Study in Prayer

We’ve been studying about praying for your food, sanctifying your food according to God’s Word and not following the doctrine of devils.

Let me give you an example of what I mean by following the doctrine of devils when it comes your diet, what you eat or consume. 

I knew a minister that would focus on teaching people what to eat and what not to eat. He shared the Word concerning salvation and the forgiveness of sins and all that – but, like you have some preachers who focus on prosperity and others on healing, etc… He focused on diet. In other words, what you should eat and what you should not eat.

This minister would use the Old Testament scriptures to back up what he was teaching.

Old Testament Jews were told by God that there were some creatures they could eat and some they could not. Nobody was finding fault with that teaching. But, in the New Testament, we read in 1 Timothy 4:4, “For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.”

In the preceding verse, verse three, Paul tells us what seducing spirits and doctrines of devils would teach, “Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from eating meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”

Folks, if the devil can get people off doctrinally in all these side issues, he can keep the Body of Christ from effectively preaching the Gospel. That is the Great Commission that was given to the church in Mark 16:15, where it says, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature…” Amen!

Notice the Great Commission does NOT say, “Go and preach my rules of diet into all the earth.” 

I’ve  had some members of my own Board of Directors that refused to eat pork. I was ok with that. That’s their decision. They did not try to force their belief in this area on me. We are still friends to this day. Amen!

But, when someone comes up and says, “You can’t eat pork!”  That is where I draw the line. And I do so in love and using scripture. I simply tell them I can so. God said so. He told me I can sanctify my food by praying over it.

Then I share 1 Timothy 4:1-5 with them, which says,  “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”

We are all out of time for today, but I’ll take it up here again tomorrow.

Let’s Pray!

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We’ve been talking about following scriptural instructions that the Apostle Paul has given to the Church – which means he, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has given to us as well.

In addition to praying for those in authority and to rightly divide New Testament scriptures, Paul also told us how to sanctify our food. Paul was talking about prayer. Let’s read the entire context and find out exactly what he was saying concerning sanctifying our food.

We can read this in 1 Timothy 4:1-5:

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, 3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.”

In verse 1, Paul was talking here about people who had been in the Faith, but who had departed from the Faith. He was not talking about sinners or heathen because he said, “Now, the Spirit speaks expressly, that in the later times, some will depart from the Faith, devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and the teaching of demons.”

Those who teach doctrines of devils teach believers that they are not to marry and that must abstain from eating meat and all sorts of weird stuff. Have you ever come into contact with anyone who told you that you cannot eat any meat? I guess we all have at some point in time.

I’m not talking about someone who makes an individual choice not to eat meat. I’m talking about someone who says you will go to hell if you eat meat. That type of person.

Notice here, the Apostle Paul emphasizes his point. He says, “…the Spirit speaks EXPRESSLY…” In other words, Paul is saying that this what the Holy Spirit is saying to us. So Paul is saying he is speaking under the authority of the Holy Spirit. 

A few folks have said, “Oh, that’s just Paul speaking about his own feelings about this stuff.” But, when they say things like that, they are really saying that Paul’s statement is NOT inspired by the Holy Spirit. Which puts them at odds with the entire Bible.

Why? Because the Word says, in 2 Timothy 3:16, that “ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

So, when you look at like that, it is really the devil who promotes and inspires that kind of thinking. And he does it to lead people astray and get them off course from following the Bible.

We will continue this discussion tomorrow. Amen!

Let’s Pray!

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We have been looking at the importance of following instructions given by Jesus in the New Testament. We also looked at the importance of following the instructions given by the Apostles in the first century church. 

Many Christians often have trouble understanding the distinction between Jesus’ teaching and Paul’s teachings. That is why they have difficulty interpreting New Testament scriptures correctly.

Some people, I’m talking preachers here, say that “Jesus contradicted Paul” or they will say, “Paul contradicted Jesus.”  But they don’t know what they are talking about!  The Bible does not contradict itself!  That’s teaching of unbelievers who are trying to subvert the Bible. Amen!

Paul did not contradict Jesus and Jesus did not contradict Paul. It is the simplest thing in the world to understand this issue. Paul himself gave us the key. He said, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.” Amen! That’s in 2 Timothy 2 verse 15.

The reason that some things Paul said seemed a little different than what Jesus said, and what Jesus said seemed a little different from what Paul said in some small areas, is the Jesus was primarily teaching the Jews, as we taught a few days ago. Amen!

He was not talking to the church. There was no church. The church did not exist when Jesus was in His earthly ministry. Some of the things Jesus said to the Jews, under the Old Covenant, does not apply to the Church. There is no use in trying to apply some of His teachings to the church today.

And, what Paul said to the Church, to BORN AGAIN PEOPLE under the New Covenant, were not meant for the Jews living under the Old Covenant. When you “rightly divide the Word,” it all makes sense. Amen!

We’ve already studied how Paul gave us specific instructions for prayer. Go back and listen to those teachings again. We are to pray for those in AUTHORITY FIRST. He also said we are to “lift up holy hands and do not doubt” when we are praying. Amen!

I want to pray  with you right now that you are comprehending the importance of what we are learning here. There is not contradictions in the Bible. There are no contradictions between what Jesus was teaching the Jews under the Old Covenant and what Paul was teaching the Born Again believers under the New Covenant. Amen!

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

We have been looking at the importance of following instructions given by Jesus in the New Testament. We also looked at the importance of following the instructions given by the Apostles in the first century church. 

We left off yesterday with the main reason you see modern day churches disregard the importance of following New Testament instructions. The reason:  The instructions are condemning the way they are living their lives.

They would rather live the way they want; worship the way the want and follow what they want, rather than follow the Bible’s instructions. Specifically, how New Testament believers should be living their lives and Worshipping God.

Do you want a really easy example?

Look at how many churches refuse to preach against homosexuality today.

Want another example?

How about churches that do not condemn sinful lifestyles – no matter what it is?

They would rather use the false belief that “we don’t want to preach people under condemnation. We want to preach good things so that, maybe they will come back. And IF they come back, then they will be exposed to the Love of God and then give their heart to the Lord.”

Hogwash!  All of it!

It is nothing more than trying to fill the seats to collect the offerings. That’s it.

If we fail to follow the New Testament instructions for how churches should be operating, then we are teaching a false doctrine.

If we, as believers, do not believe the things the New Testament instructs us to do, then we are believing the lies of the devil.

It’s easy for a person to say, “Well, I just don’t believe that way” when the Bible says something they don’t want to hear.

OUCH!  Am I stepping all over your spiritual toes?  It’s about time somebody did. Obviously your pastor isn’t doing it.

Jesus did not deal with some things in His earthly ministry that Paul dealt with in his teachings. The reason Jesus did not deal with them is because Jesus was not ministering to the CHURCH. He was TEACHING and ministering to the JEWS.  Go read it for yourself…

The CHURCH was not in existence when Jesus was on the earth. Think about it! The Church did not come into existence until after the Day of Pentecost. Amen!

So, when Paul was in his ministry – the church WAS in existence. And the Holy Spirit was inspiring Paul to write down Holy Spirit inspired instructions to help the church. He was writing these letters TO THE CHURCH. Amen!

How many of you just got a revelation about that today! 

Praise God!

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

Yesterday, we started to look at the importance of following instructions given by Jesus in the New Testament. We also looked at the importance of following the instructions given by the Apostles in the first century church. 

I mean, if there was ever an importance of establishing HOW a church should function and operate, you think Jesus would make sure the pattern was established with the first churches being formed so we could follow that pattern down until His return, right?

To do that, He sent the Holy Spirit to inspire some of the disciples and Apostles to write these instructions for us.  The Apostle Paul is the example we have been studying.

In 1 Timothy 2:8 he said, “…lifting up Holy hands, without wrath and doubting” – but yet, there are some that do not want to follow those instructions. I was one of them for awhile, as I shared yesterday.

We also shared about how some people will say, “Well, those instructions are not for us today.” Even how some will say, “I don’t follow Paul. Don’t teach me about Paul. I follow Jesus alone. I only read His Gospels. The rest is of men.”

Well, why don’t you just rip out those other letters from your Bible. That is basically what you are telling us? You are telling Jesus you don’t care IF He inspired those writers to write down HIS instructions for us – if you don’t hear from HIM directly – it’s of the devil.

Now, there are times when Paul said he was making judgements on what HE understood. It was his opinion on certain matters. He would say something like, “After MY judgement: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God…” That is in 1 Corinthians 7:40. 

He is making it clear that this is HIS opinion. But that he believes he has heard from the Holy Spirit concerning the matter under discussion.

Amen!

So, if Paul was speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, then WE should be under obligation to listen! Amen!  If the Holy Spirit inspired him to write these letters to the churches that profess Faith in Christ – then they also apply to churches today that profess Faith in Christ.

Which means, if your church IS NOT following these instructions….

I’ll just leave it at that… You can read between the lines and hear from the Holy Spirit yourself concerning whether or not you should heed the false teachings of those kinds of churches or listen to teaching inspired by the Holy Spirit as laid out for HOW churches and believers SHOULD be operating. 

Amen! 

The reason some people don’t want to follow that kind of preaching from the Bible is because it condemns what they are doing. 

We will just let that hang there for you to ponder today. We will take it up here again tomorrow. 

Let’s Pray!

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You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2

When it comes to the Bible, it has been said that the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed. In other words, you cannot just pick and choose which you would like to follow. Both make up the entire Word of God. And you cannot or should not add to either, as the Word of God is complete and perfect.

Therefore, if we find instructions on how to have a deeper relationship with God, our Heavenly Father, we need to follow the instructions given. There is no other way.

In Old Testament times, it was through strict obedience and obeying the Law. It required animal sacrifices, etc. But we also understood that, one day, the Messiah would come.

In the New Testament, we see that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. He fulfilled every single prophecy in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah. Therefore, we should be doing what HE says to do in order to have a closer, deeper relationship with the One True God.

And Jesus said it was ONLY through Him. There was no other way. Period.  We understand that. Amen!

But, we also need to follow instructions given in the New Testament. Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, provided instructions to His disciples and Apostles once He ascended to Heaven. Because of the Holy Spirit dwelling in believers, He is able to bring, “all things to our remembrance” just as He said.

I don’t think any Christian would object to following instructions that are given in the New Testament. If a person objects to New Testament instructions, something is not right in their Spiritual walk.

We’ve been studying things such as “…lifting up Holy hands, without wrath and doubting” from 1 Timothy 2:8 are part of the instructions we’ve been given.

If Paul was writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and he was, then we should follow the instructions Paul gave to us. The same goes for the other books of the New Testament.

I’ve heard a story of a man who told a Faith preacher I know that he disagreed with what was being taught. You know the type – 100% denominational teaching and anything to do with Faith other than Salvation alone is “hypocrisy” style preaching…

Well, this man told the preacher, “I don’t that stuff is for us today.” You’ve probably heard similar statements yourself from time to time.  When confronted with “this is what the Apostle Paul preached,” the man retorted, “Don’t’ tell me what Paul said, I don’t follow Paul, I follow Christ alone.”

He said that to seem “holy.” He said that to say “he was a true believer in Jesus.” He said that to try and undermine Faith preaching and Faith preachers.

But if someone believes that way, then you should tear out all of the books of the Bible that Paul wrote. Just rip them right out of your Bible! 

We will take this up here again tomorrow, but the reason you would not do that is because ALL of the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, including those things written by Paul. Amen!

Right now, I want to pray that you will begin to see instructions provided for us throughout the New Testament – and then make a sincere effort to follow and obey those instructions that you find. They are there for a reason – to help you draw near to our Heavenly Father through Christ Jesus. Amen!

Let’s Pray!

Please subscribe to this podcast, leave us a quick 5 star review on Apple Podcasts to help us grow and be sure to visit our website for more information on our ministry: https://podcastersforchrist.com. And while you are at the website, download the free resource I have for you… it is free and is called, “How to Start a Christian Podcast.” It will bless you – go and download it today.

You can also WATCH these session on our Facebook Playlist at this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtKWeKtmv-BwgkquBTsSh-GznbmuUp_R2