Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."
With a new look
Know Christians
They will know we are Christians by our love. You’ve heard that, I’m sure. But in order for that to happen our love must show in different ways than the world’s. “But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions:..” (Gal. 5:22a The Passion Translation). The evidential signs that will accompany them that believe (Mark 16:17) are actions that show the love that Christians will be known for. Jesus would have never told His disciples to do anything that they couldn’t do with the help of the Holy Spirit.
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If someone, weather believer or not (should make no difference), a sick dude, comes into your presence and you say to them, “I love you, man,” what do you think they will think? That man or woman, boy or girl might just run from you thinking that you just climbed out of a Crackerjack Box; they might report you to the cops or something. But, what if you laid hands on them for healing and told them that you loved them and wanted them to receive their healing in Jesus’ name. Well, aside from the fact that their healing may manifest right away, that person would walk away thinking, ‘He really does love me, and I see that it’s because of Jesus.’ The person might come back to you, either right away or some time later, and ask you how to be saved.
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Or, if there was a person in your presence who was possessed by an evil spirit and you said to the person, “I love you as a fellow creation of God,” and had him committed to a mental ward… Gee, I just don’t see the love. What he would see is a liar. But, if you took authority in the name of Jesus and drove that evil spirit out. Then you could tell him about Jesus and the love would definitely flow.
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People preach tolerance, tolerate foreign religions, tolerate sin; you don’t have to join in with it, but tolerate it. I ask you; how can you do that? Another way of saying tolerate it is saying lay down and let it walk all over you, just don’t join in with it. Forget that! We, as true disciples of Jesus (the one that the people of Antioch would call Christians (Acts 11:26)) are called to take a stand against false god’s (false religion) and sin, we don’t tolerate it. The Lord just put that on my heart.
“When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians),” (Acts 11:26 New Living Translation).
It is the last part, the part in brackets, that I want you to see: “(It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians).” Now, if it were just that they will know we are Christians by our love, there must have been some way that the people in Antioch could see this love, yes I do mean see.
“I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father,” (John 14:12 New Living Translation).
These followers were believers, which means they were “anyone who believes,” which also means they did the same works that Jesus did, emphasis on works. Now, I ask you: What is the first thing that Jesus did, after being water baptized? Or, to rephrase that question: What’s the first thing the Jesus received, that God did to Jesus, after being baptized in water? Well John the baptizer answered that when he said, “I saw the Spirit of God…” But Peter gave a more straight forward answer in Acts 10:38.
“Jesus of Nazareth was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and with great power. He did wonderful things for others and divinely healed all who were under the tyranny of the devil, for God had anointed him,” (Acts 10:38 The Passion Translation).
The word anointed and the word baptized, as in baptized in the Holy Spirit, are virtually the same word. So now, allow me to give that same verse with that one word changed; read it again and slowly with thought.
“Jesus of Nazareth was baptized by God with the Holy Spirit and with great power. He did wonderful things for others and divinely healed all who were under the tyranny of the devil, for God had baptized him,” (Acts 10:38 The Passion Translation).
Now, if you do the same things that Jesus did that would mean that you would receive the same baptism and be anointed with the Holy Spirit. Then you can do the same wonderful things. So, how was Jesus able to do these things that He did? He was baptized in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God (God Himself). That is why Jesus said, “I am in the Father (baptized in the Holy Spirit of God) and the Father (by His word) is in me,” (John 14:10).
“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me,” (John 14:10 New Living Translation).