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I am a retired pastor of
the Church of God (Tennessee). My name is Isaac Livingston. I am from Neyyoor India. |
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Email: Pastor True Gospel
"Genesis 1:27 says, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." So, God has created man and woman in his own image. God does not have a flesh body; man and woman also did not have flesh bodies at the first stage of their creation; flesh bodies were created latter and was given to their souls. We are the only creation that have souls. Souls are of the Spirit nature, and so they will not die and will live into eternity. For all other creations in the world, the death of their physical body will be the end for them, and they will live no more; but man and woman will continue to live as soul persons even after our flesh bodies die. How well our souls will prosper after our flesh bodies die depend on how righteously we lived our lives in our flesh bodies. Our spirit should help us to live in righteousness and in holiness. But Adam and Eve lost their spirit when they have committed sin, and so, their generation was born without the Spirit. So, Jesus Christ tells us that we must be born again, that is to receive the Spirit; it is the spirit of man and is also called as the holy Spirit since, it will lead us in righteousness and in holiness. But instead of following the Spirit, Christians just sneaked into religion because they want to exploit God to help us live a prosperous life in the flesh in the world, rather than attaining eternity. The purpose of God is to fill the world with people, choose the best godly people from them, and adopt them as his sons. And God will punish those who are deceived by Satan and gave themselves into religiosity rather than obeying God to be godly. But those who obey God will be chosen of God to be his children and Sons.
In the previous lesson we saw that there are two churches, one is the Spirit church and the other is the church of the world. Jesus Christ started the Spirit Church with his apostle Peter, and he allowed the great Roman emperor Constantine to begin the world church. The world church follows religious ordinances, ceremonies, rituals, and such things; and the Spirit Church follow godliness by obeying the commands of Jesus Christ. The main differences between these churches are, the religious church worships the legend of man Jesus, and the Spirit Church worships the real resurrected Lord Jesus Christ, who is God, and who is in the Spirit. "John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, ..." That is, God became a flesh man, who was the man Jesus, and was living among men, and he calls himself as Son of man. "Matthew 16:13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? ... 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?" So the man Jesus asked his disciples, two very important questions. 1) What the common people say who he was, and 2) what the disciples say who he was? So, 1) Verse 14 says that the common people said that he was a glorious man of God, a prophet, and so on. Even now they think of him as the legend or the Spirit from the Man Jesus, who was dead. 2) In verses 16&17; "16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." Christ is the begotten Son of God, who is in Spirit and who is God. This was a mystery, that God the Father has revealed to Peter. The Spirit Church knows this truth. So the worldly church, even though they call many names for Jesus, still they do not have the true reality of Jesus Christ as the Spirit God with no flesh body, omnipotent, and the God Almighty.
"Matthew 16:18 I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Following the revelation of God the Father to Peter, Jesus Christ declared that Peter was rock and upon him Jesus Christ will build his church; and this is the Spirit Church. But the religious churches, that is the churches of the world, do not like this scenario. So, theologians and preachers twist scriptures to nullify what Jesus Christ has done. Knowing this beforehand, Jesus says in verse 18, that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." So here, the world religious churches and their theologians are "the gates of hell." Satan the deceiver is also with them. They will try their best to fight against the Spirit Church, but they cannot prevail against it.
Theologians and preachers twist this verse and say that the rock is not Peter. But Jesus Christ followed it up by saying to Peter in "Luke 22:32 ... strengthen thy brethren." Jesus was giving the responsibility to strengthen his disciples to Peter. Again Jesus Christ had a short, emotional, effective talk with Peter in John 21:15-17. In that Jesus Christ told Peter "Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." The responsibility to feed the sheep of Jesus Christ, which is his church, was given to the one man, who was Peter. Ephesians 2:20-22 say, we "20 are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." This is the Spirit church that God builds, and Jesus Christ lives in this Church. Satan and false teachers cannot prevail against this church.
"Matthew 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The keys symbolize authority and access. In the context, Jesus Christ gives the key to apostle Peter. Using this verse, Catholics say that God gave his power to Pope, orthodox churches say that their priest have the power, Baptists and evangelists deny that Jesus gave the keys to Peter, and they say that Jesus gave the keys to himself, since Jesus is the rock, and so on. But the verse is simple and easy to understand. We may say that if Peter cursed a person, the person will be cursed by God; and if Peter blessed a person, God would also bless the person; and we may apply this verse in such a manner. Let us see another situation. "Matthew 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. 18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Here we see that the same power or authority that Jesus Christ gave to Peter, is also given to the Spirit Church of God. "19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." Then, we see that it is extended to the true believers in the Spirit Church. This is tremendous power that God gives his authority to accept or reject a person in heaven, is given to his true servants on earth. But religious churches pretend to have such power, as if the clergies have the power. But in a true church of God, there should be no clergies, since Jesus Christ must be the only high priest, mediator, and intercessor between God and his people. Clergy setup is brought into the church by Satan and by the religious people. "John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: 23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained." Jesus Christ gave the same authority to those apostles to whom he gave the presence of the Holy Ghost to be on them. This is kingdom of God, even in the world. However, whatever is done in the kingdom of God in the world, will be done in the kingdom of God in heaven also.
Adam and Eve lost their Spirit and became dead in the Spirit when they committed sin, and their offsprings were born with no Spirit, but only with Soul and body. So, Jesus Christ tells us to be born of the Spirit, that is to receive the holy Spirit, and to strive to inherit the kingdom of God. "John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." If you have the holy Spirit in you, you are a part of the Spirit Church. Most of the world church think that the gifts of the Holy Ghost, as the holy Spirit. It is ignorance. "Psalm 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them." God gives the gifts even to rebellious people. But God gives the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of man, only to sincere people who desire godliness instead of worldliness.
How to receive the holy Spirit from God? "Luke 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ... 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" So, if we ask God, as a child ask his father, God will give the holy Spirit. What is the proof or evidence that we have received the holy Spirit? If we have the Spirit, we will have a desire for a godly life more than the worldly life. But the caution is that religious people also say that they have the holy Spirit and convince others to believe that they also have the holy Spirit, without having any proof. "Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." So, the sincere and righteous people receive the holy Spirit and also obey the true gospel. The holy Spirit is an advance that God gives to them, looking forward to the great and glorious inheritance that they will inherit in the kingdom of God in heaven.
In the book of Psalms 68:18, we saw that God gives the gifts of the Holy Ghost even to the rebellious people. So, religious people also receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost, without receiving the holy Spirit. They can manifest the gifts in their ministry without godliness. "Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." God cast them out of heaven, since they lived the life of iniquity. They could have done the ministry with the gifts of the Holy Ghost for their own profit, but not for converting souls. God also says, "I never knew you:" So, they may be doing the ministry with manifestation by false Christs, which is deception. "Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Most ministries of today are done by the manifestations from false-Christs, but the Christians of the world have no way of knowing it. Mostly, worldly Christians follow another-Jesus, antichrists, and false-Christs. They live worldly life, but not godly life. The sad part is that they are cool in the world, but they may not enter into eternal life. So, it is important to live a godly life, than doing power ministry and end up in hell and in the lake of fire for eternity. We must have the holy Spirit for eternal life, but the gifts of the Holy Ghost are not.
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God Bless You
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Matthew 28:20, & Mark 16:15. Jesus Christ preached his commandments to obey, as his Gospel; it is the true Gospel to inherit Eternal life. Genesis 3:1-4 & 2 Corinthians 11:2-4. But Preachers, who are Serpents of Satan, preach the life of man Jesus just to believe, but not to live as a chaste virgin, as the gospel; it is another gospel, which cannot and will not give Eternal life.
The true gospel will convert evil people to do good and thereby they will inherit the kingdom in heaven.
John 3:19-21 say that people are two kinds, evil and true. Evil doers will not come to the Light, who is God; but people of truth come to God for their deeds to be made manifest. We have good and evil people by our standard of our society or culture. These evil people may be converted to be doers of truth by the power of God, and they may inherit the kingdom of God in heaven.
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Email: Pastor True Gospel
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