Post by Deleted on Apr 30, 2022 11:35:05 GMT -5
DIE TO SELF, LIVE TO CHRIST
One of my favorite verses in the bible is Acts 1:8
“ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
I love this verse because of the simple truths which it reveals. One is a paradox concerning life and death, how? Because when we are alive in Christ it is because we are dead to the flesh. Hence regeneration is the effect of our salvation “ born again “ in the Spirit to live by the power and morality of the eternal God not the depravity of temporal flesh.
(6) Whatever has been born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever has been born of the Spirit is spirit.
(7) Do not be astonished at my telling you, 'You must all be born anew.'
(8) The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So is it with every one who has been born of the Spirit." John 3:6-8 WNT
It stands to reason that if the Spirit manifests wherever it chooses, and we are led by the Spirit, we will sometimes be motivated to witness the gospel for a purpose of expanding the kingdom of God. We understand that the great commission involves both leadership and laity because we are now spiritual beings, who have a soul which is made up of the mind, will, and emotions, and we live in a body of flesh and blood. First and foremost we are spirit because we have been born from above.
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
(14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1st Corinthians 2:12-14 KJV
Our transformation has opened our eyes to what is real and eternal and also to what is real but temporal. We now live in the Spirit for the purposes of the Eternal Kingdom of God. Hence to be witnesses of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and demonstrating that resurrected life in word and in deed. A disciple is an adherent of a person; one who accepts and assists in spreading their doctrines. Leadership and Laity alike are disciples of Christ. Therefore we all must die to self in order to live for Christ, to live for Christ is to be led by the Spirit. It’s harvest time and the fields are ripe already, the harvest is great but the laborers are few. Jesus spoke of a great feast in a parable, where many of the guest failed to show up, he continues the parable.
“ And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23 KJV
Now more than ever its time to be about the Father’s business, notice he said to compel them to come in, to compel means to constrain them to convince them, to have passion with compulsion with irresistible persistence. It’s harvest time and the fields are ripened already for the reaping, lets get the house filled! Selah!
Shalom, Agape, & Amen!
Apostle D. R. Ritchie
One of my favorite verses in the bible is Acts 1:8
“ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
I love this verse because of the simple truths which it reveals. One is a paradox concerning life and death, how? Because when we are alive in Christ it is because we are dead to the flesh. Hence regeneration is the effect of our salvation “ born again “ in the Spirit to live by the power and morality of the eternal God not the depravity of temporal flesh.
(6) Whatever has been born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever has been born of the Spirit is spirit.
(7) Do not be astonished at my telling you, 'You must all be born anew.'
(8) The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So is it with every one who has been born of the Spirit." John 3:6-8 WNT
It stands to reason that if the Spirit manifests wherever it chooses, and we are led by the Spirit, we will sometimes be motivated to witness the gospel for a purpose of expanding the kingdom of God. We understand that the great commission involves both leadership and laity because we are now spiritual beings, who have a soul which is made up of the mind, will, and emotions, and we live in a body of flesh and blood. First and foremost we are spirit because we have been born from above.
(12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
(13) Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
(14) But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1st Corinthians 2:12-14 KJV
Our transformation has opened our eyes to what is real and eternal and also to what is real but temporal. We now live in the Spirit for the purposes of the Eternal Kingdom of God. Hence to be witnesses of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and demonstrating that resurrected life in word and in deed. A disciple is an adherent of a person; one who accepts and assists in spreading their doctrines. Leadership and Laity alike are disciples of Christ. Therefore we all must die to self in order to live for Christ, to live for Christ is to be led by the Spirit. It’s harvest time and the fields are ripe already, the harvest is great but the laborers are few. Jesus spoke of a great feast in a parable, where many of the guest failed to show up, he continues the parable.
“ And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” Luke 14:23 KJV
Now more than ever its time to be about the Father’s business, notice he said to compel them to come in, to compel means to constrain them to convince them, to have passion with compulsion with irresistible persistence. It’s harvest time and the fields are ripened already for the reaping, lets get the house filled! Selah!
Shalom, Agape, & Amen!
Apostle D. R. Ritchie