thepastorabraham

[pastorabrahamdavid]

Jesus is the vine, I am one of the branch, but I am not the only branch of the vine, there are many other branches, billions of branches, but I have the consciousness that I am one of the branches. Everyone who is born of God should have this understanding, and live with the consciousness that he or she is the branch of the vine who is Christ.

As the branch, I am the fruit bearing part of the vine. That means, I am the fruit bearing part of Christ. All the vine does is supply the nourishments that I need, and as He supplies the nourishments, I bear fruits effortlessly all the time for Christ, the vine. This is the reason why everyone who is born again and filled with the Holy Spirit ought be fruitful, because we always have the supplies of the Spirit of God in abundance.

Hence, no one who is born of God should struggle to bear fruit for Christ. In the natural, a branch of a tree does not struggle to bear fruits, it just bears fruits as long as nourishment is supplied to it continuously from the vine. The same way, we who receive nourishment from Christ should always bear fruits without struggle. Why should we even struggle when we receive all supplies from Him? If only we would remain in the vine, we would continue to produce fruits effortlessly. But if we refuse to bear fruit, we would be cut off because a branch that does not bear fruit is not useful to the vine.

If you have nothing to give to the world, then, you have no reason to live because the essence of living is giving. No man lives by breathing in only, but by breathing in, and breathing out. If you have nothing to give to Jesus, then, you have no reason to continue to live, and be receiving from Him. Your fruit is what you give Him for supplying you with all His graces, His divine abilities. And there's no single person in Christ who does not have the ability to bear fruit for Him, we only might not be willing to bear fruit. He is our ability, with Him, we can do all things.

Are you His fruit bearing part? Then bear fruit, live the life that shows you truly belong to Him. Let it be seen that you are truly in Christ because your life is able to preach to the lost more than your spoken words can. Righteousness is a fruit, without righteousness, there's no reason to be in Him. Let your life persuade men to come to Christ. Always remember you are His fruit bearing part.

[pastorabrahamdavid]

Do you know how much God treasures the relationship you established with Him? That relationship between you and God is precious to Him that's why He is always willing and ready to do anything to keep that relationship, and keep you in the relationship. Only Him can do something to keep you in relationship with Him, but He always expects you to cooperate with Him by yielding yourself to Him to follow the guidance and instructions He gives to you.

Deuteronomy 7:9:

Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Psalm 5:11:

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Proverbs 8:17:

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

John 14:21:

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

God has nothing to gain when you make the decision to enter into a relationship with Him, but He has everything to give to you for choosing to enter into a relationship with Him. I believe the reason many people enter into relationship with God and go out again is because they do not know how much interest God has in the relationship in the first place.

God treasures you when you establish a relationship with Him because He knows that there are billions of people in the world, whom He created but who don't care about Him. But for you to come into a relationship with Him shows you know that He truly is, and that He is truly God. Those who love Him are always loved specially, and taken care of by Him.

Do you have a relationship with God, treasure that relationship above everything else, never trade that awesome relationship with anything else in this world: money, women or men, position, job, contract, power, and anything that would want to take the place of God in your heart, not even your spouse. If you remain in love with God, you will see His love for you in strange manifestation that would daze you.

If you are in relationship with Him but you are thinking of how you can meet up with the demands of the relationship, don't worry about that because it is God, the one you are in relationship with who is effectual in you, working in you to make you willing, and able to do the things that please Him and bring glory to His name. "[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight." Philippians 2:13 AMPC

All you need to do is to work out your salvation by learning His word, yielding completely to His word, and love the word, as you do these, there would be in you a strong desire to do His word, and as the desire comes, you would be energized, and strengthened from your inside to do everything for His good pleasure.

[pastorabrahamdavid]

Every True Child Of God Needs To Be Filled With The Holy Spirit

Every Child of God needs to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We need to understand that no one becomes full of the Spirit just by receiving salvation. Confessing Jesus as Lord and Saviour is not the same as receiving the Holy Spirit and be filled with Him.

We all need to understand that belonging to God is not the same as having God come and dwell in you. When you confess Jesus as Lord and Saviour, you make an open declaration of your faith in His finished work of redemption, and that means you accept His Lordship over your life. By that, you become a child of God, meaning you belong to Him. But it doesn't end there. It only means that you've taken the first important step, but that's not the only important step, there's another one that's as important as the first, that's receiving the Holy Spirit in full.

By receiving salvation, you are translated from one kingdom to another kingdom: from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light: from the kingdom of the devil to the kingdom of God's loved Son, Jesus. So, you automatically belong to God because you are completely free from sin. But Jesus did more than save us from our sins. When He was with the disciples He was still the Messiah, the Lord, and Saviour who forgave their many sins, but when His ministry on the earth was gradually coming to an end, He began to tell the disciples something which we all need to read carefully with rapt attention. He said to them:

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 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 with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. John 14:16‭-‬20 KJV

The actual thing Jesus wants is to dwell in the people, and not just with them. He wants to indwell them. I want you to know that these folks already received Christ, though were not born again at the time because the Holy Spirit had not come to dwell on earth fully. So Jesus told those who already believed His words that He would pray to the Father to send the Holy Spirit so that when the Holy Spirit comes, He would be IN them, and be WITH them. When you confess Jesus as Lord, you have God's Spirit coming to be with you because He is the one that would do the work of conversation, turning you to a new creature; but for Him to come and live in you, you have to invite Him by asking to be filled with Him. You need to read the words of Jesus in Luke 11:

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:9‭-‬13 KJV

Jesus wasn't talking to the general public here because God is not the Father of everybody, He is the Father of only those who are born again. He said, "... how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Only the children of God can ask God who is now their Father for the Holy Spirit. For Jesus to say this means, the children of God are suppose to ask for the Holy Spirit to be filled.

I'll show you another scripture to let you know that every child of God is supposed to receive the Holy Spirit separate from receiving salvation. He stood in the temple during a feast and said to all the people in that temple, let's see it in the gospel according to John:

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John 7:37‭-‬39 KJV

I want you to read the words in bracket again carefully because it gives us the understanding of the words of Jesus in verses 37-38. John stressed that what Jesus said in the previous two verses is about the Holy Spirit which those who believe and would believe in Jesus should receive: "But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him SHOULD receive." Every one who believes in Jesus should receive the Holy Spirit.

Someone might want to mention the case of Cornelius, the Roman centurion who together with his households receive the Holy Spirit at the time Peter was still preaching to them. I want to help you understand few things here. It was made clear at the beginning of the chapter that the man was a devout man who was praying always. This man already believed in God only that he was not saved, but God was in his thought and was praying to God always and doing good works. God seeing his good works sent an angel to him giving him instruction to send for Peter. Before Peter came, these people were already waiting with open hearts to receive all the blessings that God has for them through Peter. So when Peter came, he told them about Jesus, and also talked about the Holy Spirit (you can read more in Acts 10). Now, this man and his households were the first Gentiles that Peter preached to. Before this time, the Jews don't associate with the Gentiles, and even this particular one, God had to quickly work on Peter in order not to refuse to go. God then decided to shock the Jews that went with Peter; as Peter was yet talking and the people were listening with open hearts and ready to receive, they heard the word and we're filled instantly with the Holy Spirit.

If you are truly born again but still hasn't receive the Holy Spirit, you need to receive Him now because He was sent to come and dwell in you so that you won't live the ordinary life as a child of God. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit in you is God Himself and in His fullness dwelling in you, making you His tabernacle. You have to therefore consciously ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit, ask your Father in heaven and He would fill you up. He is the power of God, when you receive Him you receive the power of God. Jesus said, "and you shall receive power, after the Holy Spirit has come on you." Without the Holy Spirit living in you you have no power, meaning you are powerless Christian, because only the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit makes us powerful.

Don't forget this, by confessing Jesus as Lord and Saviour, you identify with God, you come into His kingdom and become a member of His family, but being a member of God's family without the power of God makes you ordinary, so you have to refuse to be ordinary by receiving the Holy Spirit now. The apostles always minister to the people to receive the Holy Spirit after receiving salvation, it's because they knew that He is a must have for every child of God who wants to live the glorious, excellent, conquering and overcoming life. Receive the Holy Spirit now and be filled in Jesus name. Amen.

[pastorabrahamdavid]

We Are The Lineage Of Grace

The word of God says in 1 Peter 2:9 KJV:

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

We are a chosen generation, a generation chosen in Christ. There was the generation of Abraham, there was the generation of Moses, there was the generation of David; after all these great men of God had come and gone came another generation which is the generation of Christ. The generation of Christ started from after the coming of the Holy Spirit to this earth in the day of Pentecost, and continues till now, and would continue till the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ again to take us out of this world.

The generation of Christ are not those who were alive on earth when He walked the earth during His ministry on the earth because they are all dead, but Christ is not dead, He is alive. In the days of His ministry on earth, they wanted to end His life and His reign because they don't want Him to reign over them, so they determined to kill Him. He did nothing wrong, no sin was found in Him, He didn't hurt anyone, but in order to find file charges against Him they conspired and lied against Him. They accused Jesus wrongly for what He never did thinking that would make it possible for them to achieve their goal of ending His life and end His lineage knowing He had no biological or physical son. But Jesus didn't come to have biological sons because His life was not the life of the flesh, but of the Spirit. He only lived in the flesh so as to be able to bring you and I from death to life.

They killed Jesus, but it was for you and I, that we might have the opportunity to become God's children. He died, was buried, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit to come and give birth to many sons. Jesus is alive today and we are born in Him by the Holy Ghost, so, by that we became a new generation, the generation of Christ, a special breed, holy people, completely cleaned and separated from all sins and unrighteousness, and programmed to proclaim His good deeds. We are the lineage of Christ, the lineage of grace. Hallelujah!

We are the only lineage who don't have to struggle with, and for anything, because everything has been accomplished in Christ, His death finished all, we were just brought in to live and enjoy all that Jesus had finished the same way the first Adam was created on the sixth day, the day God finished all His works of creation, and made to start living in God's rest. For us, no sin, but righteousness; no defeat, but victories; no retrogression, but progress and advancement. We are that generation which cannot be defeated, the generation that is the fear of the devil and hell.

There's therefore no reason for any struggle with anything, or with anyone if you are born in Christ; the struggle is uncalled for, the hardship is uncalled for, the defeat and failures are uncalled for; you are the generation of Christ, a chosen generation, a peculiar child of the most high God, a victor, one who has been made more than a conqueror, the fear of hell. That's what it means to be born into the lineage of grace, it means, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ has brought to us, and has given us all that pertains to life, and godliness, so instead of struggling with sin, we reign in righteousness; instead of fighting with the devil and his agents, we live in triumph because the Lord is causing us to triumph always; instead of failure, we are a success, and we always have outstanding success; instead of confusion, we have sound mind and are divinely guided by the Holy Spirit; instead of mourning, we have the joy of the Lord in our hearts; instead of rejection, we are accepted in the beloved. Can you see that we are truly a special people? This is the truth we need to allow take over our minds and thoughts in order to live the glorious life we have been called to live in Christ Jesus.

We are the generation of Christ, and the the generation of Christ is the grace generation. The apostles knew this, they had a perfect understanding of this, so every time they write to the Saints, they tell them, "grace be to you." You don't see that in the Old Testament because they were not under grace, they were under the law and the law brings instant judgement for everything wrong doing, so what you found written to them is: thou shall not ...; the soul that sinneth shall die; cursed be...; an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; and many other words that cause the people to live in fear.

Born into the lineage of grace, don't live like one under the law, instead live and grow in grace. Peter admonished the Saints in 2 Peter 3:18 KJV: "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen."

You belong to the lineage of grace, so live and enjoy the grace of God in righteousness, because it is only in righteousness that we grow in grace; grace doesn't grow when we live in sin, instead it diminishes until it eventually leaves if we don't stop sinning. I pray for you that, "may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship, the communion, and the partnership of the Holy Spirit be with you forever. Amen." I bless you with the peace and the grace of God in Jesus name.

[pastorabrahamdavid]

Are We Suppose To Pray And Ask God To Bless Us As God's children?

You are going to discover amazing truth here on whether it is right as new creation, God's beloved children and the heirs of salvation to ask God to bless us or not; and as you begin reading, I want you to know that the purpose of this writing is to edify, and to build up God's children so that all of us would come higher in the knowledge of the truth. When Jesus wanted to give John the apostle the revelations in the book of revelation, Jesus told him, "come up hither..." It was important for Jesus to tell John to come up because what He was about to show him were not things for those at a low level, so John was caught up to another higher realm from where he can understand the revelations Jesus wanted to show him. The same way Jesus told John to come up is the same way He is speaking to us to come up, that's why there's the hunger in us to want to know Him more and more.

Paul shared the same experience in 2 Corinthians 12 of how he was caught up to the third heaven and heard unspeakable words, words that were proper and lawful for men to utter. This was how Paul had insight into the deep realities of God which was why he always shared, not just the knowledge of the truth, but 'the precise knowledge' (epignosis) of the truth. As a follower of Christ, it's always my desire and hunger to walk in this same realm which Paul walked, which John walked, and which Pastor Chris Oyakhilome is walking today. So, what you are about to read here came from that realm and I know that as you open your heart to the Holy Spirit, He would help you come up in the epignosis (precise knowledge) of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4).

We ask God to bless us, and everyday we want God to bless us; we do this without studying the word in the light of the new testament to know if we should be doing that or not; I used to do this also, I ask God to pour His blessings on me abundantly, and bless everything I do, not having the perfect understanding of what I was doing then until the Holy Spirit opened the eye of my understanding. As I was studying Paul's revelation I discovered that, that's not a higher level in God but a lower level, and something babes in Christ should be doing. It's not for the matured sons of God, but for children. The Holy Spirit has damaged my ignorance by opening my eyes to see something the ordinary mind can't see, it's in Ephesians 1:3 which says,

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." Ephesians 1:3 NKJV

Apostle Paul by the Spirit revealed to us a divine truth of what God had already done for us. According to that scripture, God had already BLESSED us with EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING in the heavenly places IN CHRIST. I found out in the scripture that there's no place either in the four synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) or in the epistles where it is said that God will bless us, in most places, the word bless wherever it relates to God's Blessing appeared in the past tense.

When Jesus was teaching at the mount, He didn't say God will bless the meek, or God will bless the peacemakers, or those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, etc, what He said is, BLESSED are the poor in the spirit; BLESSED are the peacemakers; BLESSED are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, etc. Jesus used the word in the past tense, meaning if you are a peacemaker you are blessed already; if you hunger and thirst after righteousness, you are already blessed; if you are meek, you are already blessed. The blessings are not going to come after you become one of these or have one of these virtues, you have been blessed already, and it's because you've already been blessed that you are now a peacemaker, meek, hunger and thirst after righteousness. The only place Jesus used the word 'bless' in the present tense is where He said "... bless them that curse you..." (Matthew 5:44). The understanding of the choice of word by Jesus in this place came to me after I understood Ephesians 1:3.

We need to understand that, in the New Testament, God is not going to bless us, He had already blessed us, the only reason why we do not know that He had blessed us is either because to our ignorance of the new testament truth, or because of our definition of blessing. Some of us think God's blessings are the material possessions we have: money, cars, houses, business empire; but a thousand times, No! These are not the blessings, and they can never be the blessings - you can't substitute them for the real blessing; they are the effects of the blessings, the byproducts of the blessings, the additions to the blessings. When you understand the blessing, you will know how easy God had designed our lives to be. What's the blessing? Let's see it.

Apostle Peter was preaching to the Jews and said these words: "To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to BLESS you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” Acts 3:26 NKJV

God sent Jesus to the Jews first, to do what? To bless them. How? By turning everyone of them away from his iniquities. Note the word 'first'; that word was used to make it clear that the turning away from sin is not only for the Jews, Jesus achieved that for the Gentiles also: He turned the Gentiles away from their iniquities the same way He turned the Jews away from their iniquities, but the Jews were considered first before others. Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Romans 1:16 NKJV

The word first is letting us know that the Jews were the first beneficiaries of what Jesus came to do and accomplished for mankind.

Peter said Jesus was sent by God to bless us, for Him to come and bless us means He possessed the blessing, because only a person with the blessing can bless - God told Abraham, "I will make you a blessing..." Jesus came to bless us, how? By turning away everyone of us from His sins? How? By sacrificing Himself for the sins of the whole world. That means, Jesus Himself is the blessing, the very blessing of God to us because He gave Himself for us. Outside Christ, there's no other blessing that God has to give to anyone. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." All of God's blessings are in Christ, and everyone who receives Christ receives the blessing, because by coming into Christ, you have come into the blessing, that's what makes us the blessed.

Let me help you understand Ephesians 1:3 better now, "blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who in Christ has blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places." As a new creature, you either see this and accept this truth or you live a limited in life even though you are in Christ. We live in wealth but we don't know. We live in the land filled with riches and fatness but do not know.

Since the scripture makes it clear that God had blessed us will all spiritual blessing, it is therefore wrong for us to ask God to bless us. Saying, 'God bless me' is wrong; also, telling a true child of God saying, 'may the Lord bless you' is wrong. Instead of saying, 'God bless me' the correct thing to say is, "I'm blessed," and continue to declare the things I'm blessed with like saying, "I'm blessed with the peace of God;" I'm blessed with superabundant riches and wealth;" I'm blessed with success, prosperity, health, cars, houses, good spouse, good friends, good workers, sponsors," etc. You talk like this because you have come to the realization that you've been blessed with all these. And when praying for or blessing people, instead of saying 'may God bless you,' you say, "you are blessed with...(mention what you want to see manifest in the life of the person)". But in truth, material things are not the blessing, it's the blessing brings them, so as you declare I'm blessed, you activate them in your life, and position yourself to receive the material possessions.

Why am I sharing this, why didn't I keep the revelation to myself? I'm sharing this because I want all of God's children to walk in the superabundant blessing that the Father has for us His children. I've heard some of our fathers in the faith like Pastor Chris Oyakhilome and Bishop David Oyedepo say I have never prayed for a car, yet I have them; they don't pray for material things yet they have them in superabundant, while many of us are trying to experience these things that have become their reality but are still far from getting there. What these men of God have discovered is that all that's important is Christ, He is the blessing of God to us, and as long they continue to pursue Christ and all that brings glory to Him and advance His cause which is seeking the kingdom first, all these things that others are dying to get would fall cheaply at their feet. They have known the real blessing, so they focus on Him alone, and because all things are made by Christ, the things keep chasing our fathers in the faith.

Jesus was teaching and in His teaching mentioned the things that are the basic needs, and the desire of every man (Read Matthew 6:25-34). He mentioned them so that the people would know that the Father is aware of all human needs, He told them, "your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things:" raiments, shelter, cars, keep mentioning them, but He said to them, even with all these needs of yours and your desire to have them; "...seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." Matthew 6:33

How can one seek God's kingdom? It's by focusing on Christ alone, seeking the things that pertains to Him alone, giving your life to Him in totality, and living completely for Him daily. Making His dream your dream, His purpose your purpose, His desire your desire. Jesus said, "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness..." When you find the kingdom of God, you would realize that the kingdom of God is all about Jesus, He is God's righteousness revealed in human body, so when you find Christ is when you find the kingdom of God, and the righteousness of God; it is at this very moment you become God's righteousness, and you have the kingdom of God coming to live in you and you in the kingdom. It is only at this point that all the other things that the Gentiles are dying to get would keep coming to you as additions because you have found the blessing and are living in the blessing.

Beloved, we live in the blessing of God because we live in Christ, this means we live in the blessing, lie down in the blessing, sleep in the blessing, walk in the blessing, because it's in Christ we live, move, and have our being; the only problem is that, for a long time we don't know this, we live in the shadow, not in the real light, so, instead of taking hold of all the riches the Father had prepared for us, we keep asking Him to bless us, give us this and give us that. So, the people who continue to ask God for these things hardly have them, it is only those who don't bother about them, who instead focus on pursuing the interest of Christ and continue to have them in superabundance.

David lived in the Old Testament, but because of how he understood God walked with God came to the understanding which made him write Psalm 23. We recite this psalm religiously without letting the truth enter us to get a hold of us, and for this reason have not enjoyed the blessing of this truth. David didn't live with the consciousness of needs, rather he lived with the consciousness of supplies because the Lord is his shepherd. Having the Lord as his shepherd means he has all his needs met automatically. David said:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever. Psalms 23:1‭-‬6

Apostle Paul was praying for the Saints at Philippi after they had sent their financial seed to him; in his prayers he didn't say may the Lord bless you for reaching out to me with your substance, instead he said, "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19 NKJV

Why would God supply all the needs of the Saints? It's because they've been paid for. The one who paid for all the needs is Christ and they are already in Christ, meaning they are living in the one who has the receipt for the payment of all their needs, so Paul said, "and my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." The Saints have been blessed to have Christ, and they live in Him, the one in whom are all the riches of God. Living in Him makes them qualify for the supplies, and by blessing Paul with their substance, Paul brought them into the realm of abundant supplies for all their needs.

Stop asking God to bless you, He has blessed you already, just walk in the blessing by working in Christ daily.

[pastorabrahamdavid]

Question: How can you know you have received the holy Spirit from God?

Answer:

It's easy to know whether you have received the Holy Spirit or not. I'm going to show you from the scriptures how you would know if you have received the Holy Spirit, and how people around you can also know.

The scripture says we walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). If as a child of God you ask your Father in heaven to fill you with the Holy Spirit, you should be confident that He will give Him to you because you are His child. Jesus said, "For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"Luke 11:10‭, ‬13.

Your heavenly Father will give you the Holy Spirit if you ask Him because He is your Father, and you are His child. The only qualification for receiving the Holy Spirit is new birth (salvation), someone who is not save can't receive Him, God won't give him. I want you to read verse 13 in another translation:

You are bad. But even you know how to give good things to your children. Your Father in heaven knows much better than you do how to give good things to his children. So he will give the Holy Spirit to everyone who asks him.’Luke 11:13 EASY

What do you need to do now that you have asked to be filled with the Holy Spirit? What you need to do if you have asked the Father for the Holy Spirit is to believe you have received Him. Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."Mark 11:24 NIV. This scripture applies to receiving the Holy Spirit. You have to believe you have received when you ask otherwise you won't have Him. Have you asked for the Holy Spirit? If you have asked, do you believe you have received Him? If you believe you have received, that means you have Him in you already, but if you don't believe you have received, then you don't have Him because you have to relate with God and live by faith, not by physical signs. So, this is the best way to know you have received the Holy Spirit, by believing that you have received when you asked.

There's another way to know you have received the Holy Spirit, but this is not the primary way to know, it's the secondary way because it's how others would know you have received Him. This other way is a sign which Jesus said would accompany those who believe. Read the words of the Master:

"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;"Mark 16:15‭-‬17 KJV

Jesus gave the disciples instruction to go and preach the gospel. The gospel when preached and believed would result in salvation for everyone who believes. As the gospel is preached and the hearers of the gospel believe, those who preach the gospel would know if the hearers believed or not, and the way Jesus said they and we as well would know is by the signs that would follow those who believe. Jesus mentioned five signs, and here are some of them as read in Mark above: they shall cast out demons in the name of Jesus; they shall speak with new tongues. There are other three, but we are focusing on the second point only which says "they shall speak with new tongues;" this is nothing but speaking in tongues, speaking with strange tongues, languages they did not learn. In the book of Acts, we saw this happened to everyone who is saved and received the Holy Spirit.

The people didn't speak in tongues when they received salvation, but the moment they received the Holy Spirit, all of them spake with new tongues. So, speaking in tongues after receiving the Holy Spirit is a sign, but a sign not for the one who received the Holy Spirit, but a sign for others to know he had received the Holy Spirit. Let's read the experiences of the Saints in Acts, where we have examples laid down for us to follow:

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.Acts 2:1‭-‬4 KJV

As these disciples in the upper room were filled, they all began to speak with other tongues until the different people who came to Jerusalem for Pentecost heard them, and gather around them thinking they were drunk.

We have another incidence in Acts 8. Here, Philip went to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them, and the whole city received the gospel and were saved. So when the apostles living at Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received Christ, they sent Peter and John to them to go and lay hands on them so they could be filled with the Holy Spirit. When Peter and John got there, they laid hands on them and the people were filled with the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile, there was a sorcerer in the city of Samaria, Simon by name, who bewitched the whole city, this man also heard the gospel and was saved, but when Peter and John laid hands on the people and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, this man saw something strange which made him offered money to be given the power to lay hands on people for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Let's read few verses from that chapter:

Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.Acts 8:14‭-‬19 KJV

In this chapter, we were not told that the disciples spoke in tongues when Peter and John laid hands on them, but what Simon did after the laying of the apostles' hands tells us something, he must have seen something strange, an outward sign, a physical evidence otherwise he wouldn't have attempted to offer money for the ability to lay hands on people to be filled with the Holy Spirit. So, even though we were not told specifically that they spoke in tongues, the action of Simon proves to us that he heard them speak in strange tongues, and he being a former sorcerer who was used to magic and strange signs, offered money for the divine ability to lay hands on men to be filled with the Holy Spirit for which Peter rebuked him.

We have another one in Acts 10. In this chapter, we have the story of Cornelius, I urge you to read the whole chapter. As Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit filled all the people who sat down listening to Peter. The bible says:

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,Acts 10:44‭-‬46. These people were filled and they spake with tongues.

The last one I want to show you is in Acts 19. Here, Paul met 12 disciples at Ephesus whom he asked if they have received the Holy Spirit since they believed. They told him that have not heard about the Holy Spirit before that time. He asked them another question and then began to expound the scriptures to them, explaining the difference between the gospel which John preached and the gospel of Christ. They believed, and Paul laid hands on them, immediately Paul laid hands on them and they were filled, they began to speak with tongues:

And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.Acts 19:6 KJV

Speaking in tongues is a sign, a physical evidence that you have received the Holy Spirit, and every one who is filled with the Holy Spirit should speak with tongues; but before the outward sign, a physical evidence, there should be an inward evidence, and that inward evidence that you have received the Holy Spirit is your faith. It is only when you believe you have received Him that you can open your mouth to speak in tongues because He doesn't open people's mouth, He can only give you utterance, but you must first open your mouth to speak before He can give you the utterance.

I believe this has answered your question. Knowing that you have received the Holy Spirit is an inward thing, you believe in your heart the moment you asked to be filled, then, the outward sign, the physical evidence would follow. You receive the Holy Spirit by faith when you ask. May the Spirit of God come on you to live in you. Receive now the Holy Spirit and begin to speak in tongues in Jesus name. Amen.

Yours in Christ

Abraham David

The Bond Slave Of Christ

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What Kind Of A Christian Are You?

It's sad that selfish, greedy, and power drunk fellows have created their own version of Christianity. What do I mean? I mean that these people have taken away the life that is in Christianity, and have substituted it with scientific facts. They have taking away the truth, the true light and have substituted it with human doctrines. Jesus said, "The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)".John 10:10 AMPC

His major reason for coming to die is so that all who are spiritually dead might have life, so that man would not only continue to exist but truly live. He came that men might have life, the higher life, the unending life, the victorious life, the overcoming life, the prosperous life, the glorious life, and life full of health, strength, and vitality. He came that we might have this life to the full, till it overflows. This was the life that the religious and the unbelievers saw the disciples of Jesus lived at Antioch which made them call them Christians. The bible tells us in Acts 11:26: And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

The unbelievers and all the people living at Antioch saw things about these disciples of Jesus which wasn't normal and conventional; they saw them living differently; they saw that whoever was in need before, the moment he joins them suddenly begins to have abundance. They saw that whenever any sick person joins them, he receives healing and starts living healthy. If these disciples were living like the rest who were not disciples they wouldn't have called them Christians, but they saw that everything about them was totally different, living in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, demonstrating the power of God, living in peace and harmony, so they concluded that these folks are the Christians.

Christianity therefore is not a religion but a life, the life of the resurrected Christ. And when you live the life of the resurrected Christ, the unbelievers and the ungodly will notice it, they will know that you are different because you will never conform to the pattern of this world. It is the religious Christians that conforms to the pattern of this world - the world's standard is their standard: they go in the direction the world goes, believe what the world believes, and agrees with whatever they say. If the world tells them this is a killer disease and everyone has to be vaccinated to be free, the religious Christians believe and agree with them; they will even attack and condemn anyone who speaks against the world's idea which they believe is the real solution; but the real Christians know that no disease or infirmity can survive in their body, and that they have been empowered by Christ to heal every sickness and diseases in His name. So, while the religious Christians believe in taking drugs and getting vaccinated to stay healthy, the real Christians believe in the life of God that's at work in them and know that with this life, the God-life in them, they are never going to be sick, and if peradventure they feel sick, they know that the feeling is shortlived and is not as real as the life that's at work in them.

Don't live the religious Christian life, there's no life in it but death. The religious Christianity is full of fear, uncertainty, doubts for God's word, ups and downs, troubles, and mediocrity. It might exempt you from attacks from the kingdom of darkness temporarily, but it would end up destroying your life and make you end up in spiritual death. Live the real Christian life, embrace the real Christianity, it guarantees victory sin, Satan, failure, and poverty. It also guarantees peace, joy, health, abundance, eternal rest, and dominion over all powers of darkness. Remember these words: they are not all Christians who calls themselves Christians, they are Christians they who do the will of the Father, and who lived truly, and outwardly the life of the resurrected Christ. This is the difference between the real Christianity, and the religious Christianity. We have been called out, we are the called out ones, called out of the world, it's systems and patterns the same way Abraham was called out by God and told to come out of His father's house and leave the land of his nativity to a new and a strange land. We are the called out ones, so, we should never conform, we should never fit in, and we should never agree with the world's standard.

We are the one to set a new standard for the world, and tell them how to do things. We are to teach all nations and make them disciples of Christ, not the nations teaching us. We are to teach the world how to serve and worship God, not them telling us how to serve and worship God. Be the real Christian, teach the true Christian life, and promote the true Christianity, it is more than religion, it is a life, the life of the resurrected Christ.

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Encourage Diversities In The Church

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh in all. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 KJV

After the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to come to the earth; and when the Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost, He filled all the disciples in the upper room and started the Church. The church was birthed in the upper room with one hundred and twenty disciples on that day of Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit birthed the Church of Jesus Christ so that the works of Christ can continue on earth through the Church; the Church therefore became the body of the Lord Jesus by which He continues to save men from sin and deliver them from the powers of darkness.

The Church of Jesus is one body, one being, a complete living being but with many members. In the Church, the Lord Jesus chooses and calls different people to serve Him in different ways and in different capacity in the Church, that's why the Bible tells us in our today's scriptural text that, there are differences of administrations.

The word administration was translated from the Greek word, 'diakonia', meaning: ministry, or service. Administrations is the same as ministries; in the Church, that is, in the body of Christ, there are diversities of ministries and these ministries are distinct in their callings and purpose; this shows us that even God loves diversities.

The church is one unit, one body, but with different members just the same way the human body has different members or parts which work in unison to make the human body one unit, and function as one.

The different members of the Church are not the same, they are different and distinct; that's what the Bible is explaining to us in 1 Corinthians 12:12-30, you can read that up in your Bible.

Some people today think there's no need or reason for different ministries, so they want all the ministries to come together as one, but that is contrary to God's divine purpose. The Lord Jesus Himself established the different ministries, so that through the different ministries He could save different people irrespective of their social groups and level of understanding.

Let's encourage the different ministries and stop trying to make every other ministry the same with the one you belong to, because there are people your ministry can never save no matter how hard you try, who would need another kinds of ministries different from your own kind of ministry to preach and present the gospel to them at their own level, and in the way they could relate well with the message and come to Christ Jesus. Encourge diversities in the body of Christ, the Church, because the Lord loves it and you too have to love it.

#Prayer

Precious Father, I pray for the Church, for your people all over the world to grow in the knowledge of your word, and work together as one unit, so that we can win more souls to you, in Jesus name. Amen.

Further Study

1 Corinthians 12:12-30

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The Living Bread Daily Devotional

Sunday, 10th January, 2021

Topic: The Ark Is Not The Presence

Author: Pastor Abraham David

And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. 1 Samuel 4:3 KJV

For man to proper understand God and know his ways, he must follow God truly with all His heart. God will prove Himself mighty in your life only when you truly know Him; you can't substitute any thing for God.

The children of Israel were suffering defeat in the hands of their enemies, the Philistines, so, the elders of people came together and agreed to go and bring the Ark of the covenant of God out of Shiloh to the battle ground so that when the Ark of the covenant comes to them, it may save them from defeat in the hands of the Philistines. How on earth could they have imagined that the Ark of the covenant which was made of wood would save them? They didn't ask God to save them, they instead trusted the Ark which only signified the presence of God, to save them.

Because the children of Israel were not following God with their hearts, they trusted the Ark that was made by Bezaleel according to God's instructions to Moses to save them from their enemies. The Ark is not the presence of God, it only signifies His presence; His real presence is in His word, He dwells in His word; any time you act on His word, you see His presence manifested. The Ark of the covenant that the children of Israel were carrying about requires the keeping of the covenant, because it is in the word that God dwells. They forsook the covenant and wanted the Ark to save them, so they were defeated as a result of not following God's commandments.

Is your trust in God or in material thing? God does not live in wood, He does not live in any material object such as handkerchief, or any clothing material; He does not live in oil; He lives in His word. Seek the Lord truly with the whole of your heart, seek His word and keep the word, and you will see Him work wonders in your life.

Prayer

My glorious Father, you are the only true God and I ask that you help me to always focus on you, and depend on you alone to save me, in Jesus name. Amen

Further Study

Joshua 6:5, Jeremiah 7:8-11, Amos 5:22

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The Living Bread Daily Devotional

Thursday, 7th January, 2021

Topic: You Don't Need A Sign To Believe

Author: Pastor Abraham David

And the Lord said unto him, surely I will be with thee, and thou shall smite the midianites as one man. And he said unto him, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. Judges 6:16-17 KJV

God is always speaking to His children, but many of us have not heard Him nor understand what He is saying, and for this reason have not seen the things He said come to pass in our lives because we want Him to show us signs that He is the one talking to us, without sign, we don't believe He is talking to us.

The lord appeared to Gideon and told him that He is with him, but Gideon asked God for a sign so that he would believe that God was the one talking to him and that He meant what He said. Why did Gideon asked for a sign? He asked for a sign because he was a man of the flesh and had no faith just like most people of the old Covenant. They didn't know God, so they don't understand the things of the spirit, that's why they only believe when they see.

We are not people of the old Covenant, we are people of the new covenant (testament), we are men and women of faith; none of us is without faith. As men and women of faith, we don't ask God for any sign because, we are the real signs; the Bible says, "behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders..." (Isaiah 8:18 KJV).

As a child of God, don't ask God for a sign, Just believe whatever He tells you. Asking God for a sign is a proof that you don't believe Him.

Abraham our father didn't ask God for a sign, he just believed when God spoke; as his seed, we must exercise his kind of faith, the faith that does not waver.

You don't need a sign to believe whatever God tells you, you only need faith in the heart. You need the God kind of faith, the faith which believes all things, and takes to be the absolute truth everything God says. So, if you are one of those people who always believe in sign and wants God to give a sign or show a sign before you believe that what He says is true, stop from today. If God chooses to give a sign, fine, if He doesn't talk to you about sign, then don't think about it, just believe with the heart and you will see wonders.

Prayer

My Father, I thank you for your word, your words are ever true, and with you there is no shadow of turning; I hold onto your word, because I know that whatever you say would come to pass; now I asked my Father, glorify yourself in my life, in Jesus name. Amen.

Further Study

Judges 6:1-24, 36-40; 2 Kings 20:8-11

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To let the world see Jesus in you is to let Jesus manifest Himself in you, and His love through you

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Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:43-44 KJV).

Th…

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Ask For The Right Thing The Right Way

Ask For The Right Thing The Right Way

Ask for the right thing, that’s the only way you can receive from God

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“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8 ESV)

Asking God for what we desire is one of the privileges given to us by God, He said we…

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The Work Of God

The Work Of God

The work of God is not your activities in the Church but living a lifestyle of faith towards God

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Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (John 6:29 KJV)

Many of us today are busy doing the work of God, but I want to help you understand properly what the work of God really is.

Knowing what is the work of God is…

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The Christian Life Comes With Responsibility Living the real Christian life is possible only when we become responsible Christians, and take responsibility for our Christian life.

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Jesus Is The Only Saviour Of The World Jesus is the only Saviour because He is the only one who suffered and did, not for His sin, but for the sins of the world…

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Working The Word

Working the word of God is living out the word; if you work the word, the word will produce in and for you what it talks about.

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But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 1:22 KJV

Christianity is not for lazy people, because it requires hard work. The hard work in Christianity is doing the word, that is, working the word.

We are not…

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Salvation Is The Beginning Of A New Life Salvation does not leave any man the same, it changes a man completely by bringing to him a new life in Christ…