Author: Emily Wooten

The ultimate trap would be for a human to ignore God’s warnings. If a human’s body dies, without the human accepted Jesus as the only begotten son of God, that human’s spirit is eternally separated from God. If the devil can convince humans that they are unworthy or unable to take the things God has promised, they will miss out on God’s best for them.

20 The born again spirit is a new creature, unskilled in the word of God and must learn to use God’s word, like a weapon to defeat temptation.

In Hebrews 5:12-14 Paul told humans they should have already learned but had not because they didn’t hear or attend to the word of God. They needed to use their senses and learn to discern. As a human learns what God has provided it is necessary to exercise faith in order to grow spiritually. That human learns to dismiss the lies of the devil and hold to God’s word as reality.

We see in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 instructions for dealing with our thoughts. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. It is necessary to teach our spirit and soul to give place in our thinking to God’s word while refusing the devils lies. For example: scripture calls the born again Christian the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That is a truth that doesn’t change. The devil would like to cause confusion. The same way he lied to Eve. He tries to accuse God of evil. The devil tries to convince the human they should listen to him. There is a way to deny him access. Humans have to learn to read, write and speak. Before we write or speak, words form in our mind. If we hear another human speak words, they are received in our brain and is processed. We can choose to answer, dismiss or store the information. The devil and familiar spirits clamor false doctrines and lies about God. They use any communication that will cause humans to doubt God’s faithfulness, purpose and will. God is faithful, and he will not let humans be tempted beyond their ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, so the human may be able to endure it (1 Corinthians 10:13).

If any thought argues a human cannot be born again, saved from hell or accept Jesus as savior, that thought is a lie and should be cast down. When the human speaks truth out loud, that puts the human in agreement with God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Any thought that is contrary to these scriptures is a lie. Philippians 2:5-8 Paul told us to have the mindset Jesus had. While he was equal with God he humbled himself and became obedient, even to the death on the cross. In order to successfully control our thoughts, we have to use our words. It is impossible to speak one thing and think another. Here is an exercise to prove that point.

Start counting from 1 to 100 silently to yourself. After you pass five, while you continue to count to yourself, say out loud, your name and birth date. The counting in your mind has to stop to allow your brain to form the words you say out loud. We can arrest our thoughts by speaking the truth in love and cast down those deceitful thoughts. Philippians 4 is full of gems of good confessions. Look at verses 6-8. Be careful (or anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. That is clear instructions. Humans need to guard their minds and remind themselves of God’s promises. Solomon, the wisest man ever, instructed his children to write God’s word on the doorpost, keep them around their neck and meditate on them day and night. If humans do, they will keep our soul in peace and ensure the absence of fear. Fear is confidence that evil will happen. It comes from giving credence to an evil report. It isn’t fear that brings humans to know God. Scripture tells us in Romans 2 it is the goodness of God that brings men to repentance.

Read Psalms 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. Do these scriptures contradict each other? The reference in verse 10 clearly says that fear is the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We need to rightly divide the word and understand the word translated fear could have been respect, revere or reverence. A better interpretation would be, “To reverence God: his will, his ways and instructions, is the beginning of wisdom.” King David and Solomon instructed their children to attend to God’s word and instruction.

There is a difference in living in fear and being responsible. Jesus told us in Matthew 7:7-8 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. We believe God wants us to ask him for the things we need and want. We prepare, work and make ourselves available to do his will. We expect if we ask anything, according to his will, in Jesus name, it will be done of our father which is in heaven. Dread does not express favorable expectations. Ephesians 6:18 tells us to pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

21. Peace of mind, Shalom, or well-being is offered with the new birth. Recorded in John 14:27 Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” God spoke to Joshua and it is recorded in Joshua 1: 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whither soever thou goest. Psalms 31: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. All these scriptures give us the idea that we can be brave and strong. In the same way, a human takes or accepts redemption, we take health and peace of mind. The Apostle Paul faced many hardships. Through every hardship, he had peace of mind, confidence, and purpose. No other New Testament Apostle was credited with as many books in the bible as Paul. Humans who trust God and attend to his word to do it can live in peace even in a world that is falling apart. Psalms 91:7 which reads, “A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.” This is a promise. We take God’s help. We take the angel’s help. Even when the world is in chaos around us we can have peace. This comes from knowing and understanding by the Holy Spirit speaking to our spirit.

Acts 21 tells us Paul understood there were dangers facing him on the journey. It was witnessed by many, time and time again they prophesied that he would be faced with trouble. Paul said he was ready. That confidence came from understanding God had a plan and purpose for Paul that was more important than the temporal discomfort or inconvenience. Humans have to count the cost. How much would a human be willing to suffer if it meant that human would see others come to experience redemption through Jesus Christ? Romans 8:31 “If God be for us, who can be against us?” Paul continues in verses 37 – 39, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. “I am persuaded neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” That is what God says about those who trust him.

When humans believe in Jesus as son of God, they believe God wants good things for them. We believe the scripture in Romans 8:28 that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are the called according to his purpose. We believe Deuteronomy 28 in verses 1-14 is a love letter from God to humans which express the blessings God wants us to experience. The rest of that chapter explains the results of not adhering to God’s word.
The devil hates humans and wants to destroy them. He is jealous of their relationship with God. According to Revelations 12:10 the devil accuses humans to God day and night. Separating humans from God’s favor is the devil’s objective. He will try to tell humans they aren’t good enough and God doesn’t want them or that God doesn’t exist.

19 If we submit ourselves to God and resist the devil, he must flee. We are not in battle with a human or any flesh and blood entity. The devil tries to use other humans to influence, deceive and manipulate. We need to be aware and recognize his tricks.

The battle in the realm of the spirit is one that deals with more than good and evil in a single human. Every evil work comes from the devil and his influence. But God has provided a way of escape from every trap the devil has. In John 8:44 Jesus told the Jews, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Also provided in the new birth is health. Sickness and disease originated with the fall of humans when Adam sinned. We aren’t saying that every sickness experienced in humans was a result of their sinning. We are saying that separation from the source of life allowed the enemy, Satan to work sickness and disease in the species, humans. Humans rely on medication, surgery, and/or treatments from medical professionals to ease their suffering. We believe that health is a blessing God wants his children to experience. We know there have been miracles and people have been healed, sometimes instantly. It is possible that asking God to bless the food we eat to the nourishment and strength of our bodies along with common sense and appropriate exercise can result in a healthy body.

Sometimes humans experience challenges in their bodies. Sickness or disease has been known to attack a healthy body. We have options. We can take medication and ask God to cause the medication to eliminate the sickness or disease, and/or we can submit our body to God in prayer asking for divine healing to be manifest in our cells. Once we submit our body to God we can resist the sickness and/or disease verbally speaking to it and declaring it must go. James 4:7-8 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.

16. It is God’s will that humans have health. James 5:14-16 Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him; and if he has committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Proverbs 4:20-22, Exodus 23:25-26, 1 Peter 2:24

17. The Power of life and death are in the tongue. Proverbs 18:21

18. Divine health is part of salvation. In 3 John 1, John said, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” It is God’s will that we prosper and be in health. Jesus’ ministry, while he was teaching in the synagogues and preaching from the mountains and rivers, was saturated with testimonies of divine healing.

Whether our healing comes from a miracle or medication prescribed by a doctor, taken per their instructions, we believe it is God’s will for humans to be in health the same way it is God’s will for humans to be in fellowship with him. Humans have to move toward God. He has already done everything required to make available eternal life and with it, health. We have to access it by faith. We believe divine healing is not only possible, for nothing shall be impossible with God, we also believe divine health is possible.

Proverbs 3:1-2 My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Proverbs 4: 20-22 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Deuteronomy 30:19, Mark 9:23, Luke 8:50, Mark 10: 52, Matthew 10:8 In these scriptures we see the consistency that God has provided health throughout scripture. Luke 8:50 says, “But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.” In Luke 4:18 Jesus declared that he had been sent and anointed to preach the gospel to the poor; heal the broken hearted, preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised. In Exodus 15:26 God said, if we diligently hear the voice of the Lord our God and do what is right in his sight and listen to his commandments and keep all his statutes, God will not put or allow the diseases to be put on us which he allowed to be put on the Egyptians. He declared, “I am the Lord that heals you.” God wants his beloved to be well, and Jesus provided that in the new birth by what he suffered in our place. A human doesn’t have to go to hell, and humans don’t have to be slaves to weakness, sickness, and disease.

We access eternal life and health by faith in God’s faithfulness to keep his promises. King David wrote, and it is recorded in Psalms 37:25, “I’ve never seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread.” David had been a champion of God since he was a small boy. He and his men had also been hungry and ate the bread in the temple that was supposed to be reserved for the priests. How could he say he had never seen God’s seed begging for bread? God provided, and they took it by faith David understood when they ate the showbread that the law was written for men because they needed guidelines. He also knew by his spirit that the provision of the showbread was reserved for the priest to provide for them. In this case God superseded natural law in order to take care of David and his men. We see many times in the scripture God provided beyond natural law. The children of Israel received manna from heaven; Elijah received food from ravens; The children of Israel went through the red sea on dry land, and in each situation the humans had to take the provision in order to have the blessing. If any of them had been too afraid to take what God had provided they would have suffered lack.

To be born again, humans must believe:

9. Jesus is the only child of God created by immaculate conception. Luke 1:26-38

10. Jesus did no sin. 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Hebrews 4:14-15 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

11. Jesus took our sins and died in our place. 1 Peter 2:21-24 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. Romans 5:6-10 Jesus was born to a virgin. The angel told Mary that the Holy Spirit would create a child in her and that child would be holy. Because Jesus was not conceived through sexual intercourse, he did not fall prey to the curse of the fall that humans inherited. Jesus was the only human ever born who was without sin. When God sent Jesus to the world, he knew he would be crucified for our sins.

12. Jesus provided our salvation including salvation from death spiritually, weakness, poverty, disease, hatred, and separation from God. Psalms 103:1-5

13. Jesus came that we might have life and that more abundantly. John 10:10 The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

14. The Devil continues to steal, kill and destroy. 1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

15. The Devil is constantly trying to separate humans from God. Revelation 12:10-11 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Devil, Satan, Serpent: There are several names used in the scriptures, which refer to the enemy of our faith. His nature has been perverted by his lust, greed, and delusion. We believe it started when he and one-third of the angels rebelled against God and were cast out of heaven. It has been the enemy’s obsession to destroy humans. They were made in the image of God which he despises. Jealousy, greed, deceit, and death are his motive.

God sent his son, Jesus, so that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Health and healing are provided in the new birth and are a part of abundant life. Jesus said in Mark 16:15 -18 “…Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

In the same way, death comes with sin and includes ignorance, lack, poverty, sickness, and hate, that is the way life, love, health, and prosperity come from a covenant relationship with God through Jesus Christ. A person can believe God exists and not accept his son or redemption. Belonging to a church doesn’t redeem us and the genetic family you were born to has nothing to do with accepting Jesus as Messiah or rejecting him. There is one sin that will condemn a human to eternal damnation. Mark 3:28-29 Jesus said, “All sins shall be forgiven to the sons of men and blasphemies: but he that shall blaspheme against Holy Ghost has never forgiveness but is in danger of eternal damnation.” Matthew 12:31-32 agrees and adds, whosoever speaks against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. Scripture tells us it is appointed to humans once to die and then the judgment. Hebrews 9:27-28 Revelations 21:8 speaks of the second death. When a human’s body dies that is death. When a human accepts Jesus as Lord we say they die to sin and become a new creature. The second death will never happen to a child of God. The second death or eternal separation from life and light is when the spirit of a human leaves its dead human body and is cast into eternal darkness. There will be no end to that pain. Revelations 20:13-15

For the child of God Revelations 21:4 says, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 2:11 “…He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death.” Eternal life is provided in the new birth. New birth is provided by accepting Jesus as the son of God.

God the eternal spirit spoke, and declared, creating the world and all things in it. God positioned humans to have dominion over the earth and all things in it.
Genesis 1:26-28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
The relationship established between humans and all living creatures was for humans to manage and care for the earth and all living creatures.
God gave specific instructions to humans. Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 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. Genesis 2:15-17
4. Humans were positioned in authority over the earth and other living creatures to manage and nurture God’s creation.
5. Human was warned that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was prohibited. No one had permission to eat that fruit. Eating that fruit would result in separation from God, who is the source of life. Separation from the source of life and light results in eternal death and darkness.
God created humans male and female. He placed humans named Adam and Eve in a beautiful garden called Eden. Adam named the animals and cared for the garden.
Genesis 3:1-7 There was a sly creature in the garden called the serpent. Serpent asked Eve, “Did God say you shall not eat of every tree in the garden? Eve replied, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” The serpent lied to Eve and challenged what God had said. He told Eve she would not die. Instead, she would become like God, knowing good and evil. Eve took the fruit and gave it to her husband. They ate the fruit. That was when separation from eternal life happened to all humans. Because of the first human’s disobedience, all humans inherited separation from God. Romans 5:12
When God came to the garden in the cool of the day, Adam and Eve heard his voice and hid from him. They knew they had disobeyed, saw themselves as naked, and were afraid. They sewed fig leaves together to make aprons but nothing would cover their sin. Sin or disobedience entered and death began working on humans.
Humans were created in the image of God: spirit, soul, and body. (Genesis 1:26) Each human is an eternal spirit and has a soul, which involves their mind, will, and emotions. The human spirit and soul are housed in a human body. Humans are different from all other creatures. Before Adam sinned and brought eternal death (separation from God), the human body was designed to live forever. It took 930 years for the body of Adam to die. Like all humans, the spirit of Adam will never die. The spirit of Adam is alive today.
Scripture tells us that the spirit of a human will exist after the flesh and blood body dies. When the human heart stops beating and the human body stops breathing, the human body becomes unsuitable to house the human spirit.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 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.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
2 Corinthians 5:16-19 Know no human after the flesh: we did witness and knew Christ after the flesh. Now if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (that is his or her spirit is a new creature): old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.
When a human believes in Jesus Christ as the only begotten son of God who died for our sins and was raised from the grave, that human’s spirit is reborn or born again. In John 3:3 Jesus told Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus was speaking about the human spirit becoming a new creature in Christ Jesus. He continued in verse 14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 1 John 1:7-9
Because of Adam’s sin, God provided a human to restore the connection between God and all humans. In the same way, all humans were condemned with Adam’s sin, all humans were reconciled to God through Jesus’ sacrifice.
1 Peter 2:24 tells us that Jesus bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness.
It wasn’t enough that Jesus died for our sins. He also was resurrected. 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 tells us, by man (speaking of Adam) came death, by man (speaking of Jesus) came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
6. Humans are spirit, soul, and body after the image of God.
7. Because Adam disobeyed God, all humans are born in sin and subject to the law of sin and death.
8. Believing in the son of God and submitting to him as Lord of all is the only way humans can be restored to a relationship as children of God.
Through Adam’s sin, separation from life and light brought weakness, sickness, and lack to humans. With Jesus’ sacrifice life, health, prosperity, and access to God were established for all humans. A human has to take the provision God has provided by faith.

To understand God, his relationship with humans, and the universe, we have to believe that he is. God is an eternal spirit. He is the source of life, light, the spiritual and physical. The book we call the “Holy Bible” was inspired by God. Its words are wisdom on which we can structure our behavior. God inspired humans to record history, principles for living, and guidelines or instructions. These writings were accumulated and translated into the Holy Bible. The “Holy Bible” declares in Genesis 1:1 that In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth.
Science explains that humans, plants, and all things living consist of matter. The human body is matter, atoms, electrons, protons, and neutrons. The human body is not the extent of the human being. A human is an eternal spirit that exists inside a human body. When the human body dies; the lungs stop breathing, the heart stops beating; the spirit returns to God. (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
1. God is an eternal, self-existing spirit who was, is, and is to come without end. Acts 17:24-25, Revelations 1:8
2. God who is the source of love, light, and life, created all things and nothing was created without God.
John 1:1-4 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life and the life was the light of men.”