Wonderful Jesus!

Isaiah 50:4- “The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary…”
  • Home
  • Contact
  • Tag: Baptism

    • Lord, Did You Forget Us?

      Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on February 22, 2021

      Acts 8:27 – So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship…NKJV

      lord_-did-you-forget-us_.mp3

      Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that people of different colors are mentioned in the word? Or do you think all people in the word ofGod are of one ethnic background? Maybe you’ve been taught that the Bible is the white man’s Bible, and have felt no connection to it, or to the God in whom it boast. Well, I have some great news for you today, Black people are mentioned favorably in the Bible and they are people you should know.

      In America, we are celebrating Black History Month, and so this week, I want to highlight my culture, my people, and the richness of our heritage. Starting with the word! The Lord immediately brought the Ethiopian in the book of Acts to my mind.

      Ethiopia, in Biblical times, from what I have learned, is the land of Cush. Cush, according to ancient maps, included present day Sudan and Ethiopia. It appears that in the Old Testament, its citizens were of Cush, and in the New Testament, they were of Ethiopia. Whether this is accurate or not, we know that these individuals were Black people.

      In the book of Acts, we have this Ethiopian, riding in his chariot towards home from Jerusalem. Scripture lets us know that he had come to worship. In this chapter, we also learn some other things about this eunuch. He was a man of great authority. He served in the court of the queen, who was believed to be one of the mightiest queens of Ethiopia. He was in charge of all of her treasury, obviously a very intelligent man, and he had a hunger for God.

      As he was traveling home, reading the scriptures, the Holy Ghost sent Philip to share the gospel with him. He believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, was baptized and went home a new believer in Christ. The area of ancient Cush is being excavated and many churches are being found in the land. I can infer from this, that the eunuch went home and shared the gospel in his country, resulting in many coming to Christ.

      Another person of Ethiopian descent was Moses’ wife. Some scholars believe that Moses had taken a second wife, and this is not Zipporah. There is no further reference to suggest that she is Zipporah, nor is there any to refute that she isn’t. But what is clear, is that she is a Black woman, and she is married to Moses, the leader of the Israelites.

      What is also apparent is that Aaron and Miriam have a problem with her, possibly because of her skin color. This was such a problem for them, that it caused them to question Moses’ spiritual authority over them. Isn’t it interesting to note that racism against Black people could have been recorded so early? God ended up dealing with the situation by calling a meeting. At the conclusion of the meeting, Miriam was punished with leprosy. I’ve often wondered why God didn’t punish Aaron, because he was angry with both of them, but it is believed that Miriam was the instigator. Not certain of that accuracy.

      In the book of 2 Chronicles we learn more about the Ethiopians. They were a people with a strong army which boasted of many chariots and horsemen. As a matter of fact, you can say that they had the first “Million Man March” in the Bible, for that is how many men, Zerah, the Ethiopian, led against Israel. They didn’t win the war, but they were a mighty people, an advanced people, demonstrated by their horses and the number of chariots. Job spoke of the topaz, that came from Ethiopia which was apparently, a beautiful stone, and part of the treasures of Ethiopia.

      Black people, world-wide are often looked upon as if we are second class citizens. When you look at Africa today, which has been raided and exploited for its diamonds, people, and exotic animals, you may walk away with a distorted view of its people and their descendants. Many parts of Africa were, and are, glorious regions full of history, culture, treasures and beauty. Africa was created by God, blessed by God, and used by God for His glory. The people of Africa and her descendants world-wide are not forgotten by God. Black people are not forgotten by God. We have not been cursed by God, and we are not under the curse of Ham. (A blog for another day.)

      The Bible isn’t European in nature. People didn’t begin as white Europeans. Civilization began in the land of the Fertile Crescent, not Europe. Yet, somehow, we read the Bible through European eyes, thus making it seem like God has forgotten the other nations of the world.

      Jesus made it quite clear that the gospel is for us all and to us all when He said:

      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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17 – NKJV

      To answer my question, whether or not we are a forgotten people, I can prove without a doubt, that He hasn’t forgotten any of us. If we look closer at the word of God, we will see ourselves in scripture as we identify people who looked like us, all of us. Now be encouraged for this Bible doesn’t belong to any one group of people, it belongs to us all! Wonderful Jesus!

      prayer-for-salvation-1-1.mp3

      Posted in Black History, encouragement, Heroes of Faith | 0 Comments | Tagged Baptism, Believer, Blacks in the Bible, encouragemnt, Ethiopia, Moses, Philip the evangelist, the eunuch, witnessing, word of God, Zipporah
    • Hello Holy Spirit!

      Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on October 12, 2020

      John 14:16-17 – “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” NKJV

      hello_-holy-spirit_.mp3

      It was a typical school day, but it changed my life forever! I was already a believer, and I enjoyed reading the Bible, even though I didn’t always understand it. Going to church was not just something that I did, but somewhere I enjoyed being; although few people could actually answer my questions about God. I taught Sunday School, I sang in the choir, and I had preached my first sermon. However, I was crying out to God for more of Him. I wanted to know Him, understand Him, and see the God of the Bible in my life. I was ripe for the Holy Ghost and didn’t even know it!

      I still remember walking down the walkway and running into my classmate and high school friend. She was different, yet the same. She went to a holiness church, and although she had a lot of restrictions about her dress, when she got to school she became “normal”. So here we are talking, and she says to me, “You need the Holy Ghost!” What? I thought! Where did that come from? I probably ragged her about that fact that she must need it too, because she didn’t believe what she was being taught, hence, the changing of the clothes. You know how we do, when we are uncomfortable with something, we deflect!

      That statement rang through my head so much, that I begin to try figure out, what did it mean to “need” or to “get” the Holy Ghost? Of course, as a Bible reader, I knew the Holy Ghost was in the Bible, but I didn’t know I could “get” the Holy Ghost!

      Not long after that, a different classmate invited me to his church. I agreed to go, and when I got there, these people also believed in “getting” the Holy Ghost, and “needing” the Holy Ghost! Instead of running, I started asking questions, and paying attention, and there was something special about these people who “had” the Holy Ghost.

      I tried to get the Holy Ghost. I went to the altar and tarried for the Holy Ghost. The things that I was told to do were pretty ridiculous in hindsight, but my heart was genuine. However, I didn’t “get” the Holy Ghost. I was saddened, thinking that it was so special, and I must be pretty unworthy. But I didn’t say anything.

      Time went by. Then one weekend our choir was invited to sing at another church. I really wanted to go, but I had a serious toothache. My dear sister in the Lord convinced me to go anyway. While we sang, I was completely pain free, but after it was over, the pain was pretty intense. We had arrived back at our church, when she asked the choir members to pray for me. As they laid their hands on me and prayed for me to be healed, I was filled with the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in tongues. It was amazing! Immediately, fluent words of a language I had no prior knowledge of, flowed from my lips. As these words flowed, I was healed. I didn’t understand all that was happening, but I felt so honored by God that I was filled with the Holy Spirit. Finally! I didn’t “need” Him, or have to “get” Him, because He just filled me with Himself and literally changed me.

      I know there’s a huge debate in “Christendom” about the authenticity of “speaking in tongues” and the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but it matters not. All that matters is what God’s word says about this aspect of His Being! And I am a witness that it is true. When I was baptized, I didn’t become weird and flaky, I became solid and strong in my faith. Not only that, I began to “experience” God in new ways. Ways that I later discovered were “manifestations” of the Holy Spirit that Paul discussed in 1 Corinthians 12. I have been desiring for a while to write about the amazing possibilities that can happen in your life and through your life when you open yourself up to the Spirit of God. However, I didn’t feel it was the right time. Today, I will begin!

      My classmate was right! I did need the Holy Spirit! However, I think she spoke more prophetically than experientially! Having this second important experience in the Lord, has been rewarding, fulfilling, and life impacting for me. Here are a few things I now understand that I did not know:

      1. I didn’t have to tarry for the Holy Spirit to fill me. In Luke 24:49, Jesus told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. This He told them because the Holy Spirit hadn’t yet come. However, no one needs to tarry now because He has come! We just open our hearts and receive Him!
      2. Your initial “baptism” will be amazing, but He will fill you again and again! Why? In Acts 4:31, Luke wrote that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. These are the same people who were filled in Acts 2. After we minister, and as we live, we will find ourselves operating in our own strength, or no strength. This is a great time for a re-filling of the Holy Spirit for He adds strength, power, and even encouragement to the weary.
      3. Originally I thought that I could only speak in tongues when the Holy Spirit initiated the action, but Paul wrote that it was his wish that everybody spoke in tongues, even encouraging that we sing and pray in the Spirit.

      I would like to take some time to take the fear out of the baptism of the Holy Spirit and to introduce you to a more intimate fellowship with our God. For those of you who are already filled, but not as expressive, or new to communing with the Father through the Person of the Holy Spirit, I would like to help you walk with Him. I wish someone would have taken that time with me. I learned things about Him through trial and error at first. Later, I eventually met my sister in law who shared many wonderful truths with me about this communion with the Holy Spirit. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn, so I have read many books about Him, trying the Spirit by the Spirit and the Word of God.

      I won’t use religious terms or cliches that I don’t explain, and I won’t belittle you into thinking you have to agree with me. However, I will share the word, and then you be the “Berean” and search the Scriptures for yourself! I look forward to sharing my dear Friend, Holy Spirit, with each you! Wonderful Jesus!

      Posted in Baptism, Holy Spirit | 0 Comments | Tagged Baptism, Healing, Holy Ghost, Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, tarrying, testimony, witness
    • Recent Posts

      • Who is Like You, O Lord?
      • Getting It Right!
      • Lord, I Thank You!
      • The Curse of Ham?
      • A Heritage of Faith!
    • Categories

      • Victorious Living (104)
      • Jesus (97)
      • Christian (67)
      • Believers (57)
      • God (42)
      • Faith (37)
      • encouragement (36)
      • Healing (24)
      • testimony (20)
      • Holy Spirit (20)

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×