Author: Emily Wooten

In the Young’s Literal Translation 1 Corinthians 12:1 Paul wrote, “Concerning spiritual things, I do not wish you to be ignorant (untrained). King James version reads spiritual gifts instead of spiritual things but the words gifts nor things are in the original text. Thayer defines the word translated spiritual: relating to the human spirit, or rational soul, as part of the human which is akin to God and serves as his instrument or organ. Reading the YLT version helps to separate the spiritual in three categories: 12:4 And there are diversities of gifts; 5 and there are diversities of ministrations; 6 and there are diversities of workings or operations.
12:8-11 For to one is given by the Spirit word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another (divers)kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

Word of wisdom, word of knowledge and discerning of spirits deal with revelation. Word of wisdom reveals something from God’s insight that will happen in the future. Scripture doesn’t read words of wisdom or the gift of wisdom. It is word of wisdom.
In Isaiah 38 Hezekiah was warned by a word of wisdom through Isaiah. God showed Isaiah what would happen in the days to come and warned Hezekiah to get his house in order. Hezekiah repented, changing circumstances. Once again, God showed Isaiah what would happen. Hezekiah was healed and he lived because he repented as a result of being warned by a word of wisdom. In Acts 9, Paul was shown a vision of Ananias coming to minister to him. That was a word of wisdom in the form of a vision. Sometimes the thought comes. Other times it is seen in a vision or a dream. Either way, the human knows things by the Holy Spirit giving insight.
Ananias had a word of knowledge in the same opening Holy Spirit told him about a man named Paul who had been praying and saw a vision of him. Word of knowledge reveals things in the present or past. Ananias knew Paul was expecting him because Holy Spirit revealed Paul’s experience to Ananias.
In Acts 5 there was another man named Ananias. He and his wife Sapphira, conspired to hide back part of the sale of their property. All the money was theirs to hold or to give. They tried to lie to the Holy Spirit. Peter saw them through revelation by Holy Spirit and knew what they had done. Peter had a word of knowledge in this situation.

Discerning of spirits refers to a supernatural understanding or having insight to recognize or perceive the difference between angels, cherubim, demons, human spirits and others in the spirit realm as Holy Spirit reveals. Moses saw into the spirit realm when God allowed him to see God’s hinder parts. In 2 Kings 6:17 Elisha prayed and Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man and he saw the hill was full of horses and chariots of fire, round about Elisha. In Acts 16 Paul recognized the oppressive spirit in a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination and he cast it out. Joseph, Mary’s husband had a few visits from an angel. He perceived the angel in a dream when he was told to marry Mary. God gave him a word of knowledge when the angel told him, in a dream that Herod was looking for the child to kill him. God warned Joseph to take Mary and go to Egypt for a while which was a word of wisdom. Sometimes these gifts, manifestations and operations work together with more than one being experienced.

It was a miracle that God caused the donkey to see the angel and speak to the human Balaam in Numbers 22. God gave the donkey discernment and he spoke in a human language that Balaam could understand or less likely Balaam interpreted donkey. Then Balaam discerned the angel too.
Paul said we see as through a glass, darkly. We know in part and prophesy in part. He told us to pray for the understanding. Understanding things that are revealed to us can be easier, if we practice fellowshipping with Holy Spirit, daily. Praying, as the Spirit leads is one way to hone our senses. Learning how God communicated with others by seeing examples in the bible is another. In 1 John 4, we are told to try the spirits: whether they are of God. John was talking about learning to discern if someone was operating by the Holy Spirit or other spirits. Paul told us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling in Philippians 4:12. It is true that the more we fellowship with God in his word and in prayer, the more acute become our senses.

The power gifts are: a special manifestation of faith; working of miracles (Greek Interlinear reads operations of powerful deeds) (Young’s Literal is in-workings of mighty deeds), and gifts of healings. The gift of faith receives miracles.
Holy Spirit can give us peace. Sometimes as an answer to prayer and sometimes it comes as a knowing or in a dream. It is as though a knowing was dropped in the human spirit.
There is no explanation for why or where. It isn’t regulated by humans. Deuteronomy 29:29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Isaiah 55 God tells us his ways are far above our ways and his thoughts above our thoughts. Scripture tells us that God reveals what he will to whom he wills. We have to be prepared to hear and see when he does. The gift of faith causes a human to know and believe as if they’ve already have experienced it, while the working of miracles, works miracles.
In the working of miracles, something is done which brings a miracle to pass. All miracles do not happen immediately. Some do. Exodus 14:21-27 is an example in the Old Testament of immediate working of miracles when the waters parted and came together again killing the enemy. In John 2:1-11 Jesus turned the water into wine. That was an immediate miracle. In Mark 8:23-25 Jesus led the blind man out of town. He spat on his hands and laid his hands on his eyes. Jesus asked the man if he saw anything. He saw men walking as trees. His vision was not clear. Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes again. His sight was restored. That miracle took a minute.

Healing, health and life belongs to every child of God. All healing is a gift from God and he has provided many ways to get health and life to his children. Gifts (plural) of healings (also plural in the Young’s Literal Version) sometimes operate through the laying on of hands or sometimes through cloths that have been anointed with oil. Restoration of healthy tissue over time could be gifts of healings in operation, where the immediate restructure, as a leg growing or immediate disappearance of a gorder, could be a miracle. In the Greek Interlinear Bible 1 Corinthians 12:9 reads grace-effects in health. Holy Spirit can operate as he pleases healing or helping maintain health. Miracles and graces or gifts of healings are orchestrated by Holy Spirit. God created the human body to heal itself. When a human gets a cut, the cells in the human body start a process to heal the wound. Even when an individual has gone to a healthcare professional and sought their help, it is appropriate to ask God to aide them. We ask God to give them wisdom, insight and courage. We can ask God to cause the medicine to function in cooperation with our cells to heal or maintain health. If a human has had surgery, it is appropriate to ask God for a speedy recovery with no complications or infection. Before the surgery the individual should ask God to give the surgeon and his team: skills beyond their training, insight, wisdom and witty inventions; pray for their rest the night before and resources that function to the perfection to which they were created.

Christians have an obligation as their reasonable service to eat appropriate food that fuels their body. Asking God to bless our food to the nourishment and strength of our body and our body to his service is not a cute little prayer. It is an act of war. We are submitting our bodies to God’s service, acknowledging him in all our ways and giving him place to cleanse our food for the health of our body.

It is God’s will that the human body be healthy. God will go a long way to help an individual who is trying. John said that we all receive grace over-against grace. As we try, we gain more grace to do.

What the gifts of healings are not, is a human with a gift of healing. No human has a gift that he or she works on demand. All the things in the spirit are subject to the Holy Spirit.

There are three utterance or inspirational gifts, graces or manifestations. These say something. Gift of prophecy is an anointing to speak forth and/or declare a message from the heart of God. There are different kinds of prophecy. Sometimes the message will be spoken forth in that person’s language. Other times prophecy comes through tongues and interpretation. The Holy Spirit uses a human to declare. All of the manifestations of the Spirit will edify the body of Christ and lift up or honor Jesus.

Diverse kinds of tongues include praying in a prayer language, speaking a message in other tongues and singing spiritual songs. A Baptist missionary gave his testimony. God had given him a vision in the 1950s of bibles he had translated into Hispanic versions: printing and distributing them to the Hispanic congregations in his community. At that time of the vision, there were no Hispanic communities in his area, and he did not read or speak any language but English. He and his wife were called to the mission field. His wife was fairly fluent in the Hispanic dialect of the people to which they had been sent. It was common for her husband to use an interpreter when he spoke to a congregation. One night while praying for the night’s service, he asked God for a miracle. He had been frustrated because he was unable to speak in the congregation’s language. God answered his prayer. That night when he stood up to preach, Holy Spirit filled his heart with Hispanic words for his message. The interpreter stood back. Under the anointing, the man did not realize it but he spoke in their language. After the service his interpreter told him he spoke succinct and eloquently. They were successful missionaries and later returned to the United States to build churches for the Hispanic people. At the time of his testimony, in 2010 he and his wife had built five churches in the Hispanic communities in their area and published many copies of Hispanic bibles. This was an example, like the day of Pentecost, where the people spoke the languages of their audience.

Interpretation of tongues is when an individual speaks in an unrecognized tongue, and a human who has not been trained in that language, interprets the words, by the Spirit, in a language the hearers recognize.
Unknown or unrecognized tongue refers to a language. If English is your preferred language, it is possible you would not recognize words spoken in French. If a message from Holy Spirit was given in French and you interpreted the message spoken, that would be interpretation of tongues. In addition to known languages that may be foreign to another human, there are ancient languages not understood by current linguistics.

Paul explains that every member of the body of Christ has a part, portion or function. In 12:28 he describes some of the types of ministries of the Spirit.
• Apostle: a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders; missionaries not only take the good news to humans, they build physical and spiritual churches; are anointed to gather resources and people to help.
• Prophets: interpreter of oracles or of other hidden things; one moved by the Spirit of God as his spokesman; Men and women who share from the heart of God; reveal the scriptures and bring greater understanding.
• Teachers: one who teaches concerning the things of God; teachers are given to research and line upon line study of a subject; talented i illustration verbally and written.
• Miracles: power to perform miracles; evangelist often operate under the anointing with signs following.
• Gifts of Healings: to heal; to make whole
• Helps: anointed to help, labor, resources and more; without the helps ministry there would be no churches. From the individual who runs the media ministry to those on the team of greeters, the church needs humans who are gifted to come along side and help wherever they are needed.
• Governments: to steer, pilot, direct, facilitate; pastors are gifted teachers who also manage the day-to-day practices of individual churches in the body of Christ. They are shepherds not cowhands. Shepherds lead the sheep.
• Diversity of Tongues: Kinds of speech; diverse languages or dialects from other nations
1 Corinthians 12;31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. “If I speak with the tongues of men and angels and have not love, I am become as sounding brass or tinkling cymbal. Paul continues to illustrate the importance of operating out of love in 1 Corinthians 13. Love should be the motive and facilitator of everything we do. We need to learn to read the scriptures, the way they were written, as letters. It is a mistake to stop the thought in chapter 12 and not continue his teaching in chapter 13. Paul continues in chapter 14 explaining that we follow after love and desire spiritual gifts. He said if it is between tongues and interpretation or prophecy, we should desire prophecy. If one speaks in an unrecognized tongue they should pray for the interpretation. All tongues or languages are not for the edifying of the church. Sometimes it is a prayer language. By experience we learn which.
What would the best gifts be? The gift needed at the moment could be considered, “The Best Gift.” If a human needed a gift of healing, would a word of wisdom do what was needed? If a human needed insight in the future, would a gift of healing be the answer? Every member of the body of Christ and every spiritual favor is necessary.

Holy Spirit is the third member of the Godhead. He is not an it. His name is Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1:2 In creation when God spoke, it was Holy Spirit that moved on the face of the waters.
Luke 1:35 tells us that the angel explained to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”
Matthew 3:13-17 Jesus came to John Baptist to be baptized by him. After John had baptized him, Jesus came out of the water and the heavens opened. He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Jesus. A voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
1 Corinthians 13: 14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
Matthew 28:19 Jesus told them to teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
John 14:16-17 Jesus said, I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforter to help you and be with you forever–the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Jesus told them I will send the promise of my Father upon you: waith in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49)
Acts 1:5 Jesus told them John baptized with water; but they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. Verse 8 he continued, you shall receive power, after the Holy Ghost is come on you;
Acts 2 tells the account of Holy Spirit filling all who were in the upper room and giving them power to speak with other tongues so that all who were in Jerusalem heard them speak in their own languages.
God has prophesied through Joel in Joel 2:28-29 he would pour out his Spirit on all flesh. In Acts 2 it is recorded where that prophecy was fulfilled. Verse 33 speaking of Jesus, after his resurrection, was exhalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, shared it with them and they saw the results.
We see from these scriptures that Holy Spirit is God working through humans now. When scripture speaks of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it is for the enduement of power to be witnesses. Jude spoke about praying in the Holy Ghost to build up their most holy faith.
Paul said, “Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.”

Holy Spirit works in the hearts of humans in many ways. There are Gifts of the Spirit, Ministry Gifts and Administrative Gifts in addition to the fruit of the Spirit. These are not the same thing.

Faith is as simple as having confidence that you will wake up the next morning. Hebrews 11:1 declares that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. A human can be persuaded or caused to grow in faith. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Jude 1:20 says to build up your faith by praying in the Holy Spirit.

The entire 11th chapter of Hebrews is dedicated to humans who chose to live, operate and move by faith, as they were instructed by God. Humans, who were dead, were raised to life. They quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the enemies. These are just a few of the acts that were a result of a human or humans faith.
Simply put: faith is accepting God’s word as truth over every other voice or opinion; even our own. God said, speaking of his word, in Isaiah 55:11, “11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
We can have confidence or faith and be persuaded that God does not lie. He is not mistaken and he never fails. Paul said in Romans 8:38-39 that he was persuaded, nothing would be able to separate us from God’s love.

It is by reading, hearing and accepting God’s word that we grow to have faith. While a measure of faith is sown in our spirit in the new birth, we have to nurture that faith. God has also deposited his love in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. We have to develop in that love, learning to walk in faith.
There is nothing more important than finding God’s purpose. It takes faith to trust God. It takes faith to hear God. Whether a human sees instruction in the bible that pertains to their situation or Holy Spirit speaks to the human spirit, it takes faith to act on and do the word.

John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.

In Psalms 103:1-5 The psalmist expresses gratitude to God. He speaks to his own soul to remind himself God has forgiven our sins, healed our diseases, delivered us from destruction, and crowned our life with tender mercies and loving-kindness. God gives us words of life to fill our mouths with good things so that our youth is renewed.
Humans are blessed to have the opportunity to join their hearts with God’s heart. Humans can communicate with God, learn from him, and understand the human condition from his perspective. What God desires in humans is a relationship. Fellowship with God, the creator, and the self-existing one is possible.

Humans get preoccupied with day-to-day living. Some work to earn a living and all have responsibilities to secure housing, food, and basic needs for living. Too many humans never consider their relationship or nurture fellowship with God.
In the early days of human existence, God would come to the garden in the cool of the evening: He and the human would talk; that was part of their fellowship.
God, found in King David, a man after God’s own heart: he loved on God with psalms, songs and spiritual songs.

God refers to the church as the bride of Christ. (Revelations 19:7-8 and Ephesians 5:22-33) In Romans 1: 7, Paul called them “beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.” That attitude is what humans should have toward God and the relationship they can have with God.
In Acts 10:38 we see that Jesus went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. He was anointed to help humans.
Mark 6:4-5 tells us that Jesus could not do mighty works in his own country because they did not believe in him.

25 Humans have everything to do with attracting God’s favor or rejecting it.
The Old Testament book of Job, describes Job as a righteous man. God described Job as perfect and upright, one that feared God and avoided evil. Job had not done evil or brought destruction on his family. So, what happened? Job 1:8 says the devil threw it in God’s face that God had a hedge of protection about Job, around his house, and about all that he had on every side. The Devil accused God of blessing the work of Job’s hands, and causing his substance to increase in the land. The accuser went on to suggest if God removed the protection and allowed him to put Job to the test, Job would curse him and die.

Meanwhile Job 1:5 says that Job continually offered sacrifices in case his sons sinned or cursed God. Job was acting out of fear when he was sacrificing. Why was the sons not offering their own sacrifices? It is possible that the humans surrounding Job were not righteous humans. It is possible that the only reason, they were not already consumed, was the covenant protection God had placed around Job’s house and belongings.
God removed the hedge from this righteous man and allowed Satan to overtake his house. God told Satan he could not take Job’s life. Job suffered loss. It is recorded in Job 3:25-26, Job speaking, “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came. Job insisted he had tried to be diligent to make sure his children would be safe despite what they were doing.

In James 5:11 Job was commended for his patience. There is much we can learn from Job. God had a hedge of protection around Job and his children. God wants to cover all humans in protection, but there are requirements to being included in God’s protection. Job was prosperous: blessed with large herds of stock, and his family was able to have regular parties with celebration and eating. Until tragedy came on Job, there is no evidence that he suffered any physical ailments. So he was in health. He had friends, who were willing to sit in silence with him day and night for seven days.
Do not make the mistake of minimizing his attack. He lost seven sons and three daughters. His workers, were destroyed, his sheep burned, and his camels stolen. Whether it lasted a month or a year, it was devastating.

Job had ten children after his struggle had ended. He left an inheritance to his daughters, not just his sons, so he was wealthy again. He lived 140 years after his trouble to enjoy up to four generations of children. Job 42:17 says Job died, being old and full of days. However long his suffering was, he never lost faith in God or faithfulness to God. He refused the suggestions of his wife and friends to curse God and die. He never gave up. Through suffering, he endured with hope.

26 Things like love, faith, hope, and joy are tangible, changing circumstances, perspectives, and often attitudes.

Today the born again human has the comforter living inside. Job did not have the Spirit of the living God dwelling in him but he loved God and had faith in God. No matter the adversity, he was faithful. Any human who will accept Jesus Christ as Lord will be filled with the Spirit and experience the God kind of love.

Scripture tells us that God is Love. (1 John 4:8)
Romans 5:5 tells us the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost
Our understanding of the word love has been diminished by commercialization. The God kind of love compelled God to send his son Jesus to be punished and suffer death to save humans from the second death. That same love caused Jesus, who is God to lay aside his position of authority as God. He endured being encased in a human body, suffered, and died, knowing he would have to go to hell, defeat the devil, and be resurrected. That was all nasty but necessary for our redemption.

Human love compels a human to leave his family to pursue his own family with a human who becomes his priority. A new family is created out of a love for one another. That is still not the God kind of love.

Affection is a gentle feeling of fondness or liking. A human might have affection for another human and say they are friends. The word friend has been minimized. A human might refer to another person as a friend when they barely know them. That is an acquaintance. A friend, in the covenant relationship, is more than an acquaintance. If we look at the example of David and Jonathan we see two humans who were not sexually involved or attracted to each other physically. Sex had nothing to do with their relationship. David and Jonathan loved one another more than they loved themselves. That selfless devotion is more than affection. 1 Samuel 18 tells us that David and Jonathan’s souls were knit together and Jonathan loved David as his own soul. Humans who love God recognize that love in others.

There is a difference between love and respect. Humans have the capacity to love someone without respecting them. Too often that is the reason humans terminate a relationship. There may have been attributes that caused one human to want to spend time with another. A human can display characteristics that are admired by another without possessing the needed skills to care for another human or express genuine affection. It is possible for a human to have great affection for another and at the same time not trust them. Feelings of affection can range from mildly fond to experiencing physical reactions at the sight of another human. Emotions can be influenced in several ways.

There is a difference between physical attraction and love. A human may enjoy looking at another individual and that causes the human to want to see them and spend time with that human. That physical attraction is not enough to maintain a relationship.

24 In order for a human to love someone with extraordinary love, the way God loves, that human has to look beyond physical attributes to the spirit and soul of a human. Romans 5:8 tells us, while we were sinners, Christ died for us. God’s love reached beyond human faults. God is Faith; he lives by faith and operates in faith. God sees in humans something redeemable. By faith, Love sees what humans can be and extends himself to help.

God declares himself throughout the scriptures. He is omniscient, knowing everything. God is omnipresent, able to be anywhere and everywhere, aware at the same time. He is omnipotent: having unlimited power; able to do anything. King David of Israel, in Psalms 139, declares God to be all this and more.
Look at Colossians 1: 9-17. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

23 God is and was and is to come and makes himself and his resources available to those who choose to take him at his word and do it.
In Exodus 3, when God was speaking to the human Moses about the children of Israel, he declared himself to be I Am That I Am. This speaks of his existence beyond the understanding of time and reminds them who he was to their fathers while pointing to who he will be to them in the future. We know that he created the earth and all that is in it and believe before time was, he was. In Revelations 1:8, God declares himself to be the beginning and the end, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
In Exodus 2:4 the name for God is Lord, Yehovah: the existing one. In Genesis 1:1 the name of God is Elohim. He is mighty rulers. The word is both singular and plural. We see God, the one God existing in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, which is three.
In Joshua 3:11 he is Adon which means Lord. In Exodus 6 he is Shaddai, the Almighty. In 2 Kings 20: 5 he declares himself to be Rapha. Our God is Yehovah Rapha or the God in whom healing and restoration exist. God has made himself known as our banner, shepherd, peace, provider, and more.

In Psalms 91 God is identified as Elyon: Most High, Shaddi: Almighty, Yehovah: The Existing One, Machaseh: Shelter, Matsud: Fortress, Eloheem: Rulers, Shield and Covering. In Matthew 1:26 and Isaiah he is Emmanuel and Immanuel: God With Us. In Jeremiah 23:6 he is Yehovah Tsidqenu, The Lord Our Righteousness.
He is ever watching over humans to perform his word in them as they by faith take his provision. We see in 2 Chronicles 16:9 that the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in behalf of them whose heart is perfect (whole) toward him. God is our champion and God is holy. We must recognize that he is altogether right in everything. God is our covenant Friend, Father, and Comforter. The Almighty, the self-existing one who is Love, loves humans.

The eternal, self-existing creator is our source. The scripture tells us that God has a purpose for his humans. When a human accepts Jesus as the son of God and takes forgiveness, the human becomes a child of the God. The same God who made Solomon so wealthy that silver was as common as stones. In 2 Chronicles 1 we see that Solomon asked God for wisdom. God honored Solomon, gave him wisdom and wealth. God’s provision is more than financial. Redemption was set in motion when God made a covenant with a human named Abram. We have looked at the fall of Adam. In the generations from Adam to Abram, God worked with humans to get into the earth a human with whom he could make an everlasting covenant. Galatians 3:13-14 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. From this scripture in Galatians we see that the blessings of Abraham includes all humans who believe on the son of God and take it by faith. Genesis 12:1-3 Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. It took twenty-five years of God working with Abram to build his faith. Genesis 15:5-6. God told Abram to look toward the heaven. He planted a seed in Abram’s heart that his children would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. Abram believed in the Lord; and God counted it to him for righteousness. Even tho he could not see his children in the physical realm, Abram believed God was faithful. Sarai was Abram’s wife. We see in Genesis 16 that she thought it reasonable, since she was old and had never had children, to give her handmaid to Abram so he could have a child with her. She was wrong. That was not God’s plan. The child produced was not the seed of promise. Humans often cause themselves problems, trying to help God instead of attending to his will and waiting patiently on him to do what he said he would. In Genesis 17, God had Abram circumcise his male humans as a mark reminding them of the covenant. Circumcision is the removal around the head of the penis. Every time a circumcised male urinated, he saw the mark of God’s promise. No other people had that mark. God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai to Sarah. These were covenant names. Every time Sarah called for Abraham, she said, Father of a multitude. In the book of Esther, a young Hebrew woman, was stolen from her people. God used her to save a nation, and she became queen. In the book of Daniel, he and his friends were kidnapped from their people. God caused Daniel and his friends to be wiser and better skilled than the Babylonian teachers. God gave Daniel insight to warn Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar made Daniel ruler over the entire province of Babylon and placed him in charge of all the wise men. Genesis 37 tells the story of a young man named Joseph. He was betrayed and sold into slavery by his brothers. Every time the devil tried to use humans to destroy him, Joseph was promoted and became second to Pharaoh. These are examples of humans that chose to be humble before God and refused to defile themselves by doing things their way. Even when it caused them immediate persecution, they obeyed God. God caused them to prosper. David, son of Jesse, was a young man who watched his father’s sheep. God empowered David to defeat a giant and lead Israel to defeat the entire Philistine army. We’ve seen in the bible reference after reference where God consistently caused his people to overcome. Revelations 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. Revelations 3:20-21 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hears my voice, and open the door, I will come into him and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. God didn’t cause Abraham to prosper for his sake alone. The covenant, God made with Abraham is available to any human who will, by faith, take God’s promises. Abraham believed in God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. That is the same way humans access all the blessings God promised Abraham and his seed forever. It doesn’t matter if we were born into Abraham’s genetic lineage. By faith, we believe God is. And that he includes any human as his own when they accept Jesus as the son of God. Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Galatians 3:28-29 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

22. Provision, resources: both needs and wants are covered in the covenant between God and humans. He requires that we ask him and believe, expecting. He also requires that we listen and obey. Matthew 6:3 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

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.