The Arm of the LORD

God is Spirit. The arm of the LORD is a metaphor for God’s power and strength. The arm of the LORD saves, delivers, and redeems.

Exodus 6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

Deuteronomy 26:8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders:

Psalms 77:15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.

Then, the Lord speaks of power and redemption by His arm in a much greater way. His arm that saved and delivered His people from physical bondage in Egypt, defeating their enemies, was now going to take on form.

Not as a literal arm, but as a holy human body that would save and redeem all humanity from the spiritual bondage of sin, defeating the enemy of man’s soul, satan. This body would contain God Himself, with all power and authority to deliver, redeem, and to save.

God had looked for a man that could redeem mankind, but there was none righteous, without sin, that could pay the price. So, God Himself stepped in to pay the price. He did this by the power of His redeeming and saving arm, making Himself a body. This body is called, “the arm of the Lord.”

Isaiah 59:16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

Isaiah 53 describes the arm of the LORD revealed.

Isaiah 53:1 - Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

Isaiah 53:3 - He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not…

Isaiah 53:5 KJV - But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:6 KJV - All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:7 KJV - He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

Isaiah 53:8 KJV - He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Isaiah 53:9 KJV - And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Isaiah 53:10 - Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.

Isaiah 53:11 - He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities…

We find the arm of the Lord to be God Himself - JESUS CHRIST! Isaiah 53 describes the gospel - how Jesus saved and redeemed humanity by His death, burial, and resurrection. (Isaiah 53:8-10).

Isaiah 52:10 The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

The power of God’s holy arm is revealed to the world by the gospel of Jesus Christ, bringing salvation to all the nations, reaching to the ends of the earth. (John 12:37-41, Romans 10:14-16, Matthew 16:15-17, Acts 2:38-39).

Jesus, as the arm of the LORD, reaches out to humanity, redeeming us from sin, bringing us back to Himself. There was no man that could do this. Only the holy arm of the LORD could save and deliver us. (Hebrews 2:14-15, 2 Corinthians 5:19, Matthew 1:21-23).

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday, He fulfilled the prophecy of Zachariah.

""Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey." - Zechariah 9:9 NKJV

Jesus not only fulfilled Zechariah’s prophesy, He also fulfilled the type and shadow of 1 Kings 1:5-47, when Solomon, the son of David, was revealed to Israel that he was God’s chosen King.

When king David was on his deathbed, his older son Adonijah attempted to take over the throne of Israel, even though Solomon had been chosen by God to be the next king. (1 Chronicles 28:5)

To show all of Israel that Solomon was the chosen king of Israel, David had Solomon ride into Jerusalem on his personal mule that only king David rode on. (1 Kings 1:33-35).

This account of Solomon is a type and shadow of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on the donkey. To show all of Israel that Jesus is the chosen king of Israel, Jesus told his disciples to bring Him a donkey that no man had ridden on. (Luke 19:30). When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey, He displayed that He is the chosen king of Israel.

"Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me." - Matthew 21:2 NKJV (See Zachariah 9:9).

Jesus is called the son of David because according to the lineage of His flesh, He is a descendent of King David. God promised King David that his throne would be established FOREVER. This would be made possible by Messiah. This is why the Jews look for Christ to come from the lineage of King David.

"And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David." - 2 Samuel 7:16-17

The angel Gabriel told Mary,

"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." - Luke 1:31-33 KJV

Isaiah prophesied,

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this." - Isaiah 9:6-7

When the people called Jesus, “Son of David,” they were saying that Jesus is the Messiah, the chosen King of Israel.

What is Palm Sunday?

Palm Sunday is the week before Easter Sunday. This year, Palm Sunday is on April 14, 2019. It was on what we call Palm Sunday, that Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This event is recorded in Matthew 21:1-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; and John 12:12-19.

Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem by multitudes cutting down branches of palm trees and spreading them on the road as He entered.

"Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. "And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them."

“All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.'" [Zachariah 9:9]

“So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road [act of homage for royalty - 2 Kings 9:13]; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road." - Matthew 21:1-8 NKJV

"And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest." - Matthew 21:9 KJV

The following is what was recorded of Jesus’ entry by John, Mark, and Luke.

"On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord [Psalm 118:26]." - John 12:12-13 KJV

"And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest." - Mark 11:9-10 KJV

"And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." - Luke 19:37-40 KJV

Out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth Speaketh as Hearts Are Changed by the Spirit of God

"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." - Matthew 12:34

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." - Luke 6:45

Jeremiah and Ezekiel prophesied of the New Covenant that God would make with the house of Israel.

"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people." - Jeremiah 31:33 (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

"A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." - Ezekiel 36:26 (Ezekiel 36:25-27)

On the Day of Pentecost, the New Covenant began when God poured out His Spirit, writing His law in the hearts of those disciples gathered in the upper room.

Out of the abundance of their new hearts, their mouths spoke. God changed their hearts, and as a result, their words were changed.

"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

Our hearts are changed when we obey the gospel.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Just like on the Day of Pentecost, when we are filled with the good treasure of His Spirit, out of the abundance of our hearts, our mouths will speak. (2 Corinthians 4:6-7, Acts 19:6, Acts 10:44-48).

The Wages and the Gift

Wages are what we earn. If we have a just boss, he will pay us what he promised us.

God's law for Adam and Eve was they were not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God said,

Genesis 2:17 KJV - But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Adam and Eve ate of the tree.

God is just, yet in His mercy, God took an innocent animal in place of the death of Adam and Eve. This substitute sacrifice of an animal covered their sin.

Genesis 3:21 KJV - Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

From the time of Adam, God accepted the sacrifice of innocent animals to take the place of the life of a man as the wage for sin.

Romans 6:23 KJV - For the wages of sin is death…

Yet, animals could not fully be a substitute for the life of man. Only a man without sin could be a sacrifice in our place to pay the wages of our sin.

God looked for a man and there was none. So God robed Himself in flesh (“the arm of the Lord”) and was born of Mary to pay the price of death for our sin.

Isaiah 59:16 KJV - And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

Isaiah 53:1, 11 KJV - Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? …for he shall bear their iniquities.

Matthew 1:21 KJV - And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Matthew 1:22-23 KJV - Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Jesus came as the Lamb of God that could take away the sin of the world.

Hebrews 10:4 KJV - For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.

John 1:29 KJV - The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

God pronounced His justice upon Himself - He suffered with many stripes on His back, then died on the cross.

By the death of God's flesh, by His name Jesus, we are no longer faced with the sentence of death for our sins.

Hebrews 2:14-15 KJV - Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Jesus shed His blood so we could be restored to where Adam and Eve were before the fall - without sin. By His sacrifice, we can repent of our sins, be baptized in Jesus name for the remission of our sins, and be filled with His Spirit.

Acts 2:38 KJV - Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

The wages of sin were paid by Jesus on the cross. And now the gift - the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Christ - which we did not earn - is given by God in His mercy so that we may have eternal life.

Romans 6:23 KJV - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All of Our Heart

When we have turned our back on sin, and have been born again of water and Spirit, we are born of God.

We have repented, we have been baptized in Jesus name for the remission of sins, and we have received the gift of God’s Spirit, the Holy Ghost.

We have become His child, and He has become our Father. (John 1:12-13, John 3:5, Acts 2:38)

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?

“And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." - 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

The next verse is,

"Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." - 2 Corinthians 7:1

As His beloved, and because of our deep respect and awe of Jesus, we desire to be holy as He is holy.

When we hear the preaching of the word, and when we read our Bibles, His Spirit within us, the Holy Ghost, reveals areas in our life that need correcting.

Jesus leads us to repentance in these areas, and by His blood that we applied to our life in baptism in Jesus name, these areas of spots and blemishes are cleansed. By this process, we progress towards holiness.

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 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 5:25-27

We turn away from the lifestyles of the world to a lifestyle of holiness and faithfulness to God.

We make sure that Jesus has all of our heart, and we are not sharing our heart with a love for the things of the world.

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." - 1 John 2:15-17

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." - James 4:8 (“…for your loyalty is divided between God and the world”. NLT)

When we truly humble ourselves before God in repentance and awe of His holiness, with the realization that our righteousness really is as filthy rags in comparison to His righteousness, we enter into another dimension with Him.

His mercy and love surrounds us, letting us know there is nothing and no one more intimate and more caring of us than Jesus. By His love, He brings us into His glory.

"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." - James 4:10

"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:" - 1 Peter 1:8

How do I receive the gift of the Holy Ghost?

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39

“Repent” here means, “To change one's mind, i.e. to repent”, and “to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon).

A person can receive the Holy Ghost before or after water baptism. Repentance, however, must come first before either.

We come to Jesus by faith.

"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." - Hebrews 11:6

By repentance, we turn our heart, our mind, and our life to Jesus and away from sin.

Jesus gave His life for us, because He loves us. He loves us so much, that a suffered and died for us, so our sins could be forgiven. On the third day Jesus rose from the dead.

Jesus did this so we could have communion with Him, once again being filled with His Spirit

A good place for a person to receive the Holy Ghost is at church, when there is an “altar call.” This is a call to those that love Jesus, that want to give their life to Him, and want to receive the gift of His Spirit.

At church, our minds are focused on God. We are in an atmosphere where other people also have their minds on God.

In this setting of prayer, worship, and the message of the Word of God, it is easier to feel the presence of Jesus.

When we go to the altar, we often find others who will pray with us, worshiping with us, and encouraging us as we draw closer into God’s presence.

We receive God’s Spirit when we focus our whole attention on Jesus and His love for us. By our worship and thanksgiving, we draw closer to Him and He draws closer to us. (James 4:8)

It seems when we raise our hands in praise and worship, we are reaching out to Him, praising Him.

When we worship and talk to Him, we communicate our heart and love.

With our mind, our heart, our hands, and our voice focused on Jesus and how much we love Him, the presence of the Lord comes upon us. We feel His love and peace.

Sometimes there is a feeling of humility in the awesome presence of His holiness. Sometimes we have tears of thanksgiving. When we humble our self before the Lord, He lifts us up.

To allow Jesus to fill us with His Spirit, we must allow Him to change our words, our tongue. Sometimes a person will experience “stammering lips,” and sometimes a person will experience their hand trembling as they pray. The important thing is to not be distracted by this, and to definitely not stop praying out loud, keeping our mind on Jesus. (Just as a woman in labor has physical signs as she gets closer to giving birth, it seems the same is true with a person getting closer to being born of the Spirit.) When others are praying with us, they can encourage us, as they recognize from their own personal experience that we are getting closer to receiving the Holy Ghost.

Receiving the Holy Ghost requires trust in the Lord. It requires not letting our pride get in the way of speaking in a tongue we do not know. It requires letting God change our tongue and words, and not us trying to force our tongue to enunciate words when God is trying to change it. We must want His Spirit above all else.

When we surrender all of our self to God, including our tongue, He can fill us with His Spirit.

Jesus can fill us with His Spirit wherever we are. We can receive His Spirit in church, in a house, in a car, on a mountain top, anywhere we are reaching out to Jesus above all else, and allowing Him to fill us with His Spirit.

Receiving the Holy Ghost takes us to a dimension of peace and joy that we will not want to leave. It is a place we can return to. When Jesus fills us with His Spirit, the Holy Ghost, He not only gives us His love, peace, and joy, but also His power to live our lives pleasing to Him. By His Spirit, we can live our life victorious over sin.

Want more of God’s peace within?

Get a refilling of His Holy Ghost.

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:7

Want more of God’s love – shining from the inside out?

Get a refilling of His Holy Ghost.

"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." - Romans 5:3-5

Want more of God’s joy?

Get a refilling of His Holy Ghost!

"Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:" - 1 Peter 1:8

To be powerful witnesses, we need to stay full of the Holy Ghost!

"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." - Acts 4:31

Have you received the Holy Ghost?

The Holy Ghost was first poured out on the Day of Pentecost.

"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

Peter preached the gospel that day, and what to do so we, too, can receive the Holy Ghost.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39

The Wind and 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 is explaining that just as the wind has a sound that accompanies it, so likewise the Spirit has a sound that accompanies it. We learn later in the book of Acts, that speaking in tongues is the sound that we hear when a person is born of the Spirit. We cannot see God’s Spirit, but we hear the sound of a person speaking in tongues as God fills them with His Spirit.

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1-2, 4

Later in the book of Acts when Gentiles received His Spirit,

"And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God." - Acts 10:45-46

Later, Paul witnessed to disciples of John the Baptist,

"And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." - Acts 19:6

Jesus spoke of being born again.

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ... Jesus answered, 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 3:3, 5

We see from our human experience, that when a baby is born there is a sound. It is when the baby inhales his first breath that the sound is emitted – the baby lets out a cry.

That breath that a baby receives when he is born in the natural is like the Spirit we receive when we are born again in the spiritual. The breath a baby receives when he is born, gives him life in this world outside of the womb. The Spirit we receive when we are born again, gives us newness of life more abundantly in this world, and eternal life in that which is to come. (John 10:10, Romans 6:4, 1Timothy 4:8).

When the baby takes his first breath and cries out, that is not the end of the story; it is the beginning! If he is going to survive, he must continue to breath, and will continue to make sounds. (As a baby grows, his words become more articulate, then become sentences.)

So it is in our new birth experience. If we want to stay spiritually alive, we must continue to be filled with God’s Spirit. And, as Jesus said, there is a sound accompanying the Spirit. We see in the Bible, and from our experience today, that this sound is speaking in tongues.

Note: “Tongues” means “language” (specially, one naturally unacquired). Tongues as the sign of receiving the Holy Ghost is speaking in a language we do not know, as the Spirit of God speaks through us. We speak in other tongues as God is filling us with His Spirit, trusting and allowing Him to change our words of praise into a language we do not know.

Note: Speaking in tongues when receiving the Spirit is not to be confused with the gift of divers kinds of tongues, which is one of nine gifts of the Spirit given by God to MINISTER to the CHURCH BODY (along with the gift of the interpretation of tongues). The gift of faith is another of the nine gifts of the Spirit. Everyone might not have the gift of faith, and everyone might not have the gift of tongues, but EVERYONE must have faith to come to God, and EVERYONE speaks in tongues when they are filled with the Spirit.

Note: Interestingly, both the Hebrew and Greek words for “wind” is the same word used for “Spirit” and “breath.”

Daniel Purposed in his Heart

Daniel was taken into captivity from Israel into Babylon when he was a young man. Daniel was strong, healthy, and well favored. He understood all wisdom, was gifted in knowledge, and understood how to express his thoughts. He had the strength it would take to stand in the king's palace.

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had designs on Daniel’s life to mold him into the heathen ways of the Babylonians.

Daniel was given a new name, Belteshazzar, which honored a pagan Babylonian god. The king’s plan was to teach Daniel the learning and the language of the Chaldeans. He would be given food and wine from the kings table. As a Jew, to eat this non-kosher food would be breaking God’s commandment.

Daniel determined that he would obey God. Although he was in a foreign land with a foreign king ruling over him, Daniel was not going to disobey God’s commandments.

Daniel 1:8 KJV - But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

With the temptation to ‘go with the program’ and not resist in order to live for God, God made a way of escape for Daniel.

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." - 1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV

God gave Daniel favor with the prince of the eunuchs so he could to get a substitute diet.

"Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs." - Daniel 1:9 KJV [And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs]

Even in a strange and pagan country and circumstances, Daniel served God. Even though we live in a world that most of the time is not serving God, He can give us favor, and will not allow us to be tempted above what we can handle. With the temptation, God will make a way to escape so we can bear it.

"Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

“Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? [Abraham lived approximately 2000 years earlier.]

“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

“Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by." - John 8:56-59 KJV

Why did the Jews take up stones to cast at Jesus?

Because they understood that Jesus was letting them know He is God, the “I AM.”

"And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." - Exodus 3:14 KJV

"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." - John 8:24 KJV [That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, [Exod 3:14] you will die in your sins.”

Priorities: Jesus Name Baptism and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost

"And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, he said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?

“And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

“And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized?

“And they said, Unto John's baptism.

“Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.

“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

“And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve [in all]." - Acts 19:1-7

FIRST question Paul asked, Had they received the Holy Ghost?

When Paul found out they hadn’t, his NEXT question was, Unto what then were ye baptized?

When he found out they had not been baptized in Jesus name, baptizing them in JESUS name was the priority!

AFTER they were baptized in Jesus name, THEN he laid his hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost.

How did Paul know that they had received the Holy Ghost?

It WASN’T because he laid his hands on them!

Paul knew the men had been filled with the Holy Ghost, submitting FULLY to the power of the Spirit, because they had allowed God to even take control of their tongue, which resulted in their SPEAKING IN TONGUES as happened to the disciples on the Day of Pentecost!

"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ... And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:1, 4 KJV

Peter was the first to preach the gospel, beginning on the Day of Pentecost, when he preached to all those that gathered when they saw the disciples receiving the promised Holy Ghost. (See: Acts 2:14-37). Peter preached the priorities:

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

“For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:37-39

And the Word was God.

Because Jesus lives, we have a hope!

"I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." - Revelation 1:18 KJV

The flesh and blood human body Jesus created for Himself when He overshadowed Mary and she conceived was without sin. This is why Jesus was able to pay the price of our sins.

"And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." - 1 John 3:5 KJV

When we repent of our sins, and we are baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, we have confidence that His blood has washed our sins away. With our sins washed away, we have the promise we can receive the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of Jesus within us.

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV

Jesus told His disciples before His death,

"Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also." - John 14:19 KJV

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." - Hebrews 2:14-15 KJV

Because Jesus lives, we have no fear of death, for we have hope of eternal life with Jesus through the gospel.

"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:" - 2 Timothy 1:10 KJV

"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:" - Romans 6:4-5 KJV

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." - Romans 8:11 KJV

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep [have died] in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep [believers who have died]. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." - 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18 KJV

Jesus is our example of baptism. We are baptized into His death.

Romans 6:3 KJV - " Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?"

Jesus spoke to His disciples of the suffering and death He was going to go through. (Mark 10:32-34). Jesus referred to it as His baptism. (Mark 10:38).

Luke 12:50 KJV - "But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!"

When we are baptized into Christ’s death, we have crucified our sinful nature. We have repented of our sins. We then bury that sinful nature by water baptism in Jesus name. We are baptized with the Spirit of Christ (the Holy Ghost), giving us the power to walk a new life in Christ.

Romans 6:3-5 KJV - " Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:"

Romans 6:6-7 KJV - "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin."

Romans 6:8-11 KJV - "Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Galatians 3:27 KJV - "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

This is how the church first began, baptized into Christ, on the Day of Pentecost.

Acts 2:38-40 KJV - "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation."

Acts 2:41-42 KJV - "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

Follow Jesus

Matthew 16:21 KJV - "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."

Peter did not understand Jesus’ mission. Peter only understood the value of our physical life and a human kingdom. Peter rebuked Jesus.

Matthew 16:22 KJV - "Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee."

Jesus made it very clear to Peter that he was being a tool of satan. Peter was trying to stop Jesus from accomplishing His mission to bring salvation and the kingdom of God to mankind. This could only be accomplished by Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus thus revealed His gospel that would bring peace between Him and man. By His death, Jesus would destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

Matthew 16:23 KJV - "But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

Peter, at this point, only understood an earthly kingdom. Jesus was trying to make His disciples understand what it would take to bring about and become part of the kingdom of God.

Matthew 16:24 KJV - "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

The kingdom of God required death. It required the actual death of Jesus on the cross to pay the price of our sins. For us, it would take death to sin, crucifying our old sinful nature. If I hold on to my own selfish will, my life is unfulfilling, without purpose, and empty. When I surrender my life to God’s will, my life is full. By my death to sin, I find life in His Spirit.

Matthew 16:25 KJV - "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

The world may be enticing, but its rewards are temporal. If I want victory over sin and death, I must deny my desire for the pleasures of sin, and let Jesus rule my life.

Matthew 16:26 KJV - "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Our soul is eternal. In the kingdom of God, there is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Matthew 16:27 KJV - "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works."

In my covenant with Jesus, I take His name in water baptism. I forsake the world and pledge my faithfulness to follow only Him. Jesus’ promise to me is He is always with me, even unto the end of the world. (Acts 2:38).

Matthew 28:20 KJV - "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."