LOVE

The natural man wants to put God in a box. It is hard for him to comprehend spiritual concepts. It is hard for him to understand that God is a Spirit, that He is everywhere at the same time, that He knows all things including the future, and that He is able to actually dwell within man.

To understand spiritual things, a person needs to be filled with the Spirit.

God made this possible for us when He overshadowed the woman Mary and she brought forth a child, born without sin, so that God could place His name upon Him and dwell within Him from conception. His name is Jesus, the Lord our salvation.

God did this so that He himself could pay the price of the shedding of blood for the sin of the world. He wanted to do this so that He could once again dwell in man and eliminate the separation caused by the sin that began with Adam and Eve. (Acts 20:28, Colossians 1:13-23, 2 Corinthians 5:19, Hebrews 2:14)

We can now be reconciled back to God when we repent of our sins, and we apply the blood He shed for us by baptism in Jesus name. When we enter this covenant with Jesus, He promises to fill us with His Spirit, the Holy Ghost.

When we are filled with the Spirit of God, we are then able to begin to understand spiritual things.

"To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them..." - 2 Corinthians 5:19 KJV

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" - Colossians 1:14 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." - Acts 2:38-39 KJV

With the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of God, we can understand spiritual things.

"For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

“But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. [Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon for “judgeth/judged”: to determine the excellence or defects of any person or thing]

“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? ["Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught him?" - Isaiah 40:13 KJV. Greek version of Isaiah 40:13: “Who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” Also: Romans 11:34]

“But we have the mind of Christ." [But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. Thayer’s: to be furnished with the understanding of Christ] - 1 Corinthians 2:11-16 KJV (John 15:15, John 16:13-15)

Jesus cares about you. Trust Him and love Him. He wants the best for you. Listen to His voice and He will lead and guide you. Cast your cares on Him and He will help you. Draw near to Him, and He will draw near to you. Jesus loves you.

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." - 1 Peter 5:7 KJV

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." - Psalm 46:1 KJV

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." - James 4:8 KJV

"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." - Psalm 23:1-3 KJV

"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." - John 10:11 KJV

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" - John 10:27 KJV

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." - Philippians 4:13 KJV

The Son of God is the body of God. It is a physical body in which God dwelt among His people. This physical body did not have its beginning in heaven. Rather, it began when God overshadowed Mary and she conceived a child. This child is the Son of God. It is the body that God created, born of a woman.

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." - Galatians 4:4-5 KJV

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." - John 1:1, 14 KJV

“He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not...

"And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." - Luke 1:35 KJV

"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." - Isaiah 9:6 KJV

"And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS." - Luke 1:31 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 1:21 KJV

Halloween

Thy Kingdom Come

When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He said to pray, “Thy kingdom come." (Luke 11:1-2, Matthew 6:10).

"And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." - Luke 17:20-21 KJV

Jesus revealed that the kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, not a physical kingdom.

"For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." - Romans 14:17 KJV

Jesus explained how to enter the kingdom of God. We are born into the kingdom by a spiritual birth of water and Spirit.

"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. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 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. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." - John 3:3-6 KJV

We see later that being born of water is baptism in water in Jesus name, and being born of the Spirit is being baptized with the Spirit, which is the Holy Ghost.

Jesus’ disciples, even after His death, burial, and resurrection, still did not understand that the kingdom of God is spiritual, not physical. God’s kingdom is one of power in the Holy Ghost.

"When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." - Acts 1:6-8 KJV

On the day of Pentecost, Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, preached how to be born of water and of the Spirit.

"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." - Acts 2:38 KJV

Apostle Paul revealed further who can enter into the kingdom of God and how. It is for all those that repent of their sins, are washed and justified by the blood of Jesus by baptism in Jesus name, and sanctified by the Spirit of God by receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38).

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." - 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 KJV

Our Heavenly Father came to dwell among His people in flesh and blood to deliver us from our bondage of sin by dying in our place. He is our Savior and Deliverer.

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

"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." - Acts 4:12 KJV

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." - John 1:14 KJV

"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not." - John 1:10 KJV

"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 KJV

How are we born of God and saved from our sins?

"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." - Acts 2:38 KJV

"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 2:39 KJV