Category: Bible Study

Far too many Christians today are walking around with things hidden in their heart that are eating them alive spiritually. Unconfessed sins break down our faith, destroy our confidence in Christ, and rob us of our peace and joy. Not to mention, unrepented sin can cause a whole flurry of spiritual problems in our lives.

Proverbs 28:13, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

Psalms 38:3-8, “…Neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me. My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and sore broken: I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.”

Many Christians simply say, “Lord, forgive me of all my sins”, but continue to hide and cover up sins from their past. Do you honestly think that God honors this behavior? I don’t think so. Let’s take a look at what King David said about hiding sin in our hearts:

Psalms 32:3, “When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long.” (NLT)

Am I saying that we must go back through each sin in our past and cover every dead work? No! All I’m saying is that we need to search our hearts to make sure that there is no sin being hidden or covered up that we may not remember or be aware of right now. Covering up, justifying or hiding sin in our hearts is the opposite of true repentance. True repentance brings it to the surface, confesses it as sin, and then forsakes it.

King David knew the importance of making sure his heart was clean before the Lord; he even asked the Lord to search his heart and see if there be anything hidden that needed to be brought out into the open:

Psalms 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

The repentance of sin is a very important, but often overlooked part of the gospel. Jesus made it clear that repentance and remission of sin is a foundation that we cannot overlook…

Luke 24:47, “And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”

Matthew 3:6, “And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.“

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You can be the most gifted person in the church, but bear no fruit if you are unaware of what your gifts are, or how to use them. You might know that you’re gifted as a prophet, but have an accuracy rate that is in the toilet, because you haven’t refined your gift, and learned how to discern the different voices in your head. A religious spirit can have a field day in somebody who is gifted in prophecy, but has not trained their ear to discern the sources of those voices in their head. One of the ways a prophet can train their ear is to study and know the Word of God, and learn of the heart of God. This way, when a voice comes along that doesn’t sound like the voice of God, they can recognize the false voice and throw it out. Whatever you receive must pass the filter of God’s Word and the heart and nature of God. Look for patterns in your gifting, when you are accurate and when you aren’t. Be especially on guard against the religious spirit, which will sound Godly, but will give a word that will either enslave the receiver, load them down with guilt, fear, etc., and get their eyes off of the finished work of the Cross. This is the work of Satan, and something we need to be on guard against if we are going to operate in the gift of prophecy. The gift of prophecy can change a person’s life and set them ablaze for God, or it can devastate that person and throw them off course. That is why Paul said that the spirit of a prophet is subject to be judged by other prophets, which helps in keeping things in line and helps with training up the prophets:

“And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” (1 Corinthians 14:32 KJV)

Realize that you won’t get it right every time, but you have to start somewhere. The best place to start out with a prophetic gift is in the presence of other prophets who are seasoned and have developed a good accuracy rate. I don’t recommend running up in front of the church and blurting out your first prophecy, because if you are wrong, you could potentially do far more harm than good. Learn to develop your gift in presence of brothers and sisters who have been there before you and can help you grow in a safe learning environment. Also, when you start to hear God’s voice, most of the time it will be a word for you and not somebody else. Why? Because God wants to train you to hear His voice for yourself, before you are ready to deliver words to others. Immature prophets will run up to everybody with a “word” when they have not perfected their gift in their own life.

Another problem I often see in the church is how hard they are on the gift of prophecy, saying that because somebody gave an inaccurate prophecy 5 years ago, they cannot be trusted today. We all make mistakes, but if you’re a prophet, you make one mistake and could be written off for the rest of your life? What is fair about that? Satan will often try to use flaws in a minister, to get people to write off the entire ministry. Immature Christians will look at a few flaws and overlook all of the good that a ministry has to offer.

You can be totally gifted in prophecy, but you will always have an accuracy rate. In your early days you will likely not be operating at full accuracy, and every word you give will not be on the money. This doesn’t mean you should go blurt out every word you get to everybody you see, as that can cause a tremendous amount of harm and damage. But rather position yourself among other believers who have developed their gifting and can help you with yours. I believe every church should have a place where people can grow their gifts in a safe environment, where it’s okay to make a mistake, and others will help others grow their gifts. If you are a prophet, seek out other mature believers who are prophets but have perfected their gifting.

Be sure to keep everything scriptural and run everything through the filter of the Word. I don’t care who I sit under for a teaching, I filter what I hear through the Word so I’m not mislead. The Bible is your friend in keeping you safe!

If you think that it will just fall out of the sky and everything will be perfect, I got news for you… you won’t always get your gifting right! I haven’t myself seen somebody who is 100% on all the time, including myself, and you won’t be the first to get it right all the time. But if you don’t start somewhere, you will never develop the incredible gifts that God has given you, and lives will never be impacted that God has called you to impact.

You will not do everything God has called you to do, unless you are operating in what God has called you to, and use the gifts He has given you!

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Let me make something clear, there is a big difference between gifts and talents. A talent is a gift which does not require the Holy Spirit to manifest, while a true spiritual gift requires the Holy Spirit to operate through you. Things such as a beautiful voice, an ability to paint beautiful pictures, or design fantastic web sites are all talents which even non-believers can operate in and benefit from. Prophecy, gifts of healing, words of knowledge, etc. are all spiritual gifts which require the Holy Spirit to be engaged in order to work. You can’t give a prophecy without the Holy Spirit first revealing it to you. You can’t lay your hands on the sick and see them healed without the Holy Spirit’s power flowing through you.

One of my pet peeves is those churches which use the word “gifts” so freely, when they are merely referring to our talents, which has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. This is where I go back to the Bible and read what it has to tell us, not what some pastor thinks or was taught in seminary. Such false teaching is the very reason the church is so weak and helpless against real world problems today!

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Let’s be honest here, living out of our God-given identity will bless those around us in ways that they could never be blessed otherwise. There is no counselor, no doctor, no secular means of help, that will do for a person what the ministries of effective healing and deliverance will do for a person in just a few sessions. Casting demons out of an oppressed person will do for them what a lifetime of counseling and medications could never do for them – it can change their life forever!

Sometimes we can be in a deliverance session where we may never see that person again, and when you’re limited to a few hours, there’s a sense of urgency to get to the root of the problem. In those sessions, it is very important for somebody who is gifted and operating in the Word of Knowledge gift that Paul speaks of, because what may take hours to discover (or may never be discovered!), can be revealed with one simple word of wisdom! That person receiving ministry could have their life changed forever just from somebody who is operating in their Word of Wisdom gift! What if that gifted person isn’t present, or isn’t operating in their gifting? The one being ministered to may not get the help they so desperately need.

Not only do you change that person’s life to whom you minister or pray for, but you will likely change many others in their lives as a result of their testimony! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… you will do things in the kingdom that you could never do without operating in your spiritual gifts and calling!!

On top of changing the lives of others, operating in your spiritual gifts will give you a sense of identity and value in the kingdom that you can get no other way. You will feel a part of what Jesus is doing in the lives of others, and it will give you a sense of value and self-worth that nothing in this world can give you.

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Spiritual gifts are divided among the body; not all of us have the same gifts, for the sake of uniting or brining together the Body of Christ. You need what I got and I need what you got! When one of us fails to discover and use our gifts, the rest of us suffers lack in the Body, as Paul tells us in his first letter to the church of Corinth:

“And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it… Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?” 1 Corinthians 12:26, 30 KJV

Spiritual gifts, the ones that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10, will allow us to operate at a capacity that we could never reach if we’re trying to function without them! These spiritual gifts will give us the ability to bear fruit in the kingdom that we could never bear otherwise.

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-10 KJV

If we think we can just go about doing good without the Holy Spirit, we are in for a sad surprise. Jesus told us in John 15:5 that apart from Him, we can do nothing:

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 KJV

The flip side of that is clear that we can bear much fruit if we will stay plugged into the Holy Spirit and operate out of our identity and use the gifts that He’s given us.

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“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” John 15:5 KJV

Jesus did not do the works that He did because He was God. He did the works (miracles, signs, wonders, etc.) because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit:

“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” John 5:19 KJV

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Acts 10:38 KJV

And just as Jesus was anointed and called to do the work of the Father, so also are we called to be His representatives today, going about doing the Father’s good works! Keep in mind that it’s not about showing off the power of God, it’s about showing the love of God to the people around us. When we lay hands on somebody and they are healed, it shows them that God really does care about their health and wants them well. When we speak a word of wisdom to them, it shows them that God cares enough to give them divine wisdom about their situation. When we cast out their demons, it shows them that God wants them free to enjoy life free of evil spirits, the torments, and all the afflictions that come with having a demon. Operating in the power of God is all about demonstrating the love of God to that person!

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 KJV

We were commissioned to go forth and cast out demons, heal the sick and raise the dead, all while preaching the gospel. Preaching the gospel was never intended to be done without demonstrating the power and love of God to the people!

“And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:7-8 KJV

Notice that we aren’t just called to preach, but to drive out demons and heal the sick alongside preaching the gospel of Christ! Do you have any idea how many more people’s lives would be impacted if every sermon in our churches were accompanying signs and wonders? Lives would be impacted in ways that just good teaching alone cannot even begin to measure up to! Just look at Philip’s ministry, and how many people believed because they saw the power of God operating through him, performing many miracles, healings, and deliverances:

“And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.” (Acts 8:6-8 KJV)

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The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a very important step to stepping into our ministry here on earth. Jesus told the early church to wait until they received the Holy Spirit, then they were ready to go out and operate in the power of God:

“And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49 KJV)

Secondly, we’re never going to walk in the things God has called us to, without fully discovering the two levels of our unique identity. When we are asked who we are, if we answer “Accountant!” or “Plumber!” we are wrong. That may be what we’re doing for a living, but that’s not who we are. What if you lost your job? Would you become a nobody? Of course not! Who you are does not depend on what you do, but rather who God has called you to be.

We all share a foundational identity in Christ; we are all washed with the Blood, adopted as children of God, and loved with the same intensity as Father God loves His own son Jesus. That is our first identity. It isn’t unique, because it apples to all of us who are in Christ. Numerous promises from God’s Word are for us just in our foundational identity in Christ.

The first step to living out of our identity, is to become knowledgeable of that identity. We first need to learn about who we are in Christ, and our identity in Him. There is a really good book called Victory over Darkness by Neil T. Anderson that is a great help in this area.

But then there is another level of identity that we also need to be aware of and function in. That is our unique identity; it’s what makes us uniquely usable by God in the kingdom! Our unique identity includes a special collaboration of gifts, talents, and a calling that is unique to us, it’s something that sets us apart from everybody else. With these gifts, you will be able to minister to certain people in ways that the person next to you is unable.

Just like with our foundational identity in Christ, our first step is to become knowledgeable. We need to study the gifts and callings in the Bible to become familiar with them. We will never be able to recognize a word of wisdom gift, if we don’t have any idea what it’s purpose is or what is looks like.

Many of us do not even know one of our gifts, and if we aren’t aware of what is ours, then it’s very difficult to operate in those gifts. Gaining knowledge of the various gifts is crucial to uncovering our own gifts, then using those gifts God has given us are the keys to developing our unique identity. Once you have an understanding of the various gifts, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us what He has placed within us. Once you know what your gifts are, then ask the Holy Spirit to stir up those gifts in you!

Just as a disclaimer, not all of us are called to public ministry as pastors, teachers, prophets, or evangelists, but ALL of us are given at least one supernatural gift such as prophecy, word of wisdom, etc. We all have ministry work to do, even if it’s just the people in our lives. The praying grandma may play a vital role in her grandson who becomes the next Billy Graham. You may save one person’s life by getting them healed of cancer, only to have that person touch thousands of people with their testimony. Do not underestimate the power of the ministry that God has given you. You are needed in the kingdom!

The very first step to discovering your unique identity, is to learn of your foundational identity. It is out of revelation of who you are in Christ, that will set you up to receive revelation on your unique identity.

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If God has called the believers to raise the dead (Matthew 10:8) and do extraordinary miracles, even greater than the ones that He performed, then who are each of us called to be? What part are we called to play in this awesome kingdom that we’ve been adopted into?

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” John 14:12 KJV

What is the kingdom fruit that we are called to bear? Changed lives, saved souls, divine healings, casting out demons, raising the dead, and the list goes on and on. These are all things that we cannot do on our own, but with the Holy Spirit equipping us, we can do great exploits.

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Paul said that we have all been given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit the body (see 1 Corinthians 12:7). The manifestation of the Spirit which he is talking about is our spiritual gifts (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-10). Without those, the body suffers loss as a whole (see 1 Corinthians 12:26). Why would God give us the manifestation of the Spirit if He never intended us to walk in it to edify the body? If every man has been given the manifestation of the Spirit in the form of spiritual gift(s), then we are all intended to use them as part of our calling. To argue that some Christians are not called to walk in spiritual gifts is to call Paul a liar, but if we are all given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit the entire body, then we will not fulfill our God-given calling unless we figure out and operate in our spiritual gifts. If it’s intended for us to have, then it’s intended for us to use as part of God’s ultimate plan for our lives.

“(7) But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. (8) For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; (9) To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; (10) To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: (11) But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 KJV

The Christian life that Jesus gave us is the most exciting life we can live here on earth. We are called to do things that would normally be impossible for us to accomplish on our own. Jesus even said that the works that He was doing were impossible if He attempted to do them Himself!

“Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” (John 5:19 KJV)

So what was the key to all the miracles and demonstrations of the Power of God? It was the fact that He was anointed with Power from heaven, that is, He was anointed with the Holy Spirit! It was that anointing that gave Him the ability to do all sorts of powerful exploits for the kingdom.

“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:38 KJV)

According to that scripture, we learn that the reason Jesus was able to do what He did, was because He was anointed with the Holy Spirit. My friend, we have that same Holy Spirit to equip us for ministry and to do great exploits as well!

“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.” (Acts 1:8 KJV)

My friend, with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, we are endued with the same power of the Holy Spirit as Jesus was in His earthly ministry! That means, just as Jesus said in John 14:12, that the same miracles He did, we will be doing also.

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One of the biggest reasons why we may remain in bondage to sin, even though we have been ‘legally’ set free, is because of ignorance of the truth. Jesus speaks of this in John 8:31-36: “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

One time I was tempted to sin, but the Lord brought me to this one picture of a cute baby bird in somebody’s hands, and somebody wrote a Bible verse on the picture about the goodness of God. I realized that I didn’t even THINK of sinning after thinking about what a good and loving God we serve!! My point? The more we become aware of the goodness and the love of God, the more we will love Him, and the more we will develop a bitter hatred for sin, because as we become more like Him, the more we love the things He loves and hate the things He hates. After all, it’s the goodness of God that leadeth us to repentance: Romans 2:4, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?”

Once you begin to grasp the goodness of God, your love for Him will grow because of the love that He has for you (1 John 4:19), and out of your love for Him, you will begin to naturally keep Jesus’ commandments as Jesus said in John 14:23, “…If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” As we grow in love for God, we also grow in love for one another (1 John 5:1), and out of our love for one another, we will naturally fulfill the law by loving one another (Romans 13:8, “…love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”).

Meditating on God’s Word and learning of the goodness of God is very powerful in the tearing down of strongholds (incorrect thinking patterns based on lies and deception). I believe one of the reasons King David developed a very intimate relationship with God is because he spent a lot of time alone out in the field with Him.

Did you know that knowing (realizing) the love of Christ allows us to to filled with the fullness of God? Ephesians 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

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