Discuss Acts 16 Page 2

"Greetings brothers and sisters in Christ,

I was reading through the first bible I ever owned and right next to the scripture I had written "Gift of discernment of Spirits."

Acts 16:16-18 (KJV)

16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:

17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.

18 And this did she MANY DAYS. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.

No all that glitters is gold... Paul used his gift of discernment of Spirits and could tell this testimony was of demonic origin. The demonic spirit was stating the truth, but Paul not wanting testimony from a demonic spirit cast it out of her!

So too must we use our spiritual gifts of discernment of spirits to make sure who and what we are dealing with even though it might render some biblical truths. We must be certain that it is of a holy origin, as not all that glitters is gold."

Thank you for the kind words GiGi, the only way is to be close to the Lord, in the Bible in thoughts and words. I can share with you a word that I was reminded of today. Acts 16:31. My words I love them. Here the words tell that salvation is as simple as that, so easy it should happen. Jesus carries me, he saves me,

Yes thank you Jesus came soon! By thy will, Lord. Amen

INTRODUCTION TO 2 TIMOTHY (Part 2):

I. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Written by Paul. Paul's Inscription is on all thirteen of his letters.

II. TO WHOM IT WAS WRITTEN:

It was written to Timothy who was pastoring in Ephesus and its territories, because out of Ephesus went the missionary journeys. So, Timothy not only was pastor at Ephesus, but also several churches. We know at least the churches that are in the book of Revelation.

III. THE HISTORY OF TIMOTHY:

His name mentioned 24 times in the New Testament. Timothy was from Lystra and was saved during Paul's first missionary trip ( Acts 14:19-20; 16:1-2). His mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, were godly Jewish women, and we see that in 2 Timothy 1:5. They were Jewish, they were raised on the scriptures, and they also had been saved under Paul's ministry, and had a great influence over Timothy's life.

Timothy was about 15 years old when he met Paul.

Timothy's father was a pagan Greek ( Acts 16:1; II Timothy 1:5).

Timothy was raised hearing Old Testament Scriptures ( II Timothy 3:14-15).

He joined Paul, along with Silas and Luke, during their second missionary trip ( Acts 16:3).

Paul had Timothy circumcised so that he might have the freedom to preach the gospel in Jewish synagogues ( Acts 16:3; I Corinthians 9:20).

Because his mother was Jewish, he is considered Jewish, even though his father was a Greek. Now had it been reversed, and his father was Jewish and his mother a Greek, he would not be considered Jewish. The mother has to be Jewish to be considered Jewish.

INTRODUCTION TO 1 TIMOTHY (Part 4):

Timothy was raised hearing Old Testament Scriptures ( II Timothy 3:14-15).

He joined Paul, along with Silas and Luke, during second missionary trip ( Acts 16:3).

Paul had Timothy circumcised so that he might have the freedom to preach the gospel in Jewish synagogues ( Acts 16:3; I Corinthians 9:20). He could not do that unless he was circumcised. And of course, Titus (another Gentile), he was not circumcised by Paul, and he even went to Jerusalem with Paul to attend the Jerusalem council.

And Paul refused to have him circumcised because he wasn't doing it out of the necessity of keeping the law, but as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:20, that whatever he does, he does for the purpose of reaching people for Christ.

So, when he had Timothy circumcised, it was because he knew that he would be in the Jewish synagogues and amongst the Jews, and they would not receive anything that Timothy had to say unless he was circumcised.

And by the way, a person is considered Jewish if your mother is Jewish and your father is not. You are considered Jewish as long as your mother is. If the father is Jewish, but the mother is not, you're not Jewish.

So, Timothy was accepted as a Jewish person, and he would be in the synagogues, but he was not circumcised, so Paul had him circumcised. Timothy was ordained by Paul and the Presbytery ( I Timothy 4:14; II Timothy 1:6). He accompanies Paul on his third missionary trip ( Acts 19:22; Acts 20:4; II Corinthians 1:1, 19).

INTRODUCTION TO 1 TIMOTHY (Part 3):

1 Timothy and Titus were written between Paul's first and second imprisonment. And 2 Timothy was Paul's last letter that he wrote, some believe hours before he was executed outside of Rome. Tradition says that he was beheaded.

But then you have Philemon which goes with Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. The reason why Philemon is there on the end is because the final four letters are the only four letters written to individuals. And that's how they canonized scripture. They put the individual letters at the end and put the church letters at the front.



So that's why Philemon is on the end, but it really was part of the prison epistles, or prison letters.

I. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Written by Paul. Paul's Inscription is on all thirteen of his letters.

II. TO WHOM IT WAS WRITTEN:

To Timothy who was pastoring in Ephesus

III. THE HISTORY OF TIMOTHY:

His name is mentioned 24 times in the New Testament. Timothy was from Lystra and saved during Paul's first missionary journey ( Acts 14:19-20; 16:1-2). His mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, were godly Jewish women. In fact, Timothy was taught the Old Testament scriptures since he was a little boy. So, he has a scriptural background.

Timothy was about 15 years old when he first met Paul. And when Paul writes his letter to Timothy, he's approximately 35. So, he has spent approximately 20 years with Paul in ministry learning.

Even though Timothy's mother and grandmother were godly Jewish women, his father was a pagan Greek ( Acts 16:1; II Timothy 1:5).

INTRODUCTION TO PHILIPPIANS (Part 2):

The church at Philippi was founded during Paul's second missionary journey, recorded in Acts 16:8-12. Paul received a Macedonian Vision while in Troas and crossed the Aegean Sea to preach the gospel first in Philippi. That's found in Acts 16:8-10.

What happened was that on Paul's second missionary journey, he went by land and visited some of the cities that he had established during his first missionary journey. But what he wanted to do was pass those cities, and he wanted to go north and preach the gospel. But he said that Satan hindered him. That's all he said!

So, he decided that it must be a closed door, so I'll go south and preach the gospel, and he said the Holy Spirit hindered him. So, he went straight across and came all the way all the way to the coast of Troas, and he just sat there. I mean how much farther can you go? He's in Troas. He doesn't know what God wants him to do.

And so, while they were in Troas, that's when Paul received what is called the Macedonian vision. That is, a man from Macedonia appeared to him and said come over and preach the gospel to us. At which time Paul went. And as he went over, the first place where he landed, because all the vision said was come over to Macedonia, and so he landed first in Philippi and that's where he preached the gospel first.

In 57 AD, some five years after his first visit, and after his third missionary journey, Paul seems to have visited the church in Philippi twice. That is found in II Corinthians 1:16; Acts 19:21; Acts 20:1-3.

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ACTS (Part 1):

The book of Acts is the last book of the history section. Matthew through Acts is the historical accounts of the teachings and miracles of Jesus Christ and His Spirit's work through the early church. The book of Acts covers approximately 30 years. So that's the historical section. Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke, also wrote the book of Acts.

I. ABOUT THE AUTHOR LUKE:

He's only mentioned three times in the New Testament. Colossians 4:14 tells us that He is a physician. Historical accounts tell us that he was schooled in Alexandria Egypt. So, we look at that and we see that God chose an educated man to do a very detailed investigation. Luke is a Greek name and therefore many believe that he was a Gentile.

From Acts Chapter 1 Verse 1 through Chapter 16 Verse 9, Luke uses "they," third person plural in his writings. Starting with Acts Chapter 16 Verse 10 all the way to the end, he changes it to "we." So, at Acts 16:9, this is where Luke joined up with Paul.

He joined up with Paul in Troas. He was probably converted in Troas by Paul. He becomes Paul's personal physician. In Acts Chapter 27, he's right there in the shipwreck with Paul, right before Paul reaches Rome, which will be his last destination before he dies.

INTRODUCTION TO LUKE (Part 2):

Luke is a Greek name, not Jewish. Many believe that he was a Gentile. In fact, we can be pretty certain that he was. Luke was the only Gentile to be used to write a book of the bible. The best evidence of him being a Gentile is in Colossians 4:11-14. This is where Paul is listing the groups of people, and in Verse 11, he lists those of the circumcision. And so those would be the Jews. But when it gets down to Verse 14, he mentions the Gentiles, and Luke is mentioned in amongst the Gentiles. So that is pretty good proof that Luke was a Gentile.

In Luke's writings, all the way through the gospel of Luke, and all the way up through Acts Chapter 16 Verse 9, he uses the Third Person Plural "they" in his writings. But starting at Acts Chapter 16 Verse 10, he then changes it to "we" (First Person Plural). So, at Acts 16:10, he joins up with Paul at that point and becomes a constant companion with Paul.

Luke joined Paul at Troas. He was probably converted in Troas by Paul, and he becomes Paul's personal physician. What is interesting is that in Acts Chapter 27, in that famous shipwreck that we read about and study and hear about, Luke also was on board that ship.

And it is interesting because you can't have guests accompany you, especially when you're a prisoner on your way to Rome. So, it is believed that Luke went along as a slave. You can have your slave, but you can't have your friends. But Luke was with him all the way. He joined up with him in Troas, doctored him, and was with him during a lot of the things that happened in Paul's ministry and life.

I now understand Adam as to what you're seeking. I equated Biblical statements about one's salvation the same as if one stated specifically that salvation was their present possession. But if you require other Scriptures, including the Luke 19:9 you gave, as well as Luke 23:42,43, we could include Acts 16:30-34 (they rejoiced, not because that salvation would be in the future, but by believing they would be saved now). Also, Acts 10:44-48 (the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Gentiles, not just for the Jews; & they spoke in other tongues & were water baptized). Though we don't hear these people (the jailer & Cornelius) saying the words that you require, yet Luke records what he observed, that a transformation had taken place.

As to the "dozens of verses supporting a future salvation", one could examine those verses you gave & find that there is a differing understanding whether those verses speak of a future salvation or of victoriously living out one's present salvation & of eternal rewards.

So, we come back to the whole understanding of salvation by faith, the Work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life, & living a life presently but not knowing whether God will or will not bring about a salvation at Judgement time. These points would certainly take us away from the point you're raising, but I believe they are necessary so as to understand what takes place when a person repents, believes, & gets baptized by the Spirit. Does the Spirit really even baptise him? Does the Spirit leave & enter him at will? What place does Holy Spirit Power hold in a believer's life? Can we even call him a believer - maybe just a follower of Christ awaiting/hoping for approval on that future day of salvation? These are some of the questions that disturb me if I'm not an assured believer & accepted by God on the merits of His Son's Sacrifice - an adopted child of God now. The question then is: am I saved right now or not till later - maybe?

Hi Blmrwm,

Divination is something we are not to get into you can open doors to things you do not want to even think about dealing with. It is the means of foretelling future events or discovering things secret with the aid of witchcraft, sorcerers, stars, and other mystical things we have been told to stay away from. Here are a few verses, Lev. 19:26-31 Lev. 20:6 Num. 22:7 Deut. 18:9-14

Many people do not believe these things exist but believe me they do. Saul did this 1 Sam. 28:7-25. You can also see in the NT, with a slave girl in Acts 16:16-18 and a man named Simon in Acts 8:9-24

I hope this little bit helps.

God bless,

RLW

Spiritual eyes part 4.

Getting back to the Great Commission; the examples in Acts are things which we will not experience unless we are out there sharing our faith. It is hard to imagine today a Phillipians 1:15 situation where there is envy for those who are "turning the world upside down" ( Acts 17:6). At least in the USA it seems the impact is minimal; and probably largely due to a fear of persecution.

Prayers such as freed Peter in Acts 12; as well as Paul's release in Acts 16:25-28 are sorely needed today; of course that involves remembering missionaries and those in bonds today ( Hebrews 13:3 which certainly sounds like something Paul would have authored).

Prayer can err on both being presumptuous as to God answering things a certain way or not being boldly presenting our petitions to His throne ( Heb. 4:16). Yes; there are times when we contend with God; such as when I would guess happened when James was killed with the sword in Acts. We shouldn't use Esau's example of praying with tears as an excuse not to have heartfelt prayer; he was only concerned with the results of his sin. Sadly; I have seen very few times when tears flow because of grief and loss; I'm sure a lot of us myself included would be greatly edified by more tears of repentance realizing how great the Father's love is for us. Therefore; praise and adulation of the Lord and His Holiness; as well as our own sad state in comparison should be something starting church services and other gatherings as a routine practice. As my friend in Pittsburgh stated a couple years back when he started early morning prayers; he was "desperate for prayer". Something needed by more believers today.

Along with knowing when to act is also knowing when to wait on the Lord. Patience is a virtue I surely need more of but it is something commonplace in those possessing mature faith and good fruit in their walk. Wrestling with God all night in prayer is also commendable like in Genesis 32:22-32

Seeing with spiritual eyes (Part 3).

Another sad fact is that many are not serious about fulfilling the Great Commission. This lack of perseverance robs many of using spiritual gifts; which are illustrated in examples such as Acts 16:17. This reminds us of Acts 13:8-12 with another person who was seeking to attain Paul's miraculous powers by offering him money. This caused him to become blind much as Paul did for a season.

The first example really hits home because many so called Christians aren't even discerning enough to tell when obvious false Gospel messages are creeping in. This woman was telling the truth; and not just any way was proclaimed but she stated through the spirit in her that it was THE way. The error was the spirit was using her (probably because of her own desire for recognition or money) to draw attention to itself; we must remember that the demons know and shudder ( James 2:19). It seems Paul tolerated this behavior for a time; either he wanted to ignore the distraction or wasn't sure it was from the enemy.

Sadly; from my own experiences and having been granted some spiritual discernment the truth is never very popular. I try not to be jaded myself with so many false prophecies and revelations promulgated today lest there be a few that are genuine. It seems more than cooincidence that there are very few words of knowledge that are critical of actions; and if a rebuke is given it is often more of a show of pride than an honest assessment. Nonetheless; so much can be prevented if such responsibilities would be done quickly by elders as well as responsible laypersons before error is allowed to take root; or sins destroy the life of an individual or family. Jesus didn't mince words with Peter and other would be disciples; try that approach in todays seeker friendly church and see how long it is before you are escorted out the door. Truth be told we cannot love our brethren without exhortation and rebuke balancing encouragement

Dear God Father in Heaven, You who have created all things, visible and invisible. We pray according to Your will in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen. We want more of You Jesus, be closer to You, love You and worship You. For Your purity and Divine nature, for Your Revelations and the learning that You give. We thank You for Calvary and Your work that has cleansed us all of Your blood that flowed there. Death has no power Hallelujah Amen. Then it is only for us and faith for salvation. That's why we lift up the family and relatives of "Abenavides9969". This is how we know that everyone is saved, Amen.

Acts 16:31 Faith comes from the preaching and freedom we have is in the Holy Spirit, Our conscience guides us. We thank You for all the gifts that You give. We thank You for strengthening "Abenavides9969" to spirit, soul and body. You will always be present, we thank You Lord for the opportunity we have to deepen our acquaintance with You Lord. In All God's Word You Are Jesus Christ, Amen

Luke 1 chapter

Thank you for sharing this, we can all count on sights and revelations Hallelujah Amen! The kingdom of God today is in the spiritual. Then it is also natural that we who are His children to peek into the heavenly sometimes. And as long as you get peace and joy through sight and revelations, just give thanks and receive. Thou shalt experience this to fade thy other things, which are so shown here on earth daytimely. God with u and yours, love u in Christ. Nothing is without meaning, and with the Lord everything is planned. Amen

Dear Ruby Lead Read, being saved IS simple. I'm not talking about the doctrine around it. A lost sinner need not understand anything but Who Jesus is and why he must come to Him for the remission of sins to save himself from Hellfire. Once saved, he/she can learn the doctrine. I'm talking about the simplicity of coming to the Lord to be born again. Read these two verses from the WORD where the jailer asks Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved:

ACTS 16:30 "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

ACTS 16:31 "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved."

Dear God the Father in Heaven, You who throne over everything and everyone. You who care for us so much that You send Jesus Christ to us. Oh we long for those days when we can always be with the Lord. Thank You Holy Spirit for being with us today. We bow our hearts in respect of You Lord who had to walk the heaviest path. And with a humble mind, we fall to our knees and ask forgiveness for our transgressions and sins we do in Thoughts, Word, and Deeds. Help us You Lord Jesus You who are our Lawyer, You whom we can hide behind from the wrath of God. We thank You for coming soon Jesus, and You will judge the dead and the Living. We give thanks for the truth that is in our hearts, that truth draws us to You Lord. The Truth wants us to grow and grow in Your presence, Your authority, Your wisdom, and in You we do not judge ourselves. Like "Onewatchman" dear God help him so that he does not harm himself. We pray acording to Your will God, in Jesus Christ holy name. It is You who will judge, thank the Lord Jesus Christ. We humbly pray that our sins are forgiven and the Holy Spirit can still work in us. We stick to the word that says. Acts 16:31. 1 John 3:6 Amen.

In peace, I say to you who have so many good words and say to all of us here on the web and probably elsewhere as well. Cleanse your thoughts and heal your body. Don't damage God's temple. I don't want to believe that I have or am a better guy, because we all have ours and struggle with. We now even live here on earth. Study Holy Scripture dear you, and you will find that you cannot judge yourself either, because it is One who will judge. When did we become fully grown? When did we become so famous that we are better at judging than God Himself. And know ourselves more than God does. We don't. So now you fold up your arms and find the triggering words of our Holy Scripture. And wash your face and understand that God is with you. He will never leave you. He won't take you away because He saw you in His image. Love u

Dear "Mel8"

in any case know that the Lord has put you here on the web and writing here is useful to all who read it. Remember where two and three are gathered, there is the Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of us. Which task is the biggest?

Prayer is the greatest of all gifts. Without prayer we get nothing, without someone who prays all is lost. Without the prayer of a righteous man, there will be complete/total spiritual darkness on Earth. James 5:16

It is so great to join and pray for all people, it gives life and vitality in a dark time where we see that our loved ones feel so good about themselves that they do not see/that they need God in their lives. But there will be days when they too will fall to their knees. The day when God calls them for that He has promised. Acts 16:31

Imagine there, the whole family was saved at once, received the baptism in the Holy Spirit too! God is good to the faithful who believe. Never lose heart and stand against such thought. Every man has received a gift. Love u in Christ. Thank, Hallelujah for the Lord knows and take his people home.

My friend, have you been born again?

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." John 3:16

Paul and Silas's jailer asked them in ACTS 16:30 ..."Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Their answer was as simple as this in ACTS 16:31 ..."Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." Simple as that.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.- Romans 10:9-13.

Jesus will help you through all your problems. Psalms 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

If you have broken the law, you may have to face those charges, but Jesus will be there with you. The verdict may not be what you want, but it will be God's will, and that is the best way, for He knows what benefits us more than we do.

God Bless!

Beloved, the prayer of a righteous man works with great power. James 5:16. Have you received the forgiveness of sins? Believe in Jesus Christ and you will be righteous. That is all that He God the Father Himself expects us to believe in Jesus not only Jesus but also Christ. Acts 16:31 Then you also get to experience Heaven on Earth. For the kingdom of God dwells in us. Luke 17:21

We face temptations on a daily basis, it becomes like something you know you shouldn't do, then you do it anyway. Then the question is what is it dear to you. One can well imagine that this is not a good thing. It is important to distinguish between Spirit, Soul and body. Run to Jesus an pray for help.

The body has its everyday routine. Then we can expand this into many illegal things. If it is the meat that tempts us, we only have one choice. Run to Jesus, pray for it to go away. Then it also means that you have to capture every thought that comes up, after this pray of help. So that you don't think about it ever again

There is a difference here. The one who is a child, the one who is young, and the one who is old. Think about it. The Lord does not expect a child to drive a car. If there is anyone who cares for us all, it is the Lord. Think about the smallest little thing He is with. He is also involved in the big things. As Gods word said, the kingdom of God is within us who believe.

We learn as we go. We separate things from good and bad as we have been taught to do so. People are so different. Some hear well and others don't. This is completely individual. Thank God the Father for it is He who has made us this way.

And if our conscience says that what we are doing is wrong. May we sincerely ask for forgiveness and learn from it as best we can. Good luck on your journey towards Sanctification. Love u in Christ.

Hint: Try 1 day that suits and keep the thought of the Lord Jesus. Only on Him, see what's coming. He tells you good things. It will help you a lot and not think on other.

Kimberly Renee Lampkin, but maybe you need to go to hospital. My mother was a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic who heard voices. These voices sometimes ordered her to do things that would have resulted in her imprisonment.

Let me back up. Many Christians believe that mental illness is nothing more than demonic possession, and that could very well be, but not all. What you need to do is differentiate between the two--find out if you are being influenced by demons or have schizophrenia or some other mental illness.

Have you been born again?

"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." John 3:16

Paul and Silas's jailer asked them in ACTS 16:30 ..."Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Their answer was as simple as this in ACTS 16:31 ..."Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." Simple as that.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.- Romans 10:9-13.

In the holy name of Jesus Christ we can and do have authority in the spirit world. Dear GiGi and husband you know Jeff. He is now not quite awake, perhaps not quite asleep either. You can take authority in God's name and ask God for mercy. Enter the sick room with hymns and praise, read the Bible. Go in peace and preach the gospel of Jesus. Acts 16:31 All ppl know Jesus they just need a reminder to go over to Him who is truly Good. Give God all the glory and always pray that His will must be done on Earth, and also in the Heavenly world which we do not see. Amen

Philippians 2:5-11 read the rest also. Stay strong in the word og God and be blessed in Jesus Holy name, love u all in Christ.

Dear Linda. Below is the story in the Bible about one man's question about how to be saved:

Paul and Silas's jailer asked them in ACTS 16:30 ..."Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Their answer was as simple as this in ACTS 16:31 ..."Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." Simple as that.

Linda, you must believe in your heart and you will be saved. Simple as that. Take hold of that and trust God to show you the way to live in daily devotions: prayer, singing, reading and studying the Bible, and in doing for others. Seek out your pastor or a strong Christian that you trust to mentor you. Read the Gospel of John which concerns the deity of Christ. Study the Word to grow from a simple understanding of the Word (the milk) so that one day you will understand the harder things (meat).

1 Peter 2:2 "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:"

1 Corinthians 3:2 "I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able."

Hi Cindy. As far as Paul & Silas being imprisoned together, you can find this full account in Acts 16:16-40. I'm unsure if you're referring to healing that Paul administered by the Holy Spirit's Power, but there are accounts in Acts 14:8-10 and Acts 28:8,9 of this.

Or, if you want to read the many other verses pertaining to healing, then this Site has helps on this topic & others. At the top of this page, go to 'More', then to 'Bible Verses About Various Topics' (under Bible Study Help). Then go to 'H' and search for 'Healing, etc.'

Holy Spirit study: Good vs Evil

In scripture; we are given the guideline that "every spirit which says that Christ came in the flesh is from God; and the opposite holds true of the ones that deny it (such as was found in Gnosticism for instance). Thus states 1 John 4:2. We have the instance; however of Acts 16:17 where the KJV makes it appear that the girl states when possessed that Paul was showing THE way of salvation; apparently at least one other version makes it seem it should say A way of salvation. That may be a debate for another forum. What I am pointing out here is that it is unlkely a demon will say outright Jesus didn't come in the flesh at least right away or it would be a giveaway at least to some that it wasn't from God. The part of coming in the flesh as God in the flesh is important too; for the substitutionary atonement for men; as well as making a public spectacle of the powers of darkness ( Colossians 2:15) and destroying him who had power over death ( Heb. 2:14). Sin could no longer hold men and now; to be absent from the Body is present with the Lord ( 2 Cor. 5:8).

Let us look at temptation for a minute. Temptations can be both things which we know to be wrong even in a fallen state with whatever conscience we have but it also can be things which by themselves are neutral and/or good under the right circumstances. What occurs is that the mind finds comfort in the seen; material things and satisfying temporary wants and ultimately the sin is not trusting in God to meet needs in His timing. Men; of course can go from being hedonistic to self depricating behaviors not reliant on the Spirit of God such as seen at the end of Colossians 2. Notice that it mentions worshipping angels here; but we must remember any angel preaching a gospel contrary to the truth is "anathema" ( Gal. 1:8).

Usually people are agents of evil; but a possessed person can speak (of course convincing people they are deceased relatives or "guiding spirits."

Please read these: Mark 16:16, context Mark 16:14-20, Mark 1:8, context Mark 1, Matthew 3:11, in context Matthew 3, Matthew 28:18,19-20, Luke 3:16,21,

Acts 1:21-22, Acts 2:38,

Acts 16:19-34, Romans 6, 1Corinthians 12, 1Corinthians 12:13, Colossians 2:10-15, 1Peter 3, 1Peter 3:21,22

James 1:5,

Matthew 7, Matthew 25:31-46,

Hopefully these are helpful

Dear Ajay, greetings. The best way to gain joy is to serve God and do for other good toward other people.

That said, are you positive that you are saved?

"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." John 3:16

Paul and Silas's jailer asked them in ACTS 16:30 ..."Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Their answer was as simple as this in ACTS 16:31 ..."Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..."

Simple as that.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.- Romans 10:9-13.

Relationships and the fullness of life.

There are two different things that change in our lives when becoming Born again. There may be need; for the sake of the Kingdom of God to abandon friends and family. This takes into account our love being greater for God than anyone else i.e. those who don't "hate father and mother; etal ( Luke 14:26) cannot be my disciple". The normal explanation here is our relative love is greater for God than family. I would suggest a better explanation would be that the cultural norms; tradition; and expectations that are resistant to the Gospel must be when causing us to sin avoided; and the resulting shunning or persecution from that community is part of the necessary collateral damage.

What this does NOT mean is that men decide to divorce their "pagan" wives for a different "Christian" women; who just coincidentally is younger and more attractive than their marriage partner more than statistical averages would suggest....

It also doesn't mean we don't help widows in our family and those in need there lest we be considered "worse than a pagan" ( 1 Tim. 5:8). We can look at Jesus' example; He was the Son of God so His statement that those who were His mothers; brothers etc were those who did the will of God ( Mark 3:35) may be a bit harsh. Nonetheless; He knew at that point even some of his family didn't believe in Him. ( John 7:5). Ultimately; He said to John "behold your mother" during His greatest agony on the cross; thus exemplifying the love for Mary once Joseph clearly had passed. ( John 19:25-27). Now John would be as a son; also showing how we are put into God's adoptive family in John's case.

Malachi 4:6 discusses restoring fathers hearts to children; and vice-versa. This could be prophetic for those looking ahead toward the Church Age. One believer CAN bring about further repentance and belief among family members; as happened with Paul and the jailor; for instance. ( Acts 16:29-34). John 10:10 therefore can happen

Richard, I 99.9% agree with you, with a few nuances While I agree that a true believer won't become an atheist, agnostic, Muslim, etc. the Bible assures us that "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." ( 2 Tim. 2:13). Solomon is an example of someone whose heart was turned from the Lord late in in life, to the point where he worshipped the false gods of the pagan women he took to wife. Salvation is a one and done - "Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved" ( Acts 16:13), "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." ( Rom. 10:9). Jesus said "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." ( John 3:3); born again, once. When we are saved, our spirit is sanctified; bearing fruit depends on whether we walk in the spirit or in the flesh.

I agree 100% that God is the one who preserves us, we are to be confident that "he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." ( Phil. 1:6), and we are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." ( 1 Pet. 1:5). Our faith saves us (obviously by what Jesus has done for us); the power of God keeps us saved, if we truly believe ( Acts 8:37).

I also agree - not all the wheat and tares are evident, which is why the Lord said to leave them and let them grow together. However, I can assure you, there are many tares that look like wheat, and some wheat that look like tares. True believers can become backslidden, and in some cases, severely backslidden to the point where their life produces no fruit, being saved, "yet as so by fire" ( 1 Cor. 3:15). But, any "believer" who completely abandons the faith simply demonstrates that they were never saved to begin with ( 1 Jn. 2:19).

-Chris

Dear Mario, Have you taken Jesus as your personal savior?

"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." John 3:16

Paul and Silas's jailer asked them in ACTS 16:30 ..."Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" Their answer was as simple as this in ACTS 16:31 ..."Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved..." Simple as that.

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.-- Romans 10:9-13.

If you have been saved, dig deeper into God. Study His Word, pray without ceasing, serve others, continue to take your medication, and have faith. No force on earth or hell can keep you from God.

ROMANS 8:34-35, 38-39 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 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.

I respectfully disagree with Jesse's answer. The Bible is clear on salvation. One must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. John 3:16. It is by faith Ephesians 2:8. The question was asked how to be saved.. answered in Acts 16:30 ."Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved". Every Word of God is true.in Mark. 16:16 it says "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned". It does not say if you don't believe and are not baptizedyou shall be. Damned only that if you don't believe. Another proof that there is no need for baptism to be saved is that when Jesus was on the cross the thief said to Jesus in Luke 23:42. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise." So clearly the thief was not baptized prior to his death and it was his belief alone that saved him. It is not of any works.lest any man boast. You don't have to go to church.keep the commandmentsnor be baptized . There's no amount of works or anything you can do to save yourself. It is the free gift of God. All these things are good .. but we all fall short.. and the reason God sent Jesus. Ephesians 2:8. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. It is easy to be saved that is why even a small child can be saved.

Hi Timothy. Just looking at the Scriptures on Luke, I note that he was a close friend of the Apostle Paul, who referred to him as 'the beloved physician' ( Colossians 4:14). He is also spoken of as a "fellow labourer" ( Philemon 1:24).

During Paul's second missionary journey, Luke connected with Paul in Asia Minor ( Acts 16:6-11. Verse 10 particularly indicates this: "WE endeavoured to go into Macedonia"). Luke was then left in Philippi ( Acts 17:1: "THEY", Luke excluded) and then re-connected with Paul to travel with him on the third missionary journey ( Acts 20:5: "US").

Luke also accompanied Paul on his journey to Jerusalem & then to Rome and was with Paul during his imprisonment there ( 2 Timothy 4:11: which you had quoted). So, you can see that Luke, with many others (in the Church & on the 'mission field'), played a vital role in Paul's ministry & provided him with fellowship & encouragement. And of course Luke's medical knowledge, no doubt would have been useful to both Paul & maybe those in such need in their travels.