A New Creature. . . an Apostolic Pentecostal blog

Lots of people profess to believe in Heaven.  Not so many seem to believe in hell.  If we believe in a loving God that watches over us, the flip side of that is one who wishes to derail our train and make trouble for us. I can tell of many many happenings in my life where the hand of God was upon me, and other times where another force was at work. . .  I struggled to quit smoking for a year and a half.  I finally broke my addiction at a ladies prayer meeting in the in the jail two weeks before Christmas 2001.  Two inmates prayed for me after I told them of the struggle I was having, and my addiction was gone!  No more withdrawal symptoms, no more anxiety, grouchiness. . .ALL GONE through the power of prayer. I had been clean for several months, when I went to the University Park Mall, in Mishawaka, Indiana.  I believe it was early March.  There was snow and slush on the ground.  UP Mall has many many acres of parking.  As is my usual ha...

This morning before it left for work, I saw a post on my Facebook news feed, the article was about how the most egregious mis-translation in the Bible was where Eve met the ‘serpent’, that the word serpent should rather have been translated as a fallen angel. I had never heard such a claim.  I looked at the Hebrew word found in Genesis chapter 3.  In the KJV it is Strong’s H5175.  Here is the definition from Strong’s Hebrew dictionary: H5175 נָחָשׁ nâchâsh naw-khawsh' From H5172; a snake (from its hiss): - serpent. Total KJV occurrences: 31 Here are all the verses where the Hebrew word H5175 occurs: serpent (H5175) Genesis 3:1  Now the serpent (H5175) was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? Genesis 3:2  And the woman said unto the serpent (H5175), We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: Genesis 3:4  And the serpent (H5...

I'm beginning a study of the book of Matthew for a Wednesday morning bible study at our church. The first verses of Matthew are not the most exciting verses of the whole Bible. . . Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus: Matthew 1:1 The book (biblos) of the genealogy (genesis) of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: The first two words in Greek are: biblos genesis. . . The book of beginnings. . . Mirroring the first book of the Pentateuch. The book of beginnings. The Jews of the day would immediately recognize the parallel significance. . . The beginning of the world created by God in Genesis 1. . . The beginning of the world saved by God in Genesis 2. Matthew's genealogy begins with Abraham who lived about 2000 years before Jesus. . . This has always seemed dry and boring to me. There are a few people of interest, but most are faceless names lost in trackless time. Until it came to me. . . I too have a genealogy. . . a nameless, faceless unbroken li...

  How do I measure my Christian progress?  At times I become discouraged at my slow pace.  I keep making the same mistakes, or I go back to making mistakes I thought I was beyond. We've lived in our home for 8 years.  There is a tree in our front yard.  Looking at that tree this morning, I cannot tell any difference in how it looked 8 years ago, but if I look at photographs from back then, and now I can clearly see growth. Psalms 1:1-3 KJV Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper We are to be like trees and not like weeds which spring up quickly, and whither and soon die.  Our growth is to be...

  I’m involved in a study on unity in the Bible.  Yesterday I posted 22 Bible verses which spoke about unity.  This morning as I’m meditating on this, about how I do not believe that it is God’s will that the body of Christ, the Church, be so fragmented as it is. From Google: There are estimated to be more than 45,000 Christian denominations globally as of the early 2020s, a number that has grown significantly from around 500 in 1800. These groups range from large, established traditions like Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy to thousands of smaller, independent, or Protestant denominations. The forecast is that if this trend continues, that there will be 60,000 Christian denominations by 2050. What a horror this is.  Just a few verses regarding this: 2 Corinthians 13:11 KJV  Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind , live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. Acts 4:32 KJV  And the multitude of...

  I'm continuing to do my study in Ezekiel on idols, and idolatry.  When I ran across this passage: Ezekiel 18:20-32 NLT  The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.   21  But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die.  22  All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done.   23  “Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.  24  However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like ot...