All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others

Are you truly...led...by the Holy Spirit?

Good Afternoon My Friends!!!

I have a question I want you to think about during the course of this message today. The Question is...When someone says...We are to shun the flesh...what are they saying? I will ask this very powerful question one more time. The question is...When someone says...we are to shun the flesh...what are they saying?

But first, take a look at what Paul writes in Romans 8:1. Paul writes...There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Paul also writes in 2 Corinthians 6:17...Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.

The question once again is...when someone says...we are to shun the flesh...what are they saying? Here is the powerful answer!!! There are two walks a person can walk and these two walks include Christians as well. These two walks are...the walk of the flesh...and...the walk of the Spirit.

When a Christian chooses...the walk of the flesh...they have chosen...death and cursing. Deuteronomy 30:19 and Matthew 7:13. When a Christian chooses...the walk of the Spirit...they have chosen...life and blessing. Deuteronomy 30:19 and Matthew 7:14.

For every choice...there is a consequence, Ladies and Gentlemen. Once again...For every choice...there is a consequence. For a Christian to choose to...walk in the flesh...the consequence is death and cursing. For a Christian to choose to...walk in the Spirit...the consequence is life and blessing.

Ladies and Gentlemen...looking at this information above...In this life...Which walk have you chosen? Ponder.......your answers....Ladies and Gentlemen!!!

Today...is a Glorious Day!!! Today is...The Lord's Day!!! The First Day of the Week...and...The First Holy Day of the Week...to Celebrate...Jesus Christ!!! For those of you who may be wondering where this comes from in Scripture...just look up Leviticus 23:7.

Celebrating Jesus Christ is so very important, why? Well for one, He created us. Two, Without Jesus Christ, We would have no forgiveness of our sins. And, There is a 3rd reason...simply because...God loves you and me with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3. An Agape Love from Heaven above.

Remember this...without the shedding of blood, there is no remission. That is...perfect blood...Hebrews 9:22. On this very Day, The Lord's Day...on the Third day on the First day of the week...Christ defeated death, Hell, and the grave...nearly 2000 years ago, by rising from the dead after 3 days,...

after He was crucified on an old rugged cross, paying our sin debt we could not pay, and proving to all who believe in Him...there is life after death by rising from the dead. Jesus also proved that we do not have to fear death...anymore. John 11:25 and 1 Corinthians 15:55-56.

In conquering death, hell, and the grave, Jesus Christ...gives to all who believe in Him...POWER FROM ON HIGH...by the Holy Spirit ...to overcome our enemy...the devil. 1 John 4:4. The Bible says in part...for greater is he that is within you than he that is in the world.

Question: Why did Jesus Christ conquer hell? Answer: So, You would not have to go there. You see, Ladies and Gentlemen, Hell is a very real place. All you have to do is call upon His Holy Name, Romans 10:13, and Jesus will save you and keep you out of hell!!!

Luke 16:19-31 is a very powerful passage of Holy Scripture that clearly demonstrates the Bible and God does not teach soul sleep and that hell is a very real place!!!

With this POWER FROM ON HIGH, we have authority over the devil. we have power over the devil and his schemes. We have the Power...from Heaven...to overcome!!! Amen and Amen!!! Question: What are you doing with the Power from on High in your own life?

Today...is a Day...to walk in righteousness and holiness before the Lord. But, Not only for today...but every day of the week. And, You will know who is holy or not...how?

By simply watching the way they live and listening to the words they speak to other people around them. Remember this...Jesus said...Ye shall know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:16a.

Today...is a Day to declare the soon return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!!! Absolutely, Yes indeed!!! Amen!!! Why? Because Jesus declared that He would return, John 14:1-3, to His Disciples.

Then, Jesus gave this very same message to the Apostle Paul to preach to the Gentiles. Galatians 1:11-12, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, and Romans 16:25. Therefore, Jesus Christ is coming soon, Ladies and Gentlemen...sooner than many people think!

Are you ready to meet Him in the air? Are you ready to see Heaven? Remember...The Day of Christ is at hand...2 Thessalonians 2:2...and He will come at such an hour that...ye... think not. You want to be ready to meet Jesus...otherwise...you will be left down behind. Acts 15:17.

Today is the 31st Day of the 5th month...and the Biblical Number 31 means...Offspring. The Biblical Number 5 means...Grace, God's goodness, and Pentateuch (First five books [of the Bible]).

Therefore, by Biblical Number definition...Today...on this Holy Day...is a day to...demonstrate...the type of Offspring...that is in your heart and life. Matthew 12:34-35.

This Offspring is either Godly...or...demonic. The people around you...will know you...by your fruits...which will be your offspring of either Godly...or...demonic. Your fruit will be...the Fruit of the Spirit...or...your fruit will be...the fruit of the demonic.

Remember this...As you continue to grow in wisdom and knowledge of the Lord, you will begin to display the Grace and Goodness of God to every one you meet which is the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit within you. Galatians 5:22-23.

Today...is a Holy Day. Why? The Answer is very simple...God is Holy. Leviticus 11:44 and Leviticus 19:2. God is Holy 7 days week. And, God has commanded that we be holy for He is Holy. 1 Peter 1:16. For how many days? Seven days a week...emulating God.

God says...Be ye holy...for I am holy!!! Please listen very carefully here, Ladies and Gentlemen...God does not wonder if we will become holy...no no...God COMMANDS...We be holy!!!

Why? In these last days of the Church Age, God is raising up Pastors from all walks of life all over this world to declare righteousness and holiness before the Lord...every Sunday.

Questions: Are you holy today...before the Lord? When you leave Church Service today, Will your life...be changed? Or, Will you remain the same...leaving Church the same way you came? What a tragedy!!! Only you can answer these questions...Ladies and Gentlemen!!! Ponder...your answers!

The Title of my message today is...Are you truly...led...by the Holy Spirit? Are you truly...led...by the Holy Spirit?

We have a very Powerful Bible Study so I will ask that you pay very close attention. This Lesson today will challenge some of you...simply because of the way you live, what you listen to, and also what you believe and teach others!

The Lesson you learn today...will change your life as well as your lifestyle...once again...if you so choose. Why? You are...a free moral agent. You are not a robot as some teach in the Christian Church today.

God has given unto you...Free will. God does not force Himself on anyone...but rather...God has given unto you the ability...to choose His Will for your life...or not! Deuteronomy 30:19.

God says...choose life that thou and thy seed may live. When God says...you choose...God has declared...you have...free will. This means...You must do something...You must not only be...a hearer of the Word...but you must also be a...doer of the Word, James 1:22.

You must apply the lesson you learn...then...live the lesson by Faith by applying the Godly Wisdom you gain to your life. Proverbs 4:7 .

Our Powerful Bible Study is found in Romans 8:12-17. Romans 8:12-17. If you have your Bibles with you, please follow along as this powerful Text is read...Romans 8:12-17...

12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father.

16. The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

17. And if children, then heirs; heirs with God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Here ends the reading of God's Holy Word and may God add His richest blessings on this reading today on this Wonderful, Glorious and Beautiful First Holy Day of the week. Once again, from Leviticus 23:7.

Before us, Ladies and Gentlemen, is a very powerful passage of Holy Scripture in which the author of our Text, who is the Apostle Paul, describes for us...who we are in Christ Jesus...and how to live and walk in the Spirit.

What we shall study today is...A Teaching...once understood will change your life, your lifestyle, and how you treat other people around you. Let us examine now our Powerful Text and see what we can learn and apply to our own walk of faith in Jesus Christ!!!

The Apostle Paul writes...12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Take a very good look at what Paul writes above. What do you see? Paul makes a very powerful statement about the Christian walk of faith.

Paul says...Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, [that is the flesh], ye shall live. [brackets added for emphasis]

Paul says...We are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the flesh. Why? Why would Paul say this? The powerful answer is...Because Jesus Christ...set us free...from a life of the flesh...and gave us...the Power to live...a life in the Spirit. John 3:3 and Philippians 2:5,

Yet, Paul continues and gives us the consequence of living in the flesh. Paul says...For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die. Do you see? When you pursue the flesh...the consequence is death. There is no other way around this powerful Bible Truth.

But, when a Christian pursues the Spirit...by putting to death the deeds of the body, that is of the flesh, the consequence is...ye shall live.

Let us take a look at a couple of words and get the definition. The English word...debtor...comes from the Greek word...opheiletes... pronounced...of - i - let' - ace...and literally means...an ower, person indebted, a transgressor (against God)--debtor.

The use of the Greek word...opheiletes...in Romans 8:12 means...for believers to mortify the deeds of the body.

So, the English word... mortify...comes from the Greek word...thanatoo...pronounced...than - at - o' - o...and literally means...to kill, put to death, cause to be put to death, become dead, mortify.

Thanatoo as a verb means to put to death. Regarding Romans 8:13, mortify--the act of a believer in regard to the deeds of the body. As a believer in Jesus Christ, on a daily basis, we are to mortify our language, our deeds, and our thought life and walk in the Spirit...at all times. Why? Because God does.

Questions: Have you mortified the deeds of your body...that is the flesh? Do you walk in the Spirit...at all times? Or, Do you cycle on and off, and when you are off, you are glorifying Satan? Ponder.....your answers...Ladies and Gentlemen.

Paul continues writing...14. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Take a very close look at what Paul writes above. What do you see? You see...a very powerful key...for a believer who walks in the Spirit. The Bible teaches us...Ye shall know them by their fruits. Matthew 7:16a.

When you meet someone and they proclaim unto you that they are a Christian...watch them and listen to them. Why is this so important? So you will not be deceived...and...because of what the Bible teaches in Matthew 12:34-35.

34. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

35. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

What say you? What is the condition of your heart? Right now...even? Is your heart...full of good? Or, Is your heart full of evil? Do you see this powerful point? For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

If you are not led by the Spirit of God...then you are not a son or child of God...but rather...you are a son or child of Satan! This is just how cut and dried this is. There is no sitting on the fence on this issue...either you are led by the Spirit of God...or you are led by the demonic.

Ladies and Gentlemen, There are many people who say they are Christian...but when you watch and listen to them, you will find that they are not truly Christian because they are not led by the Spirit of God...but rather...they are led by the demonic.

They choose to walk in the flesh glorifying Satan..and they go to Church practically every Sunday, and in some cases even sit on Church governing boards making decisions that impact you and your family...even preachers...regarding whether they stay or they are kicked out of the pulpits.

Question: Which person are you? Are you a Christian led by the Holy Spirit? Or, Are you are Christian want to be...being led by the Demonic? Ponder.....your answers...Ladies and Gentlemen!

Paul continues writing...15. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father.

16. The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

Take another close look at what Paul writes above. What do you see? You see a very powerful truth that is not taught in many Churches today.

Paul says...for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear...say what? that's right...Paul says...for ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear.

This is precisely what many people do today. They receive Jesus Christ...and they get baptized...but they do not make Jesus Christ the Lord of their lives.

Instead, they get saved...and go right back to the pig trough they were living in before they got saved. They continue to live in the very same life style that they lived before they got saved.

This is true for the homosexual and lesbian lifestyles and they claim God made them this way. No He did not. God made a man and a woman to live together as man and wife...and multiply.

People who live an alternate lifestyle such as homosexuality or lesbianism...other than what is in the Bible....can never multiply and therefore live in disobedience to God's Command. Why? God never commanded Adam and Eve....to adopt! Never did!

Paul says...We have received the Spirit of Adoption. This is very important. This is how we know we are truly sons of God because we have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry out...Abba Father.

People around us...please listen very carefully now...who have the same mind set...will know us...because we will speak the same language they do.

When we pray...the Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit...that we are truly children of God because we will hear His voice when He speaks to us and we will follow His lead. John 10:27-29.

This is how the Spirit of God bears witness with our spirit that we are truly children of God. We hear God speak to us in our spirit and God will never...I say again...never...contradict His Holy Word.

Questions: Are you led by the Spirit of God? Do you hear God speak to you? Do you hear His still small voice? Do you obey His instructions and Commandments?

Or, Are you like most people in the New Testament...when God spoke or speaks even now...all you hear is...thunder? Ponder.......your answers...Ladies and Gentlemen.

Paul continues writing...17. And if children, then heirs; heirs with God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Take another very close look at what Paul says above. What do you see? You see, once again, a very powerful Bible Truth not taught in many Churches today.

Paul says...if we are children of God, then we are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. What does Paul mean here? You have to keep in mind...the four classes of people...in Holy Scripture.

They are...The Seed of Abraham multiplied as the stars of the heaven, Genesis 15:4-5, The Seed of Isaac multiplied as the stars of the heaven, Genesis 26:4, The Seed of Jacob multiplied as the dust of the earth, Genesis 28:14, and the lost on their way to hell, Matthew 7:13.

The Seed of Abraham multiplied as the stars of the heaven (Gentiles)...are the heirs of God...and joint-heirs with Christ. The Seed of Isaac multiplied as the stars of the heaven...are heirs with Christ and joint-heirs with God. Why? The Seed of Isaac and Jesus are both Jewish. Hebrews 11:17-18.

The Seed of Jacob multiplied as the dust of the earth...will be brought back into the Jewish fold...after the Tribulation of those days. Matthew 24:31. Do you see this? It is very important that you understand the audience in any part of Holy Scripture.

Paul says...if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Ladies and Gentlemen...In this life...we will suffer. We shall have tribulation...but Jesus said...be of good cheer...he has overcome the world. John 16:33.

Don't worry about suffering for Jesus...when you suffer in this world...because your reward will be great in Heaven. Questions: Are you an heir of God and Joint-heir with Christ? Or, Are you playing with the devil...because you think you can and get away with it? Ponder...your answers!!!

My final questions for you today are simply these. Are you truly...led...by the Holy Spirit? Do you hear when He speaks to you? Do you truly know...Jesus Christ...the Son of the Ever Living God?

Or, Are you like many people today...you just play Church on Sunday...and live, talk, and walk like the devil the other 6 days of the week? Ponder...your answers!!!

Get ready, get ready, get ready...Ladies and Gentlemen...get ready, get ready, get ready...Jesus Christ is coming...whether you are ready or not...and whether you are looking for him or not!!! Jesus Christ...is coming!!!

I encourage you today... Stand up for Jesus Christ...and God will stand up for you. The situation may look bleak...but remember this...God holds your life...in the palms of His Mighty Hands...and no man can pluck you out of Christ's Hands!!! John 10:28.

Remember this...Jesus Christ came to set you free...not tie you up. Jesus Christ came to teach us His Father's Way. When you listen and obey...you will be set free and you will gain much wisdom!!!

I encourage you to do the following...Seek God's Face, take up your cross, deny yourself the pleasures of this world, shine the light of God's Holy Word in your life, and according to Jesus Christ, You will have Eternal life...and your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Jesus said, He is the way, the truth, and the life...no man cometh unto the Father but by me. John 14:6. I encourage you once again...Study your Bibles. Get to know the Holy Word of God, 2 Timothy 2:15, and learn to recognize false teachings.

The Church is full of wolves in sheep's clothing...even more so now than ever before. There are many teaching false doctrines today. Do not listen to them. Ask God to give unto you...the Gift of Recognition and the Gift of Discernment...so you will not become a member of the deceived in these last days of the Church Age. 1 Timothy 4:1-2.

And, Remember this...as you seek the Lord...and draw closer to Him...James 4:8...when you resist the devil, the devil has to flee from you, James 4:7. Then, You can do this...Titus 2:13...Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

For we know not the appointed day or hour...The Son of Man... cometh. Matthew 24:36. Ladies and Gentlemen, Are you truly...led...by the Holy Spirit? I pray that you are! Remember this...every time you are bold for Jesus...you give the devil a black eye!

Also, If you have made the wrong choice...it is not too late to change and make the right choice today. 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Repent...Ladies and Gentlemen!!! Repent...Turn from your wicked ways...and live for Jesus Christ with all of your heart, mind, and soul.

I say blessed be the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ!!! And, God bless all of my friends here at Command your Faith Ministries!!!

Rev. Dr. Michael Dickson

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