us to shed off our former conduct, or behavior, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind, by feeding the mind with new information for actions.

The world is a jungle. It is a jungle of confusion, hate, anger, struggles, and all kinds of evil.

However, with God’s Spirit, we can become what we believe. We can make life great for ourselves. But only if we actuate our beliefs and practice God’s principles.

Press on – don’t give up!

Fire for fire ends in ashes.

Abigail Van Buren said, “People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.”

Do not use violence to achieve a purpose. Patience may take the long route. But eventually it achieves success. Proverbs 25:15, “With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone,” (ESV).

And Proverbs 14:29 says,

 “He who is slow to wrath has great understanding, but he who is impulsive exalts folly.”

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.”

Be tolerant and live peacefully with each other. Romans 12:18 tells us, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” (ESV)

Jesus taught us to be peaceful, loving, and forgiving. And Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” (ESV).

We have direct access to God and the Power of His Holy Spirit

We have direct access to God and the Power of His Holy Spirit. Other religions do not give individuals direct access to God. The Holy Spirit makes individuals too powerful, and they cannot be defeated.

The Bible tells us to acquaint ourselves with God and know who we are as God’s co-workers (Job 22:21; 1 Corinthians 3:9). Learn how to operate in the spirit and experience fruitfulness and power. Those who know God carry out great exploits, (Daniel 11:32).

Christians have direct access to God. The Christian does not need to pass through mediums or perform rituals as it is done in other religions. God’s Spirit indwelling the Christian enables miracles to happen as the Christian calls upon Him (Jeremiah 33:3).

Learn to actuate and actualize the Holy Spirit’s power and soar high above everything. Become the master of your circumstances.

A deeper study of the Bible explains how we get direct access to God and the Holy Spirit’s power, (Acts 1:8; Joel 2:28-29; John 14:23). God abides in us by His Spirit, (1 John 3:24). In Christianity we have direct access to God’s divine power by His indwelling presence.

In most religions, the individual does not have direct access to God. They pass through mediums or perform rituals

Many Christians, however, are not actualizing the spiritual power (the Dunamis) God has deposited in them. Therefore, only a few manifestations of miracles and power are experienced by Christians.

“Jesus Christ (is) the same yesterday and today, (yea) and forever,” (Hebrews 13:8; ASV).

The power of the Holy Spirit has not diminished. He is still active and performing miracles. Unfortunately, few Christians are experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit. Few get prayers answered. And what is more, many receive answers only after intense travailing prayers. Yet God says He is near to all who call upon Him in truth. He hears the prayer of the righteous, (Psalm 145:18; Jeremiah 33:3; Proverbs 15:29).

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The Holy Spirit makes an individual too powerful and who cannot be defeated. But many are unaware of this divine invincibility of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Many are crippled with doubts and fears and so are not able to actualize the power (dunamis) of the Holy Spirit.

James encourages us to not only believe but to put our beliefs into action; to actuate what we believe and so actualize our faith. “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead,” (James 2:26).

He is emphatic that faith, by itself, is dead if it does not have works accompanying it, (James 2:17). Prove your faith by actions. Because faith works together with action to actualize God’s words in our lives, (James 2:22).

The Christian is a dynamite against obstacles and opposing spirits. You shall decree what you want, and it shall be established for you, and light will brighten your ways, (Job 22:28; John 15:7). You become one spirit with God (1 Corinthians 6:17) if you join yourself to the Lord. And you shall make your prayers and he shall hear you, (Job 22:27).

God pours His spirit upon us (Joel 2:28-29) so that we can live in the spirit (Galatians 5:25). The words that come out of us are energized (or enabled) by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4) if we live in the spirit.

The individual hearing the word must first believe and be ready to receive. He or she must learn to open his or her spirit to receive God’s Spirit.

The preacher (or the presenter) must also believe in the impartation of the Holy Spirit’s power so he or she can confidently impart the knowledge to hearers.

Above all, the Holy Spirit should be allowed free entrance into the spirit of the receiver (the hearer).

God is Spirit. He took soil and formed the human being. Then He breathed His Spirit into the body He formed, and the created being became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). The human being, therefore, is spirit living in a body of flesh. Thus, when God pours His Spirit upon an individual, He pours His Spirit upon that individual’s spirit.

I use milk and water for my illustration. Both are liquids. But milk is whitish (and creamy). In this illustration, the liquids represent the Spirit of God and the spirits of human beings. Thus, the milk represents the Spirit of God and the water represents the human spirit.

If you pour the milk into the water, you notice the water changing color. The water does not change itself. It is the milk that transforms the water to be like the milk in color and taste. The more you pour the milk into the water, the more whitish or creamy the water becomes. Eventually, the water loses its color and taste and looks and tastes milky.

In the same manner, the Spirit of God transforms the human spirit. And just like the water becoming milky, so also as many as are led by the Spirit of God they become spiritual children of God. The Spirit of God indwelling us makes us children of God. The Spirit of God Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God (Romans 8:14-16). We are born again in the spirit and not in the flesh (John 3:5-6).

The human body is a temple for both the human spirit and God’s Spirit.

If the individual is not fully open to receiving the pouring of the Holy Spirit into his or her spirit, the Holy Spirit will not force Himself upon the life of the individual. God’s Spirit will have access to the human spirit and operate if the individual person’s spirit, by faith, receives the Spirit of God.

Belief (or faith) enables us to accept or receive the Holy Spirit into our spirits. Furthermore, accepting the Holy Spirit must be followed by the actuation of the Spirit in our lives.  The 120 disciples believed, accepted the Holy Spirit, and prepared themselves as they waited for the actuation of the Holy Spirit. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, actuated the Power of God in them, and gave them the enablement to speak in tongues (Acts 2:4). They first believed, and then prepared themselves for the actuation of the Holy Spirit.

Actuation is done by the Holy Spirit Himself. But the individual must prepare himself or herself to allow for the actuation. The miracles are manifestations of the Power of the Holy Spirit. If we believe, but do not allow for the actuation of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit remains inactive in our lives or spirits. We will still be God’s children, but weak and inactive.

By the spirit (your spirit and God’s Spirit working together – 1 Corinthians 6:17) all things are possible. God’s Spirit makes it possible.

Your spirit and God’s Spirit become one because you join yourself to God, (1 Corinthians 6:17). This is a hard saying, but delving deeper into the Bible enables us to understand the mystery.

When you pray, the Spirit of God synchronizes events with your declarations, or the words (Job 22:28), and causes realities to occur. Your desires become realities (Mark 11:24) because God’s Spirit turns them into realities (John 14:10).

The Christian’s direct access to God is made possible by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:18). And so, the Christian relates directly to the Creator, the Spirit of God. Thus, the Christian does not have to go through mediums and rituals like the pagans, and other religions do. God’s Spiritual Power indwells the Christian, and the Christian’s spirit becomes one spirit with God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17). Just as we illustrated with the milk and the water.

Becoming one spirit with God

The Apostle Paul writes that when a Christian is joined to the Lord, he or she becomes one spirit with God.

“But the person who unites himself with the Lord becomes one spirit with him.”  (1 Corinthians 6:17; ISV)

The King James Version renders it, “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.”

As we delve deeper into the Bible with open mind, the Holy Spirit helps us with answers to critical questions like,

  • How does a person become one spirit with God?
  • How does God’s Spirit work in the human spirit?
  • Jesus, in John 10:34, quotes from Psalm 82:6, “You are god(s) (Elohim).” What did Jesus mean?
  • How do we actualize God’s power in our lives?
  • How does the Christian become spiritually invincible?
  • How does the human spirit overcome the powerful spiritual forces of darkness?
  • Job 22:28 says “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you.” How does that work in the life of the Christian?

In subsequent discussions, we will study how the Christian becomes spiritually invincible.

The Bible says,

  1. You will not lack because God is with you (Psalm 23).
  2. God’s Spirit in you makes you become God to other people (Exodus 7:1). El means mighty one. Elohim is the plural of El and means mighty ones. It is also an attribute of God or a reference to God the Creator. Christians are God’s spiritual children (John 1:12; Romans 8:15-16; Galatians 4:6-7; 2 Peter 1:3-4; John 10:34; Psalm 82:6).
  3. God, by His divine power, makes us partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).
  4. God gives you the power to make wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18).
  5. God goes ahead of you, clearing obstacles and dangers, and enabling you to become victorious over your enemies (Deuteronomy 9:3).

Why are some Christians unable to actualize the power in their lives?

Jesus Christ said the Christian shall receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit indwells him or her.

“But you shall receive power (dunamis) 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 1:8; NKJV)

The Greek word used is ‘dunamis’. In Luke 10:19, when Jesus was with them, he gave them ‘exousia’. That is, permission, (or power of authority) to act.

But in Acts 1:8 He told them, “You shall receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.” Dunamis means power, inherent power, and power to perform miracles. Why did Jesus say power later in Acts 1:8?

Subsequent discussions will delve into how the individual, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, becomes an active and powerful witness of Jesus to the world. And how we are partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Jesus said,

 17 “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name, they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”  (Mark 16:17-18; NKJV)

The power is in the name of Jesus. And the Holy Spirit indwelling you actuates the power.

Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we become empowered by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, Christians should have tremendous power to be His witnesses.

A Christian in whom the Holy Spirit dwells should not be spiritually or physically weak. Because Jesus works miracles through us. Christians should be able to get healing from sicknesses and diseases.

The Apostle John assures Christians,

“You have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world,” (1 John 4:4).

He that is in you is God, the Spirit.

Jesus said in John 14:12-14,

12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask anything in My name, I will do.” (NKJV)

The name ‘Jesus’ carries dynamite. If the Holy Spirit indwells you, and you mention the name ‘Jesus’, the Holy Spirit activates the power to perform actions and miracles.

Why then are some Christians not able to achieve these promises in their lives?

In subsequent discussions, we will study how the Christian can allow the Holy Spirit to actuate the power of God and actualize the promises. We will study how God demonstrates His love, power, and signs through the Christian. We will study why many are not demonstrating this privilege that God has deposited in them.

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Climbing the ladder of success is faith in yourself and in your vision

Success happens to people who can continue believing and working to climb the steep mountain when rejection, loneliness, and failure are staring them in the face. Success is faith in yourself and in your vision.

“Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure people,” (Proverbs 22:29; NKJV).

Achieving success is arduous and diligent work. It takes great effort to achieve success in life. It requires great physical effort, mental focus, diligence, and perseverance.

The journey to success is difficult, long, winding, tiring, and frustrating. Sometimes you feel like giving up because of uncertainties. You can’t see the results happening as you want. The delays and frustrations overwhelm you.

Proverbs 13:12 says,

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.” (ESV)

Though everybody wants to be successful, not everyone perseveres to the end. And so, only a few people reach the pinnacle of success.

Some people, after struggling and not seeing results, take the quick and easy way to become successful. Some manage to get wealth the quick and easy way by dubious means, or through satanic rituals. But they don’t live long to enjoy their wealth. They die miserably within a short time after making their wealth.

Some contract strange spiritual and chronic illnesses, live miserable lives, do not enjoy their wealth as they wished, and die painful deaths. Some also land in jail for using shady deals to make their wealth.

Along the way, some people become frustrated because the journey doesn’t seem to end soon. The pains continue to increase as they encounter odds and uncertainties. Beyond is unclear, and they wonder if they will be successful at all.

Only the daring, only those who have confidence, press on. The few people who persevere and obtain their wealth the right way, live long to enjoy their wealth with their families.

Paul said he did not consider himself to have reached the point yet regarding what he was pursuing. He said, “I forget the past that is behind me. And I try very much to reach the things that are in front of me.”

Paul was always running straight towards the goal ahead. He was always pursuing the goal, to win the prize of God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-15).

He admonished all to think the same. To continue to press on toward the heavenly goal. In all things that we do, we must keep working, improving, and believing in ourselves and in God. We must correct the mistakes and continue to press on.

In Romans 12:16-18 Paul advises that we must learn to live in harmony with each other. We should not be arrogant but must associate with humble people. We should not think we are wiser than we really are.

There is always room to acquire more knowledge and wisdom.

He said we must not pay back evil for evil but focus our thoughts on what is right in the sight of all people. And as much as is possible we must live peaceably with all people.

Proverbs 20:22 advises us not to seek vengeance. We must let the Lord God avenge and deliver us.

I live by that principle, and it pays me well. I have enjoyed life peacefully and happily. God has avenged me many times and in many ways. Though He does not always do that immediately, God has never failed to avenge me.

No matter the situation, remain honest and peaceful. Remain faithful and committed to your cause. No matter how many times you fall or fail, pull yourself up and continue the journey.

Many people are not able to continue pursuing their goals to win their prizes when the going gets tough, and when the future looks gloomy and uncertain. The darkness and uncertainty make them fear and they lose the courage to proceed further.

Loneliness also contributes to scaring them. Many of your friends may lose confidence in you. They wonder if you can make it. They forsake you. Alone, you struggle to keep on. If you lose faith, you will fail.

It is not easy winning the prize. Therefore, only a few people brave the storms and odds to continue climbing the ladder of success.

Do not envy people who are successful. You don’t know how much pain and frustration they endured before they reached the top.

Don’t be angry when successful people seem not to care about your suffering. They may not be in a position to assist you at the time you came to them for help. Others might have gone to them for help, and so by the time you came to them, they may not be in a position to assist you.

Life does not smile on the poor. Life does not treat the poor with kid gloves. Life treats all of us the same. Moreover, God sends rain to both the righteous and the unrighteous and makes His sun rise for both the righteous and the unrighteous. If you do what is right you, too, will reach the top. Use any opportunity or chance available to you. And with God’s help you, too, will make it. God told Cain, “If you do what is right you, too, would be accepted.”

Many people do not reach the top of the mountain because the mountain of success is not easy to climb. It is steep and high.

Don’t be angry at successful people when they do not lend you a helping hand. Besides, it is God who gives us help. God knows who will be in the right position to offer you help when you need it.

The pain of loneliness becomes your companion when people abandon you. But remember that God is always by your side. If you call Him, He will respond.

Some loved ones may even become fed up with you and forsake you. While people are sleeping comfortably, you would be struggling alone in the darkness, trying to make your vision come true.

Life is hard… you must accept the fact and be prepared for the hard journey to success. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow said, “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained in sudden flight, but they, while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night.”

Sometimes you might even wonder if you can or will succeed at all.

You will face constant rejections when you want people to understand you and empathize with you. Many will tell you bluntly that they are not interested, or that they don’t believe your vision is viable.

When doors are shut in your face, and no one is ready to receive you, you will feel despondent. The rejections and cold receptions can affect your confidence. They may shatter your faith in the vision you are cherishing to accomplish.

God told Gideon, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites.” (Judges 6:14)

As you struggle to climb higher, the effort becomes increasingly difficult. But you must fight back feelings of discouragement. You must persevere. You must have the confidence that you will succeed. You have what it takes to be successful. So, do not quit! Press on! Success and prosperity take time to mature. Success starts slowly but picks up gradually. Then at a point, it increases rapidly.

You must also cultivate the habit of savings. If you don’t have capital, you must save some amount of money from your meager earnings for investment. It is not easy, but you must discipline yourself and cultivate the habit to save.

Discouragement is like water poured on sparks that you are trying to keep on. Discouragement quenches the sparks of hope in you and makes you lose the vim to pursue your aim.

Constant rejections will dissipate your confidence. You fear people will reject you when you want them to hear you or to help you. They don’t give you the chance to demonstrate what you believe so that they can then make an informed decision to reject or accept your proposal.

You hear people openly despising you. They tell you in plain words that they don’t see anything good in you.

But though people may not see anything good in you, remember that God knew you before He created you. You were created with great potential. God placed potential in you when He created you. Therefore, you are not useless.

Let the Spirit of God motivate you and actuate the ability to achieve your vision.

You are not defined by how people see you. You are not defined by how people measure you. What people may think is not necessarily what and how God estimates you.

Prepare your mind to face the challenges and move on with your vision.

And don’t forget that God created you because He had confidence in you. Even the physically challenged are reckoned by God in high esteem. Anyone that God created and allows to be part of humanity is reckoned by God to be important.

Nobody can alter your destiny. You are the only one who can do that. You can persist and fulfill your destiny or walk away from the destiny that God planned for you. If you walk away from the principles and the path that God outlined for you then you would be changing your destiny by walking away.

God does not interfere with our free will. You can decide to do what you want. God will not force you against your will. But you will bear the consequences of the choices you make. God will take responsibility to make sure you achieve your goal if your choices are in tune with God’s principles for your life.

If the Spirit of God indwells you, and you allow Him to work as He should, then miracles will happen. The Spirit of God in you will do wonderful things in your life. The Spirit of God will make possible the impossible things to happen in your life, (John 14:10, 12-16; Mark 16:17-18).

God’s Spirit indwelling you will give you the tongue of the learned and the ears of the learned (Isaiah 50:4). God shall be with your tongue and teach you what to say and how to articulate it, (Luke 12:12; Exodus 4:12; Jeremiah 1:5-10). That is, if you allow God’s Spirit access to your spirit.

The Lord God who created you planned your destiny when you were in the womb of your mother. Therefore, your destiny is not determined by people.

I am not moved by what people think. I am confident that I shall always be successful because God says so. In God I live, move, and have my being (Acts 17:28). Therefore, it is not what people say that matters. What God says about me is what matters to me.

You won’t toil in vain nor bear children doomed to misfortune. You are the blessed of the Lord God. His protection is upon you, your children, and your descendants (Isaiah 65:23).

If you remain in God, and your children and descendants remain faithful to God, then God’s protection shall abide with you, your children, and your descendants.

Moreover, when you call, God will answer. Even before you start calling, He will answer because He is all-knowing. He is aware of things that will happen before they happen, (Isaiah 65:24). But you must remain faithful to the Lord God. Because God will not condone evil.

In Christianity, we relate to God, the Creator of the world, directly. We relate to God by our spirit. We do not go through mediums, like fetish priests, mallams, soothsayers, magicians, etc. We do not perform rituals like magicians, soothsayers, fetish priests, etc. Moreover, the Old Testament rituals have been completed and done away with by the death of Jesus Christ (see Hebrews chapter 1:1-4; 7:11-12, 18-19, 22-28; 8:6-13).

Because of the work that Christ did for us, we now go directly to God. We connect to God directly through Christ Jesus by the spirit. Jesus said the Holy Spirit will be available to tell us what to say or do. He said it will be given to you at that moment what you should say (Luke 12:12; Exodus 4:12; Matthew 10:19).

In Mark 13:11 we learn that it is not we who speak. It is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God Himself. And He is the one who speaks through us when He indwells us, and if we allow Him to operate.

The individual person’s spirit is transformed by God’s Spirit. And the words that the person speaks are transformed by the Holy Spirit and energized or enabled by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).

Isaiah 50:4 says the words that come out of your mouth are the words of the learned. God’s Spirit sanctifies the words. On the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit that filled the 120 people enabled them to speak different tongues (Acts 2:4).

The Spiritual Power Himself, the Holy Spirit, indwells the Christian. The Spirit of God is the Creative Power, the Creator, the dunamis that God the Creator pours into our spirits when He comes upon us.

Many Christians do not know that the power, the dunamis of God, is in them and that the power, the dunamis of the Holy Spirit, has made their spirit one with God’s Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17).

The Spirit of God will motivate and make your human heart and spirit love peace, have confidence, and have the spiritual ability to excel in the things you do.

The human heart is corrupt and evil. It is prone to evil. But the Spirit of God will transform your human spirit to be loving, kind, peaceful, and forgiving.

In Ezekiel 36:26 God promises to give us new hearts, new spirits within the deepest parts of our beings. So, the Spirit of God will transform our spirits. The Spirit of God will produce in us the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control, etc., (Galatians 5:22-26).

Those who want to hear strange teachings and so-called new revelations are easily deceived by charlatans and false religious people. These false religious people claim to have received special revelations. The Bible, however, tells us that the New Testament writings are the only teachings or doctrines that we need for our salvation, peace, and prosperity.

Jesus commanded the Apostles to pass on to us what He taught them (Matthew 28:20). If you study the Acts of the Apostles, you will notice that the Apostles and the disciples taught only what Jesus commanded them (Matthew 20:18-20; Acts 2:42).

Therefore, all other doctrines or so-called new revelations by people that do not agree with what the Apostles taught are fake. You don’t have to believe them, and you do not have to fear not believing them. Such new doctrines that are not compatible with the New Testament teachings handed down by the Apostles are deception.

If Jesus wanted us to practice them, He would have commanded the Apostles and His disciples to teach them.

Peter writes that prophecies are not for private interpretations. Therefore, we should disregard anyone who claims to have special or new revelations that are not included in the New Testament teachings handed down by the Apostles (2 Peter 1:20-21).

People who want to reach success quickly and easily, those who want to become rich quickly and easily, are the ones easily deceived by people.

If you study the Bible well, you will notice that all who became successful worked hard and diligently. They followed the principles of success. They did not sit idle waiting for manna to fall into their hands.

Proverbs 22:29 says the diligent will excel and become successful and prominent.

The victory road is not a smooth and easy one. Climbing the ladder of success is not easy. But faith in God, believing in yourself, and working diligently, will take you to the top.