A common misconceptions circulating within the modern church is the notion that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is all about speaking in tongues. That's NOT true. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, according to the Bible is a separate enduement of power intended to equip a follower of Jesus for a surrendered life dedicated to the cause of the Great Commission. The Holy Spirit comes upon us to empower us for a lifestyle ministry. If we are not surrendered to the Great Commission, the baptism of the Holy Spirit will have little effect on our lives. The Holy Spirit responds to our hunger. If we will choose to reveal Jesus to the world and take action, the Spirit of God will meet us in that decision to empower us!

Each one's personal intimacy with Jesus is far more powerful than the application of a Christian formula for healing or breakthrough. There is no formula for relationship with God. There is no "six-steps to knowing Jesus". We all will find Jesus uniquely as we seek Him for ourselves wholeheartedly. In addition, in order to walk with Christ, we need to make it a priority to go where He's going. There is a realm of intimacy with God that can only be found though active outreach to the world. It is when we reach out to the world in love that we will experience the closeness of Christ healing through our hands and speaking through our mouth.

The New Testament states explicitly that Jesus came to heal all who were/are sick. We believe that it is always God's will to heal and that He chose to heal once and for all when He sent Jesus. That being said, many use the story of Job as an objection. The book of Job needs to be understood in its proper context and in comparison with New Covenant truths. Still, there's a lot we can learn from Job that most certainly applies to us today. One of the main lessons from Job is that self-righteousness keeps Christians in anguish more than anything else. Those who attempt to be justified by works of the law are estranged from Christ!

Healing makes you responsible. The Holy Spirit wants to teach us how to walk in a lifestyle of divine health (in spirit, soul, and body) through application of God's Word. Although the grace and love of God are the basis of miraculous healing, we are responsible to be good stewards of that healing power by not abusing our minds and bodies through willful neglect of our health. We are to fortify ourselves through an intentional stewardship of our bodies, while relying on the grace of God to sustain us. Prayer and fasting are keys to staying in faith and staying spiritually healthy. Let us not forget that it's very easy to become a slave to the body if food or other comforts become an addiction.

The unity that's to exist between Christians is to be identical to the unity that exists between Jesus and the Father -- one heart, one spirit, one mind, free of conflict and perfect in harmony. The same is to be true in the context of a marriage. A married man and woman are to deny themselves and give up their right to their own opinion, in order to take on the mind and nature of Christ. For if they each adopt the mind of Christ, they will be thinking with the same mind, and therefore, conflict and disagreement will be impossible. This should be our expectation. When did God ever tell us to expect conflict in marriage as normal? The Bible teaches that there is to be no division or discord in Christian communities. In addition, an individual's purpose is to be one whose Christ-like beauty distracts their spouse from the cares of life and unto the person of Jesus. We are called to be a healthy and good distraction to the people in our lives.

We are each responsible to search out the lies we may be believing and seek to destroy them with corresponding truth. This habit of introspection will bind up the loose ends in our thinking and ensure there are no gaps in the joints of our armor. The Bible teaches that we are to perfect what is lacking in our faith -- address every weak spot in our faith. This practice is preparation for trial that is coming upon the earth. Persecution will only grow worse. Will we be able to stand?

Most Christians don't understand the purpose of marriage, nor the power it possesses when built God's way. In order to create a culture in our churches and in our society that resembles the kingdom of heaven, we need to ensure that our marriages are established in truth and selfless love. When biblical marriage is lost, nations crumble. Marriage is not about how a person benefits from their spouse's partnership with them. It's about how their relationship becomes a mirror image of the love of God for the world.

Jesus taught His disciples that their love for one another would be the proof to the world that they were truly His disciples. Spiritual maturity is proven by the maturity of your love. Regardless of the miracles God may work through our hands, if we cannot love the people closest to us with selfless grace, we are not mature. The love of God comes to maturity in us when we love our brethren. And our love must flow out of honor for a person's identity in Christ, not out of an insecure need to gain love from people.

The Fear of the Lord is the key to intimacy with God, the basis of any thriving Christian community, the foundation of honor between people...if heaven's culture will ever be created in our churches, the fear of the Lord, as a principle trait in every heart, must be cultivated. If we don't fear and honor God, we won't honor people.

We are seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father -- the work is finished, redemption is accomplished, and there is nothing more that we need from God. The Christian walk is defined by learning to rest in the finished work of Jesus. As we learn to rest, our faith becomes effective. Any prayer that flows from worry, anxiety, or strain is a works-based relationship, which will produce nothing of value in our lives. We need to learn to see ourselves seated in victory over hell and the grave with Christ at the right hand of the Father...when this truth becomes our resolute conviction, we will walk in powerful faith.