Inspiring Daily Christian Living

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” (James 4:13-14 NASB95)

According to that passage above, our life is like a vapor that appears for a moment and then it fades away. You see, life goes by so quickly because we are here for such a short time. So, if this be the case, how should we be living our lives? Should we only please ourselves with no regard of the consequences that may follow? Or should we be aware that there is a God who has a standard by which we are to live by? For the bible does say: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27 KJV) So, it makes more sense to know God’s will instead of seeking our own will and ways. For the afterlife (whether it be in heaven or hell) is a lot longer than this temporal existence here on earth.

Therefore, let us live for today with heaven in mind. For by doing so, we will have peace with God, for: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.” (Isaiah 26:3-4 ESV)

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8 KJV)

That passage above makes it clear on how we should be living our lives. And it is also true that our eternal destiny is determined on how we conduct ourselves as well. However, we must also realize that even our best efforts will not get us right before God our Father. For: “We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. We all wither like a leaf; our sins carry us away like the wind.” (Isaiah 64:6 NET) And again: “Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4 KJV)

So, if this be the case, how can anyone be saved? Because no matter how determined we are to do good, we would still fall short of being right in God’s sight. That’s because we are all descendants of Adam and Eve who sinned in the Garden of Eden. And because of their sin, we their descendants carry this fallen nature as well. For even Paul the apostle who realized this fact said: “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25 NIV) So, there you have it. For we read that there is a way to get right before God. Therefore, I encourage you to continue reading and discover that faith in Jesus Christ is our only hope to get right with God.

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11 ESV)

Now, when Jesus came to earth as a man, he was completely human as we are. However, we know from scripture that he was born without the sin of Adam and maintained that sinless state. That’s because Jesus was miraculously conceived by the virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit. For we first read: “But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.” (Luke 1:30-31 NIV) Next, we read: “Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:34-35 CSB)

Now, because Jesus was not conceived through the act of fallen man but by the Holy Spirit, the curse of Adam was broken and therefore Jesus was free of sin. Therefore, Jesus was able to die in our place by taking the sins of the world upon himself. For we read: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6 RSV) More on this below.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6 KJV)

What a bold statement Jesus is claiming in that passage above. For he is saying that there is no other way to God except through him. In other words, Jesus is implying that all other religions and beliefs are false, and that he is the only way to God the Father. And to go even further with this, John the apostle said: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18 KJV) So, God’s word clearly proclaims that it’s through Jesus Christ and him alone that our sins are atoned.

Now, I have come to believe that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to have a true relationship with God. For I myself was one of those who was running from him. That’s because I wanted to live life my way and to do the things that I wanted to do. This I did being fully aware that I was doing wrong and affecting others in a bad way. But one day while I was wallowing in my sins and feeling so lost, Jesus made himself known to me. And even though I didn’t see him physically, I felt his presents upon me in such a real way. For I heard about Jesus Christ and even went to church when I was young. However, I never really knew who he was until that day he opened my eyes. And for the first time in my life, I understood who God was and realized that I can have a relationship with him through his Son Jesus Christ.

And what else is amazing is the fact that God chose me even when I wasn’t looking for him. For Jesus himself said: “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:16 KJV)

• “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NKJV)
• “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.” (Matthew 7:7-8 KJV)

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:20 KJV)

Remember what was said earlier about God giving his only begotten Son. This relationship that I have with God is because Jesus died on the cross for my sins. This he did so that I can be forgiven for every sin that I committed. For it’s true that he took my place by suffering for me. This he did, not only through whippings, beatings and then being nailed to the cross. For Jesus had to spend three days and nights in hell as well. For he said: “as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 12:40 ASV) And how was it for Jonah in the belly of the whale? Well, he said: “I cried by reason of mine affliction unto the LORD, and he heard me; out of the belly of hell cried I, and thou heardest my voice.” (Jonah 2:2 KJV) Yes, we read that Jonah was in affliction. Therefore, we can see that Jesus suffered torment is hell as well on our behalf. This is what true love looks like.

So that all being said, we must acknowledge that none of us can earn forgiveness by doing good works. For all our works are based on our own efforts that are flawed. For as said before: “We are all like one who is unclean, all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. We all wither like a leaf; our sins carry us away like the wind.” (Isaiah 64:6 NET) So, only through Jesus Christ can we be forgiven. For he is our perfect sinless sacrifice who took the penalty for every bad thing that we ever committed. So, we can see that God our Father did pay a very high price by giving his Son to take all of our sins upon himself. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV) Amen.

Now, we must also realize that God did all this because he desires that none of us should perish. For his word says: “The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some regard slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9 NET) Yes, this is true. For even in the Old Testament, we read: “Say to them, As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?” (Ezekiel 33:11 ESV) So, we see that God doesn’t want anyone to die in their sins. For he wants us to receive his son Jesus Christ and spend all eternity with him in paradise.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV)

So, do you want true love, joy and peace in your life as described above? Well, it’s all yours if you repent of your sins and give your life over to God. And for the first time in your life, you will experience life in a whole new way. For as our Lord and savior Jesus Christ said, it’s like being “Born Again”. That’s because God will fill you with His Holy Spirit. And by walking after the Spirit, you can put to death that old life with all its sins and now live a life pleasing to God. And not only that, but you will be so excited that you’ll want everybody to know about this new relationship that you have with God. For the fruit of the Spirit mentioned above will flow from you and effect other people as well.

For we know that: “It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing; That’s how it is with God’s Love, once you’ve experienced it, your spread the love to everyone, you want to pass it on. What a wondrous time is spring, when all the tress are budding, the birds begin to sing, the flowers start their blooming; That’s how it is with God's love, once you’ve experienced it. You want to sing, it’s fresh like spring, you want to pass it on. I wish for you my friend, this happiness that I’ve found; You can depend on God, it matters not where you’re bound, I’ll shout it from the mountain top - PRAISE GOD! I want the world to know, The Lord of love has come to me, I want to pass it on.” (Song penned by composer and pianist, Kurt Kaiser, 1969)

“This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16 KJV)

Now, by walking after God’s Holy Spirit, we can be aware of his presence in everything we think, say, and do. And as already said above, we can now put away all the sins that we had done in the past. These sins are called the “works of the flesh.” For we read: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV)

So then, as “born again” Christians, we need to put these works of the flesh far from us. For being saved is not a license to continue in our sins. For we also read: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV) Yes, we are washed, sanctified and now justified in the name of Jesus. “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.

“My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ the righteous one. He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2 CSB)

Now, if we do happen to fall into sin, we are to repent before God according to that passage above. For John again said: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 KJV) However, we are not to make light of sin by thinking that God understands our situation and thus allows it. For his word does says: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:20 KJV) Therefore, we must hate sin just as God does and therefore do our best to live a sin free life.

So again, let’s be diligent to walk after God’s Holy Spirit and put away sin from our lives. For the sins of the flesh are not only displeasing to God, but can make our (and others) lives miserable as well. However, we who are “born again” have Christ living in us, and therefore we can put off all the sins of the flesh. For: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 ESV) Amen.

There is a God who is real and loves you so much. He will bring true meaning and purpose into your life. All you need to do is give yourself completely over to him. Any other way would be empty, meaningless, and eventually could led you to eternal damnation. And we know God doesn’t want that to happen to you. For he wants you to repent before him and believe and receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. Yes, let Jesus be Lord of your life today. You will not regret it, believe me. “Now to God and our Father be glory for ever and ever.” Amen. (Philippians 4:20 WEB)

Note: All the version used in this article are listed below. These are included to assist you in your study of God’s word:

• KJV = The Authorized Version or King James Version (KJV), 1611, 1769. Outside of the United Kingdom, the KJV is in the public domain. Within the United Kingdom, the rights to the KJV are vested in the Crown.
• NKJV = New King James Version, © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
• ASV = New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.
• REV = The REV® (Revised English Version®) copyright © 2014 by Spirit & Truth Fellowship International, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• ESV = The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• CSB = Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017, 2020 by Holman Bible Publishers.
• NET = The NET Bible®, New English Translation Copyright © 1996 By Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NET Bible® is a registered trademark The NET Bible® Logo, Service Mark Copyright © 1997 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
• NIV = THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
• NASB95 = New American Standard Bible 1995 Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.
• LSB = Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org
• NLT = Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
• RSV = The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version containing the Old and New Testaments, translated from the original tongues: being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1885 and A.D. 1901: compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1946-52. — 2nd ed. of New Testament A.D. 1971. There should be enough in the rest of the description to identify the text.
• WEB = The Webster Bible was translated by Noah Webster in 1833 in order to bring the language of the bible up to date. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 KJV)

We Christians are so blessed because we have God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within us. Therefore, those fruits listed above should be displayed in our daily lives. And the first fruit we come to is LOVE. “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31 ESV)

Next, we have JOY. “You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” (Psalm 16:11 LSB) Then we have PEACE: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27 NIV) Then of course we have all the other fruits which are patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. All of these are essential in order for us to have a sound Christian walk.

“But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another [various] kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” (1 Corinthians 12:7-11 NASB95)

Now we come to the Gifts of the Spirit. For Jesus said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:12-14 ESV) Wow, Jesus said that we would be doing even greater works than what he was doing. We can see happening by Paul the apostle where we read: “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.” (Acts 19:11-12 NKJV)

We can see happening with Peter as well: “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.) Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.” (Acts 5:14-16 KJV)

Again, during one of Peter sermons, three thousand souls were saved. “And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.’ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:38-41 ESV) Now, all those gifts displayed above are impressive by the early believers. But where are they today? Well, keep reading.

“Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. “I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn't heal him.” Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and from that moment the boy was healed.” (Matthew 17:15-18 CSB)

So, the question. Why don’t we see more miracles happening in our lives today? For Jesus did say that we will be doing greater works than what he did. Could it be because we Christians today have such little faith like those disciples whom Jesus rebuked above? I personally believe so my fellow Christians. For even today some teachers are preaching that the gifts of miracles have ceased after the completion of the bible. But this is not what the bible teaches. For this is nothing more than a lame excuse to cover up our lacking of faith. For we can see this happening where we continue to read: “Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn't we drive it out?” “Because of your little faith,” he told them. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:18-20 CSB)

So, there you have it. Jesus himself said it’s because of our lacking in faith that we don’t see many miracles being performed today. Therefore, I pray that God would help us to have much faith so that we can do the same works today. For we need to be a people who are willing to step out in faith as the early church did. However, we must make sure that God gets all the glory and praise in these acts as well. For it is easy for us to get prideful and take the glory upon ourselves. 

First, let’s look at some scriptures that speak of our little faith:

• “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30 ESV)
• “He said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” (Matthew 8:26-27 NASB20)
• “Aware of this, Jesus said, “You of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves that you do not have bread? “Don't you understand yet? Don’t you remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets you collected? “Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many large baskets you collected? “Why is it you don't understand that when I told you, ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ it wasn't about bread?” (Matthew 16:8-11 CSB)
• “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?” He told them, “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:19-20 NET)
• “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who draws near to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6 LSB).

Now, let us look at what the scripture says concerning miracles:

• “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” (Mark 16:17-18 KJV)
• “Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know” (Acts 2:22 KJV)
• “And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.” (Acts 2:43 KJV)
• “And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, “while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:29-31 CSB)
• “So they stayed there a long time and spoke boldly for the Lord, who testified to the message of his grace by enabling them to do signs and wonders.” (Acts 14:3 CSB)
• “The whole group kept quiet and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.” (Acts 15:12 NET)
• “For I will not be bold to speak of anything except what Christ has brought about through me, leading to the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and all around as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” (Romans 15:18-19 LSB)
• “And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.” (1 Corinthians 12:28 NIV)
• “I have become a fool in boasting; you have compelled me. For I ought to have been commended by you; for in nothing was I behind the most eminent apostles, though I am nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. (2 Corinthians 12:11-12 NKJV)
• “For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.” (Hebrews 2:2-4 ESV)
• “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 up; and if he have 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. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:14-18 KJV

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12 ESV)

According to that passage above, we Christians should be doing the works that Jesus himself did. That’s because just like Jesus, we are to be filled and led by Holy Spirit. For all the works that Jesus did was through the Spirit of God that dwelt within him. We can see this first happening after he was baptized by John the Baptist where we read: “When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased”.” (Luke 3:21-22 NKJV)

So, what happened after this? “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordon and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil." (Luke 4:1-2 ESV) And let’s take note to what Jesus himself said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19 ESV) Now, we must remember that Jesus was our “Forerunner” who set us an example of how we should be living our lives. So, let’s be diligent to always walk after the Holy Spirit and bear much fruit according to God’s word. And again, this can only take place by us walking after the Holy Spirit daily. Therefore, let's take heed to what Jesus said below.

• “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He takes away every branch that does not bear fruit in me. He prunes every branch that bears fruit so that it will bear more fruit. You are clean already because of the word that I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me - and I in him - bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up.” (John 15:1-6 NET)

Yes, brothers and sisters in Christ. We should be bearing “much fruit” as Jesus said. Therefore, let’s always be: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2 KJV)

Below are some scriptures that show Jesus relying on God to do his works:

• “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.” (Luke 11:20 KJV)
• “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.” (John 5:19 ESV)
• “Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” (John 8:28 KJV)
• “For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life eternal; the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak.” (John 12:49-50 ASV)
• “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I say unto you I speak not from myself: but the Father abiding in me doeth his works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.” (John 14:10-11 ASV)
• “Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know; him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay: whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” (Acts 2:22-24 ASV)

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NKJV)

Now, even though we may be doing great works, it could profit us nothing if it’s being done with the wrong motivation as Paul the apostle said above. Therefore, everything we do must be done in love. So, let us always make sure our actions are being done in love. For we must walk after the Spirit in everything we think, say, and do. This was we be practicing and displaying all the gifts of the Spirit? And let us remember that miracles are not just to heal and deliver people from bondage, but also to validate what we are preaching.

For we can see this to be true where we read: “And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” (Mark 16:20 KJV)So, let’sbe following our Lord and Saviors footsteps as did the early believers? For all these gifts are still available for us today just as they were back then. So, let us pray that God would give us the strength to step out in faith, trusting him to do his mighty works through us.

God bless you as you seek to do his well. Amen.

(Note: The bible versions used in this article are listed below in more detail to assist you in your study of God’s word. Therefore: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” - 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)

• KJV = The Authorized Version or King James Version (KJV), 1611, 1769. Outside of the United Kingdom, the KJV is in the public domain. Within the United Kingdom, the rights to the KJV are vested in the Crown.
• ESV = The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserve.
• CSB = Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017, 2020 by Holman Bible Publishers.
• NET = The NET Bible®, New English Translation Copyright © 1996 By Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. NET Bible® is a registered trademark The NET Bible® Logo, Service Mark Copyright © 1997 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
• NIV = THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
• NKJV = Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
• ASV = New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.
• ASB20 = New American Standard Bible 2020 Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.
• NASB95 = New American Standard Bible 1995 Copyright (c) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.
• LSB = Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org.

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