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Holy Spirit

Anointed with God’s Power

Acts 10:38:
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Throughout the Bible, God had His chosen servants anointed with oil to set them apart for His service. This included prophets, priests, and kings. Jesus was all three. See Jesus Christ: Prophet, Priest, and King for more details.

But Jesus was not anointed with the traditional oil. His anointing was with the holy spirit. At his baptism by John, the spirit appeared like a dove—pure and simple. Isaiah had promised God’s coming savior would be anointed with His spirit in Isaiah 61:1. Jesus quoted that scripture when he opened his ministry in Nazareth.

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Holy Spirit

Filled with the Holy Spirit

A Christian friend had a good question today regarding the holy spirit not being given “by measure” to Jesus Christ in John 3:34 and 35. Here’s what it says.

John 3:34,35:
For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

John the Baptist is talking here about his cousin, Jesus the Christ. What does it mean that God doesn’t give the spirit “by measure” to Jesus?

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Holy Spirit One God

On the Deity

Living on earth for many decades can bring insight when a person is meek to the Creator. The greatest man who ever lived was only here for three decades, and yet he knew the Creator as a loving Father and made this eternal Spirit known to others. To understand the things of God, let’s consider four questions that every human will face during our brief existence in this world. Where did I come from? Why am I here? Why must I die? Where will I go after death?

Categories
Health & Healing

Dunamis: Healing Power in Christ

Sherry and I have been thinking a lot about healing lately. Several friends and family have a need for restored health and to overcome physical attacks. We too, are faced with such challenges as we grow older. What is God’s solution to these important needs?

Categories
Leadership

Twenty-five Similarities between Elijah and John the Baptist

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The Jordan River

When Sherry and I visited Israel, we stood by the Jordan River perhaps near the place where Jesus was baptized by his cousin John. Just as Jesus was a prophet “like unto” the Prophet Moses (Acts 3:22; 7:37), John was a prophet like the Prophet Elijah. John’s coming was predicted by another prophet, Malachi.

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Jesus Christ

Perfect

Montana Pond

God’s truth is unbreakable, complete, everlasting, and perfect.

Deuteronomy 32:4:
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Categories
Fellowship

All for One and One for All

blog unity

I’ve enjoyed being unified in my relationships with others throughout my life. I was unified into a wonderful family with a great Dad and Mom and all eight of us kids. I was unified with my Boy Scout troop, my school class, and my soccer team. Later I was unified with my wife Sherry and our son Elijah. These are all relationships that endeavor to live the old motto “all for one and one for all.”

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Jesus Christ

God’s Love: Making Jesus Christ Lord–Part 4, Proving It

gods love 4 girls

In elementary school, we had some classic “come back” lines in certain situations. If someone said they “loved” something, we would respond: “Then why don’t you marry it!” Another comeback when someone made a remark about us was, “Prove it!”

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Jesus Christ

God’s Love: Making Jesus Christ Lord–Part 3, Knowing Him

gods love 3 hairgirl
Together in Australia

As the manager of “Wooly World” at the Toorak Hotel shopping plaza in Melbourne, Australia, I met a lot of men and women looking for high-end sheepskin garments. The most shocking experience of my sales life happened there in 1982.

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Jesus Christ

God’s Love: Making Jesus Christ Lord–Part 2, Back to Basics

gods love 2 puppy

Have you ever seen a  newborn puppy or kitten, though blind, find their mother and begin to nurse? God built these “basics” (like feeding ourselves) into life. The basics are simple and easy to find and understand. When things get complicated, they can lose their value. Russian writer Leo Tolstoy said, “Give thanks to God who made necessary things simple, and complicated things unnecessary.”