There are some misunderstandings in our teachings in the churches. Unknowingly we were taught a lot of religious activities and were not guided properly according to the Word of God. There should be Holy Spirit revelation while we read the Bible. We should not just take the texts literally. I am going to give some points which I learnt listening to Good Teachings, which are eye openers to me.
- Mixing Old Testament or Covenant & New Testament or Covenant
Between Old and the New Testament, there is a gap of 400 years. The last book Malachi was written in 450 BC and the gospel Luke was written 57 AD. So it is not a dividing paper in between these two Testaments; do not mix these two. JESUS talks about the old and new testament in the following verses very clearly. “No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”” Matthew 9:16-17 NKJV).
From Matthew Chapters 5-7 in the Sermon on the Mount, we find Jesus is adding to the Ten Commandments and explaining more in detail about the requirements of the commandments and calls them ‘My Commandments ‘ and later it is written as ‘His Commandments’. E.g. Adultery – Jesus said, “You have heard about old saying do not commit adultery but I say if a person look at a girl in a bad intention you have committed adultery already.” This commandment is in the Old Testament which Jesus is talking about. So Old Testament Ten Commandments may help us understand JESUS’ COMMANDMENTS in the New Testament better. It gives us some fundamental principles which God started to do on earth to save human race.
- Law -God overlooked sin before this Romans 3:22-25(NKJV)
- Grace -God overlooks because of JESUS 2 Corinthians5:17-19(NKJV)
{(Genesis 4: 15) God promises He will avenge 7 times if anyone kill Cain!! During Law period God punished Israelites heavily when they did not follow commandments}
Letter kills – Mount Sinai ( 3000 died) (Exodus 32)
Grace saves – Pentecostal Day (3000 saved) (Acts 2)
1) GOD is GOD – No authority for Man after he has sinned.
2) GOD is FATHER – All authorities given to Man if you are born again & spirit filled.
So God has put His entire wrath for the sins of man and punished Jesus on the cross, he is not angry with you for your sins anymore Colossians 2:13-17(NKJV) and on top of that you are His sons and daughters. You are co-heirs with Jesus. Act like one. Do not pray like Old Testament people do-Abraham, David, Elijah, Moses. You are not the intercessor or the mediator. JESUS IS OUR MEDIATOR. (1 Timothy 2:3-6) HOLY SPIRIT INTERCEDES FOR US. (Romans 8:26) JESUS ALWAYS MENTIONED GOD AS FATHER when He spoke with the disciples. Lord’s Prayer starts as OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. (Matthew 6:9-13) You are greater than all the old testament hero’s & greater than John the Baptist. JESUS said in (Matthew 11: 11) The least in the kingdom of God is greater than John the Baptist. So we just go boldly to our Father to speak and have fellowship with Him. APPROACH GOD AS YOU DO WITH YOUR DADDY. Romans 8:15-17(NKJV) WE HAVE ALL LOVING, ALL POWERFUL, ALL WILLING DADDY to depend on. Hallelujah!
- Putting total responsibility on GOD: One song goes like this ‘Kesara sara- whatever will be will be.’ Saying whatever happens it is all God’s doing and nothing we can do but go on in life. No, entirely wrong.
God’s part to Save us which He finished 50%/ 50% our responsibility to Receive. If you do not do your part it is your fault when things go wrong. One lady, to whom I gave the gospel, told me, “If God wants me to be saved, why cannot he do it. Why do I have to do something?” Actually JESUS paid for everyone’s salvation a ransom price by His precious blood. But it is our responsibility to pray for our Salvation repenting for our sins and then receive the baptism of water and the Holy Spirit. We have our part to do to complete our salvation.
God will not do it for you. He never forces anybody. He is a gentleman.
DO NOT BLAME GOD IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE HOLY SPIRIT OR BE SATISFIED WITHOUT HIM. YOU TRY AGAIN TILL YOU RECEIVE. THIS IS THE POWER OF GOD YOU NEED TO LIVE GODLY LIFE. THE THIRD HEAD OF GOD IS WHOM YOU GOT RIGHT NOW TO HELP YOU. Crave for more revelation and anointing. Luke 11: 9-13(NKJV)
- Self righteousness – I am good so I am blessed: This is Anti-Christ.
God’s grace has provided us all the blessings. It is God’s righteousness that we should depend on. Your righteousness is filthy rags in the sight of God. God is only good. If you accept Him, He gives all free to you.
God provided both physical and spiritual blessings not because you behaved well. (Romans 5: 8)
God created all that on earth and provided all physical things. He did not forget something then when man needed he created something new, no. (Genesis 2: 1-2) By the seventh day God has finished His Work. Did you see anywhere in the Bible where God added to His creation!!
In the same manner JESUS did all that is needed to be redeemed in the spiritual things and sat at the right hand of God. (John 19: 30 It is finished) Jesus behaved well and took the judgment on Himself so we can all have His righteousness freely. To all whom JESUS redeemed, He gave authority to have all things in HIS NAME. Amen.
6-8000 years before you came to this earth God finished creating everything. 2000 years ago Jesus died on the cross and kept your salvation ready. So there is nothing for God to add. We should know how to tap into this blessing by faith instead of begging God to do more as if He is sitting and waiting to see how much more you beg and plead and then He decides to give you.
DO NOT BEG GOD BUT TRUST IN THOSE PROMISES AND THANK HIM IN PRAYERS FOR THE WEALTH, HEALTH & FORGIVENESS. WE HAVE HOLY SPIRIT RESIDING IN US TO HELP NOW, CO-OPERATE WITH HIM. GIFT OF FAITH IS ONE OF THE 9 GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.
- Expecting God to change you:
You start changing your soul with the power of the Holy Spirit given to you. It is our job to do. It will not happen automatically.
When we are born again and filled by the Holy Spirit, our Spirit alone is perfect as Jesus. Whereas we have a Spirit, Soul and a Body. We have to save the Soul & Body with right thinking and doing right actions in cooperation with the Holy Spirit.
Spirit + Holy Spirit 1 John 4:17 Ephesians 4:30 – Complete & pure as Jesus
Soul (Heart –Feelings, Mind- thoughts) Matthew 10:28, 16:26; Romans 12:1-2 – Should be transformed
Body Reflects 3 John 2 ; Romans 14:20-23 – Eat without doubt
(Rom.10:17 FAITH COMES FROM HEARING, HEARING THE WORD OF GOD). (ALL THAT IS NOT FROM FAITH IS SIN. Romans 14:23)
- God is in Control of everything Good & Bad:- Nothing we can do. NO, God is sovereign but God gave FREE WILL to man. He did not create robots.
We are in control of our life to choose good & bad situations by saying and believing. Life and death are in your tongue.(Proverbs 18:21) We pray for something but speak negatively the rest of the time. So sometimes God’s hands are tied up and He will not be able to help you even though He wants to. GOD WANTS TO HAVE ALL GOOD HAPPEN TO YOU. (John 10:10) PROPHECY GREAT THINGS OVER YOU. It is our job to choose & do in the authority JESUS gave us. GOD HAS GIVEN ALL AUTHORITY TO US. (Matthew 10: 7-8);(Mark 16: 15-17) When you pray God, He says “I have already given authority to do.” If we want revival go, preach and pray for sick, don’t sit in your room, go on praying and asking God to do it. GOD IS WAITING ON YOU TO DO.
- God wants us to suffer– We have wrong teachings such as – 1) God is teaching you something through sickness. (Do we put sickness on our children to teach something? Even an evil father will not do that to his children.) Because you prayed and did not get healed, immediately you decided that God did not want you to be healed. NO. (e.g. Leper, Matthew 8:2; Mark 1:40; Luke 5:12 ”If you are willing you can make me clean” “I am willing, be cleansed.”)(Peter’s mother-in-law Matthew 8:14; Mark1:30;Luke 4:38) 2) Sickness comes because of sin. In John 9:3 JESUS answers and tells the disciples who asked why this Blind man Born Blind, whether it is his sin or his parents’ sin, “The Works of God to be revealing in this blind man so he was born blind.” WE SHOULD NOT PORTRAY GOD AS A BAD PERSON. GOD IS VERY MUCH UPSET ABOUT SUCH SAYINGS AND BELIEF SYSTEM.
God wants us all to be healed. It is our doubt; fear and unbelief that stopped healing power come into us. We are at fault. We should fast and pray so that our unbelief goes. We do not fast and pray to make God hear you and have pity on you. GOD WANTS YOU TO BE HEALED AND LIVE HEALTHY ALL YOUR LIFE TIME.
(Matthew 16: 24)The sufferings JESUS talks about is not from sickness but from persecution while preaching the Gospel. JESUS’ CROSS – PERSECUTION
- Expecting too much from fallen world.
1) People are not perfect even among born –again believers. No preacher is good only GOD IS GOOD. I have written to say JESUS IS GOOD not I am good. So do not be disappointed when you see something wrong in Christians. Pray for them. If we can all do right then there is no need for JESUS to come & die for us.
2) All things might go wrong, nothing is permanent here, but in that how we behave is what matters. Keep your mind free from this. Do not get attached to these worldly things and get disappointed. We have not reached the New Earth and New Heaven yet that God promised.
Love one another as Jesus loved us. ( John 13: 34-35) This is the Commandment JESUS GAVE.(Romans 5: 5) God empowers us with LOVE. THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT LOVE IS POURED INTO US.
DO NOT FIND FAULTS WITH OTHERS BUT RATHER FORGIVE AND FORGET. BLESS THEM WITH WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO BE. WE HAVE NOT YET ATTAINED PERFECTION. ONLY IN THE WORLD TO COME WE WILL BE PERFECT.