Your Testimony Is A Weapon.

Many say they claim to believe in Jesus. Some claim to know him as Lord. How many can attest to what Jesus have done in their lives? Better still what were you saved from? You are not a Christian until you are saved. You are not just saved you were saved from something. What are you saved from? "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death" (Rev.12:11).

Do not be afraid to tell others what you have been saved from. This is power over the kingdom of darkness, and glory unto God. I was saved from drugs, alcohol, gangs, masturbation, and demonic possession, and brought into God's marvellous light of his Son.

"Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us. Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace you are saved". Eph.2:2-5

I am so glad that I am saved. What are you saved from? Tell others your testimony.

BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is the empowering for service that takes place in the life of the Christian (Acts 1:8, 2). It can take place at the moment of faith in Christ as in the case of the first Gentile convert, Cornelius; but traditionally and experientially it follows repentance, saving faith, and baptism (see Hebrews 6:1-2). It enables a believer to witness to the Lord's salvation and to demonstrate one or more of the nine gifts, or manifestations, of the Holy Spirit (see I Corinthians 12:7-10). Just as the indwelling Spirit reproduces the life of Jesus, the outpoured, or baptizing, Spirit reproduces the ministry of Jesus.
To illustrate, if I had a glass of water and took a swallow, then the water would be inside me. If, on the other hand, I went down to the beach and stepped into the ocean, then I would be in the water. We receive, as it were, a drink of the Spirit when we are saved, but when we are baptized in the Spirit, it is as if that initial drink becomes an ocean that completely surrounds us.
When we give ourselves to Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. The Holy Spirit places us into Jesus. In turn Jesus immerses us in the power of the Holy Spirit, and from the experience comes the ability to reproduce the works of Jesus, including miracles and healings (see John 14:12-16, Acts 1:5, 8). Just as there are nine attributes of the fruit of the Spirit, there are nine gifts of the Spirit. Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus said, "John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5). He also said, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you: And you shall be witnesses to me" (Acts 1:8). When the day of Pentecost came, Jesus' apostles were all together in the same house. There was the sound of a mighty wind, and then tongues of fire sat upon them. They "began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4).
In subsequent instances, when this experience came upon the people, it seemed as if the Spirit of God activated their speech. First of all, this showed that they had been empowered to witness for the Lord. Second, their higher speech centers had been brought under the control of Jesus Christ. As James said, "If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man" (James 3:2). The tongues of these people had been brought under the Lord's control. Finally, by the words they spoke, they were able to do miracles. That is because the spoken word brings about healings, miracles, and the works of power that Jesus did. All of this is encompassed in the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
How Do I Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
You need to do a number of things in order to receive this blessing.
First, you need to be born again. The person who is going to be filled with the Spirit must have the indwelling Spirit and must belong to Jesus.
The second thing you have to do is to ask. The Bible says, "Ask, and it will be given to you" (Luke 11:9).
The third thing you have to do is surrender. The apostle Paul made this need clear in the book of Romans when he said, "Present your bodies a living sacrifice." (Romans 12:1)
Fourth, you must be willing to obey the Spirit. God does not give this power to someone and then say, "You can take the part you like and leave the part you do not like." If you want to be immersed in the Spirit, you need to be prepared to, you need to believe. The apostle Paul, speaking obey the Spirit.
Fifth to the Galatians, said, "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith" (Galatians 3:2)? The answer, obviously, is faith. You have to believe that if you ask, you will receive.

Steps In Receiving The Holy Spirit

Prior to baptism the Holy Spirit works with us, drawing us to God through Christ (Heb. 7:25). On repentance and baptism we receive the Holy Spirit in us, through the laying-on of hands by one of God’s ministers. The laying-on of hands does not of itself confer any authority. The process simply signifies that an official of the Church endorses the request of the individual to receive the Spirit. The Elder has no intrinsic power by and of himself; he simply requests that the Spirit acts. The Spirit then empowers the individual. This is the real beginning of our training. The understanding is simply that we qualify through baptism and receive the Holy Spirit to commence training. We are given the initial armament by which we can become a soldier of God. We are given our rifle in other words, or the system by which we can operate.


Finally, you have to exercise what God has given you. Having asked, having received, having been willing to obey, and having believed, you need to respond in a biblical fashion. The Bible says those baptized with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost "began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). This means they spoke the words that the Spirit gave them. The Holy Spirit gave the words, but the apostles and disciples voluntarily responded. There was action based on faith, not merely passive acceptance of the blessing.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

I. The Holy Spirit Is a Person

One of the distinguishing marks of a Christian is his belief in the Holy Spirit as a Person. From the early days of the church to present-day Modernism, there have been those who have denied the personality of the Spirit in one form or another. Many so-called Christian preachers and theologians refer to the Spirit as an “it,” and not as a “he.” They consider him to be an impersonal influence or power or energy, and not the third Person of the Trinity. Such a view would rob us of some of the great blessings of our salvation. Furthermore, it is not Biblical.
In several ways the Bible reveals to us that the Spirit is a Person. First of all, it attributes to him a mind, will, and emotions, which are exclusively characteristics of a person. Impersonal objects do not have these qualities, but the Spirit of God does. Paul presupposes that the Spirit has a mind when he writes that “the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (I Cor. 2:10, 11). Here Paul ascribes to the Holy Spirit knowledge, which an influence or a power does not have, but a person does. The Bible also pictures the Spirit as possessing the personal quality of a will. We read that when Paul, Silas, and Timothy wanted to go to Bithynia, “the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (Acts 16:7). And in I Corinthians 12:11 Paul tells us that the Spirit gives many gifts to Christians, “just as he determines.” As far as emotions are concerned, Ephesians 4:30 assumes that the Spirit can have grief, for it commands us, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”
A second way in which the Bible reveals that the Spirit is a Person is by placing him in juxtaposition with other persons. For instance, we know that the Father and Son are Persons, and so when Jesus speaks of baptizing disciples “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19), he indicates thereby that the Holy Spirit is a Person, too, just as the Father and the Son are. James, in authorizing certain instructions to the early church, wrote, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements” (Acts 15:28). He very clearly considers the Holy Spirit a Person capable of the same thoughts and ideas as he and the apostles had.
Furthermore, it would be a meaningless redundancy to say that Jesus returned from the wilderness “in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14) if the Spirit were simply an impersonal power. Read the phrase again, substituting the word power for Spirit.
How thankful we must be that the Spirit is a Person! For it is just because he is a Person that he can convict us of sin and thereby lead us to God, dwell within us and give us power over sin, inspire the Bible and illuminate our minds so that we can understand it, guide us so that we know what the will of God is for us, lead us in prayer, and call ministers, elders, and deacons as office-bearers of the church.
Just because the Holy Spirit is a Person we may also react unfavorably toward him. We may resist, grieve, despise, and blaspheme him. This is displeasing to him, and it will surely work harm for us. May we never deny the personality of the Spirit, but believe in him and experience the blessings that can come to us because of this fact.

II. The Holy Spirit Is a Divine Person

Some have believed that the Holy Spirit is a Person, but they have considered him to be a created personality, and not God himself. They have realized that the Spirit is not an impersonal “it,” but they have considered him to be inferior to the Father. The Bible, however, attributes to the Holy Spirit not only personal characteristics, but also divine qualities. These divine attributes mark the Holy Spirit as being God.
According to the Scriptures, the Spirit of God is omnipotent, for he has his role in creation (Gen. 1:2), in providence (Ps. 104:30), in the supernatural conception of Jesus (Luke 1:35), in regeneration, and in the equipping of each Christian with spiritual gifts.
He is also omniscient, as Isaiah intimates when he asks: “Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counselor has taught him? With whom did he take counsel, and who instructed him and taught him in the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding?” (40:13, 14). Paul would have us believe the same thing when he writes that “the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God” (I Cor. 2:10).
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit may be characterized as being omnipresent. The psalmist eloquently asks: “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?” (Ps. 139:7). He says that he can never escape the Spirit’s presence, not even if he ascends to heaven, or descends to Sheol, or flees to the seas, or hides in the blackness of the night. The Spirit is everywhere. In the New Testament we read that the Spirit dwells in believers, and the great number of Christians does not hinder him from being present in each one.
Hebrews 9:14 tells us that Christ “through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God” thus ascribing to the Holy Spirit the divine quality of eternity.
Another proof of the deity of the Spirit is to be found, in the fact that both the Old and New Testaments at times interchange the phrase “the Spirit said” and the phrase “the LORD said.”
Lastly, the mere coupling of the name of the Holy Spirit with the names of the Father and the Son, as in the great commission (Matt. 28:19) or in the apostolic benediction (II Cor. 13:14), shows that the Spirit is put on the same level as, the other two Persons and, therefore, is considered to be divine. It would be most incongruous to couple the name of a created being with that of the Godhead in such tightly knit expressions.
The fact of the deity of the Holy Spirit is important for us. If he were not God, he could not perform his beautiful work in creation, or his authoritative work in inspiration, or his illuminating work in men’s minds. Neither could he have overcome our depravity to regenerate, indwell, and sanctify us. We may well be grateful that he is not a finite being but a divine Person.

Watch Videos

You can watch and listen to Prophetic messages preached by Pastor George Agbonson on: www.youtube.com/gagbonson

How Do you Know You are Saved?

ASSURANCE OF SALVATION.

We will start by looking at this illustration of one who goes to the shopping mall to get a product. What is the assurance that that which is bought belongs to him, what is the evidence?
Assurance is the confident realization of that security. It is the realization of what we have in Christ such as eternal life, forgiveness of sin, and being the object of God’s personal care as his children. Assurance has to do with our comprehension of the facts and provisions of salvation through faith in Christ. This is a crucial doctrine because, properly understood, it will touch the believer’s life in several areas. Not only does it give assurance of salvation, but also a greater assurance of God’s provision in all areas of life.
Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
When people do not have assurance, we should always begin by sharing the gospel to be sure they have truly trusted in Christ. Once this is confirmed, then move on to the matters of assurance.
Reasons Why People Lack Assurance
(1) People often lack assurance because they cannot remember or point to a specific time when they received Christ. Some doubt or wonder if they were ever really saved. There is a specific point in time when salvation occurs—the point when regeneration takes place. The issue for people is to know if they now really trust in the person and work of Christ.
(2) People often lack assurance because they question the procedure they went through when they accepted Christ. Many evangelists and preachers emphasize the need for some form of public confession of faith like going forward at the end of a service or raising your hand. If people receive Christ privately, they may wonder if they should have made a public confession or prayed a different prayer.
(3) People often lack assurance because of struggles they have with certain sins. They wonder if a true believer would have these kinds of problems. The real problem is ignorance of man’s sinful nature, the spiritual warfare we are in, God’s means of deliverance, and the need to grow and mature in Christ.
(4) The primary reason behind a lack of assurance is doctrinal misunderstanding and the consequent lack of faith in the finished work of Christ. This means a failure to understand the Word and its teaching regarding mankind, his sin and inability to work for or maintain his salvation, God’s perfect holiness, and the finished nature and sufficiency of the work of Christ.
(5) Finally, people often lack assurance because they have erroneously been taught that they should look to themselves and their works as the primary proof of their salvation. This is a major issue today. Robert Lightner writes:
Those who think the sinner must make Christ Lord of his life, or at least promise to do so, before he can be saved make assurance rest on the evidence of a surrendered walk. MacArthur cites this as the only way a believer can be assured of his or her salvation. ‘Genuine assurance comes from seeing the Holy Spirit’s transforming work in one’s life, not from clinging to the memory of some experience.’7
So what is the proper basis for assurance? Should we look to some experience or our works?
Foundations for Assurance
The Word of God
The Word of God is God’s witness to the believer (John 5:11-13). The Greek text includes the article with the word “life.” Salvation in Christ is not just the gift of life, but of “the life,” the one which comes only through faith in God’s unique Son. The clear declaration of Scripture is that the one who believes in Christ’s person and work on the cross as God’s provision for h1) Eternal life.
John 3:36 the one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him.
1 John 5:11-13 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’?” 13 But the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped out, since there was a crowd in that place.
(2) Forgiveness of all sin.
Acts 10:43 About him all the prophets testify, that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
Colossians 2:13 And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions.
(3) Freedom from condemnation.
John 5:24 “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, but has crossed over from death to life.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
(4) Justification (declared righteous by God).
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Romans 4:1-6 What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has discovered regarding this matter? 2 For if Abraham was declared righteous by the works of the law, he has something to boast about—but not before God. 3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
Romans 4:25 He was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.
(5) Salvation.
Ephesians 2:8-9 for by grace you are saved through faith and this is not from you, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
(6) A child of God by faith.
John 1:12 But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children
Romans 8:14-17 for all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness to our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 And if children, then heirs (namely, heirs of God and also fellow heirs with Christ)—if indeed we suffer with him so we may also be glorified with him.

Principles for Assurance

Principle 1: We need to draw our assurance from faith in the facts of Scripture and not from our feelings. Our faith and thus our assurance must stand on the sure promises of the Bible rather than on our feelings. The biblical order is: FACTS ——>FAITH ——>FEELINGS. Feelings are the responders of the soul or heart. They are to follow and respond to our understanding of Scripture, but they are never a safe guide to what we should believe or of the state of our salvation. This leads to the next point.
Principle 2: We need to draw our assurance from faith in the facts of Scripture and not from our works. Works or the biblical changes that occur in our lives as a result of the grace of God can confirm the reality of our life with God. We must be ever so careful, however, in making such subjective ground the basis of our assurance, for when a believer is out of fellowship he or she can have the appearance of an unbeliever especially if the condition lasts for any length of time.
1 Corinthians 3:1-4 so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people, but instead as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready. In fact, you are still not ready, 3 for you are still influenced by the flesh. For since there is still jealousy and dissension among you, are you not influenced by the flesh and behaving like unregenerate people? 4 For whenever someone says, “I am with Paul,” or “I am with Apollos,” are you not merely human?
If we depend on works or obedient living to prove our salvation then we are faced with the following dilemma: If we are living obediently now (the supposed proof of salvation), the possibility exists that could change in the future. If later on we cease to live obediently, then that would prove (based on the above premise) that we are not now true Christians in spite of our obedient lifestyle. So present obedience can never really prove our Christianity and thus, we could never have assurance.
The Holy Spirit is our sole evidence and surety of our salvation and inheritance.

WHAT IS NEW BIRTH?

The New Birth is a new and unique experience one receives as a result of salvation. It is generally termed “Born Again”. It comes as a result of receiving Jesus Christ into one’s heart or life.
“He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name”
[John.1:11; 12]
The new birth experience is the requirement for entering the Kingdom of God. [John.3:3].
The new birth experience is like one who sleeps at night and wakes up into a new day. He puts the things of the past behind him and press forward towards the future [Phil.3:13]. When one becomes born again, he is like a new born babe. He knows nothing, and nothing is held against him. The new believer must now see himself as that: old things are past away, and all things have become new [2 Cor.5:17].

One receives this only by following God’s principle of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. He confesses Jesus Christ as Lord which means he submits his life: body, soul and spirit to the Lordship of Jesus. The implication of this thus, is that the believer has no control over his own life: “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” 1Cor.6:20.

The essential TRUTH in all of this is that the sinner whose status was towards eternal destruction has been saved from that path. He who was once an alien to God has now become a SON of GOD, he who was once a slave, under the bondage of Satan has now become an authority over Satan himself.
But the question is always faced by this new convert on the certainty of his salvation; it is the question of how are you sure you are saved? This has always been one Satan’s strategy to deceive new believer in order to take them back to where they have been delivered from. Have you ever thought in yourself after you responded to the alter call and said the prayers that nothing physically changed about you, and you say within yourself: Is this what is all about? Its not new, most new convert until taught what their new status is often cannot comprehend what has taken. Because of this the devil can easily take advantage if proper caution is not applied. There is this misconception often by people of the world to assume that when one becomes born again he should be changed immediately. This becomes a major challenge for the new believer to live up to that standard. Often times they fall into temptation without preparation and not able to handle it. So they run into their shell not understanding why, cannot face the world. In some cases the believer wouldn’t want anyone to know of his new experience, they are shy about it, some won’t walk with the Bible in their hands, all because they are not sure if they are saved. They cannot defend what they don’t know.
So if you are asked how you are sure you're saved, what will your reply be?