A New Creature. . . an Apostolic Pentecostal blog

2 Samuel 7:8 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: David was faithful in the little things. . . In the lonely wilderness of the rock cobbled hillsides of Judea, David tended the sheep even at the risk of his own life. As a boy, he battled a lion and a bear for the protection of his father’s sheep. Apparently in two separate attacks, he delivered a lamb from the mouth of a lion and again from a bear. God saw the essence of David’s heart, from his integrity in the solitary and humble task of keeping his father’s flocks. It is not recorded that any watchers witnessed David’s acts of courage. Alone in the wilderness, David selflessly placed his own life at risk for service to his sheep. Faithfully tending the sheep is oh so important. . .Jesus told Peter: John 21:15-17 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son o...

I had a chance encounter on an elevator at Elkhart General Hospital last Friday, which has been on my mind ever since. Ruby, our church secretary, had called me and said that Pastor was out of town and that someone needed to be visited at the hospital, so I ran over on my lunch hour to see them. I was alone on the elevator. I was carrying my Bible bag, and wearing a jacket with a gold fish lapel pin, with the word ‘Jesus’ in the middle of the fish. At the last moment before the doors closed, a man maybe 10 years older than myself (mid sixties or so) approached and I stopped the elevator doors from closing and he entered. He also was carrying a Bible. I had an uneasy feeling as I stood facing him across the elevator, as if he were sizing me up in some manner. He spoke finally saying, “I see by your Jesus lapel pin that you are a Christian.”. . For some reason that struck me as an odd thing to say. . . for I surely do not think that wearing a lapel pin is what makes me a Christian....

John 13:8 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. They were gathered together for one last intimate evening. . .one last sharing of a meal. The years of teaching and ministry with them had passed so very quickly. . .Jesus knew He must shock his close companions a bit, in order for them to understand, and to accept what was about to happen to Him. . . Jesus disrobed. . .He humbled Himself. . .wrapped himself in a towel and began to clean the filth from the bottoms of the feet and toes of His disciples. . .ministering to them in an uncomfortable and in a most intimately embarrassing way. . . touching them and seeing them in their filth and dirt of the world. . . From a slave, this action would be accepted without second thought. . .maybe even without awareness, but impulsive Peter, realizing what was happening, resisted, not accepting the sacrificial ministrations of his Master. Very sharply Jesus rep...

For years I have enjoyed email messages from a pastor. Last week I received another writing of his, which contained the following statement: New covenant doctrine must be founded on  the teaching sections of the New Testament  (the teachings of Jesus and the epistles)  and not from the historical sections in the gospels and Acts.  Otherwise, you will go into error. On rereading it, I'm not sure exactly sure what he means. Is he writing off the entire book of Acts or only the historical parts??? How do you tell the difference? In any respect, I have heard other denominational preachers specifically say, that there is nothing on which to build doctrine in the book of Acts. . .In a most blasphemous statement, I heard one radio evangelist say (as closely as I can quote it) that the book of Acts was given to confuse Christians. . . The book of Acts records the birth of the church. You can actually say that the New Testament. . the new covenant. . .the new agreement....

John 14:15-16 If ye love me, keep my commandments. (16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; If you love me, keep my commandments. . . If you love me, keep my commandments. . . If you love me, keep my commandments. . . You cannot just pay lip service to the love of God. Your love for God must be connected with your obedience to Him. This verse is connected with an “AND”. . . I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; The two verses cannot be separated, the ‘AND’ welds them together. Jesus telling His Disciples, that He, their comforter, is going away, but that He is going to ask God to send another Comforter that will never go away, that will live with them for ever. Who is this other Comforter? John 14:17-18 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth ...

John 14:8-11 (8) Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. (9) Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? (10) Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (11) Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake. Jesus again emphasizes it. . . If you’ve seen me, then you’ve seen the Father. God is a Spirit. You cannot see a Spirit unless it manifests itself as something. In 64 verses, in both the Old Testamant and the New, the Bible talks of the angel of the Lord: Genesis 16:7,9,10,11; 22:11,15; Spoke to Hagar in the wilderness, Spoke to Abraham when he raised the knife to sacrifice Isaac, Exodus 3:2; Spoke to Moses...

J ohn 14:5-7 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? (6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (7) If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Jesus said in verse 7, “ If you had known me, ye should have known my father also. . . ” Here is the first portion of the Strong’s definition of the Greek word translated as ‘known’: G1097 γινώσκω ginōskō ghin-oce'-ko A prolonged form of a primary verb; to “know” (absolutely) So the verse might be translated as such: If you had absolutely known me, ye should have absolutely known my Father also. . . Jesus did not come, from the moment of His arrival, with a blare of trumpets announcing that He was God. He came as a normal baby, totally dependant upon Mary and Joseph for his care and upbringing. Medieval pictures portray Him in his crib with a halo a...