Why Are We Tested?

Have you ever wondered why your life is the way it is? Why do things happen that change the course of your life? Stop and think, why are you where you are now? Maybe you’re married, or perhaps you’re single. Maybe you’re full of health or suffer from sickness and disease. Maybe you’re wealthy, or perhaps you’re poor. Maybe you’re living a righteous and holy life, or perhaps you constantly struggle with sin. Why is your life the way it is, and when you look at someone else’s life, why is it so different?

Grace is the Unmerited Power of God

The true Grace of God could be defined as the enabling power of God upon the heart or the divine influence of God upon the heart. Just as sin is a power, the Grace of God is the abundant power of God that works mightily in a believer, enabling them to overcome the power of sin. The true Grace of God is His Holy Spirit, His indestructible Life, and the divine nature of Christ poured into the heart of the believer; it is the unmerited power of God.

The Restoration of All Things

When we began our journey in Christ after the Holy Spirit begot us, we had no idea how wonderful God’s purpose of the ages in Christ is. The Heavenly Father has something marvelous for those who love Him. He has prepared for us something that the eye has not seen, nor the ear heard, nor has it entered into our hearts, yet He is revealing it to us through the Holy Spirit.

The Overcomers

Who are the Overcomers?

The Overcomers are the believers in this age who have yielded their lives to the Holy Spirit and allowed the work necessary to transform them into the image of the Son of God.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

The Overcomers are those who, through the power of the Holy Spirit, put to death the deeds of the body, manifesting the life of Christ. The Overcomers are those who live not by the flesh but by the life of Christ.

For as a Man Thinks in His Heart, So is He

Our thoughts influence whether we will be victorious in our walk with Christ or succumb to defeat. The book of Proverbs says that as a man thinks, so is he.

Don’t Be A Shadow Christian

In this teaching, I will explain what a shadow Christian means. The Bible is full of types and shadows; some Christians would rather live in them than in their fulfillment.

Pursuing the Truth

Hungering for the truth and seeking the Heavenly Father to reveal the truth to us is something every child of God should desire. Only through the revelation from the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, can we know God’s hidden truth. We receive the revelation of the truth through our seeking and longing to know our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus. When our hearts are hungering for the truth, and we are willing to be taught by the Holy Spirit, it is only then we can see and understand the hidden mysteries of God in Christ.

The God of Peace Himself Sanctify You Completely

Are you satisfied with just being forgiven? As wonderful as it is, not having our sins hanging over us, there is so much more to the salvation of God than just being forgiven. When we are forgiven of our sins by the blood of the Lord Jesus, it is then that the Holy Spirit can be poured out into our hearts. The Holy Spirit begins to work in the heart to transform us into the image of the Son. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, including the Light exposing the darkness in us.

Heavenly and High Calling of God

In this short teaching, we will see that we have been called with God’s heavenly and high calling in Christ Jesus. If you are not clear on this calling, I highly recommend that you become familiar with God’s heavenly and high calling and make your call and election sure. This teaching makes you aware that you are called to something higher.

Don’t Be Defeated, Believe In The Victorious Gospel

So many believers in Christ have bought into a defeated gospel based on the experience of failure. For many are the failures and shortcomings of the believer in Christ, and many have reasoned from their experience, which is the experience of most, that failure and defeat are all we can expect in this life. As a result of their experience of defeat, they have concluded that it is impossible to be victorious in this life. Have you ever heard someone say, or have you told someone, that it is impossible to be perfect? Yet the Lord Jesus tells us to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect.

New Covenant Law is the Law of Christ, the Law of Love

The righteousness of God is encompassed in the love of God. If someone pursues righteousness apart from the love of God, they will end up like the self-righteous Pharisees who put their works of righteousness above the well-being of someone who was in need of help.

Honoring the Lord Jesus

In this short teaching, I show that after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the disciples all referred to the Lord Jesus either by adding “Lord” or “Christ” or some form of an honorable title to His name. I find very few believers that see and understand this, and far fewer that will honor the Lord Jesus by referring to Him by saying “Lord Jesus” or even the “Lord Jesus Christ” instead of just “Jesus.” However, there are many ways we can honor Him by using many different titles, for there is no set formula.

Judging the World and Angels

The Scriptures say that the saints will judge the world and angels. However, from the Scriptures, we will see who will be qualified to judge and who will not.

The Inheritance of the Saints in the Light

Overview 

In this teaching, we will learn that even though Adam sinned and caused all mankind to fall and experience sin and death, God had a plan even before the foundation of the world that included the complete restoration of all mankind through Christ. Even though this plan spans several ages, those who will heed His call and overcome now in this present evil age will receive the firstborn inheritance of Christ. They will be glorified, receive a body like the Lord Jesus, and be joint heirs with Him, and the firstborn inheritance is the fullness of God.

God’s Purpose for the Day of Judgment

Overview 

This teaching will examine what the Bible teaches about the Day of Judgment. In the ultimate reconciliation of all, God’s judgments are vital in bringing mankind back into a relationship with God. Some believers who believe in the ultimate reconciliation of all have missed the necessity and purpose of God’s judgments in correcting wayward mankind. Instead of trying to erase God’s judgments, we need to see that God’s judgments are the only way to bring correction to the rebellious heart of mankind. However, once the corrective punishment has accomplished its goal and purpose, God will be All in all. In His wisdom from the beginning, God set forth His glorious plan for mankind; we need to step back and trust Him to bring restoration and reconciliation in the way He sees best.

Adoption: Divine Sonship

Overvie

In this teaching, we will cover several topics that will help to explain “the adoption.” Most Christians don’t understand Paul’s usage of “adoption” in his writings; they think of adoption as when a child who is not a biological child is brought into a family and made a part of that family. However, Paul’s usage of “adoption” shouldn’t be understood that way, for as we will see, those who are begotten of the Spirit are indeed children of God with the seed of God in them. Paul’s usage of “adoption” is linked to the inheritance, specifically to the inheritance of Christ, not as human sons, which is only the type of the Heavenly inheritance, but as joint heirs with the Lord Jesus, where we are made like Him at the first resurrection and exalted and glorified as divine sons of God. This aspect of glorification (Doctrine of Theosis or Divinization or Deification) is not understood by most Christians but was understood by the early church, and hopefully, with this teaching, we will come to a greater understanding of “the adoption” and the heavenly and high calling of God in the Lord Jesus.

Born of the Spirit in the First Resurrection

Overview 

In this teaching, we will learn that being born again does not occur until the first resurrection. Believers are begotten or conceived now in this present evil age when the Holy Spirit regenerates and renews them. In this life, the developing baby in the womb is a type or pattern of the spiritual development of believers, where they go through the process of salvation, being sanctified and conformed to the image of Christ where He is formed in them. First, the believer is begotten, and then they grow and mature as a son in the womb. After fully developing, they will come forth in birth in the first resurrection and be born again by the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus is the pattern and the forerunner for the true believer, and He was born again by the Holy Spirit in His resurrection and became the firstborn from the dead. Like their Lord, the believer will follow in His footsteps and be born again by the Holy Spirit in the first resurrection.

How the True Believer Enters the Kingdom of God

Overview 

In this teaching, we will examine what the Scriptures say about entering the Kingdom of God. We will learn that there are specific criteria that the believer must meet to attain the age to come and the first resurrection before entering the Kingdom of God.

The Gift, and the Prize

Overview 

In this teaching, I hope to clarify the difference between the gift and the prize. The gift is given to believers when they believe in the Lord Jesus and His work on the cross, in His death and resurrection (Romans 10:9-10). However, winning the prize is based on keeping the works of the Lord Jesus (Revelation 2:26) and our walk in this present evil age (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Corinthians 13:5-6). Understanding the difference between the gift and the prize will help clear some confusion when reading the New Testament.

Working out your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling

Overview

In this teaching, we will examine the scripture about believers working out their salvation with fear and trembling. They work out their salvation with fear and trembling by submitting to God’s judgments through the Word of God and the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 4:17). Believers must understand what the word of God says and heed all the warnings.

Will You be Counted Worthy to Attain the Age to Come?

Overview 

In this teaching, we will look at the scriptures that say the believer must be accounted worthy in order for them to attain the age to come. To understand the ultimate reconciliation correctly, we must also understand the warnings in the scriptures. Many believers seem to forget that the scriptures warn that they can miss out on the age to come and the first resurrection and many are unaware that the age to come is a reward to those who are obedient and faithful. The believer must understand this extremely important teaching if they desire to be part of the first resurrection and enter the kingdom of God in the age to come.

Secret Place of the Most High

Overview

In this teaching, we will look at the Scriptures that show that the secret place of the Most High is the Lord Jesus, and all the promises found in Psalms 91 are for those that abide in the Lord Jesus.

True Fellowship

Overview 

In this teaching, we will see that to have true fellowship, we must walk in the light. We must walk in the light as the Father and the Son are in the light so we may have fellowship with them. We will also see that we must walk in the light to have true fellowship with other believers. We will also learn how to walk in the light to enter true fellowship.

The Manifestation of Two Kingdoms

Overview 

In this teaching, we will learn that in this present evil age (Galatians 1:4), mankind is influenced by unseen powers and entities from a Kingdom that is hostile to God (Ephesians 6:12). This kingdom is the kingdom of darkness and manifests inwardly through the hearts of mankind. The works of the flesh reveal this hidden kingdom, and mankind yields their hearts to its power and influence, and most do so unknowingly. The Lord Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil and his kingdom by His work on the cross and the shedding of His blood (Hebrews 2:14). He brings the Kingdom of God to the hearts of mankind through faith. Those who repent from the works of darkness will be uprooted from the kingdom of darkness and planted into the Kingdom of God (Acts 26:18; Colossians 1:13).

Spiritually Minded Versus the Carnally Minded

Overview

In this teaching, we will look at what it means to be spiritually minded and what it means to be carnally minded. Those who walk in the light will renew their minds by the Holy Spirit as He imparts revelations when they read and meditate on the Scriptures. The flesh influences those who are carnally minded and do the same things as the world and walk in darkness. This teaching will help you understand the difference and help you to become spiritually minded.