HERE I AM!

Here I am Jesus,

reading your word,

Guided by the Holy Spirit

to learn the greatest,

greatest story heard.

Here I am,

waiting for You,

to come,

to take me home,

to live with You,

and the Saints waiting,

for me to come.

Here I am,

praying for others,

to see their need,

and call upon Your name,

and be saved;

Their blessing from You,

they can claim.

Here I am,

are the words You say,

inviting the lost souls,

to come to You today!

~ Winston Staples

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD 78[CON’T]

• The first preaching of the gospel confirmed by: Acts 14:3 ; Hebrews 2:4 [KJV]

• Acts 14:³ Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 

  Hebrews 2:⁴ God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

• GIVEN TO SAINTS:
• On believing
  Acts 15:8 ; 1 John 5:10  Let’s turn in our Bibles to the before mentioned verses.

  Acts 15:8  (KJV)

  ⁸ And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;  1 John 5:¹⁰ He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

• To testify to them of Christ
  John 15: ²⁶ “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. [ When Jesus went to Heaven to be with the Father, He sent the Holy Spirit to us to teach us the truth and to guide our foot steps.]
• As an evidence of adoption
  Romans 8:¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,   
• As an evidence of Christ in them
  1 John 3:¹⁶ Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. verse ²⁴ And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
• As an evidence of God in them
  1 John 4:¹³ Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
• Borne against all unbelievers
  Nehemiah 9: ³⁰ Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. ; Acts 28:²⁵ And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, ²⁶ saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: ²⁷ for the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

[ I TRUST YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS BRIEF STUDY!][ prepared by Winston Staples]

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD[78]

TOPIC: Witness of the Holy Spirit   The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity and was sent to teach the believers things about the Christ and to guide the believer the right way to walk the highway to heaven. The following are things He witnessed about Christ and Himself!

*He is truth—1 John 5:⁶ This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

*To be implicitly received — 1 John 5: ⁶ This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.  ⁹ If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

*Borne to Christ

• As Messiah   Luke 3:²² And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased. 
• Coming to Redeem and Sanctify   1 John 5: ⁶ This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.⁷ For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

  ^{8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.}

  ⁹ If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

  ¹⁰ He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

•  To Proclaim Christ to be Prince and Savior — Acts 5:³¹ Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.³² And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

• As pertaining to Saints — Hebrews 10: ¹⁴ For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.¹⁵ Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
• Foretold by Himself — John 15:²⁶ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
• In Heaven — 1 John 5:⁷ For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
• 1 John 5: ¹¹ And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
• On Earth — 1 John 5:⁸ And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.      [ to be con’t ][ prepared by Winston Staples ]

EXPLORING GOD’S WORD [77]

Today’s Word:  Praying or prayer

Scripture reading: Eph. 6:¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;  [ Saints should be praying for other Saints!]

Quote: Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines. ~Satchel Page

^{Psalms 145: 18} The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. [ We are to talk to Him in spirit and truth!]

Quote: Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays. ~Soren Kierkegaard

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.  [ pray in faith]

Quote: Prayer may not change things for you, but it sure changes you for things. ~Samuel M. Shoemaker

( prepared by Winston Staples )