The impartation of the Holy Spirit by Jesus to His disciples on resurrection day was not the baptism in the Spirit as experienced at Pentecost. It was the disciples’ initial new covenant experience of the regenerating presence of the Holy Spirit and the impartation of new life from the risen Christ.During Jesus’ last discourse with […]
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Regeneration or spiritual birth is a foundational doctrine of the Christian faith. Without the new birth, one cannot see the kingdom of God and receive eternal life and salvation through Jesus Christ. Regeneration is a re-creating of spiritual life in the human heart by God and the Holy Spirit. Through this process, the eternal life
What is wrong with riches? The prevailing view among the Jews in Jesus’ day was that to be wealthy was a sign of God’s special favor and to be poor was a sign of God’s displeasure. The Pharisees, for example, thought this way and derided Jesus for His poverty. Although this false idea recurs at
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Jesus had a special relationship with the Holy Spirit that is a connection that is important for our personal lives. The Son of God’s close relationship in detail and its practical implications. At Jesus’ birth, both Matthew and Luke state explicitly and unmistakably that Jesus came into the world as a miraculous deed of God.
Scripture teaches that Christ wants His followers to expect miraculous deeds as they announce the gospel of the kingdom of God. These signs are by true disciples confirming that the gospel message is genuine, that God’s kingdom has come to earth in power, and that the living and risen Jesus is present with His people
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Believers must be aware that within the churches may be ministers of God’s Word who are of the same Spirit and life as the corrupt teachers of God’s law in Jesus’ day. Jesus warns that not everyone who professes Christ is a true believer, nor are all Christian writers, missionaries, pastors, evangelists, teachers, deacons, and
One of the primary emphases in the Gospel of Mark is Jesus’ concern for believers to defeat Satan and his demonic powers. Now we know this is not done by human strength but by using the authority in the name of Jesus to defeat the enemy. In Mark chapter three, verse twenty-seven expresses entering the
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In Matthew twenty-four, verse fifteen, Jesus speaks about unique signs that will come during the great tribulation, signs that the end of the age is very near. These signs will lead to Christ’s return to earth after the pain and unhappiness. The big sign is “the abomination of desolation,” a specific observable event that tells
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The problem of sickness and disease intersects with the difficulty of sin and death. Since the consequences of the fall, humanity has the opportunity for redemption through the Son of God. Whereas medical science views the cause of sickness and disease in psychological or psychosomatic terms, the Bible presents two spiritual causes as the underlying
The kingdom of God (or heaven) carries the idea of God coming into the world to assert His power, glory, and rights against Satan’s dominion and the present course of this world.The kingdom is an assertion of God’s power in action. He begins His spiritual rule on earth in the hearts of His people: coming
