Spirit AND Truth!

 

John 4:24

"God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

This is an often quoted scripture but rarely practiced in today's organized religious services. Jesus was speaking to the woman at the well about what God desires in worshippers, and how we MUST worship Him. The words to pay attention too are 'must', and, AND, because these words are used by Jesus for a reason, He is giving believers instruction on how to worship God and what the Father is seeking.

When Jesus says we MUST worship God in spirit AND truth, is there any other way we can do it? The answer is No! We have to do it God's way, not our way, not your denominations way, or your pastor's way, or your family's way etc..... 

Must means: be commanded or requested to, be urged to : ought by all means to, be required by law, custom, or moral conscience, we must obey the rules. (Merriam Webster)

So if you're thinking oh it's ok to do it this way or that way, my father does it like this, my mother does it this way, but Proverbs 16:25 tells us that "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." So we have a choice to make, do we do thing's God's way, which is the right way or do we do thing's man's way? Where our immortal souls spends eternity hangs on our decisions today!

Jesus is also telling us that we can't have the spirit without the truth, we must have both together, can a plane fly with one wing? No! You need both wings to fly an airplane or else the plane will crash! It's the same way with spirit and truth. 

We also need the Holy Spirit of God to sanctify our flesh, convict us of sin when we do wrong, show us when we are being unrighteous and also convict us of coming judgement. The Spirit of God also intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be spoken, and bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

The Holy Spirit also manifests with signs and wonders, casting out evil spirit's from our bodies, which is the temple of God. The Holy Spirit gives us gift's like word's of knowledge, workings of miracles, healings, other languages, interpretations of languages, etc... 1st Corinthians 12:4-11 the body of Christ needs all these workings of the Spirit to be able to fight a spiritual battle against the forces of evil in this world. Like the word tells us our battle is NOT against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against spiritual wickedness in HIGH places! So we must have the Spirit of God operating in our lives.

Also the Spirit of God quickens our spirit so that we are able to really worship God on a spiritual level and not just an emotional one. Anyone can cry out hallelujah, while raising up their hands or jump up and down while in a service, but that doesn't mean you are worshipping God in spirit! It's much deeper! It's literally going into the throne room of God and experiencing God with your whole being, heart and mind, and becoming one with the Lord in your spirit, far more than mere emotionalism and singing your favorite Christian song.

Likewise you must have truth, otherwise you end up with people who are full of deep emotions for God but are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine! Remember it's the truth that makes you free! Without the truth of God's word you can be bound by false teachings and seducing spirits that oppress your soul and keep you from the freedom that Christ died on the cross to give us!

What is truth? God's word is truth, so if you hear anything being said that is contrary to God's word, you know you are hearing a lie, and if you are taught something that everyone believes but the word of God says something different or you see a text of scripture that contradicts a teaching, study it out for yourself and ask God to reveal His truth to you and He will! Be like the Bereans who searched the scriptures daily to see if what Paul said was true! When we know and walk in truth, we can't be deceived by the devil or false teachers!

So experience God in a new way today by worshipping Him in spirit AND truth!

In The Lord's Army,

Tyrone

Back To The First Century Church Part 2!

 

Genesis 6:11-14

"The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch."

The Lord God is a patient and loving God! I wonder how long it took for the earth to be filled with violence? But eventually God does see the sins of His creation, the corruption of mankind  and the violence that they do come before Him up in Heaven and God makes a decision to judge the people on the earth.

Because of the fallen nature of man, he keeps going back to the same old routine of violence and thinking evil continually. Even when we think we're okay we need to be judging our thoughts by the word of God. Because we know the scripture say's "there is a way that SEEMS right to a man, but it's end is the way of  death!"

This is why mankind need's the intervention of a loving and just God because without His laws and His word and His Son Jesus we would be left without any hope of  salvation for our souls!

This is also why God raises up people like Noah, the prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, and His apostles to warn people, to preach the truth and bring people back to the right ways of God. If we break man's laws there is a consequence, we have to go to jail, if we break God's laws there is a consequence, if we don't repent (change our minds and think differently) and believe on His Son Jesus Christ, when we die, when our immortal soul leaves our body we will go to Hell, until the day of Judgment and then we will stand before the Creator of all things and we will be judged according to what we have done on this earth, while in our bodies.

We must get back to the right ways of God, to the simplicity of the Gospel, to true fellowship and openness, to accountability, to admonishing one another and building one another up in the Lord. We need revival, a true revival! Not some emotion filled screaming and hollering or dropping on the floor and rolling around or barking like a dog as we have seen in those false revivals, but a genuine move of God, an outpouring of His Spirit with supernatural signs and wonders that cannot be faked or copied.

What we have today is man corrupting himself again, violence worldwide, no regard for human life and many who claim to be Pastor's are making merchandise of the gospel, more concerned with making a living than helping a soul be delivered from the oppression of the devil. Many who gather in church buildings every Sunday have become accustomed to just hearing ABOUT God and Jesus, but never EXPERIENCING His great healing and delivering power or His Divine love!

We are living in the exact times that Paul said would come to pass, men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, gathering so-called ministers to themselves to tickle their ears! On just about every corner of America there is a church building and a liquor store! What is that saying? You can go wherever you want to go and hear something that you want to hear and if a truth is spoken that offends you, then you can just go somewhere else!

The first century disciples didn't have it so easy! When Jesus said something they didn't like, many just turned away and followed Him no more! But those who stayed had their eternity changed! Those who stayed received the abundant life that Jesus came to give to those who believed in Him and stayed faithful until the end. Ear tickling compromising words will not bring true repentance and Godly sorrow! Ear tickling words will not bring the conviction of the Holy Spirit that will cause you to change your bad habits, and come out of the world and be separate! Ear tickling words and the sinners prayer will not bring you the salvation of your soul!

It's time to experience the genuine power of an Almighty God who will once again judge the earth and it's people, but this time it will not be with water but with fire! In fact God is already judging the earth with famines, pestilence, flood's, tsunami's, earthquakes, and the like. Look at what Covid is doing, causing people to stay in their homes, no more big gatherings, no more mega church services, this is a time to search our hearts and get back to what really matters in life, family, love, and the genuine fellowship of the saints of God.

The first disciples were together in their homes every single day! Praying together, seeking God, fasting, eating together, singing psalms and hymns together, loving one another, helping one another, serving one another and growing every day in the Lord. Let us get back to the first century church, in the 21st century!

In Jesus Name,

Tyrone

Is God With You?

Acts 10:38

"how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. "

John 3:1-2

"There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

Exodus 3:12

"So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

If you call yourself a minister, pastor, apostle, evangelist etc.... and every Sunday you oversee the Lord's sheep and God is not with you, how effective can you be?

If all your sermons are just great orations, power point presentations, intellectual inspirational speeches and you yell at your congregation, but you have no confirmation of the word by God with signs and wonders following, then God is NOT with you!

It's not possible to be an effective minister of the gospel without the power of God working in you and through you on a daily basis. So many have settled for ear tickling messages, with wise and persuasive words but no power, no demonstration of the Spirit using you to cast out devils, heal the sick, or raise the dead. Why are many professing Christians today satisfied with being entertained instead of being convicted of their sin, unrighteousness and ungodliness? 

It should be obvious to all who read the bible that what we are seeing across the board in every denomination, congregation, and gathering of people is a lack of the true presence and power of God! A lack of genuine repentance, conviction, and conversion. Seeker friendly messages and the sinners prayer is the norm today, which is very sad considering we have the word's of God and His Son Jesus Christ contained in the bible for us to study and live by.

Is God with you? If not, then anyone who steps up to preach the gospel without the anointing, power and grace of God flowing from within them should step back until God is with them! Until the Lord Jesus is confirming the words they speak on His behalf with signs and wonders following!

Mark 16:19-20

"So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen."

In His Service,

Tyrone