Pentecost Part 8

Pentecost Part 8

When Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus by night, Jesus told him he must be born again to  see the kingdom of God.

Jesus then told him, 

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." - John 3:5

Jesus then revealed there would be a sound when a person is born of the Spirit!

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." - John 3:8 

Jesus compared the Spirit with the wind. We cannot see the wind because it is invisible. But, we can hear the sound of the wind as it blows through the trees. We cannot see the Spirit of God. But, we can hear the sound of His Spirit as it fills a person. 

We see this on the Day of Pentecost.

"And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." - Acts 1:4-5 

It appears there were 120 disciples gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem, praying and waiting for the promise of the Spirit. (Acts 1:15).

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." - Acts 2:1 

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting." - Acts 2:2 

The Bible does not say there was a wind that filled the house. It says there was a SOUND FROM HEAVEN AS of a rushing might wind.

There was not the sound of one or two people being filled with the Spirit. There were 120 people! That's why the sound was as of a rushing MIGHTY wind!

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4 

Just as Jesus said,

"The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof...so is every one that is born of the Spirit." - John 3:8

Pentecost Part 7

Pentecost Part 7

Jesus foretold of the outpouring of His Spirit on numerous occasions. 

When Jesus was speaking to His disciples He told them His Spirit would be in them.

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." - John 14:16-17 

Jesus was telling His disciples He is the Comforter, and the Spirit of Truth (and the Holy Ghost - John 14:26) -  "but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (John 14:17).

"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." - John 14:26 

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:" - John 15:26 

(See also: John 16:7-16)

After His death, burial, and resurrection, shortly  before He ascended into heaven, Jesus said to His disciples -

"...Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. 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 24:46-49 

We see the promise of the Father is the Holy Ghost. 

God said,

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:" - Joel 2:28 

The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of the Father which is the Spirit of Jesus. (See above).

Jesus is the image of the invisible God. (Colossians 1:13-15). "To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself..." - 2 Corinthians 5:19. The Son of God is the Father manifest in flesh - the Father's body. (John 14:7-10).  "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." - Colossians 2:9

Pentecost Part 6

Part 6

Bringing Forth Fruit and Multiplying

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God." - Romans 7:4 

[Strong’s Definitions - “fruit: to be fertile (literally or figuratively):—be (bear, bring forth) fruit(-ful).”].

The children of God’s New Covenant Marriage are born again believers.

Jesus describes the New Covenant Marriage birth of children as a spiritual birth, not a natural birth.

"That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." - John 3:6 

The children of the New Covenant Marriage are sons of God. They are born of water and of the Spirit. (John 3:5).

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." - John 1:12-13 

The Mother is the church. The church is the water part of birth, baptizing new souls in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. (Acts 2:38).

The Father is Jesus. Jesus is the Spirit part of birth, baptizing new souls with His Spirit. (Acts 2:38-39).

The mother and the father are both necessary for the birth of a child. Only the mother is able to water baptize, and only the Father is able to baptize with His Spirit.

"If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?" - Hebrews 12:7-9 

"Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles." - Romans 1:13 

The church as the Mother also travails (in prayer) to give birth to souls.

"My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you," - Galatians 4:19

Pentecost Part 5

Pentecost Part 5

Apostle Paul compares God’s New Marriage Covenant with the church to the marriage between a man and a woman. (Ephesians 5:22-32).

"Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." - Ephesians 5:22-24 KJV

We submit ourselves to the Lord. He is head of the church. He is our Savior. 

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" - Ephesians 5:25 KJV

God loved the church and gave His life for her.

(Ephesians 5:2, Luke 22:19-20, Galatians 1:4, Revelation 1:5, Galatians 2:20).

"That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word," - Ephesians 5:26 KJV

To make her holy and clean (to consecrate and sanctify her), to make her free from the guilt of sin, to purify, by “the washing of water” (baptism) “by the word” (the promise of the pardon of sins- others take ῤήματι “word” here as equivalent to 'the gospel,' c). [From: Thayer’s Greek Lexicon].

"That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." - Ephesians 5:27 KJV

"So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

 (Hebrews 13:5).

For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." - Ephesians 5:28-30 KJV

(1Corinthians 12:12-13, 27)

"For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 

“This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." - Ephesians 5:31-32 KJV

To be continued…

Pentecost Part 4

 Pentecost Part 4

One of the reasons John the Baptist was sent by God, was to be a witness that Jesus is Christ, God manifest in flesh.

"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John." - John 1:6 

"John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me." - John 1:15 (John 1:10).

John was born before Jesus. As God, Jesus was before John.

Jesus came to bring the New Marriage Covenant of Grace to replace the Old Marriage Covenant of the Law.

"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." - John 1:17

 "And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water...he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." - John 1:31, 33-34 

The “Son of God” is God manifest in flesh (the body of God).

"Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus." - John 1:35-37 

"After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized." - John 3:22 

"And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him." - John 3:26 

"Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him." - John 3:28 

"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled." - John 3:29 

Jesus was bringing His New Covenant, baptizing. When we are baptized in the name of Jesus, we forsake the world and covenant our faithfulness to Jesus. Our baptism is our blood covenant of marriage. We become the bride of Christ. (1John 2:15-17).

Church!

 

Church!

"And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding." - Jeremiah 3:15 KJV

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:" - Ephesians 4:11-12 KJV

"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." - Hebrews 10:23-25 KJV

Pentecost Part 3

 to be no coincidence that the first miracle of Jesus was at a wedding. God had a mission to fulfill: to give His life for His wife. His death would release His people from the marriage covenant that brought death, sey could enter the marriage covenant tha

The miracle of the wedding at Cana points to Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. 

The account begins with, "And the third day…” - John 2:1 KJV

I count 

Part 3

It seems to be no coincidence that the first miracle of Jesus was at a wedding. God had a mission to fulfill: to give His life for His wife. His death would release His people from the marriage covenant that brought death, so they could enter the marriage covenant that brought life.

The miracle of the wedding at Cana points to Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

The account begins with, "And the third day…” 

I count fourteen times in the New Testament ” refers to Christ’s resurrectio

I coeleven times that “hour” is mentioned concerning Christ’s death. 

"And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman,

Part 3

It seems to be no coincidence that the first miracle of Jesus was at a wedding. God had a mission to fulfill: to give His life for His wife. His death would release His people from the marriage covenant that brought death, so they could enter the marriage covenant that brought life.

The miracle of the wedding at Cana points to Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. 

The account begins with, "And the third day…” - John 2:1 KJV

I count fourteen times in the New Testament that “the third day” refers to Christ’s resurrection. 

I count eleven times that “hour” is mentioned concerning Christ’s death. 

"And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." - John 2:3-4 KJV

There is only one other time that Jesus called His mother “woman,” and that was at the cross. (John 19:26).

It appears that Jesus turning the water into wine represents His New Covenant. The wine that Jesus brought forth in His miracle at the wedding was the good wine, surpassing the wine that was brought out at the beginning of the feast.

"When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was…the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." - John 2:9-10 KJV

"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him." - John 2:11 KJV

Apostle Paul speaks of the glory of the New Covenant of the Spirit compared to the glory of the Old Covenant Law. In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.

"But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?" - 2 Corinthians 3:7-8 KJV [See 9-11}.

To be continued… what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." - John 2:3-4 KJV

There is only one other time that Jesus called His mother “woman,” and that was at the cross. (John 19:26).

It appears that Jesus turning the water into wine represents His New Covenant. The wine that Jesus brought forth in His miracle at the wedding was the good wine, surpassing the wine that was brought out at the beginning of the feast.

"When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was…the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." - John 2:9-10 KJV

"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him." - John 2:11

Apostle Paul speaks of the glory of the New Covenant of the Spirit compared to the glory of the Old Covenant Law. In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.

"But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: Howstration of the spirit be rather glorious?" - 2 Corinthians 3:7-8 KJV [See 9-11}.

To be continued… times in the New Testament that “the third day” refers to Christ’s resurrection. 

I count eleven times that “hour” is mentioned concerning Christ’s death. 

"And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." - John 2:3-4 KJV

There is only one other time that Jesus called His mother “woman,” and that was at the cross. (John 19:26).

It appears that Jesus turning the water into wine represents His New Covenant. The wine that Jesus brought forth in His miracle at the wedding was the good wine, surpassing the wine that was brought out at the beginning of the feast.

"When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was…the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." - John 2:9-10 KJV

"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him." - John 2:11 KJV

Apostle Paul speaks of the glory of the New Covenant of the Spirit compared to the glory of the Old Covenant Law. In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way.

"But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?" - 2 Corinthians 3:7-8 KJV [See 9-11}.

To be continued…