Time to Repent— Sid Roth

“Wait for What? Wait Until When?” Sid Roth posted the following message today———- The Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah begins September 16, 2012. During the time between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), September 25-26, the Jewish people repent of all sin. America’s fate is contingent on being on God’s side. As individual believers in the Messiah, we walk in instant repentance and do not have to wait for the Jewish High Holidays. But as a nation we have committed every sin in the Bible. Because of God’s mercy we have not been fully judged by Him yet. But even God has His limit. The single sin that is the tipping point for God to release His wrath has to do with Israel. I have a special love for the Arab people. I grieve for the suffering of the Palestinian people. I see them as pawns of the enemy’s strategy to hijack Israel from God! But as a Bible believer I must side with God’s position regarding Israel’s land. The fate of America is contingent on being on God’s side regarding Israel! God is trying to get our attention! Did you know that every time the U.S. does something major against Israel it gets God’s attention? It brings what I call warning judgments. For instance, nine of the ten worst U.S. economic disasters in history* happened within hours of the U.S. going against Israel. God is trying to get our attention! “THE DAY [OF THE LORD] is NEAR when I, the LORD, will judge all godless nations! As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you” (Obadiah 1:15 NLT). “I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into JUDGMENT with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also DIVIDED UP MY LAND” (Joel 3:2 NKJV). God calls Israel HIS LAND. He has LEASED His land to the Jewish people FOREVER! “He remembers His covenant FOREVER, the word which He commanded, for a THOUSAND GENERATIONS, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, TO ISRAEL as an EVERLASTING COVENANT, saying, ‘To you I will give the land of Canaan [Israel] as the allotment of your inheritance’” (Psalm 105:8-11 NKJV). Some misguided Christians disregard the only Bible the early church had — the Old Testament. As a result, they miss what God is up to in these End Times in reference to the Jew and Israel. So for those who only regard the New Testament, I have one Scripture for you to ponder. But for a fuller understanding read Romans chapters 9-11. “Concerning the gospel they [the Jewish people] are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are IRREVOCABLE” (Romans 11:28-29 NKJV). We have a brief window of opportunity.During these Jewish holidays, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. God promises that YOU will prosper if you pray this way (Psalm 122:6). Pray that the United States will be a blessing to Israel and you will be blessed (Gen.12:3). Pray we have a President who takes God’s position in reference to Israel. Many Israelis and Americans recognize our current administration is not a friend of Israel. Recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed frustration over America’s reluctance to set a firm limit on Iran’s nuclear program. Netanyanu stated, “The world tells Israel, ‘Wait, there’s still more time.’ And I say, ‘Wait for what? Wait until when?’” I am not as concerned for the future of Israel as I am for the United States! Time is running out for America.

Repentance

Repentance is not about repeating the same
habits over and over again. If you repent of your sin
today, it should not be repeated again the next day
because once you repent you change. If there was no
change, it was not repentance; you were more than
likely just feeling sorry for your actions.
Accept your salvation at any cost. Don’t wait.
Never meet death nor the grave without having Jesus
on your side. God wants to make it a simple thing
for you to accept Him and receive. If you don’t want
to be saved then let all that must be done to you be
done so you will finally say yes to God. There are
many who ask if God is love then why does He send
people to hell. Let’s be clear about this issue. God
loves people and He is not sending anyone to hell.
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not so short that it cannot
save; nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear. But
your iniquities have made a separation between you
and your God, and your sins have hidden His face
from you so that He does not hear” (Isaiah 59:1).
The sin that people choose to harbor in their lives
is that which sends them to hell. In the case where a
prodigal child chooses to disobey his parents and get
in the wrong company, and start taking drugs while
he was warned, and his parents did all they could
to prevent this but the child disobeyed and chose to
rebel, who is to blame? If parents cannot be blamed
for that situation, why would we blame God when
His children rebel? People, we need to repent and be
saved today because tomorrow might not come.
I am sure you don’t want to go through the horror
I went through to be saved. You can be saved right now.
You might say that you are not a great sinner
because you don’t do this or you don’t do that. It does
not matter whether you are a great sinner or a small
one; both sinners will end up in hell if they don’t
repent. Not even one unrighteous act or thought will
be allowed to enter into heaven. How many unrighteous
acts have you committed or how many impure
thoughts have you had? Who can be saved since it
seems impossible to be completely perfect? Who can
live a sinless life by his own strength? Who is the one
who will dare to stand before God in his own righteousness
and say “Receive me to heaven because
I deserve it”? Who is the one who is not going to
need Jesus by his side as the day comes when we will
stand before the great white throne of judgment of
God, the Righteous Judge? None – not even one. All
will need Jesus! Those who confess Him before men,
He will confess them before the Father. Those who
deny Him, He will deny them. Judgment is coming.
On that day, there won’t be any soul missing. From
the children murdered through abortion or those who
died in other ways still in their mother’s womb to
the oldest person who has ever lived, none will be
missing. All the dead, whether great or small, will be
brought before the judgment throne of God. There
won’t be anywhere to hide for on that day the earth
and the sea will give up the dead in them; death and
Hades also will give up their dead to be judged.
Who will pass the judgment of God in his own
righteousness? Who will? I am sure God’s love is
so great that He would desire to save all people but
He cannot violate His nature as a Righteous Judge.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His
throne. How does someone make it to heaven then?
Your ticket to heaven is Jesus Christ. Heaven is a
place you enter because of what Jesus has done for
you, not because of what you have accomplished.
Only Jesus was found blameless. By receiving Him,
He gives you the right to become a child of God and
He clothes you with His own righteousness.
The character or soul of man will never die, not
even after this life! The life one will live after death is
a continuation of the life started here on earth. Those
who have Christ in them are saved and they will go
from glory to glory, from beauty to beauty, but those
who do not have Jesus Christ are lost. These lost souls
will go from worse to worse and there is no chance
for them to improve their character for righteousness
after death because they have rejected Jesus Christ.
The character of a man must be changed while he is
still on this earth. This is only possible when they
receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. I am
glad that God would make it easy for us to have the
mind of Christ and His character and not our own.

The invitation

The Lord wants to save everyone. He has talked
to you through situations and circumstances and in
many other ways, but He is such a great lover to you.
He gives you a free choice, you can choose but to
accept or reject Him. He will never force anyone
into a relationship. You know why? Because God is
love and true love is never a command. True love
never forces against one’s own will. True love never
steals nor takes without permission. A demon might
possess somebody by force, but God will never force
His love on you because He is all Loving and a loving
heart never forces.
Jesus said, “For apart from me you can do
nothing” John 15:5. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can
do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.”
Friend, let me challenge you: What will you freely
choose today? Tomorrow may never come, or this
might be the last time you have a chance to repent
and unite with the One who loves you with an everlasting
love. So repent!

It is Jesus Our Redeemer

It is Jesus Our Redeemer,
Boundless, Divine Mercy!
A battered reed He will not break,
A smoldering wick He will not put out.
He will not extinguish the hope of man.
He will not harm the helpless.
His was a mission of redemption,
He accomplished it and finished strong,
Now those who believe and receive Him;
Are freed from their sins,
Washed by His own blood,
Forgiven, sanctified and justified
Theirs is eternal life;
They will enter by the gates into the city,
The New Jerusalem to share with Him the joy of
heaven
Forever!

Holy Fire

Cleansed by
The fire of Your holiness
The fire of Your love
The fire of Your presence
The remnant will carry in purity and holiness
Your holy fire to the ends of the earth
Through them Your glory will be seen by all men!
Through them Your holiness will be revealed in all
the earth!

BREAKING NEWS - US ELECTION 2012 FORETOLD BY PROPHET TB JOSHUA

On Sunday May 6, 2012, during a Live Sunday Service at The SCOAN, PTBJ revealed a prophetic vision concerning President Obama. These were his words.
“For the past two months now, I’ve seen this but I don’t want to--- We should pray for President Obama. We should do something quick on health care because they are going to use this against him. I will not say more than that. Because I see there will be wrestling. The wrestle--- It will be very close. The battle will be very, very close. It’s not advice. It is what I’m seeing on the board. It’s a vision.”
On Sunday November 4, 2012, during a live Sunday Service at The SCOAN, PTBJ revealed a prophetic vision concerning the election in the USA. These were his words.
"The battle will be very, very close but the reason why I am down is all about the belief of the other man and the belief of Obama. It is affecting my faith. When something is affecting my faith, I remain silent. The United States must have a president. Our prayer now is, we pray that one of them will show interest in peace because we don’t want war again; not someone who will come and promote war. Any one of them who will not promote war but be concerned about peace and the countries that are in war, how they can bring peace there. Any one of them who will go into that is what the whole world needs now. War again and again causes nothing but economic depression. Someone who will come out of the two who will be concerned about peace, bring unity and appeal to the nations all over the world and not continue with war – that is what the whole world needs now. That is my prayer. That is prophecy. The prayer is always answered. We pray towards that. God, we need a person who will come and try to talk of peace. Where they are fighting war, he would think of what he can do to stop it or to appeal to them. We just want peace, someone who would come and appeal. What can we do? We don’t want war again. We don’t want trouble. Peace, peace, peace. This is what the whole world needs now.”
Election night in USA – Obama 50%, Romney 49% Obama wins by a small margin!

Tammy Baldwin is elected the first openly gay senator.

U.S. Senate candidate Tammy Baldwin speaks to supporters in Wisconsin. (Reuters)Wisconsin Democrat Rep. Tammy Baldwin has been named the projected winner in her race against Republican Tommy Thompson. Baldwin's victory makes her the first openly gay candidate elected to the U.S. Senate.

"Tammy Baldwin's victory showed what a majority of Americans already know: that candidates should be judged on their qualifications for the job and not their sexual orientation," said Herndon Graddick, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD).
In a recent interview with the Guardian, Baldwin said, "If you are not in the room, the conversation is about you. If you are in the room, the conversation is with you."
She continued, "We never had an openly LGBT member of the U.S. Senate, and even though there are strong pro-equality allies who serve there, it has always been a conversation about a group of people. So this changes everything."
Though the votes are still being counted, several news outlets, including Reuters and Fox News, have called the race for Baldwin. It was the most expensive U.S. Senate race in Wisconsin history, with both campaigns spending an estimated $65 million, according to Reuters.
But even with some news outlets calling the race for Baldwin, the candidate's Twitter account encouraged voters to stay in line at their polling stations.
And despite Baldwin's historic win, her sexuality was not a leading issue in the race, according to the Washington Post and Slate.
"I take that as a good sign," voter Kelly Webber told the Post. "Maybe we're just moving past all that."

Still, it's worth noting that her election appears to be a historic change in the Badger State. As recently as 2006, all but one Wisconsin county voted in favor of a ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage.

The "Tammy and Tommy" race, as it was referred to locally, remained close throughout, but a final poll heading into Election Day showed Baldwin with a slight edge.

"Tonight Tammy shattered a glass ceiling that has existed for more than two centuries, and we could not be more thrilled," said Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund President Chuck Wolfe.

 Ooh!Jesus Christ help us.Where are we going? Is this Sodom and Gomorrah?Born again christians lets pray together for God's help.

Barack Obama wins election for second term as president

Supporters cheer after networks project an Obama victory. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

President Barack Obama handily defeated Gov. Mitt Romney and won himself a second term Tuesday after a bitter and historically expensive race that was primarily fought in just a handful of battleground states. Networks project that Obama beat Romney after nabbing the crucial state of Ohio.

The Romney campaign's last-ditch attempt to put blue-leaning Midwestern swing states in play failed as Obama's Midwestern firewall sent the president back to the White House for four more years. Obama picked up the swing states of New Hampshire, Michigan, New Mexico, Iowa, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Ohio. Florida and Virginia are still too close to call, but even if he won them, they would not give Romney enough Electoral College votes to put him over the top. The popular vote will most likely be much narrower than the president's Electoral College victory.

The Obama victory marks an end to a years-long campaign that saw historic advertisement spending levels, countless rallies and speeches, and three much-watched debates.

The Romney campaign cast the election as a referendum on Obama's economic policies, frequently comparing him to former President Jimmy Carter and asking voters the Reagan-esque question of whether they are better off than they were four years ago. But the Obama campaign pushed back on the referendum framing, blanketing key states such as Ohio early on with ads painting him as a multimillionaire more concerned with profits than people. The Obama campaign also aggressively attacked Romney on reproductive rights issues, tying Romney to a handful of Republican candidates who made controversial comments about rape and abortion.

These ads were one reason Romney faced a steep likeability problem for most of the race, until his expert performance at the first presidential debate in Denver in October. After that debate, and a near universal panning of Obama's performance, Romney caught up with Obama in national polls, and almost closed his favoribility gap with the president. In polls, voters consistently gave him an edge over Obama on who would handle the economy better and create more jobs, even as they rated Obama higher on caring about the middle class.
But the president's Midwestern firewall--and the campaign's impressive grassroots operation--carried him through. Ohio tends to vote a bit more Republican than the nation as a whole, but Obama was able to stave off that trend and hold an edge there over Romney, perhaps due to the president's support of the auto bailout three years ago. Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan all but moved to Ohio in the last weeks of the campaign, trying and ultimately failing to erase Obama's lead there.
A shrinking electoral battleground this year meant that only 14 states were really seen as in play, and both candidates spent most of their time and money there. Though national polls showed the two candidates in a dead heat, Obama consistently held a lead in the states that mattered. That, and his campaign's much-touted get out the vote efforts and overall ground game, may be what pushed Obama over the finish line.
Now, Obama heads back to office facing what will most likely be bitterly partisan negotiations over whether the Bush tax cuts should expire. The House will still be majority Republican, with Democrats maintaining their majority in the Senate.
The loss may provoke some soul searching in the Republican Party. This election was seen as a prime opportunity to unseat Obama, as polls showed Americans were unhappy with a sluggish economy, sky-high unemployment, and a health care reform bill that remained widely unpopular. Romney took hardline positions on immigration, federal spending, and taxes during the long Republican primary when he faced multiple challenges from the right. He later shifted to the center in tone on many of those issues, but it's possible the primary painted him into a too-conservative corner to appeal to moderates during the general election. The candidate also at times seemed unable to effectively counter Democratic attacks on his business experience and personal wealth.

This was the first Saturday service held in The SCOAN

This was the first Saturday service held in The SCOAN and it was jam packed with the congregation. It kicked off with the Prayer Line after which Prophet T.B Joshua came in to start off his talk with the former prophecies on plane accident ( and death of some top government officials) and the latest hurricane through the Bahamas and the U.S.A.
He said the universe came into being by the Word of God; Jesus was the Word, on whom we all depend, and of course, there is nothing impossible to the Word of God. Quoting from the Bible, he maintained that Jesus is the Way and the reality and outside Him, there is nothing.
The replay of a video followed in which a middle-aged man manifested at the Monday deliverance service. The spirit had spoken through her that she was its wife, and had created problems between her and her physical husband. It also said the woman was miserable and had no job. Eventually, both the woman and her husband were delivered. Prophet T.B Joshua said that our confession has been our position in Christ. He said people should not boast in what they are doing for God, but to boast for what God does in our lives because boasting in what we are doing enhances self-righteousness.

MRS GRACE AIYEJINA: HEALED OF FIBROID THROUGH ANOINTING WATER

MRS GRACE AIYEJINA: HEALED OF FIBROID THROUGH ANOINTING WATER
She had experienced multiple fibroids for years, leading to miscarriage. Doctors had recommended an operation, but she rather chose to visit the SCOAN for prayers. She was privileged to have the Anointing Water with which she prayed. She had come to give testimony at the church for her deliverance when she had to enter the toilet and many other ugly items were flushed out of her. She had visited the doctors again for a scan where she was told fibroids had deserted her system (she brought two medical reports – before and after the elimination of the fibroids). Full of happiness, she advised that people should commit themselves to God, for He is the only solution to their problems.

ADU OLUBODUN: PROMOTED TO SENIOR EXECUTIVE MANAGER THROUGH ANOINTING WATER.

ADU OLUBODUN: PROMOTED TO SENIOR EXECUTIVE MANAGER THROUGH ANOINTING WATER.
His bank had engaged in a transformation to position itself in the banking sector in Nigeria; and this entailed rationalization and restructuring-staff were retrenched. He has worked for many years, and loves to remain on the job. Many family members rely on him for survival. He came to the SCOAN and was privileged to acquire Anointing water with which he prayed. He was moved from the position of a manager to Senior Executive Manager, while many of his colleagues were retrenched. He said he had used the Anointing water as a life jacket. He advised his colleagues to resort to prayers because it is remedy to every malady and a salve to every sore.

MISS NICHOLAS: SAVED FROM ACCIDENT THROUGH ANOINTING WATER

MISS NICHOLAS: SAVED FROM ACCIDENT THROUGH ANOINTING WATER
She was travelling to her village and had applied the Anointing Water for God’s protection. But the jeep driver, in which she rode, was over speeding leading to a gruesome accident. She was one of the five in the vehicle and she was praying hard as it somersaulted. An axe was later used to break the damaged vehicle, and none of them was wounded. It was the Anointing Water which had covered them with the blood of Jesus. She had advised that since God will keep saving everyone in Jesus’ name, people should depend on Him for their protection and safety.

ISAAC OPIRI YABO: HIS STOLEN ENGINE BOAT WAS RETURNED BY PIRATES THROUGH ANOINTING WATER PRAYERS

ISAAC OPIRI YABO: HIS STOLEN ENGINE BOAT WAS RETURNED BY PIRATES THROUGH ANOINTING WATER PRAYERS
The Rivers- State born is a business man whose engine boat was stolen at its anchor by the sea pirates. He was using the boat to transport his workers and materials. Having seen the kind of miracles happening at the SCOAN through the Emmanuel TV, he had visited the church to acquire Anointing Water with which he prayed for the return of his boat. God was on his side, and the pirates returned the boat to its anchor. He advised that people should stay in faith and trust in God for their deliverance.

A CIVIL ENGINEER SAVED FROM ARMED ROBBERS THROUGH ANOINTING WATER

A CIVIL ENGINEER SAVED FROM ARMED ROBBERS THROUGH ANOINTING WATER
She is a South African Civil Engineer whose home was burgled by armed robbers who terrorized her and collected some 300,000 Rands from her. But that happened when forced to change to another channel from the Emmanuel TV. One of her friends eventually collected Anointing Water and sticker from the SCOAN which were given to the engineer. She had sprayed the water to secure her property. In 2011, the armed robbers visited again, but they did not even touch the door (which had the Anointing Sticker). They failed to enter the house. She was grateful to God, and had advised that people should not be afraid if they trust in God and that distance is not a barrier for Christ.

MRS BECKY: DELIVERED FROM SPIRITUAL HUSBAND AND CEASED MENSTRUATION THROUGH ANOINTING WATER

MRS BECKY: DELIVERED FROM SPIRITUAL HUSBAND AND CEASED MENSTRUATION THROUGH ANOINTING WATER
A video was replayed in which Prophet TB Joshua prophesied to a woman to beware of marrying and re-marrying as she had a spiritual husband. Mrs Becky had come to church to narrate her story: in 2011, she had come to the SCOAN because of the problems of spiritual husband and delayed pregnancy as her menses had ceased for four years. She used to see the spiritual husband in her kitchen, and she had the spirit of anger. She decided to come to church with her husband; that very month, she started seeing her menses. She later got pregnant and experienced ease during labour and delivery after acquiring the Anointing Water which she sprayed and prayed with. The girl delivered was named Josephine. She advised that people should have faith as all things are possible through Him.

ANNE UTAHRE : DELIVERED FROM MARINE SPIRIT AND SPIRITUAL HUSBAND

ANNE UTAHRE : DELIVERED FROM MARINE SPIRIT AND SPIRITUAL HUSBAND
The Delta State- born Managing Director of an oil company had manifested during the church service on Monday and the spirit in her- as shown in the replayed video-had confessed that she was a queen and a python in the ocean. In the church today, she had spoken on her life that since the age of ten years, she had become a leader among the water spirits. At 22, she was blessed by the queen of the coast and she became a wealthy person. She often went to the river to sacrifice in red and white apparels, but she had decided to abandon such spirits as she grew older. Her wealth started to disappear. Some spiritualists (pretending to be pastors) decided to help her by taking her to Bombay, India, where a ritualist drenched her with powers. Yet, her oil barge sank and she sank further into debts and failed business. The ring she was given worked with her natural hair to cast spells on her. Her vessels sank in Bonny Island and her money got scattered; the spirit attempted to strangle her, severally, but Prophet Joshua had appeared to deliver her, in dream. She became addicted to watching Emmanuel TV; she no longer experiences the spiritual husband or swimming in the river (in her kingdom). She was grateful to God for her deliverance and pledged that she would no longer depart from the path of truth.

A Special Word from Pastor Benny on Family Restoration

My precious partner,

Many of you have asked if the date has been set for the renewal of marriage vows between Suzanne and me.
First of all, I want to thank you for your love and prayers for us. God has truly done an amazing, restorative work in our hearts. In fact, Sue and I have never been closer, and we are falling more and more in love each day. What a thrill it is to rekindle the love we felt when we first began our life together 33 years ago!
One of the things Sue and I have determined to do is to wait on the Lord as He completes the work in our lives and marriage. And as much as we would like to rush the process, those who are giving spiritual guidance and oversight have encouraged us to walk, not run, and to wait on the Lord as He completes His plan for our future.
So we are enjoying our courtship, communicating more openly than ever before, and standing in amazement as our precious Lord Jesus heals the pains of the past. He has literally created a new heart of love in us both.
We have learned much through the mistakes of the past and never want to repeat any of the things that led to the breakdown of our marriage. So as we walk through this process of restoration and completion, we can't thank you enough for being there with us every step of the way. I look forward, in the very near future, to giving you the joyous news of the date, place, and time when we will stand before the Lord at the sacred marriage altar.
And to Jesus be the praise for the things He has done!
All our love,
Pastor Benny and Suzanne

JESUS IS THE LORD OF OUR DAYS

JESUS IS THE LORD OF OUR DAYS

October 26, 2012 by thetbjoshuafanclub

T.B. JOSHUA

The large congregation on Sunday 21^st October, 2012 was not unexpected as it has become the rule rather than exception. However, what one can easily point out to as the motivating forces are the miracles of healing, deliverances and blessings in Jesus’ name. In fact, God’s power working through His Word and Spirit are persistent.
The service started with the Prayer Line where the five wise men healed and delivered people with all manners of sicknesses and afflictions, in Jesus’ name. Prophet T.B. Joshua entered the church as the choir continued to render spirit-filled songs. He said that when Jesus Christ becomes the Lord of your life, the Saviour of your days, the Redeemer of your days, the Saviour of your days, the Deliverer of your days, and the Healer of your days, you will think differently, dream differently and have the opportunity of having the Creator to assist you in all you do.

PASTOR DAVID: DELIVERED FROM THE SPIRIT OF STAGNATION AND FAILURE

PASTOR DAVID: DELIVERED FROM THE SPIRIT OF STAGNATION AND FAILURE

PASTOR DAVID

Pastor David came to testify the goodness of God in his life after he received deliverance the previous week. He testified that before he engaged himself in theological school for training as a pastor, he had run away from home because he had hit his father with a sledge hammer, leading to his death after a few months. Before the father’s death, he placed a curse on him. After receiving his qualification as a pastor, Pastor David had established a ministry in Lagos which attracted a lot of people. Initially, everything went very well but it did not take long before calamity struck. One fateful day, the church land became soaked with water and church members left in droves. He lost money; he could not boast of anything and life became terrible. After his deliverance, he was restored back to the original position in which God had created him.

The Work Of The Holy Spirit In The New Testament Church Part 3

Because believers sometimes do not know what they should pray for as they ought, the Holy Spirit helps them to pray. He intercedes for them with God for that which He knows accords with God's will (CP Ro 8:26-27; 1Cor 2:11). Groanings which cannot be uttered in Ro 8:26 refers to prayers to God expressed inarticulately. This points to the intercessory prayer of the Holy Spirit being uttered by believers praying in tongues. The expression of believers' hearts and spirits are taken by the Holy Spirit and made into effectual prayer (CP Ac 2:4; 1Cor 14:14; Eph 6:18; Jude 20).
This is not an exhaustive study, but shows something of the vast sphere of operation of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church. It is apt then to close the study on His empowering of believers for their witness to Christ in the world (CP Lu 24:46-49 with Ac 1:4-5, 8). Being endued with power from on high, means being baptised in the Holy Spirit. The sure evidence that this has occurred is the recipient's ability to talk in tongues (CP Ac 2:1-4; 10:44-46; 19:1-6). When they are baptised in the Holy Spirit, believers are empowered to cast out demons; take up serpents; not be harmed if they drink any deadly poison; heal the sick; raise the dead; make the blind to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak, etc. In fact, they can do everything and more, that Jesus himself did in His earthly ministry (CP Mk 16:17-20; Jn 14:12-14). This empowering by the Holy Spirit is the inherent right of every believer in Christ throughout the church age, from the day of Pentecost onward (CP Ac 2:37-39). All that are afar off in V 39, includes believers today. (For a more detailed study on the baptism in the Holy Spirit see Lesson 4, Baptism in the Spirit, in author's book Foundational Truths of the Christian Faith, Signs and wonders in God's redemptive plan, in Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith, (Volume 1), and comments on Mt 3:11, Mk 16:17-18, Lu 12:49, Jn 3:3, Jn 3:5, Jn 3:8, Jn 7:37-39, Jn 14:12-14, Jn 20:22, Ac 1:8, Ac 2:1-4(a), Ac 2:1-4(B), Ac 19:11-12, Ro 8:26-27, 1Cor 12:1-11(A), 1Cor 12:1-11(B), 1Cor 13:8-12 in A Question and Answer Study of the New Testament).

The Work Of The Holy Spirit In The New Testament Part 2

After baptising new believers into the church, the next step in the work of the Holy Spirit is to impart new life to them. This is what Jesus calls being born again, and being born of water and of the Spirit (CP Jn 3:3-8). Being born again expresses the change wrought in the life of a sinner after being converted to Christ. This is when sinners become saints. Being born again is a process. It is not limited to the initial act when repentant sinners are first converted to Christ, but is a continuous work of the Holy Spirit renewing and transforming their lives throughout the entire course of their Christian walk. In Jn 3:8 Jesus illustrates the activity and effect of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those who have been born again. Just as the wind is invisible but its activity and effect can be witnessed, so too it is with the Holy Spirit. He is also invisible, but the proof of His work is apparent. There is undeniable and unmistakable evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of born again believers (CP Ac 1:1-8; 4:33; 1Cor 2:1-5). Jn 3:3-8 teaches the doctrine of regeneration, or the new birth. This is one of the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith (CP Ro 12:2). The new birth is the only way into the Kingdom of Heaven. The water referred to in Jn 3:5 is the word of God - the gospel - which is the water of life. Jesus uses water figuratively in the context of being saved by the word. Being born of water and of the Spirit means being saved by the word of God and being renewed by the Holy Spirit (CP Psa 119:9; Jn 4:5-14; 15:3; Eph 5:25-26; Jas 1:18; 1Pe 1:23; Rev 21:5-6; 22:17 with Eze 36:25-28; Jn 7:37-39; Tit 3:5).
During the process of regeneration, believers must never take the Holy Spirit for granted. While the Holy Spirit alone can regenerate, He never regenerates alone. Their repentance must be sincere, and believers must be completely surrendered to Christ and the authority of God's word for the work of the Holy Spirit to be effective in their lives. Their old sinful nature must yield to the new nature of God imparted to them for the Holy Spirit to complete His work of re-creation in them (CP 2Cor 5:17; Ga 6:15).
Contemporaneous with convicting sinners of their need for salvation, baptising them into Christ and into His body, the church, the work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church also encompasses teaching the church, testifying of Christ, guiding believers in all truths, glorifying Christ, imparting God's love to believers, empowering them to overcome sin, bearing witness to their adoption as sons of God, making known the things God has prepared for them, distributing gifts to the church, enduing believers with power to be Christ's witness in the world, helping them to pray, interceding for them with the Father, inviting all who are willing, to be saved. These works are not conclusive but will suffice for the purpose of this study. Also, they are not in any official order but are listed like this simply to show the extent of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church (CP Jn 14:26).
This work of the Holy Spirit is to enable believers to understand clearly and to recall the teachings of Christ in scripture (CP 1Jn 2:20). Unction here (KJV), is the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon believers which enables them to distinguish between good and bad teaching in the church (CP V 27). This does not mean that human teachers are not needed in the church, but that believers, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, already known the truth and have no need of any instruction from false teachers who try to seduce them from the truth (CP V 20-27) the Holy Spirit testifies of Christ. He bears witness to believers, then through them, to the world. He glorifies Christ in the outworking in believers of all the Spiritual gifts and graces He distributes to the church (CP Ro 12:5-18; 1Cor 12:4-11, 28; Eph 4:7-16). The Holy Spirit testifies of Christ in everything He has done and is doing in believers. It is only in and through the Holy Spirit that Christ is made known (CP Jn 14:26; 15:26; 16:12-15: 1Cor 12:3; 1Jn 5:5-6).
The Holy Spirit will also raise up dead believers (CP Ro 8:11). Quicken here (KJV), means give life to. The Holy Spirit will raise up dead believers to life at the first resurrection, when Christ comes again to take all the saints of God back to heaven with Him (CP Jn 5:25, 28-29; 14:1-3; 1Cor 15:51-58; 1Th 4:13-18; Rev 20:4-6). The presence of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church is God's assurance to believers of their future resurrection and eternal inheritance in Christ (CP Ro 8:23; 1Cor 6:14; 2Cor 1:21-22; 4:13-14; 5:1-5; Eph 1:3-14; 4:30; 1Th 4:14). The word earnest in 2Cor 1:22, 5:5 and Eph 1:14 (KJV), is used figuratively of the Holy Spirit which God has given to believers in this present life to assure them of their final redemption. Further proof of this is the love God has for believers which the Holy Spirit has poured out into their hearts (CP Jn 5:1-11). Eph 1:3-14 teaches that through their union with Christ, believers have already been made beneficiaries of every spiritual blessing from heaven in accordance with God's redemptive plan in Christ. Whether redemption, forgiveness, bodily healing, gifts of the Spirit, the assurance of immortality, the promise of the resurrection, the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven, the privileges of adoption, etc. The Holy Spirit is the source of them all.
The Holy Spirit bears witness to believers' adoption as sons of God when they receive Christ as their Saviour (CP Jn 1:12; Ga 3:26 with Ro 8:14-16; Ga 4:4-7). The Holy Spirit leads believers in the way of righteousness. He empowers them to follow after righteousness and not fulfil the lusts of the flesh (CP Ro 6:6-7; Ga 2:20-21; 5:24-25). The Holy Spirit works in the hearts of those who diligently study God's word, and through anointed preachers and teachers God has set in the church (CP 2Ti 3:16-17 with Eph 4:11-16). The Holy Spirit sanctifies believers for their salvation (CP 2Th 2:13). Sanctification in this context defines the work of the Holy Spirit in believers, separating them from sin to serve God; enabling them to live holy lives unto salvation (CP Ro 6:17-18, 22; 1Cor 1:30; 6:9-11; Col 3:5-7; Tit 3:3-7). The Holy Spirit produces Christlike graces in believers that glorifies Christ and ensures their salvation (CP Ga 5:22-25). The Holy Spirit transforms believers into Christ's image. His is a ministry of constant transformation, progressively moulding and refining believers as the reflection of God's standard they behold in Christ (CP 2Cor 3:18 with Ro 8:29; 2Cor 4:6). This is part of the process of believers' sanctification.
Another work of the Holy Spirit attributed to Him in scripture is generally misconstrued by most Christians (CP 1Cor 2:9-10). The things that God has prepared for them that love Him in V 9 is generally construed by contemporary Christians as referring to the wonders of heaven awaiting believers in eternity. But a careful study of the context in which the words in V 9 were spoken, clearly shows that is not correct (CP V 1-10). When kept in context it is plainly evident that what Paul said in V 9 does not refer to the wonders of heaven awaiting believers in eternity, but rather to the knowledge of God's purpose for fallen man, which the Holy Spirit imparts to believers in this life, which is what V 10 clearly teaches. The Wisdom of God in a mystery in V 7 is the gospel - God's plan of Redemption for fallen man through the propitiatory death of His Son, Jesus Christ (CP Ro 16:25-26). It was God's plan of redemption for fallen man through the propitiatory death of Jesus Christ, His Son, that Paul was referring to in 1Cor 2:9 which was revealed by the Holy Spirit in V 10. It was not the wonders of heaven awaiting believers in eternity, as so many think (CP 1Cor 2:11-16 with Psa 31:19-24 and Ro 11:33-36). Had the religious leaders of Israel been open to receiving the knowledge of God, they would never have crucified Jesus (CP 1Cor 2:8).

The Work Of The Holy Spirit In The New Testament Church Part 1

THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

As His earthly ministry was coming to a close and He was about to die, Christ told His disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit to take His place on earth when He returned to the father (CP Jn 14:15-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7). The Holy Spirit has taken over Christ's role on earth and it is only in and through Him that Christ is made known. His primary purpose is to glorify Christ (CP Jn 14:26; 15:26; 16:13-15). Among the many titles assigned to the Holy Spirit in scripture is the Spirit of God (CP Mt 10:20; 12:28; Ro 8:9, 14; 15:19; 1Cor 2:11-12, 14; 3:16; 6:11; 7:40; 12:3, 14; Eph 4:30; 1Jn 4:2). The Spirit of the Lord (CP Lu 4:18; Ac 5:9; 8:39; 2Cor 3:17-18). Another Comforter (CP Jn 14:16). The Spirit of Truth (CP Jn 14:17; 15:26; 16:13). The Comforter (CP Jn 14:26; 15:26; 16:7). The Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (CP Ro 8:2). The Spirit of Christ (CP Ro 8:9; Ga 4:6; 1Pe 1:11). The Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead (CP Ro ;8:11). The Spirit of Adoption (CP Ro 8:15). The Spirit of the Living God (CP 2Cor 3:3). The Holy Spirit of promise (CP Eph 1:13). The Spirit of Jesus Christ (CP Php 1:19). The Eternal Spirit (CP He 9:14). The Spirit of Grace (CP He 10:29). Truth (CP 1Jn 5:6). The Spirit of Life from God (CP Rev 11:11). One bible scholar lists thirty-nine titles of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament but those listed above will suffice for this study.
It is of the utmost importance to believers that they clearly understand the role of the Holy Spirit in God's eternal purpose for the New Testament church. Many professing Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is merely a force, or an influence emanating from God, but that is not correct. The Holy Spirit is, and has always been, an equal member of the Godhead from all eternity. It is vitally important that believers are very clear in their minds of His Deity and co-equality with both the Father and Christ in the Godhead (CP Isa 6:8-11 with Ac 28:5-8; 5:3-4; 1Cor 2:10-12; 3:16; 2Cor 3:17-18; He 9:14; 1Jn 5:6-7). These scriptures all teach the co-equality of the Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit in the Godhead.
When Christ told the disciples in Jn 14:16 that He would send another Comforter to take His place on earth when He returned to the Father, He was referring to the Holy Spirit (CP Jn 14:16, 26). Another in the context of V 16 means another of the same kind. Thus, the Holy Spirit is the same kind as Christ - a person. And also like Christ, equally God. Both Christ and Paul refer to the Holy Spirit in scripture as He, also signifying a person (CP Jn 14:16-17, 26; 16:7-15; Ro 8:26-27). In the KJV the Spirit is referred to in Ro 8:26 as "the Spirit itself". The word itself is an incorrect translation of course and has been corrected in the NKJV to read Himself, the same as in all other versions of the Bible. Other scriptures proving the deity of the Holy Spirit and His co-equality with the Father and Christ in the Godhead are as follows (CP Isa 11:1-5; 42:1-7; 48:16-17; 59:20-21; 61:1-2; 63:1-14; 1Cor 6:11). Like any other person, the Holy Spirit can be blasphemed (CP Mt 12:21-32, (also Mk 3:28-29)); lied to (CP Ac 5:3); tempted (CP Ac 5:9); resisted (CP Ac 7:5); grieved (CP Eph 4:30); quenched (CP 1Th 5:19); insulted (CP He 10:29). The Holy Spirit teaches (CP Jn 14:26); convicts sinners of their need for a saviour (CP Jn 15:26); guides believers into all truth (CP Jn 16:13-14); helps believers pray (CP Ro 8:26-27); intercedes for believers with the Father (CP He 7:25), etc.
The work of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament church first and foremost is to convict sinners of their need for salvation. How this happens is that when the gospel is preached, the Holy Spirit awakens in the heart of those open to the gospel a consciousness of sin and the need for forgiveness (CP Jn 16:7-11 with Ac 2:14, 22-24, 36-37). As they hear it, those open to the gospel are made aware by the Holy Spirit of God's standard of righteousness in Christ. They are convicted of their sins and their need for forgiveness, and believe on Jesus for their salvation. Next, the Holy Spirit baptises them into Christ and into His body, the church. This is how the church is constituted (CP Ro 6:3-7; 1Cor 12:12-14; Ga 3:26-27; Eph 4:1-6; Col 2:10-13). Ro 6:3-7 and Col 2:10-13 both illustrate the work of the Holy Spirit in new believers' spiritual resurrection from being dead in sins to a new life in Christ. The Holy Spirit has raised them from death to life with Christ (CP Ro 6:13; Eph 2:1-6; 5:14).
When new believers are baptised into Christ and into His body, the church, the power of sin over their lives is broken, and they need never yield to sin again. The Holy Spirit has broken its power over them (CP Ro 8:1-4). The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus refers to the liberating force of the Holy Spirit empowering believers to say no to sin (CP 2Cor 3:17; 10:3-5; Eph 6:10-18). The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus is not a written law, but a regulative principle emanating from the Holy Spirit which energises or activates believers to desire, and to do, God's will (CP Ro 6:17-18; 7:4-6; 12:1-2; 1Cor 6:19-20; Php 2:12-13; Col 3:1-10, 12-17). The Holy Spirit empowers new believers who have surrendered their lives to Christ, to live a Godly life. This is the newness of life Paul refers to in Ro 6:4 and the newness of Spirit in 7:4 (CP Ro 6:4; 7:4 with 8:5-17; 2Cor 3:18; Ga 2:16-20; Eph 2:1-9; 1Pe 1:3-5; 2Pe 1:1-4).
It should be noted here before moving on that Ro 6:3-7, Ga 3:26-27, Eph 4:1-6 and Col 2:10-13 are all widely taught in the contemporary church as referring to water baptism. In particular, Ro 6:3-7 is taught as illustrating the spiritual significance of water baptism; that going down into the water symbolises dying to sin, and coming up out of the water symbolises being raised up in a new power to live a righteous life before God in Christ. But that is not correct. If it were then Paul would be teaching baptismal regeneration, which is totally unscriptural (CP Ro 6:3-7 with 1Pe 3:18-21). 1Pe 3:18-21 fully explains the real significance of water baptism, which is physical and cannot save. It clearly has nothing whatever to do with the baptism referred to in Ro 6:3-7 which is Spiritual, and is the only baptism whereby one can be saved. This teaching also applies to Ga 3:26-27, Eph 4:1-6 and Col 2:10-13. They too have nothing whatever to do with water baptism. The element into which one is baptised determines what sort of baptism it is, and clearly these scriptures all teach the baptism of repentant sinners by the Holy Spirit into Christ and into His body, the church (CP Eph 4:1-6). Here Paul illustrates the sevenfold Spiritual unity of God and believers: one body - the church; one Holy Spirit; one hope of the Christian calling; one Lord; one faith; one baptism, and one God (CP V 1-3). Paul is exhorting believers here to be unified in the spirit, because, as he points out in V 4-6 there is only one body in Christ - the church - and they were all baptised into that body (CP V 4-6 with 1Cor 12:12-14). The church is called "Christ" in 1Cor 12:12-14 here and is compared to a human body with its many members. This shows how the church is constituted: the Holy Spirit unites repentant sinners with Christ as members of His body when they believe on Him for their salvation, as was noted earlier in this study.

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A Bioghaphy of William Branham

"Healer and Prophet "

William Marrion Branham was born April 6, 1909 in Kentucky near Burksville. His parents were extremely poor farmers. As Branham got older they moved to Jeffersonville, Indiana. They were so poor he did not have a shirt to wear to school and he would wear a winter coat inside so he would not have to expose his poverty. He had no religious training, but at an early age heard a voice say to him "Do not drink or smoke or defile your body in any way, for when you get older I'll have a work for you to do." This so terrified the boy he ran away as fast as he could.
Branham did not have a grid for what had happened to him, but tried to obey what he'd heard. He continued to struggle with God, and when his brother Edward died he began to seek Him. Still it wasn't until he became seriously ill that he turned his life around. He believed he was about to die. While he was in the hospital he heard the same voice that had spoken to him in his childhood. It repeated the same thing three times 'I called you and you would not go.' He told God "if you let me live I'll preach the the gospel". He felt somewhat better that day. After he got out of the hospital he began to seek a church that would lead him to repentance. He found a disciples church that believed in the baptism of the Spirit and anointing with oil. They prayed for him and he was instantly healed.
He was on fire from that point on. For six months he cried out to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. One day God's presence came upon him in a mighty way. He felt God called him to preach the gospel and pray for the sick. He was 24 years old and he began holding tent meetings and doing what God had asked him to do. He saw many people converted. In 1933 he also saw a series of visions that spoke about the coming years including the rise of Nazism, Facism, and Communism.
With his ministry now rolling, he built an independent Baptist church in Jeffersonville, Indiana. These were happy years for Braham. He married and had two children. During this time he became interested in the Pentecostal meesage, which was still highly controversial at that time. He attended a Pentecostal convention, and was asked to join them as a traveling evangelist. He believed that this was God, but was talked out of it by friends who thought it too controversial. He turned them down. Everything seemed to go wrong for him from that point on. His church began to fail and his wife and daughter were killed in the Ohio River flood of 1937. He believed he was under judgement from God for not doing what he was called to do.
Branham struggled over the next several years. He worked as a game warden, and a logger, and sometimes preached. He married his second wife Meda, and eventually had three more children. One day he went off to pray by himself to see if could find out God's heart for him. He repented of his choice to not go with the Pentecostals. On May7, 1946 he had a visitation from an angel of God. The angel said he was a seer prophet and would have two distinct signs in his life. The first was that he would be able to detect illness in people, and the second was that he would see sins in their life they needed to repent of.
Branham started his healing ministry immediately after this visitation. He started in St. Louis and then went to Texas, Louisiana, Florida, California, and eventually all over the United States. In 1948 Branham was visited by Jack Moore, a pastor out of Shreveport, Louisiana. He was so impressed he took Branham to several churches across the United States. When Moore had to return to his home church he contacted Gordon Lindsay, who took over as Branham's campaign manager. The meetings were so dramatic that Moore, Lindsay, and Branham began the magazine and organization named "The Voice of Healing" which was headquartered in Shreveport, Louisiana. The original purpose was to report on Branham meetings, although it later expanded to include many other healing evangelists. On one campaign trip in Florida F.F. Bosworth, who had an extensive healing ministry of his own, joined the organization to support Branham's ministry.
These meetings kicked off the healing revival that began in 1947 and continued through the 1950s. Although he was the first, and most well known, several other healing evangelists were also raised up including A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, and Oral Roberts. Branham said himself that "Deaf, dumb, blind, all manners of diseases have been healed, and thousands of testimonies are on record to date. I do not have any power of my own to do this... God always has something or someone to work through, and I am only an instrument used by Him." The most famous healing in the history of the healing revival was when William Branham prayed for US Congressman William Upshaw from California. Upshaw had been crippled in a farming accident as a youth and was healed when Branham prayed for him. Branham eventually took international trips to Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, and India.
In the mid 1950's things began to go wrong for Branham. He had run his organization in a loose manner and felt God would take care of everything. In 1955 Branham started having financial problems. He was not having the same success in his meetings and was having trouble covering his expenses. The California Campaign put him $15,000 in debt. Others were called on to help make up the differences. The IRS began a review of his finances and found he had never kept good records of the money that flowed in and out of his ministry. It was not that he was keeping an extravagent lifestyle, quite the contrary, he lived an extremely simple life. Branham simply didn't track where the money went. The outcome was a settlement where Branham owed the government a staggering $40,000 in back taxes.
By 1957 it was clear that God was taking his hand off the healing movement. Branham was exhausted and refused to do large meetings anymore. He was surrounding himself with supporters who began to control who was allowed to see Branham and who wasn't. Gordon Lindsay attempted to see Branham a month before he died but refused access to Branham by the men around him. Some of those were suggesting that he was Elijah the prophet heralding the end times. His friend Gordon Lindsay felt he was falling into the same delusion that took John Alexander Dowie and wrote that in the Voice of Healing magazine. People who knew Branham say that he never made the Elijah claim on his own. Things were definitely out of balance in Branham's life. He ministered primarily in Arizona in the winters in the last few years of his life to support his family.
In 1964 Branham had a vision where he was riding tired into the sunset. He understood that God was warning him that he would die soon. In 1965, while driving to Tucson, Arizona Branham's car was struck by a drunk driver. He lived a fews day longer and then died on Christmas Eve, 1965. A couple of years before his death he asked his dear friend Jack Moore and his daughter Anna Jeanne to write his biography. He warned them that there would be a lot of confusion that came in about his life after he died. Unfortunately they did not have the time to do what he asked, and confusion did come in. Some people created a religious group around Branham's teachings, becoming known as Branhamites. Others wrote him off as a heritic. Branham was, and continues to be, a highly controversial figure in the healing movement. Probably the best known book written about Branham is Gordon Lindsay's "A Man Sent From God", which was published in the 1950's.