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I've been listening to Pastor Joe Focht from Calvary Chapel Philadelphia on my smart phone. He goes verse by verse and the whole bible is available on the app or website. I have found that listening to the Word of God explained in the car is much better than talk radio! See the link below.
- dr joe
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Food for Thought...
I believe our nation is headed for very hard, even disastrous times. I do not believe politics will fix our economy - it's too far gone - too much debt to ever pay back. We depend completely on our fragile technological infrastructure for food, water, shelter, transportation, and entertainment. Any number of events could cause a sudden collapse of our system e.g., electric grid collapse from terrorism, natural event like solar flare, simple breakdown from lack of modernization, or Israel attacks Iran and the price of oil skyrockets, or China stops buying our treasury bonds. I am feeling called to prepare for such disaster by working to be less dependent and more self-sufficient. If you have interest in or questions about this line of thinking, please e-mail me by replying to this e-mail. Below are some of my favorite links:
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Luke 6:45
45 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
Jesus reminds us that our speech and actions reveal the true underlying beliefs, attitudes, and motivations. The good impressions we try to make cannot last if our hearts are deceptive. What is in your heart will come out in your speech and behavior.
Verse and commentary above and below in this color is copied from the Life Application Study Bible Reading Plan on YouVersion. Check it out at: http://www.youversion.com/ .
Any Dr JOE comments will be in BLUE :0)
Acts 19:1-7
19 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" John's baptism," they replied.
4 Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." 5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all.
So, I'm no expert or Theologian, and different denominations understand how you get the Holy Spirit differently. Here is my understanding. I welcome discussion on this, so if you disagree, send me an email. I believe that the Holy Spirit indwells a believer at the moment he/she makes the decision and spiritual transaction of accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord. This requires believing Jesus really lived, really is God, really rose from the dead, understanding the need we all have for being forgiven in order to be right with God, asking for the forgiveness the blood of Jesus offers, and then, the hard part, asking Jesus to take over every aspect of our lives and live inside us. Giving our hearts to Jesus is another way of saying it. If you've gone before the Lord and done this, you are saved, "born again", and you are indwelled by the Holy Spirit of the one true God. That being said, I do believe that the work of the Holy Spirit inside and through us depends on our permission for Him to do so. Having other believers lay hands on us and pray that the Holy Spirit will indwell and work in us is a legitimate spiritual exercise. Any time we request more of Him in our lives He is happy to respond with His Love and Presence. Now, how that manifests itself in each individual is up to God and is a whole different subject. Speaking in tongues, prophecy, wisdom, teaching, evangelism, etc. are all gifts of God's Holy Spirit. I do not believe that manifesting any one of these is a litmus test of whether an individual is truly indwelled by the Spirit. Bottom line: If you want more of the Holy Spirit in you, ask! If you want to be "Baptized in the Holy Spirit", talk to your Pastor.
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Questions?
Please email me with any questions about today's scripture message or anything related to the Bible or Christianity.
I might not know the answer but I'll try real hard to find it.
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