Another very important aspect of your spiritual growth is
fellowship or meeting with fellow believers. We all know that when someone
associates with wrong characters he becomes like them, likewise when you
associate with the right company you will find yourself more like Jesus. Paul
encouraged his spiritual son Timothy to associate with born again Christians
and God speaks through that verse to us, "Flee
also youthful lusts (passions & temptations): but follow righteousness,
faith, charity (love), peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure
heart" (2Ti 2:22). You can only pursue your call to be holy when you
associate with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart i.e. Spirit
filled born again Christians. God commands us to meet together as Christians so
that we may encourage and strengthen one another in the faith, "Not forsaking the assembling of
ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting
(encouraging) one another: and so much the more, as ye see the
day (of Christ's return) approaching" (Heb 10:25). Endeavor to attend
a Spirit filled Church for born again Christians where the Word of God is
preached in it's fullness with emphasis on holiness, miracles, healings,
tongues and casting out demons. Do not wait to join a perfect born again church
because if you join it you would spoil it. You need the guidance of more mature
Christians and church leaders like Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and
Teachers most especially now that you have been recently born into the family
of God. Always endeavor to attend the Edifire Ministries Bible Studies, faculty
fellowship and any other fellowship God leads you to and play an active role in
the ministry. When you are faithful in the small things God will entrust you
with big responsibilities.
You need also to
be filled with the Holy Spirit and experience the initial physical evidence of
speaking with new or unknown tongues. Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit
according to His promises in the Bible, "But
this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in
the last days, saith God, I WILL POUR OUT OF MY SPIRIT UPON ALL FLESH: and your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams. 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" (Act
2:16-17, 38). The promise of the Holy Spirit is yours and God will baptize you
with His Spirit as soon as you ask Him, "If
a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?
or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or
if he shall ask an egg, will he
offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto
your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask
him?" (Luk 11:11-13). Ask God for the Holy Spirit and believe that you
receive the gift by faith, then open your mouth and begin to speak with tongues
as the Word of God says, "And these
signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils;
they shall speak with new tongues" (Mar 16:17); "While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all
them which heard the word. 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" (Act
10:44-46). God desires for you to speak with tongues, a supernatural language
that God gives you by His Spirit so that you may grow spiritually and be able
to pray for the unknown. You should be able to testify with Apostle Paul that
you speak with tongues more than the rest, "I
thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all" (1Co 14:18).
The greatest
responsibility you now have as an Ambassador of Christ is to make Him known to
all those around. Jesus promised that he would deny us before God if we denied
Him before men and also commend us before God if we fearlessly make Him known
to men, "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But
whosoever shall deny me
before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven"
(Mat 10:32-33). You are called upon to be a witness of Jesus Christ and preach
the gospel or good news of what Jesus can do for others just as He has done it
for you. God expects you to tell you family and friends about Jesus and even
later on to preach His word in other schools, districts and countries. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all
the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mar 16:15), Jesus
baptizes you with the Holy Spirit so as to empower you to preach the gospel to
all creation with signs and wonders following. You are to go out and lay hands
on the sick and command them to be healed in Jesus' name as a confirmation that
Jesus is still alive today. "And as
ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse
the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely
give" (Mat 10:7-8) and again, "And
he (Jesus) sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick”
(Luk 9:2). This is your commission, a commandment from the Lord concerning your
aim and vision in life. Now that you have known Jesus Christ, preach to others
and disciple them. Walk in love towards the unbelievers and take the good news
about Jesus to them. Teach them to take the path you are walking and bring them
up in the fear of the Lord.
I know you are
more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ and the victory is yours. You will
prosper in whatever you do and remain in divine health. God has prepared a
wonderful plan for your life which you need to seek and ask Him to reveal to
you. Surrender all to Him and live a life of holiness that pleases Jesus. Do
write back to me if you have any questions and I will gladly answer them. I am
longing to hear from you to know how you are faring in the Lord. May the grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirit.
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