rosegarden

1. Because God uses people. Ananias would have to step out in faith, believe God, be obedient and be a witness to this miracle. 3 days would give Paul a chance to think about what happened. 2. He was fearful, believing the reports he had heard and not trusting the Lord. 3. Our natural man would fear, but if we have truly heard from the Lord we need to trust and obey Him. 4. He obeys, goes to him, calls him Brother Saul, lays hands on him and and his blindness is instantly healed and he is filled with the Holy Spirit and is Baptized by Ananias. 5 & 6. Yes, and when I obeyed I was blessed

1. Because we are united with Christ, we are the body of Christ. Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me (Matt. 25:40) 2. Letting me know I am watching too much news or TV and not spending that time with Him or in the Word. 3. Harder on me because I don't receive the blessing that I would have gotten and other things that are not of the Lord creep into my life.

a. All do but specifically - Spirit of Truth; The sword of the Spirit (The Word of God);Praying in the Spirit. b. Spirit directed prayer is important for the believer, as the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27) c. Yes, I pray in the Spirit every day. Sometimes when I am praying for someone in English, Spirit filled words come out of me. Its like a compassion and groaning for the particular person I was praying for. I find that praying in the Spirit edifies, strengthens and encourages me.

a. Because when you are filled with the Spirit you can't help but sing praises to the Lord for His goodness, mercy and love and for all He is and all He has done. The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are His children and what better to give Him thanks and praise. b. Singing praises and worship to Him brings us joy, peace and comfort and thrills our very being. Loving especially, when He brings songs of remembrance to our hearts for exactly what we need at that particular time.

a. I know that change is directly related to me spending time in God's presence because when I do there is a personal relationship - He knows all about me, He loves me, He is my Creator, He tells me secrets, things I didn't know, after a time of fellowship and worship, words of life to my Spirit and I fall more in love with Him and wanting to be in His presence and renewing my mind with His Word. He is changing my character. Before, I was running away and the enemy was distracting me with other things. (he is a defeated foe) Now I realize the Holy Spirit is actually living in me and I need to spend time with Him. God is not superficial and it should not be a quick Hi and Bye. He is deep, loves us and is in us and wants to change us to be more and more like Him - from Glory to Glory! b. Yes, I notice a change. God has talked to me about really Believing. I had gone through some deep attacks in my thinking from the enemy of my soul. I needed to renew my mind with the Word of God and get into studying the Word, spending more time with other Christians who believe than people who don't believe. I learned about being a 3 part being Spirit, Soul and Body and how we are fearfully and wonderfully made. I wanted to know How to Walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. In spending time with Him and wanting more of Him and wanting to be rooted and grounded in Him and He is answering me, making the Word more alive to me. I love it, falling more in love with Him. Getting to know Jesus, as the song says, ......There is no greater thing!

a. We need to abide in Jesus because He is our Life. He is the Vine, we are the branches. He is our source of everything we need - to be all he calls us to be and to do. We are to stay attached to the vine to get our nourishment from Him. When we stay connected to the Vine - no foe, sickness or disease can harm us. We are one with Him, united to Him. We bear beautiful fruit. I think of a beautiful apple - Large, healthy, beautiful to the eye and taste, appealing , delicious - something people would want. Fruits of righteous, fruits of the Spirit, being changed from glory to glory. b. The nature of the fruit that comes from being connected to Jesus is goodness and righteousness and truth; (Eph. 5:9) and the Fruit of the Spirit - Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22) c & d. I always thought of it as "souls saved" and if I was not bearing fruit (saving souls) that I would be cut off and thrown in the furnace. This scared me. It is good to see it is producing a changed life in me, of being more like Jesus and falling in love with Him, being one with Him that I might clearly hear from Him in listening to His Spirit inside me.

a. Samuel's life was dedicated to the Lord. He was attentive, listening, wanting to hear, a servant, ready and willing to obey. All necessary preparation for hearing God's voice. That is what a servants attitude is. Always listening for the Master's calls and desires, anticipating his needs, there, ready, willing and obedient. If you are one who is waiting to hear the details and being picky about what you will or will not do and it doesn't interfere with your plans, you do not have a servant attitude. b. Surrender to Jesus is such an important element of discipleship because if you don't hear, aren't listening you will not grow in your relationship with Christ. We have to respond to His nudges because when we do, we are blessed. We don't know the results, we just do it. Surrender to His call. I had an experience this morning. I stopped at an old friends house, who I haven's seen in a long time. Her friend Betty was there and they were just leaving to go to the store. She has had numerous cancers and operations and we chatted about that and old times and I left. I got in my car and God nudged me to go back and pray for her. The scripture came to me Mark 16:18b they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So I did, I didn't know how they would receive it but they did and we were all blessed. I believe God touched her and look for a good report. I was blessed and encouraged after doing it.

a. As I am in prayer in the morning thanking God for being able to move, hear, see, (the things we take for granted) and thanking Him for who He is , the Spirit gives me words of praise for worshiping Him and it just flows until I start thinking up words myself. b. The Spirit nudges and prompts me when I start to say something I shouldn't. In my giving - when I try to give a smaller amount and there is a bigger bill in my purse. In giving dessert to someone - to give them the bigger piece. Little things that keep me from being selfish. c. Be more filled up with more of Him, than what self wants and tuning into His frequency.

a. It is Relationship and spending quality time with our Creator that connect us to the mind of Christ. b. Yes, I do now. When I was first saved I had a little pin that would clip on to clothing that said "Jesus First" That was a message for me to put Jesus - first in my day. I did it at first but got away from it and now I know how important it is to let Him have the first part of your day as it sets the day aright, your mood, things get done. Its like He redeems the time. You can't out give God! c. To make it more meaningful I meditate on the Psalms and think on each word, more words come, and worship comes from that. I listen to men of God - Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. I speak the Word to my circumstances. Problem - Promise - Provision! Believing God, knowing He is real, He loves me, He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. His Holy Spirit lives inside me. My body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost.

a. He would arise early and go to a private place where he could be alone with the Father, who he was totally dependent upon. b. He was a man. He needed strength for the day and needed to hear from God the Father. especially with all the peoples needs. He was a man dependent on hearing from God and working in partnership with God to heal an deliver. An example of what we should be doing. Without me you can do nothing. He was fully God and fully man but only did what he saw the Father doing. c. Spending time in fellowship and prayer prepared him for ministry. d. He had no power as a man in the flesh but the power to heal an deliver comes from the power of the Holy Spirit.

a. Prideful, looking for glory for themselves, they may be hurting and looking for love. They need to know how much God loves them and to trust Him. b. Self worth: Romans 12:3 Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you. c. Maturity: They need to submit to God James 4:7 Resist the devil, and he will flee and grow in a relationship with Christ . d. Realism: They are not being real, they are putting up a front and hurting inside. e. Humility: They need to humble themselves - 1 Peter 5:6 therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. f. The gifts of helps and encouragement. Different ministries of helps in our Church and Encouraging others in the Body of Christ and getting to know Jesus more and more.

"All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines." (1 Corinthians 12:11) a. The gifts are given to us by the Holy Spirit, we all get at least one gift and they are given to us as is fitting to us, as He determines. b. The role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual gifts is that: He empowers them, He distributes them, He gives at least one gift to every person, He gifts us individually as are suited to us, as we yield to Him, He distributes them according to His own will and plan for us.

a. In Jesus ministry: Mark 2:8-12 At once Jesus knew in His spirit that they were considering this within themselves. “Why do you question these things in your hearts?” He asked. “Which is easier: to say to a paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, pick up your mat, and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, pick up your mat, and go home.” And immediately the man got up, picked up his mat, and walked out in front of them all. As a result, everyone was amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” b. Paul's ministry: Acts 14:8-10 In Lystra sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. This man was listening to the words of Paul, who looked intently at him and saw that he had faith to be healed. In a loud voice Paul called out, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man jumped up and began to walk. c. Peter & John's ministry: Healing of the lame man - Acts 3:3-8 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked them for money. Peter looked directly at him, as did John. “Look at us!” said Peter. So the man gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Taking him by the right hand, Peter helped him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were strengthened. He sprang to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and leaping and praising God. d. Phillips ministry: Acts 8:5-7 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them. The crowds gave their undivided attention to Philip’s message and the signs they saw him perform. With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.

a. Yes, because he came as an example to show us how to live by the Spirit of God and the use of spiritual gifts. b. Yes we can pattern our ministry after His example. if we are born of the Spirit of God, he has as given us spiritual gifts and shown us how and when to use them. c. O. T. : The story of Naaman - when Elisha sent him a messenger, who said, “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored, and you will be clean.” d. N.T.: We see the word of knowledge in Jesus' ministry in his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. He told her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband." (John 4:17-18)

a. You can have a pastoral gift of caring for the spiritual needs of a group of people without having been given any official title. Recognition is nice, but not necessary to carrying out this important role. God knows and it is to him that you serve in this gift. The Bible states he must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. (I Timothy 3:2-7) b. The so-called "senior pastor" may well not have the actual gift of pastor so much as of faith, leadership, teaching, or administration. This person can work in these capacities. c. These gifts are given to us by God in the person of the Holy Spirit

a. It is a spiritual gift given by God to members of the body of Christ and is one who prophesies speaking to men for their edification, encouragement, and comfort. b. The Bible says, despise not prophesyings. Paul encouraged all to prophesy, that is, to speak immediate and up building words from God under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. These words are a kind of revelation. Churches sometimes despise or prohibit prophesy because there have been abuses of spiritual gifts -- and abuses exist! -- causing them to rush to another extreme: despising those spiritual gifts. Paul writes: "Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt.Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil." (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22) c. Paul encourages the church not to accept prophetic words without careful discernment. Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is seated, the first speaker should hold his peace. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:29-33)

a. Yes, I do believe there are modern-day apostles. They are sent out from a local church. In the 70's, in our church, we had a young man by the name of Norman Holmes who got radically saved and went on to go to Bible school and after that started churches in the Phillipines, Vietnam and Cambodia and trains Leaders and Pastors, has a Bible School training over 700 Pastors. b. We also have Missionaries all over the world affiliated with our church - both Local and International who do the work of the ministry.

a. According to : (1 Cor. 12:7) Gifts are given to build up the body and strengthen God's people. (Ephesians 4: 11) Christ has given some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ. b. The church will not be strong but weak and some even fall away from the faith. The church must be living, each one doing their part. Not just left up to the Pastor and staff. but each member being built up and strengthened to go out and do the works of the ministry, using the spiritual gifts given them.

a. As we walk in the Spirit and crucify the flesh, yielding to the control of the Holy Spirit, we are changed and the fruits of the Spirit are produced. b. The theological term for this process is - Sanctification. c. Because they are not fully living by the Holy Spirit and still living in the flesh, not allowing and submitting to the Holy Spirit for change. d. They are saved but on pause. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. ... if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:7-9) God is still drawing them, but they are too much into the world and need to submit to the Holy Spirit's leading and be renewed the Spirit of their mind and get on track with the Holy Spirit's working. e. They need to believe and be strong in faith and produce the fruits of the Spirit that bring forth good works. f. No not harsh, true.

a. We can resist the temptation of the flesh by walking in the Spirit. b. Before Christ the law would restrain us, but in finding we could not keep all the law, Jesus came and fulfilled the Law. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit (Romans 8:2-5) c. As we learn to walk an be led by the Spirit as a way of life, we can break the hold that the flesh has had over our lives up to this point.

a. When you set your mind on the things of the flesh, you are living according to your sinful nature, living for yourself, selfish, desiring things that are not pleasing to God. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. Gal. 5:17 (NLT) b. 1. Know that you're saved by Jesus dying for your sins, 2. know that He has given you the Holy Spirit to live in you to lead, guide, teach and help you. Don't you yourselves know that you are God's temple and that the Spirit of God lives in you? I Cor. 3:16 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2 Set your minds on the things above, not the things on the earth. Col. 3:2 c. To keep your mind stayed on Jesus is to know he is ever with you, practicing His presence, staying in His Word and having ongoing communication and fellowship with Him. d. Our part is to be mindful to practice His Presence, stay in His word and have ongoing communication and fellowship with Him. e. If we do our part the Holy Spirit will do His part in assisting us to grow and in getting to know Jesus more and more. f. Yes it will become a good habit as we practice it and will fall more in love with Jesus each and every day.

a. The sinful nature is what we inherited from Adam and Eve after they sinned against God - rebellion, corrupt, living for self, evil desires, etc. b. Not yet, but the Spirit is in the business of changing us and in giving us victory over sin. c. But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own ****, and enticed. James 1:14 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. I Cor. 10:13 We will be tempted but God replaces the old "operating system" (the sinful nature, the flesh), with a new "operating system," the Holy Spirit. As we learn to yield more and more to the Holy Spirit, we are freed from our slavery to the "sinful nature."

a. & b. No I do not believe that it all happens at the same time. I experienced God being a personal God and meeting me at my need. It was my needing the Lord in my life, so I called out to Him in surrender and know that the Holy Spirit came into my life at the moment I surrendered. Just words of praise came from my mouth the next morning as I awoke and I sensed His presence. I did not speak in tongues initially. I learned that there was more and that the God's Spirit in me desired me to speak in a heavenly language. I said, there has got to be more. I wanted to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh, so started searching into Romans 7-8. and learned that we are 3 part beings - We are spirit, we have a soul and we live in a physical body. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth." John 4:24 I did have some words but eventually got more and the words changed over time, I believe that was according to the need. But God has revealed it to us by the Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. I Cor. 2:10 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. Romans 8:26 It was by reaching out in faith and believing God and then the words came. c. I believe you can have the Spirit of God in you but in order to be filled with the Spirit you need to communicate in the Spirit and an ongoing of being filled with the Word of God for the renewing of your mind.

a. The had an initial filling, but in Acts 4:8, 31 there was a special filling needed for boldness, like as in the old testament when the Holy Spirit came upon an individual to do great and mighty acts not able to do in the natural, but in the power of God. b. No they were not refilled, but quickened by the Spirit. c. Yes, it is possible to have as many as needed, by the power of God. d. Because they are needed to do the Anointed Works of God, to change lives, to preach, teach, minister, win souls, healings, deliverances, and whatever God wants to do through us.

a. At Pentecost the promise of the Holy Spirit was poured out. "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:4) This fulfilled Joel's prophecy (Joel 2:28-29) b. Baptize with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit Comes upon you, filled with the Holy Spirit, Pour out my Spirit, receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit, the Promise of the Spirit. c. Yes d. Jews heard and saw that: Acts 2:2-4 Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. e. Peter stated that these people are not drunk as you suppose, but this is that which was uttered by the Prophet Joel (Joel 2:28-29) “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.