Have you ever wondered how to pray part 2

Proclamation

The second role we have is when we directly address evil spirits. Not all soldiers have the same responsibilities. There are different assignments in the army of God. But every assignment is important. It is important that you discover your calling and assignment in prayer and do not emulate others. Emulation is a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:20, KJV).

There may be times when the Lord will direct you to address the enemy directly. We use the same principles, but we will not engage in this type of warfare apart from the direct permission of our lead attorney, Jesus Christ. Regardless of the style, two things are clear. This is a real war. And the stakes are high. We are fighting for the souls of men, women, boys and girls. This battle is fought without guns or bullets. We fight it from our knees in intercessory prayer.

The following story describes this well:

When a famous general from another nation visited America in 1921, he said in one of his speeches, “We must fight on our knees as well as in the trenches. The men of the infantry might advance on their stomachs, the tank crews in the tanks, the air force in planes, the navy in boats, but the church must advance on her knees.”

As the church advances on her knees, humility coupled with strength in God will determine her success in the courtroom. Jonathan Edwards was quoted as saying, “The best protection one can have from the devil and his schemes is a humble heart.”

It’s true. Most of Satan’s fiery darts will miss their mark if we stay on our knees.

It is while on our knees that we can engage in direct proclamation against the forces of darkness. 

Our proclamation may be as follows:

Spirits of darkness, I have been authorized by Jesus Christ, my lead attorney, to come against you. The Word of God says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8). “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). As a prosecutor on behalf of the court of heaven, I command you to loose my nephew (or whomever you name). In Jesus’ name you are defeated, overcome by the blood of the Lamb. I break all contracts, covenants, alliances, iniquity of the forefa- thers, generational curses and unholy soul ties between you and my nephew. I remind you that Jesus said to me, “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you” (Luke 10:19). By the evidence presented in court, I expose your deception, lies, fear and bondage. I send you out now in Jesus’ name.

For a complete listing of the prayers David prayed against his enemies and to help you build your spiritual warfare vocabulary, read Eddie Smith’s booklet, "Ammo! Building a Warfare Vocabulary."

Finally, we continue to plead our cases against darkness as long as Jesus, our lead attorney, directs us. And we look for signs of the Judge’s decision in each matter. There will always be physical manifestations of God’s answer. We suggest that you begin to keep a scrapbook with newspaper clippings and other evidences that God has heard and answered your court- room pleadings! Record your breakthroughs so you and others are encouraged and challenged.

The spectacle of a nation praying is more awe-inspiring than the explosion of an atomic bomb. The force of prayer is greater than any possible combination of man-controlled powers because prayer is man’s greatest means of tapping the infinite resources of God. —J. EDGAR HOOVER 

Have you ever wondered how to pray?

It is really helpful when one thinks about prayer in terms of being in court. Especially when praying for others and our specific needs. There is an overwhelming amount of scriptural evidence to confirm that this concept is accurate and that we should understand prayer to function in this way. This kind of prayer however does not replace the need for us to simply fellowship with God through conversation, waiting and listening.

Satan is referred to as the accuser which is a legal term. We see in the book of Job how satan comes before God and a discussion ensues in the court of heaven.  We are at an advantage over Job because we live on this side of Christ's death and resurrection - we have a new covenant or contract, again, another legal term referring to a legal document. Job did not have access to this covenant. He also did not have an advocate on his behalf. Subsequent to the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given, we received an Advocate (the Holy Spirit) who stands for us, before the Father. 

In the book "The Advocate" by Eddie and Alice Smith, we can learn some valuable lessons on how to pray in the courts of heaven and how we can intercede for others in the court before the Father. In another book written by Alice Smith called "Beyond the Veil: Entering into Intimacy with God Through Prayer" she explains beautifully how God has invited us to partner with Him in prayer for people and situations on the earth. We actually play a vital role in accomplishing God's plans on earth. In fact, one can go so far as to say that there are certain things that will never be accomplished by anyone other than what God has called us as individuals to do. That means that there are people who could spend eternity in hell through our lack of concern and action. This is a truly frightening and sobering thought.

The act of God's Grace and His mercy towards us, saves us and empowers us to become effective soldiers in His army and we then carry a responsibility, playing a role in bringing others to the saving knowledge of Christ. Gods Grace is in place for when we fall, but we must get up and move on. Grace is not intended to make us complacent, allowing us to sit back and say "Christ has done it all, there is nothing left for us to do". Of course we cannot do what He did in terms of paying for our salvation, but He wants to work through us to reach others. This means action, it means stepping out, it means making plans to reach others, to change society, to pray and intercede. Without spending time in prayer we have no power. Before the throne of God, in the courts of heaven, we will obtain a judgement in our favour which will empower us.  We can demand that satan loose a person or situation because we have obtained the court order.

Some extracts from Chapter 10 of the "The Advocates"

Warfare Prayer: Prosecuting Satan in Court
A praying saint performs far more havoc among the unseen forces of darkness than we have the slightest notion of. —OSWALD CHAMBERS

For eons a cosmic battle has raged between God and His former angel Lucifer (Satan). It is a battle for worshipers. One doesn’t decide whether or not to do spiritual warfare. We were all born on a spiritual battlefield. The war rages around us incessantly. And, we were born POWs (prisoners of war)! 

Charles Finney was familiar with this war.

A friend of Charles Finney tells about a man who came to Mr. Finney and said, “I don’t believe in the existence of a devil.”
“Don’t you?” said Finney. “Well, you resist him for a while, and you will believe in him.”

It is by being born again that we are rescued, recruited and released to fight our former oppressor. Paul taught the Ephesian Christians: “As for you, you were dead in your trans- gressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient” (Eph. 2:1–2).

The fighting we are to do is to be done in a court of law. (See Job 1:6–8; Revelation 12:10.) It is in this courtroom that we, as spiritual prosecuting attorneys under the leadership of our lead attorney, Jesus Christ, are to level our charges against the ancient outlaw Satan. This is spiritual warfare.

The American church has begun to realize that the devil and his demons are a real threat. But we must equip ourselves with the proper understanding, techniques and strategies to face him in court.

We have discussed our role as defense attorneys. In this chapter we will discuss our role as prosecuting attorneys. In jurisprudence, a prosecutor is an attorney who represents the government by presenting evidence to convict one who is charged with a crime. However, the prosecutor can only present evidence that the court allows. Without using the law, precedent of the court or proving otherwise, the judge will have no other choice but to rule against the prosecutor when he violates protocol. In a court of law, there are procedures and protocol that we must follow. There are strict methods of handling evidence so that it is not contaminated or misrepresented.

In our spiritual application, we represent the government of God. As prosecutors we identify where Satan has broken God’s laws and prosecute him and his strongmen based on our covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus. As in any legal case where the prosecutor is held to strict codes, we can do no less. We must not represent or mishandle the opportunities God has given us to prosecute an ancient depraved deity. His crimes are very real—and we must be prepared and ready to prosecute him in court.

THE GROUNDWORK LAID

Before we could be released from death’s grip and made alive before God, our sin had to be blotted out. Paul explained how Jesus’ death eradicated our sin record, which resulted in disarming the devil and his angels. “Having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col. 2:14–15).

It is easy to understand how the devil had gained ground against us—we had fallen under Satan’s dominion. Satan was pleading the law against us in the court of heaven, and he and the law were winning. Satan, just like any prosecuting attorney, has been presenting his charges and evidence against us as the defendants. With his endless accusations of men, he justly appealed to the righteousness of God as revealed by the law. We found ourselves condemned and confined to death row, where we were awaiting our final execution!

However, Jesus Christ fulfilled the law’s demands by living a perfect life and dying in accordance with the Father’s plan. He has delivered us from Satan’s power. When Jesus was executed in our place, He once and for all settled our sin account.

John wrote, “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1). When Jesus pleads our case in heaven, He neither pleads our innocence nor our guilt; He pleads His blood. It is on the basis of His paying our penalty that the Governor (Jehovah) can justly issue our pardon and demand our release. The demands of justice have been satisfied, and Satan can no longer approach the Father demanding payment. That would constitute double jeopardy—the demand for a second payment for the same crime—which is illegal! The enemy’s weapons have been stripped from his hands. Jesus has disarmed the devil of the right to condemn us. Hallelujah!

Paul recognized that Jesus had removed the handwriting of ordinances against us and that Satan could no longer legally accuse us before God. No charge against us will be entertained in court. Scripture says, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? . . . Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died— more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us” (Rom. 8:31, 33–34).

Notice the questions Paul submits: Who can be against us? Who is he that condemns? The definitive answer from heaven is no one! Although the devil’s aim is to condemn us, God has justified us. All of our accounts are “Paid in Full.” When it comes to heaven’s courtroom, Satan’s accusations of us now fall on deaf ears. Since God refuses to hear them, why are you listening?


Regis Philbin, the host of the popular show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, always asks the nervous player, “Is this your final answer?” 

Well, God has answered from heaven, “THIS IS MY FINAL ANSWER!”

The devil may contend with you, claiming that God will no longer help you. He is a liar when he suggests your sins prevent you from the right to prosecute him. Your authority against the principalities, powers and rulers of darkness is established as you stand on the biblical ground of what God has done for you and are following God’s direct orders.

So why doesn’t God just “zap” the devil and be done with it all? 

God will not do this for the same reason that He did not destroy Lucifer when he led angels and men into rebellion against God. When the Lord throws the devil into the lake of fire, sadly, because of His justice, He must also throw in people who are still aligned with Satan in sin. As a good and just God would, He has announced the promise of redemption through Jesus, His Son. He is still executing His plan of mercy for humanity as well as the final fiery judgment of Satan.


FILE CHARGES AGAINST SATAN

Not every petition includes warfare proclamations. Only when you feel the Holy Spirit’s prompting are you to directly address the enemy.

Clearly outline where your adversary (Satan) has violated the law. You are about to enter into spiritual warfare prayer. Satan has ceased in his role as prosecutor. You are now the prosecutor, and he has become the defendant. You are to prosecute him for his crimes against God and humanity. Write out the charges you wish to file against him.

In spiritual warfare prayer we . . .
• Sometimes declare Satan’s guilt and demand justice (restoration).
• Sometimes seek his restriction (binding).
• Sometimes proclaim our enemy’s punishment (loose something he has stolen).
• Sometimes petition God for protection from Satan (a legal restraining order).

A restraining order is an order of the court that prevents one party from contacting or approaching another. Jesus prayed for the Judge to issue a restraining order against Satan on behalf of His disciples and us when He prayed, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one” (John 17:15). In His model prayer, which we call the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us to ask the Judge for a restraining order against Satan for ourselves. He said that we should pray, “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (Matt. 6:13).

OUR ROLES AS PROSECUTORS

We have two roles when we stand as a prosecutor against the defendant Satan.

Prayer

In prayer we tell God the crimes the devil has committed and the laws he has broken, and we present our proof (the evidence). We prepare and present our case to the Judge so He can act upon it.

As prosecutors, using Scripture (the law) is essential to our prayer strategy. Without the Word as its foundation, every prayer hangs by a thread. Even prayer can be a worthless reli- gious exercise. The Word of God empowers our prayer. It is the warhead on the missiles of prayer. Scripture grants us access in heaven and is the language of the court. If we don’t know how to approach the Lord with His Word, prayer will continue to be a hit-and-run experience. To correctly position ourselves to present our case to the Judge, we should collect the relevant information. A good prayer warrior is a good Word warrior. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).

Begin organizing and writing out your scriptures, prayer points and determining, with the Holy Spirit’s leadership, how you plan to appeal to the Judge. 

For example:

Father Judge, in the name of Jesus Christ our lead attorney, the enemy is accusing our pastor and his wife. Slanderous words are being spoken, and gossip is spreading like wildfire. But we have not been left defenseless. Heavenly Judge, according to Your Word, “It is time for you to act, O LORD; your law is being broken” (Ps. 119:126). The powers of darkness are confusing his family, his church members and neighbors. The evidence is that “the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he [the devil] devises. He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord” (Ps. 10:2–3).

Judge, I appeal to You. “Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with [us]; fight against those who fight against [us]” (Ps. 35:1). Because You are just, true and faithful, this is what I am asking You to do to the enemy. “For the sins of their mouths, for the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride. For the curses and lies they utter, consume them in wrath, consume them till they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob” (Ps. 59:12–13). As heaven’s prosecutor I am asking You to:
• Act now against the forces of darkness.
• Notice that the enemy has broken Your law.
• Hunt down the wicked who oppress the man of God.
• Give help to the pastor, who is weak and tired and needs Your help.
• Take note of the arrogance of the devil, and cause him to fall.
• Expose the darkness, lies and confusion.
• Come and fight the demonic powers behind this situation.
• Deal harshly with the evil rulers that are tormenting.
• Fulfill Your divine purpose through this situation, giving our friend a peace that You are working on his behalf.

Always keep in mind that we are not praying against people. We are to pray for people. We are wrestling in prayer against “spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12, KJV). 

Have you ever wondered why your prayers were not answered?

Robert Henderson’s series “Navigating the court system of heaven” is revolutionary. (http://www.roberthenderson.org) It meticulously lays out from the scripture, the details of the Kingdom of Heaven’s legal system. He presents a biblically based argument explaining how the conflict we are in, is not won on the battlefield, but rather it is won in heavens courtroom first. When we get verdicts from the courts of heaven rendered in our behalf, the battles are easily won on the battlefield. 

The protocol of the battlefield is completely different to the protocol of a courtroom. 

When we pray, we need to go into heaven’s courtroom first and ensure we get the verdict passed in our favor before we go to the battlefield. We have the right as believers to boldly enter into the throne room (courtroom) and ask for grace (a verdict in our favor) in the time of need.

We must only go to the battlefield after we have the verdict in our favor from the courtroom. 

If we go to the battlefield first, we may only get random success, Joshua learnt this. He thought that winning the battle of Jericho would automatically transpose into winning the battle of Ai. Joshua had the court papers for Jericho and thats is why he won that battle. He did not take the time to get the verdict from the court of heaven for Ai before he went into battle. There was sin in the camp of Israel and if they had gone to heaven’s court there would have been a judgement given instructing them to deal with the sin first before going to battle. We have the blood of Jesus that we can plead when the enemy accuses us. If we repent, claim the cleansing of the blood, we can get a judgement in our favor.

In the following free message Robert Henderson explains the courts of heaven:

http://sermon.net/jacobswell/sermonid/119749796

So how old is the earth actually?

Is it really possible for us to know what happened in the past regarding the earth, the universe, man, angels, demons, God?

There are many theories and so called scientific explanations about how things started, how long it has taken etc.

In broad strokes there are basically two positions, namely creation vs evolution. There are also some interesting mixes of these two approaches such as what some call "God guided evolution".

Generally speaking those who believe in God tend towards accepting creation (not all do) and those who do not believe in God tend to lean towards evolution. Believing in creation usually means that one would adopt the young earth position which means that the age of the earth is calculated by adding up the generations listed in the bible from Adam till now. By doing this, one will arrive at a number which is in the region of 6000 years.

Carbon dating and various other methods of measuring the age of the universe such as the speed of light refutes the young earth theory, if one can rely on these dating methods as being reliable. Astronomers, geologists and scientists tend to talk about billions of years based on their measurements and elaborate mathematical calculations. Much of which would be based on a hypothesis which may or may not be disproved. 

Although scientific methods generally seek to gather unbiased facts, unfortunately this is not always the case. There are all sorts of external influences such as funding and agendas that often cloud the truth. Selective use of data and suppression of certain facts that do not fit the hypothesis is often the situation.

It has been interesting to follow the "Intelligent Design" proponents. The initial group were some honest scientists and biologists who found that intellectually they could no longer go along with evolution. They make comments such as "if Darwin had had access to an electron microscope and could see what we see today he would never have proposed evolution". The driving force behind evolution is far more than the search for scientific truth. The irreducible complexity of biological systems is in itself sufficient evidence to refute evolution, besides all the other numerous arguments which have a far more scientific basis then those seeking to justify evolution. In fact the only thing that Darwin was really able to prove was that a single species could adapt to changes within its environment over time.

As a believer whose favourite subject at school was science, I have over the past 30 years read many books about the arguments for and against evolution. I have listened to many debates and many talks from both sides. Intellectually I have satisfied myself that evolution as proposed in programs like National Geographic which pretty much reflect the gist of what the evolutionist community believe, are false. Evolution is less about scientific fact and more about a belief system that tries to prove that there is no God. It is possibly the main pillar supporting the secular and atheistic world view and this is why people holding these views become very aggressive in protecting them. They have fought very hard to have creation thrown out of schools and have written text books that brainwash unsuspecting children into believing a lie. The bible is very clear about what will happen to people who do this. It would be better for them to tie a millstone around their necks and cast themselves into the sea, then to mislead any child.

Heavily linked with the evolution theory, is the old universe/old earth theory which states that the universe and the earth are billions of years old. These proponents say that the bible is untrustworthy because it describes a literal creation in 6 days about 6000 years ago.

An observation of geological features such as mountains and valleys can certainly get one wondering about how long it must have taken for the scale of erosion to have taken place that created the Grand Canyon for example. Carbon dating, though in many cases is inaccurate, does have some sort of credibility and it is entirely feasible that the geology of the earth and age of the universe is more than 6000 years. 

So, how do we reconcile these apparent contradictions? The interesting thing is that the bible is actually full of what one could call apparent contradictions. But, when one takes the effort to delve deeper into what is written in the scriptures and with spiritual insight, one discovers that these apparent contradictions are not contradictions at all. It is just often the case that the bible only records very little of the details. If everything was recorded in fine detail we would have thousands of volumes of information. However, some of this supporting information can be found in other documents that are not classified as scripture but are accepted as credible references. Some of these references can be found in a volume called "The Lost Books of the Bible" which include the books of Enoch and many other writings. Though not in the same class as scripture, these references can help fill in a lot of details that are not included in the bible. Furthermore, in these times in which we are living today, many, many people are being taken to heaven and shown things that have never been revealed before. It is true that one should always test new revelation. There is a danger because many cults such as Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Islam and the like have come about through so called new revelations that supersede the bible. The key in testing these revelations is the following: The bible is still our standard of measure and within the pages of the bible, in particular the epistles found in the NT, we have a very clearly spelled out theology of who Jesus is, what his purpose was in coming to the earth. Who the Holy Spirit is and what His purpose is. Who the Father is and what His purpose is. The bible is clear that salvation can only be obtained through accepting the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Any doctrine or revelation that teaches that Jesus did not come in the flesh, that Jesus is not fully God, that Jesus is not the only way to the Father, is a false doctrine and a false revelation. Thus we can be like the Bereans and measure the revelations given against the plumbline of the word of God. Sadly, there are religious people who go overboard on this by superimposing their religious and theological position on top of the scriptures and then call anything that does not fit their view as being a false doctrine. For example, when the Toronto blessing broke out in 1994, there were many strange manifestations and many of the religious watchdogs were saying this was not of God. Even the Vineyard Church denomination rejected it and the Toronto Church got kicked out of the Vineyard movement by John Wimber the founder of the movement. Today we can look back on the Toronto outpouring and can point to some of the most amazing outcomes that have been seen on the planet in terms of the Christian church. One such outcome is Iris Ministries, founded by Heidi and Roland Baker.

Coming back to revelations and people being taken to heaven and shown how things actually occurred. This is now happening daily to thousands around the world and God is bringing correction to erroneous theological views that have developed over the centuries which were already developing in the time of Paul that is why he had to correct Galatians. A lot of bad theology was introduced at the time of Constantine. Even after the reformation Calvin and Luther introduced some erroneous understanding into the church. There is however a lot of what the mainline church teach that is good, but there is a lot which is not and God is giving people revelation of what is wrong and showing what the truth is. One of these areas is about how the universe was created, how the earth was created, how Adam and Eve were created and what the various circumstances were for which the bible does not give us all the details. There are clues and hints, but it is not spelled out clearly, the truth has been hidden for those who really want to know, those who seek will find.

Kat Kerr is one of these people who gets taken to heaven almost on a daily basis. She has been going to heaven for over 15 years, but only in the past two years has God allowed her to start speaking publicly about what He has shown her. If you take the time to listen to Kat Kerr, you will note that she is very emphatic about the fundamental truths taught in scripture. She clearly explains that Jesus is the only way to the Father. That we are saved through faith in Him, which is by grace, a gift of God, not of ourselves. His blood shed for our sins gives us access to heaven. She is not coming with any new doctrines, she is simply expanding on some details not given in the bible - missing bits of information that help us understand the scriptures even more clearly. For example, what happened at the time of creation. God has shown her exactly what happened and how the earth got to be the way it is today. One can search youtube for her videos and hear what God has told her. It is absolutely fascinating and answers so many questions that I have personally wrestled with for the past 31 years since I got saved at the age of 20.

In a nutshell, the so called "Gap Theory" of creation which postulated that there was a time gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2 is actually very close to what happened. The earth is millions of years old, but Adam was only created 6000 years ago. There was a pre-adamic race. There was also an Ice Age that God brought about on the earth after satan fell which resulted in a lot of the geological features we see today. The continents were originally joined as the Pangea theory suggests. There were angelic beings that had flesh on them who had supernatural abilities and superior knowledge and were sent to the earth to teach mankind. These angels are the ones that fell from their position and had relations with woman and produced the Nephilim or giants that God had to destroy in the flood. To learn more details, the best would be to watch Kat Kerr's videos and read her two books called "Revealing Heaven 1" and Revealing Heaven 2".

Another person who regularly travels to heaven and also is translated across the earth in the spirit in a moment of time is Ian Clayton. He has had many similar revelations to Kat Kerr. One of the most interesting is about the courts of heaven and how these affect what happens on earth. 

Peter Tan is another person who has been to heaven and has written a detailed book about the spirit realm. Dr. Bruce Allen is yet another person to whom this happens and he has written books about it as well.

For those who really want to understand the spirit realm, our future and what is important to be focussing our attention on today, I highly recommend that you seek out the materials produced by these people mentioned above. It is important to understand that what we do whist on this earth effects our eternal position, not only accepting Christ as our saviour, but we are rewarded according to the original mandate that was given to us. There is a plan that has been prepared for each person before they were born. When we die that plan is measured against what we actually achieved in our lives and we are rewarded accordingly. Our adherence and obedience to the plan sets our position in heaven for eternity.  If we do not accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we will be lost for eternity - hell is for real, hell is eternal and those who die in their sins will suffer in hell for eternity. Furthermore, God clearly revealed to Kat Kerr that those who abuse grace believing that "once saved, always saved" and think they can live as they please, are going to be severely shocked when they die. It is possible to have your name blotted from the Lambs book of life as it clearly states in the book of Revelation. Kat has seen people in hell who were once saved and God asked Kat to warn people on the earth that this can happen - you can lose your salvation if you turn your back on God.

Who was Melchizedek?

In a recent radio interview of Kat Kerr, the following question was asked by one of the listeners: Who was Melchizadek?

Kat went onto explain that God has shown her exactly who he is and what his purpose was. Here is a summary of what she said:

God created a special class of angels before Adam and Eve that had flesh on them. They were part spiritual, part physical. Some of these angels left their positions after man had been created. It was these part physical/part spiritual beings that had physical relations with women on the earth and the result was the Nephilim or giants. One of the roles of these watcher angels was to help educate mankind. These angels had to be visible to the people, otherwise they would not have been able to teach mankind. When Adam and Eve fell they lost the ability to see into the spirit realm.

The flood was sent to destroy these hybrid beings because the became extremely evil.

The angels that caused this problem are bound in hell awaiting judgement. They are not free to roam about. The redeemed will judge these angels because that sin was against mankind.

One of the other purpose of this special tribe of angels that had flesh was to serve Melchizadek. Melchizadek is not Jesus, he is God, the Father's personal high priest. Melchizadek ministered in heaven to the Father, before the earth was created. After man was created, Melchizadek was sent here to represent God and he collected tithes, not just from Abraham, but from many people. There was a temple on the earth where Melchizadek ministered. There were no human hands that served in this temple, but these special tribe of angels assisted Melchizadek in this temple.

Later in this interview, Kat explains what happened when Jesus died on the cross. Jesus first went to paradise also known as Abraham's bosom. This was contained in the centre of the earth. All of the OT believers where kept here until Jesus died and shed His blood for their sins before they could enter heaven.  Jesus preached to all the OT saints and then Jesus went across the chasm into hell and fought with satan for three days and stripped him of his power and authority over the earth. Once Jesus had defeated satan and taken the keys of death and the grave, He was able to ascend into heaven and present His blood before the father. (My comment - this is possibly where Melchizadek officiated over the ceremony where the blood of Jesus was presented before the Father paying for the sins of mankind.) Once Jesus had presented His blood, He came back down to earth and went into Abraham's bosom and fetched all the OT testament saints. The bible says He led captivity captive. He led this OT saints up to heaven because He had destroyed death and the grave.

Melchizadek is still in heaven today, he is not Jesus.

Listen to the full interview (fast forward about 60minutes to where Kat begins speaking)

Revealing Heaven an Eyewitness Account w Kat Kerr (Part 2) Download this episode

How did the OT priest get through the veil

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_the_High_Priest_enter_the_Holy_of_Holies

The veil of the temple was 3 inches thick and if you study out the veil and the history of the temple, you will find that it was the spirit of God that did the transferring. Just as when you or anybody really prays beyond the flesh and enters into that secret place with God so it is with the holy of holies. If you were not holy or consecrated unto God you could not get through the veil. Not once is a high priest killed in the Holy of Holies if you study it out you will find that.

The priest would wait at the veil and God would transfer them from one side to the other by means of his spirit "only" if they were holy and he accepted them because of it. If he did not except the sacrifice the priest couldn't even get through the veil. Its a wonderful experience because the priest had to have blood in one hand on a laver and a incense in the other to sprinkle the blood on the ark and to offer the incense as a sweet prayer from the people. Neither could touch the ground and there is no opening in the veil contrary to belief so the spirit of the Lord did it.

Insight about The Anointing

(An extract from Peter Tan's book "The Anointing of the Holy Spirit downloadable from: http://petertan.net/newsite/books.html)

If the church of Jesus Christ today would seek to do His work by His anointing, we could turn this world upside down and right side up for Jesus. In fact Jesus made it imperative for His Church to receive His anointing before they went out to minister (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-9). When His church was persecuted, they prayed for a greater anointing of boldness and received it! (Acts 4:29-31). The anointing imparted was so great that even the house shook.

The world cannot be evangelized without the power and anointing of God. Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you shall receive power to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8). Paul said that the Gentiles were obedient to the gospel through the mighty signs and wonders God did through him by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:19). It was after Paul’s and Barnabas’ testimonies of God’s power working among the Gentiles confirming the gospel that settled the issue of the Gentiles in the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:12,13).

Paul’s speech and preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power (1 Corinthians 2:4). For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power (1 Corinthians 4:20). The controversy over Paul’s apostleship was to be settled not by words but by the demonstration and power of God on his life (1 Corinthians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 12:11,12).

The Anointing produces power and conviction

Jesus Himself told the Jews that if He did not do the works He did among them, they were not obligated to believe in Him (John 10:37). However, having seen the works He did, He told them that at least they should believe in Him because of the works (John 10:38).

To His own disciples, Jesus said that if they had difficulty believing in His union with the Father, they still should do it for the sake of the works themselves (John 14:11). How important the works of Jesus were in His ministry! And to think that all His works resulted from His being anointed by the Father! (Acts 10:38). Surely, the anointing is an important factor to consider!

The anointing of the Holy Spirit always produces power. The word ‘power’ which is associated with the anointing comes from the Greek word ‘dunamis’ which means ‘ability’. God’s ability is imparted through the anointing. Therefore we conclude by defining the anointing as the enablement or impartation of God’s ability upon an available and yielded vessel to fulfil and carry out His will and His work. This enablement and impartation will help those who have received it to do supernatural work even though they remain natural beings.

The anointing in itself is of a heavenly materiality. It is a spiritual substance which inherently contains God’s power. Like electricity it can be stored. The anointing in Paul’s hands was transmitted and stored in handkerchiefs and aprons (Acts 19:11, 12). Elisha’s anointing was still stored in his dead bones. There was enough stored power to raise a man from the dead (2 Kings 13:21). It can be transferred and imparted through the laying on of hands or cloth (Deuteronomy 34:9; 2 Timothy 1:6; 2 Kings 2:13, 14). This subject of transferring and transmitting the anointing will be covered further in this book.

Like Paul we can say that we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the power may be of God and not of ourselves (2 Corinthians 4:7).

Insight about baptisms part 2

THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

The doctrine of the baptism in the Holy Spirit has often been confused with the doctrine of the baptism into the body. As a result, some teach that when a person has received the born again experience, he has automatically received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Contrary to what is taught, the Bible shows forth very clearly that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is not an automatic experience. Sometimes people received it at the same time as the born again experience but many times they do not because of a lack of teaching.

Five Incidents of Spirit Baptism

The disciples of Jesus Christ had received the born again experience and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit before the day of Pentecost. Jesus breathed into them and opened their understanding to the Word of God (Jn .20:22; Lk. 24:49). It was only forty days later that they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the speaking of tongues (Acts 1:5-8; 2:4).

The Samaritans received Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and were even baptized in water by Philip (Acts 8:12). It was some time later that Peter and John came from Jerusalem and got them baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17).

Paul was born again on the road to Damascus. He had to be born again because Jesus commissioned him to the ministry (Acts 26:16). Jesus will not commission someone who is not born again. Moreover, Paul in his encounter with Jesus called Him ‘Lord.’ (Acts 9:5). Paul in giving his personal testimony traces the beginning of his Christian life and ministry to the heavenly vision he received on the road to Damascus (Acts 26:19). Moreover, Ananias called him ‘Brother Saul.’ (Acts 9:17). It was only three days after his conversion that Paul received the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:9).

Cornelius and his whole household received the baptism in the Holy Spirit and the born again experience at the same time (Acts 10:44-46). The Jews were convinced that the Gentiles had received because of the evidence of tongues (Acts 10:46). This was the only case of people receiving the conversion experience and the baptism in the Holy Spirit simultaneously. It was more an exception rather than the norm. The reason for this was the tremendous spiritual hunger demonstrated by Cornelius (Acts 10:1,2).

The fifth and final incident of people receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit was the Ephesians. Paul baptized them in water first (Acts 19:5). After that Paul laid hands on them to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:6). Whether Paul laid hands on them immediately after the water baptism or they came out and changed their clothes first, there was a time lapse of several minutes.

In the above study, we see that in four out of five incidents, people received the baptism in the Holy Spirit after the born again experience and it was definitely not taken to be one and the same experience. Nor was it an automatic occurrence. Even in the case of Cornelius, the time he had spent in spiritual hunger, prayer and fasting had brought the special move of the Holy Spirit among his household.

We have seen people baptized in the Holy Spirit simultaneously in our meetings but this has been more the exception that the norm. To those who claim that they had the Cornelius experience, my question is why didn’t they speak in tongues like Cornelius?

The Evidence of the Spirit Baptism

In Jerusalem, one hundred and twenty disciples all spoke in tongues when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). Cornelius and his whole household spoke in tongues (Acts 10:46). The Ephesians spoke in tongues (Acts 19:6). Paul was a tongue-talker (1 Cor. 14:18). Even though there was no record of tongues in the case of the Samaritans, there was evidence that could be seen and heard (Acts 8:17, 18). To be consistent with the Bible the evidence that could be seen and heard points back to the same evidence on the day of Pentecost which Peter says could be seen and heard (Acts 2:33). The baptism in the Holy Spirit does result in the speaking of tongues.

Some people say that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is the evidence of the Holy Spirit. We have nothing against the fruit of the Holy Spirit (In fact it will be covered in Volume 11 of this series). But we must be Scriptural in regard to the doctrines we hold. It was certainly not the fruit of the Holy Spirit that the people in Jerusalem saw in the one hundred and twenty disciples, it was tongues! (Acts 2:7, 11). Neither was Simon the magician watching the fruit of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Samaritans, it was a visible evidence that was demonstrated and immediately tangible! (Acts 8:18).

It takes time to see the fruit of a life. Sometimes we even have to live with a person and watch them react to the circumstances of life, to conclude that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is present in their lives. The fruit in our lives are the result of our close walk with the Lord Jesus and a demonstration of the transformation and maturity in our Christian lives. The baptism in the Holy Spirit can and should lead us to a closer walk with the Lord. But if we judge the evidence of the baptism by fruit, then we can only conclude that the Corinthian church were not baptized in the Spirit because of the lack of fruit in their lives, which would not be true (1 Cor. 1:11).

In Cornelius case, it was definitely not the fruit in their lives that convinced the Jews that the Gentiles had received the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Anyway, there was not enough time to observe for fruit for they hardly knew them then. However Peter concluded that they had definitely received the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the same manner as at Pentecost (Acts 11:15-17). It was the tongues that convinced them (Acts 10:46).

Yet some others say that power is the evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Again we point to these people that in the case of the one hundred and twenty disciples, there was no evidence of a single miracle being performed and yet they were definitely baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33). The Samaritans did not demonstrate any miracle and yet Simon the magician saw that they received the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:18). Neither did Cornelius demonstrate any miracle in his life and yet the Jews acknowledged that they had been baptized in the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:47).

The reason why Christians do not show power is because many times they are ignorant of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:1) and not because they were not baptized in the Holy Spirit. A lack of teaching and grounding in the Word is the cause for the lack of fruit and power and not the lack of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Bible standard of the baptism in the Holy Spirit is the baptism in the Holy Spirit with the speaking of tongues.

The Two Types of Tongues

The confusion of many Christians in the realm of tongues is that they do not realize the two types of tongues. One is the speaking of tongues (praying in tongues) unto the Lord which does not need interpretation. After all, God understands every tongue. The other is the speaking in tongues (a ministry gift of the Holy Spirit) which need interpretation.

The speaking in tongues unto the Lord is praying in the spirit. It is our spirit man praying (1 Cor. 14:14, 15). Every born again Christian need to allow the spirit man to pray. And when their spirit man prays, according to the apostle Paul, their understanding will be unfruitful (1 Cor. 14:14). That means that it is the speaking of tongues each time the spirit man prays. All Christians have a spirit man and all their spirit man needs to pray.

On the other hand, there is the speaking of diverse tongues in the church which is a gift that only some will manifest (1 Cor. 12:10, 28, 30). This manifestation of tongues needs to be interpreted because it is not speaking unto the Lord but it is speaking for the Lord unto men. Since men do not understand tongues (unless as in some cases, the tongues is in a known language to the hearer although unknown to the speaker), we need to allow this gift of tongues to function orderly with interpretation in our Christian services.

The Importance of Speaking in Tongues

Many Christians, after they have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, do not continue exercising prayer in tongues because they are not taught the benefits. Remember that Paul said the praying in tongues is praying in the spirit (1 Cor. 14:14). When we pray in tongues, we are spending time in the spirit realm and therefore are growing more sensitive to the spiritual world.

In the early days of my ministry, I did not realize the benefits of speaking in tongues until I had a spiritual experience in the spiritual realm in regard to tongues. I was praying in tongues one day while seated on a balcony in a flat. I prayed for about one hour when suddenly I felt difficulty praying in tongues. Every word I spoke felt artificial and it was only with great effort that I managed to pray. However I persisted in praying in tongues and after some time it was easy again to pray.

I did not understand that experience but that night the Lord showed me in a dream, the exact picture of me praying in tongues on the balcony. I saw myself praying in tongues with ease. Then suddenly a black hairy demon came and went round and round me saying, ‘Yakity, Yakity, Yak, Yak.’ Of course I did not realize that the demon was there in the day time as I did not see it. But there it was, the same incident replayed for me like a movie with the spiritual dimension added.

It was no wonder then, why I experience difficulty praying in tongues with that hairy demon running round and round me. As I observed, I saw myself continue praying in tongues although it was a struggle. Suddenly, out of my lips came a white light that looked like a laser beam and it knocked the demon out. The demon screamed and slowly crawled away from me in fear. Immediately, I got up and heard the Lord speak to me about the importance of speaking in tongues and the impact it has on the spiritual world.

In another vision, I saw the world covered by a dense thick cloud of darkness. From the earth I could see powerful beams of light breaking through the darkness and reaching to the Throne of God in heaven. In the vision I saw that the beams of light were the prayers of Christians, many of them praying in tongues.

From these two experiences, I began to seriously pray long hours in tongues. I noticed that when we pray long hours in tongues, there is a moment when our mind suddenly becomes still. When we reached that point, the awareness of the presence of God in our lives is heightened. At first it may take us six to eight hours of prayer to reach that stage but as we become familiar to the experience of God’s presence, we will take a shorter and shorter time to reach it. With experience, we reach the quietness of mind within five minutes. It was also in this quietness of mind that the inner voice of God seems loud and clear.

In one of my spiritual experimentations, I prayed in tongues non-stop for forty-eight hours. I was in a different realm by that stage. I literally saw into the spiritual world as if they were natural objects. The full benefit of praying in tongues has yet to be tapped by the church of Jesus Christ.

It is important to spend at least an hour of prayer in tongues every day. One hour seems to be the break-even point of the spirit realm over the soul and body. Jesus asked His disciples if they could wait in prayer an hour (Matt. 26:40, 41). If you have never experience the stillness of mind yet, take time off to spend a whole day in prayer in tongues.

Ten Benefits of Praying In Tongues

The following are ten reasons why we should pray in tongues:

1. When we pray in tongues, it is our spirit man that prays (1 Cor. 14:14). Our spirit man is activated and dominates our whole being as we pray in tongues.

2. Our spirit man is built up and energized when we pray in tongues (1 Cor. 14:4).

3. When we pray in tongues, we are speaking unto God and magnifying Him (Acts 10:46;1 Cor. 14:2).

4. Praying in tongues, which is praying in the spirit, is a part of our spiritual weapon against Satan (Eph. 6:10-18).

5. When we pray in tongues, we are built up on our most holy faith (Jude 20).

6. Prayer in tongues helps us in our prayer life (Rom. 8:26).

7. Prayer in tongues is prayer in the perfect Will of God (Rom. 8:27).

8. Prayer in tongues helps us against infirmities (Rom. 8:26). The word ‘infirmity’ is the same word that is used when Jesus is said to have borne our infirmities and sicknesses (Matt. 8:17). Praying in tongues creates a spiritual force in and around us that makes us immune to sicknesses.

9. When we pray in tongues, we enter our spiritual rest (Heb. 4:8-10;1 Cor. 14:21;Isa. 28:11,12).

10. Praying and singing in tongues helps us to worship God at a higher level than our understanding permits (1 Cor. 14:15; Jn. 4:23, 24). 

DIFFERENT MEASURES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The most remarkable quality of the Holy Spirit is the quality of being measured. The Holy Spirit was given in measures in the Old Testament. Elisha had a double portion of Elijah’s anointing (2 Kings 2:9). Moses had the measure of the Holy Spirit upon him taken and divided to the seventy elders (Num. 11:17). Some say that we cannot divide the person of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is at the moment dwelling in the spirits of born again Christians. We do not understand how He could be in our hearts and yet in another Christian’s heart. But we do know that He can be omnipresent.

The Salvation Measure

When a Christian is born again he receives a measure of the Holy Spirit that we shall call the ‘born again measure.’ Some Christians say that at that time a Christian only has the Holy Spirit with them but not in them (Jn. 14:17). However, Jesus was referring only to the disciples who were not born again yet. They only had the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament sense.

When they were born again, the Holy Spirit could now dwell in their new spirits. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God (1 Jn. 4:15). And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given to us (1 Jn. 3:24). The Holy Spirit definitely dwells in us when we are born again (Rom. 8:9-10).

Paul prayed for the Ephesians to receive the Spirit of wisdom and revelation even though the Ephesians were born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:17, 18). We can receive progressive measures of the Holy Spirit. As we grow measure by measure, we will reach the full measure and stature of Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:13).

The Baptismal Measure

Jesus said that whoever drinks of then water that He gives will never thirst but shall become in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life (Jn. 4:14). I believe that this refers to the salvation measure of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus also said that if anyone is thirsty, let him drink and out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (Jn. 7:37, 38). Rivers convey the meaning of a greater measure of water than a well. Here Jesus is referring to the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a clothing and an immersion in the Holy Spirit (Lk. 24:49). Not only is the Holy Spirit in us but He is upon us (Acts 1:8).

When a person is baptized in water, he gets wet. There is evidence of his being baptized in water. When a person is baptized in the Holy Spirit, there will be an evidence of his being baptized in the Holy Spirit. To be baptized in the Holy Spirit is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Since the tongue is the control centre of our beings, it would be natural for the Holy Spirit to first take control of our tongue when He controls us (Jam. 3:2-7).

If James were to write his epistle today, instead of comparing the tongue to a ship’s rudder or a horse’s bridle, he would have compared the tongue to the steering wheel of a car (Jam. 3:3, 4). If we want to take control of a car, it would be most natural to take control of the steering wheel. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit controls and fills our lives, one of the first things He does is to take control of our tongues.

The Holy Spirit Baptism of Jesus

There is a difference between Jesus’ baptism in the Holy Spirit and ours. When the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus, He came in the form of a dove and Jesus did not speak in tongues (Lk. 3:22). When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, He came in the form of fire and they spoke in other tongues (Acts 2:3,4). John the Baptist testified that Jesus shall baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire (Lk. 3:16).

There are two differences between Jesus and us: Jesus had no sin nature and no unrenewed mind. All of us have a sin nature and an unrenewed mind prior to conversion. Therefore when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit’s fire purifies us and continues to burn in our lives to preserving us from the weaknesses of inherent in our sin nature. We were also given an ability to pray bypassing the limitations of our mind, which is still in the process of renewal. When we pray in tongues, our understanding does not comprehend (1 Cor. 14:14,15).

God has equipped us with spiritual weapons to overcome our sin nature and our unrenewed mind in order that we can be like Jesus was when He was manifested on this earth.

Increasing Measures of the Holy Spirit

Charles G. Finney in his book ‘Revival Fires’ speaks of continual baptisms in the Holy Spirit. I believe that we received the baptism in the Holy Spirit once and after that we can continue to receive greater and greater measures of the Holy Spirit. The disciples in the book of Acts, upon being persecuted, turned to God in praying and asked for boldness to speak the Word (Acts 4:29). God answered their prayer by filling them with a greater measure of the Holy Spirit even though they were already baptized in the Holy Spirit.

The disciples were filled afresh and spoke the Word of God with boldness (Acts 4:30). Note how the Bible records that they witnessed with great power (Acts 4:33). A greater measure of the Holy Spirit produced an increased measure of power.

The Ephesians who were already born again and baptized in the Holy Spirit were prayed for by Paul that they might receive the Holy Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Eph. 1:17). Paul prayed that God would give them the Holy Spirit even though they already had received the Holy Spirit. Paul was praying for an increased measure of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

The Holy Spirit in Heaven

The Apostle John saw a vision of Jesus Christ and the seven Spirits before the throne (Rev. 1:4; 4:5; 5:6). The very manifestation of the Holy Spirit in heaven speaks to us of the fact that the Holy Spirit has the peculiar quality of being measured. It is beyond doubt that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. But being a person does not limit Him from the ability to be measured as shown in His work through human vessels all through the Bible.

The number seven represents the full measure of the Holy Spirit which Jesus had. It is the Will of God that the church of Jesus Christ receives the full measure of the Holy Spirit. The church is destined to reach the full measure of the stature of Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:13).

Understanding the person and quality of the Holy Spirit would help us to humble ourselves at the feet of God constantly so that we learn to ask for and receive measure upon measure of the Holy Spirit. Don’t stop where you are. Press on deeper into the fullness of God. Press on deeper into the greater measures of the Holy Spirit. 

Insight about Baptisms part 1

These notes are taken from Peter Tan's foundational series book 2 which can be downloaded from:

http://petertan.net/newsite/books-foundationaltruths.html

THE SEVEN BAPTISMS IN THE BIBLE

There are seven baptisms in the Bible of which only four apply to the believers in the New Testament. Out of the four, three apply generally to all believers and one specifically to those called to the ministry.

The seven baptisms as recorded in the Bible are as follows: 

1. John’s baptism in water in the Name of God (Matt. 3; Lk. 3; Acts 1:5; Jn. 1:31, 34). 

2. Baptism in water by Christ’s disciples in the Name of the Father (Jn. 3:22, 23; 4:1-2; 5:43; 10:25). 

3. Moses’ baptism in the cloud and in the sea (1Cor. 10:2). 

4. The baptism of suffering (Lk. 12:50; Matt. 20:22, 23). 

5. Baptism into Christ and into His body, the church (Rom. 6:4; 12:4, 5; 1 Cor. 10:17; 12:13; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:12). 

6. Christian water baptism (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38). 

7. The baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5, 8; 2:4).

The Baptism of Suffering

Jesus, in speaking to the disciples James and John, asked them whether they could be baptized with the same baptism He was baptized with and to drink the same cup from which He drank? (Matt. 20:22, 23). Jesus was definitely referring here to the baptism of suffering. To the answer that they were able, Jesus even agreed with them that they shall indeed be baptized with the baptism of suffering.

The call to the Christian ministry is also a call to suffer for Him. Of course, some people suffer for their own sins and mistakes and call it persecution but true bona fide Christian suffering is suffering for being like Christ. Peter speaks of Christian suffering as being persecuted for righteousness and not for unrighteousness (1 Pet. 4:15, 16). The apostle Paul made an astounding statement when he said, in reference to his ministry, that his sufferings in the ministry were to fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of the body, which is His church (Col. 1:23-25). How could anything be lacking of the sufferings of Christ? Surely, Christ’s suffering is complete and no one can claim that it was incomplete.

What Paul is referring to is not in regard to the atonement work of Christ which is complete and totally finished by His one act at Calvary. But rather, Paul is referring to the sacrifices and sufferings in seeking to be a perfect servant and representation of Christ to the church and to the world.

Jesus Christ lived and died in the flesh about two thousand years ago in the nation of Israel. He was the manifestation of the love of God to the people he met and ministered to. Today Christ is raised and seated at the right hand of God. Jesus needs human vessels today to be channels and manifestations of the love of God to the present people of the world who cannot see Him. When He calls and chooses a person for His ministry, He expects the vessel to be an instrument and visible manifestation of Him to the world.

In doing so, the chosen vessel will have to be prepared to go through the same hardship and rejection that He went through. The vessel would have to be baptized with the same baptism He was baptized with and drink the same cup of suffering which He drank. John and James were later persecuted and suffered for their ministry in Christ.

It would be wonderful if people respond to the love of Jesus and to demonstrations of spirituality positively. But Jesus has proven the fact that the people in the world many times walk in darkness and cannot tolerate the light. As such they would sometimes prefer to mock, ridicule and kill those who identify with Christ.

The Persecutions of Paul

Paul who wrote the major part of the New Testament had many glorious and wonderful results in the ministry - signs, wonders and miracles. Many souls were won to Christ through his ministry and many churches were founded. However, the sufferings and persecutions he received were also directly proportional to the massiveness of his results.

He tells us that he was in labours more abundant; in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, and in deaths often. Five times he received forty stripes minus one. Three times he was beaten with rods. Once he was stoned and three times shipwrecked. A night and a day he has been in the deep. He has been in perils from all kinds of people and in all types of situations. In weariness, in toil, in sleeplessness, in hunger and thirst, in fasting, in cold and in nakedness, he has remained faithful to the call of God on his life (2 Cor. 11:23-28).

Why did Paul go through all that? What did he gain from it all? He could have had a comfortable life, being highly educated and skilful in making tents. The only reason we can find is the call of God in his life and his understanding that the ministry was a call to suffer for Jesus that others may reap the results of his sacrifice. Yet Paul continue to say in all these things that he will gladly spend and be spent for souls for he loves abundantly (2 Cor. 12:15).

Paul understood that in the ministry, you don’t get something for nothing. Somebody has to suffer the difficulty and pay the price that others may receive it easier. In the ministry, it is none other than the minister who should pay this price. Paul said that he was always carrying about in his own body the dying of the Lord Jesus (the baptism of suffering), that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in his own body (2 Cor. 4:10). His analogy of the baptism of suffering is that death works in him that life may work in others (2 Cor. 4:12).

The Call to Ministers

If only ministers today would understand that God did not call them to a life of ease, comfort and professionalism, there would be more done than what has been done thus far. Imagine if all ministers would live sacrificially as an example of Jesus and pay the price for the sheep they minister to, to be blessed, the world would be shaken by the impact of the church today. The sad story is that there are too many who want the results without paying the price for the results.

The baptism of suffering imparts the grace of God, the anointing of God and the ability of God to rejoice in the sufferings of rejoice. The sacrifices and the burdens of the ministry become no longer a burden but a joy and a privilege. Being in the ministry is like living in a glass house - your life is watched constantly as an example. Living in this manner can be uncomfortable for those new in the ministry but a good dose of the baptism of suffering will impart the grace to live the exemplary life.

We need to be able to say like Paul, ‘I rejoice in my sufferings for you.’ Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the suffering of the cross (Heb. 12:2). Some ministers, while paying the price for the ministry, looked like they have been baptized with vinegar when what they need is a baptism of suffering and of joy. Ministers need to learn the art of dying that others may live (2 Cor. 4:12). The call to the ministry is a call to sacrifice, to inconvenience ourselves, to immolate, to yield, to dedicate, to consecrate, to donate and to give of ourselves to the body of Christ that others may receive the blessings of our sacrifice.

Our ministry is like John the Baptist; preparing the way, smoothing out the rough ways, levelling the hills and mountains that others may find it easier to come to Christ. We pour our blood, sweat and tears, picking up the stones and rocks along the way that others will not be blocked or hindered in any way from coming to Him. The drinking of the cup of suffering would also be applicable to anyone who in some way, whether fulltime or not, be involved in Christian ministry. All of Christian ministry must be viewed as a choice to give of our best to the Master - our spirits, souls and bodies. The eternal rewards are immeasurable when we all reached the shores of eternity and receive from Him crowns for all our sacrifices and service to others.

BAPTISM INTO THE BODY OF CHRIST

Baptism into the body of Christ is known as being ‘born again’. When we are born again, God places us into the body of Christ. We become a part of God’s family with God as our Eternal Father. This baptism takes place spiritually when we ask Jesus to come into our lives as our Lord and Saviour. Note the difference in the following three baptisms:

In body baptism, the Holy Spirit (the baptizer) takes us (the subjects) and places us into the body of Christ (the medium) (1 Cor. 12:13). In water baptism, the minister (the baptizer) takes us (the subject) and places us into water (the medium).

In the baptism in the Holy Spirit, Jesus (the baptizer) takes us (the subject) and places us into the Holy Spirit (the medium). The term ‘body baptism’ is not too familiar with the average Christian because today the terms ‘born again’ and ‘converted’ are more commonly used. However, the terms ‘baptized into the body’ are common terms used by the people in the New Testament. The apostle Paul used this term very often in his writings in the epistles (Rom. 6:3-6). In this study, please note that the terms ‘baptized in the body’ are synonymous with the terms ‘born again’ and ‘converted.’ The Experience of Being ‘Born Again’ The experience of being ‘born again’ is a spiritual experience and not a mental experience. For some people the emotional feelings that accompany the experience may not be visible. A spiritual experience may be tangible or intangible to the senses of the body depending on the side effects of the work of the Holy Spirit on different individuals. Some cry when they are born again. Others remain quiet in worship. Some bubble with hilarious joy. All these emotional experiences vary as much as our finger prints. However there are some common denominators in all experiences which all must have as evidence of the born again experience. 1. There is an experience of being loved by God. The gospel is the love of God extended to mankind through Jesus. To receive the gospel is to receive the love of God and experience His unconditional love (Jn. 3:16). The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom.5:5).

There is an experience of being forgiven of all our sins (Eph. 1:7). The conscience which has convicted us of sins in our lives is cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 9:14). A cleansed conscience experiences peace with God (Rom. 5:1). 3. There is an experience of the assurance of eternal life (Rom. 6:23). The fear of death and the next life is completely eradicated (Heb. 2:14). 4. There is an impartation of a measure of the faith of God into our lives (Rom. 12:3). This measure of faith needs to be nurtured and increased through meditation on the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). 5. There is a new nature imparted. The seed (nature) of God has been implanted within us when Jesus came into our lives as Lord and Saviour (1 Jn. 4:9). We are now a new creation (Greek - new species) (2 Cor. 5:17). 6. There is the experience of a new purpose and meaning to life (Eph. 1:9, 10; 2:10). Life does not consist in merely working, eating, sleeping and pleasure anymore (Rom. 14:17). There is an eternal purpose to all of creation. 7. There is an experience of the anointing within (1 Jn.2:27). The Holy Spirit now lives within you (1 Jn. 3:24). The Holy Spirit in you bears witness with your spirit that you are now a child of God (Rom. 8:16).

Continuing the Spiritual Growth

After reading the above list, some Christians would probably wonder whether they have really been born again. Don’t worry. You have, if you have made a decision to accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour. What you lack is teaching to help you understand what has happened in that ‘born again’ experience. We need to continue in our spiritual growth after this experience. In order to grow spiritually, we need to understand the areas of ourselves that pertain to the spiritual world. Our physical bodies consist of our organs, tissues and cells which altogether help us experience the physical world around us through the five senses of smell, taste, touch, sight and hearing.

Our souls consist of our mind, emotions and will. All these three areas of the soul need to be subjugated to the spirit man. Our spirit consists of our conscience, intuition and communion. These are the three areas that need to

be highly developed in order to function in the spirit realm and in order to take control and train our souls in spiritual things.

Paul speaks of the importance of the conscience in his spiritual life and ministry. His conscience was highly trained to bear witness with the Holy Spirit (Rom. 9:1).He served God with a pure conscience (2 Tim. 1:3). A good conscience prevents spiritual shipwreck (1 Tim.1:19).

The intuition is the inner sense of knowing that is beyond and above the mind. As Christians, we can know some things without understanding them. We can ‘sense’ the rightness or wrongness of some things before our minds picked up the understanding of why it is wrong. Our spirit can ‘perceive.’ Paul could sensed that the journey was in danger of being aborted but the centurion was not persuaded (Acts 27:10). The centurion and the helmsman went by the natural sense knowledge and to their minds it was the best time to travel (Acts 27:11, 12). The intuition can be trained (Heb. 5:14). Communion is the ability to be conscious of the presence of God and to worship Him. The consciousness of the presence of God needs to grow and develop in our lives through worship, prayer and meditation. Some Christians are so fearful and demon conscious that communion is not developed properly in their lives. Others are so involved in the affairs of this life that communion is weak in their lives. In the midst of the arguments and gnashing of the Pharisees, Stephen had developed such a strong communion that he was only conscious of God and of Jesus Christ (Acts 7:54, 55). Communion is developed through fellowship with the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 13:14). The baptism into the body is only the beginning of a new walk and a new life (Rom. 6:4). We should understand all that it involves and press on into deeper spiritual growth.

BAPTISM IN WATER

Baptism in water is purely a symbol and it does not save us. However, as we will see, obedience in this ordinance brings many blessings. In the early days of Christianity, altar calls were not made by the raising of hands or the calling forward to the front. These are methods which have been adopted by the modern church to help a person act out his decision. They are good and should be encouraged. In New Testament days, the indication that people have made a decision to follow Christ is through water baptism. It was the method by which people could act out their faith that they have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Because of the adoption of methods today, like raising of hands and coming to the altar area, as an indication of accepting Christ, modern Christians tend to think that they have demonstrated their decision already and consequently, do not continue in water baptism thus missing the blessings involved.

Water Baptism as an Ordinance

Some misguided Christians think that water baptism is necessary for salvation. If that is so, the thief on the cross would not have entered paradise for he had no opportunity to be baptized in water (Lk. 23:43). Nor would the Scriptures be consistent, for Cornelius and his household received the baptism in the Holy Spirit (a reception possible only after salvation) before they were baptized in water (Acts 10:44-47). Such Christians quote Mark sixteen saying that Jesus said that only those who believed and were baptized shall be saved (Mk. 16:16). They forget to quote the other half which says that those who do not believe shall be damned. Damnation or judgment to eternal death only takes place when we do not believe and not when we are not baptized. Jesus did not say that those who are not baptized shall be damned but He only said that those who do not believe shall be damned.

If a person is not born again and gets baptized in water, he will still be a sinner - just a wet sinner. 

Peter writes in his epistle saying that water baptism does not remove the filth of the flesh but is the answer of a good conscience toward God (1 Pet. 3:20, 21). We are not saved by outward ordinances but rather by our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Mode of Baptism

The word ‘baptize’ literally means ‘immerse’ in the Greek New Testament. There are four main reasons why the New Testament points to immersion as its mode of baptism. The first as we have seen is the meaning of the root word for ‘baptize’ - ‘baptizo.’ ‘Baptizo’ literally means to dip, to sink, plunge, immerse, submerge and cover wholly with the element used in baptism.

The second reason is that when water baptism was performed in the New Testament, there was always the necessity for much water. John the Baptist chose a place with much water for baptizing (Jn. 3:23). If water baptism had been by any other mode but immersion there would not have been the necessity for much water.

Thirdly, the phraseology in describing water baptism points to immersion. Jesus after His water baptism came up out of the water (Mk. 1:10). The Greek New Testament actually uses the two phrases ‘up’ and ‘out of’ together indicating that Jesus had been immersed. The Ethiopian eunuch had to go ‘down into’ the water and ‘up out of’ the water (Acts 8:38, 39).

Finally, water baptism is to show forth our death, burial and resurrection in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:4, 5). What better way is there than immersion to show forth all three aspects of the work of Christ in our lives? When a person dies, we don’t just sprinkle them with sand. We bury them.

The Formula for Water Baptism

In the New Testament, we see that Jesus gave the command for water baptism as ‘baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’ (Matt. 28:19). In the book of Acts, we see the disciples baptizing in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5). Some Christians insist that only baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus is the correct formula claiming that the Name of Jesus Christ is the only Name for all the Trinity.

If you ever encounter this group, understand that the basis for their insistence is not just because of their desire to be biblical but rather this same group who teach thus do not believe in the Trinity at all. (We will teach on the Trinity under Volume 13 of this series).

Actually both formulas should be acceptable because both have its basis on the Scriptures. However to tie both portions of Scriptures together, I personally baptize using the formula ‘in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ into the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.’

The Importance of an Ordinance

The Lord’s Supper and baptism in water are known as Christian ordinances. Some Christians think that they are not important just because they are symbols. That would be falling on the other extreme. Apparently, keeping the Lord’s Supper unworthily can bring death (1 Cor. 11:27-30).

In the Old Testament, God told the Israelites that if they obey His voice, His commandments and His statutes they will never be sick (Ex. 15:26). Obeying His voice means obeying the leadings of His Spirit. Obeying His commandments means keeping to all His moral and absolute commands in His Word. Obeying His statutes means obeying all the religious symbolism that God had ordained. For the Israelites keeping the symbol of the Passover was one of the statutes (Ex. 13:10). There is a blessing in keeping God’s statutes.

For New Testament saints, the statutes of God involved keeping the Lord’s Supper and water baptism. Water baptism does not determine salvation but it sure does determine the blessings. You may be a good Christian obeying His moral laws and doing your best to obey His Spirit. But if you have not been baptized in water, you are not obeying His statutes. Let us be complete in our obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ.