Something New

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Isaiah 43:18-19

 “But forget all that—
    it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.
 For I am about to do something new.
    See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
    I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

 

S - Stop making excuses

T - Take inventory of your life

A - Act in faith

R - Refocus

T - Trust God

The Virgin Birth

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Luke 1:26-38

SOME FACTS ABOUT MARY...

And I don't mean on being disrespectful BUT we NEED to know the FACTS...

A.) Mary did not have sexual relations with GOD....God supernaturally “overshadowed” her...placing the baby in her womb...

 

IT WAS A MIRACLE FROM GOD!!!

 

B.) Mary had a normal DELIVERY.
 

Luke 2:6,7 says, “And while they were there(in Bethlehem), the time came for her baby to be born.

 

7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.”


C.) Mary was not a PERPETUAL virgin.

(She did NOT remain a virgin forever!)

Jesus is described as Mary’s “firstborn” child in Luke 2:7, which implies that she had additional children. The NT repeatedly makes this claim.

 

THE BIRTH of Jesus was unique; the birth of His brothers and sisters was ordinary.

D.) Mary was not SINLESS.
 

I used to think that the Immaculate Conception was the same as the “Virgin Birth”. I was wrong!!!


The Immaculate Conception is the idea that Mary was born without any stain of original sin. SO maybe this made her more worthy to give birth to Jesus...

 

This is false! And it is not found anywhere in the Bible... She was human...chosen by God BUT human...

 

And, Mary herself declared in Luke 1:47, “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior”. A sinless person does not need a Savior.

E.) Mary deserves our GRATITUDE, not our ADORATION.

 

 

 

So what's the BIG deal about the virgin birth???

 

I believe in a supernatural Christianity that presents a supernatural Christ...Who had a supernatural Birth, Who lived a supernatural Life,

 

Who died a supernatural Death, Who rose in a supernatural Resurrection, and Who is coming again in a supernatural WAY.

 

Therefore...

#1 The Virgin Birth of Christ is a BIG deal because it represents the very power of God!
 

Since the Bible clearly teaches the virgin birth of Jesus, you can’t consistently claim to believe anything else the Bible says and at the same time deny the virgin birth.

Matthew wrote in his gospel that the virgin birth of Jesus was the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14.

 

If the Bible can't be believed on this point why should we believe anything else it says?
 

2 Tim.3:16,17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

 

17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”


Believing in the Virgin Birth is part of agreeing that the whole Bible is inspired by God.

 

Therefore the Bible is THE TRUTH...And your faith in God's Word releases the Holy Spirit to work in your life!!

 

So the BIG deal is that the virgin birth is not a fairy tale. And if the Bible can be trusted then as you read it & apply it...your life will be transformed!!

 

#2 The Virgin Birth of Christ is a BIG deal because it reminds us that Jesus became human!

 

John 1:10 says that, “Jesus came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.

 

John 1:14 says, “So the Word(Jesus) became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

 

Did you know that God could have created Jesus as a complete human being without  ANY human parent? He created Adam didn't He?

 

 

But then it would've been very hard for us to see how Jesus could be FULLY human as we are...
 

On the other hand, God could've created Jesus with two human parents, both a father and a mother, AND somehow miraculously attached a divine nature to Him at birth...

 

But then it would've been harder for us to understand how Jesus was FULLY God, since His origin was like ours in almost every way.

YET God, in his wisdom, ordained a combination of human and divine influence in the birth of Christ. (God-Man!)

 

So that his full humanity would be evident to us from the fact of his ordinary human birth from a human mother...

 

 

 

 

And his full deity would be evident from the fact of his conception in Mary’s womb by the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.”
 

# 3 The Virgin Birth of Christ is a BIG deal because it reminds us that Jesus was sinless!

 

If Jesus was born of 2 natural parents, then He was born a sinner like all other human beings, and He would have needed a Savior for Himself.

 

If He had sin of His own, He could not have died as the substitute for your sins. If He did not die as your substitute then you are lost, and without hope.
 

Christmas isn’t just a story to make us feel warm and fuzzy about family, friends, and peace on earth.

 

At the heart of the Christmas story is that the human race is lost, alienated from the holy God because of our sin.
 

#4 The Virgin Birth of Christ is a BIG deal because it reminds us that only Jesus could bring salvation!
 

The virgin birth of Christ is an unmistakable reminder that salvation can NEVER come through human effort, but  MUST be the work of God Himself.

 

Our salvation only comes about through the supernatural work of God.

 

John1:12,13 says, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

 

13 They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”

 

1 Peter 1:18-20 says, “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver.

 

19 It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. 20 God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but he has now revealed him to you in these last days.

Does it really matter what I believe about the virgin birth? Yes!

 

Is it really a BIG deal? ABSOLUTELY YES!!!!

 

That's the Christmas Bonus! It's more than just a baby being born in a manger over 2000 years ago!

 

It's more than just singing holy night & away in a manger!!!

 

He was born to die for you & I...He shed His spotless precious blood to cleanse us of ALL our sins.

 

And He wants to be our Savior & Lord this Christmas season, today and every day!!!

The Star of Christmas

Matthew 2:1-11

 

The wise men saw that The STAR represented at least three things:

 

 

1 This star represented - Hope. And without (Jesus) the star of Christmas...there isn’t any hope!

 

II Thessalonians 2:16-17 says, “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,

 

17 comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.”

 

Jesus gives us hope for all eternity, and that's an AMAZING gift!

 

2. I believe this star represented - Joy.

 

The Bible says, “When they saw the star, they were filled with joy.”

 

And that joy was expressed by worship & the giving of gifts...

 

3. This star represented – Guidance.

 

Jesus Christ is heaven's answer to the earth’s dilemma! Mankind was lost and the birth of the newborn king gave the wise men direction!!!

 

Matthew 2:12 says, “When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route (or way), for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

 

And we need to understand (like the wise men) that it's impossible to meet Jesus Christ and go home the same way!

 

II Corinthians 5:17 says, “...anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

 

You see – it’s not enough to put a star on our trees this Christmas. That’s not going to lead you or anyone to Jesus.

 

Putting lights and decorations on a fir tree is nice... but that’s all superficial.

 

It’s only when we realize that the Star of Christmas represents hope, joy, and guidance that God begins to show thru.

 

Because like the wise men...you found Jesus...the king...

 

Listen Online to this and past sermons:

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Gifts of The Holy Spirit

Now the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are divided into 3 Categories...

 

#1. The Manifestation Gifts found in 1Cor.12:4-11 (These are usually called the 9 Gifts of the Spirit & they point to the Holy Spirit as the source of the gifts)...

 

#2. The Ministerial Gifts found in Ephesians 4:11-14 (These refer to the leaders or offices of the church)...

 

#3. The Motivational Gifts found in Romans 12:6-8 (These gifts focus on how we use them to serve each other)...

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Power of the Holy Spirit

Ghost Stories Part 4
The Power
Pastor Fredi Vega
11/17/2013
 


Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I. What is the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a vital experience of the Christian life. It is a special work of the Holy Spirit beyond salvation.

So the disciples who had already made a decision to follow Jesus "were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues" (Acts 2:4).

The Holy Spirit is a Spirit of power! Ephesians 3:20 says that He IS quite capable of doing "immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us".

II. What can Christians experience after this baptism?

The short answer is the one Jesus gives in Acts 1:8. We will receive God’s power to be His witness in our neighborhoods and in the whole world.

But how? What power to witness?

A. The Holy Spirit gives us boldness under pressure.

Peter has just been thrown in prison with John for using the name of Jesus to heal a man. The religious leaders have thrown him in jail overnight.

The next day he confronts them in Acts 4:8-13 and basically tells them that they healed the man in Jesus' name, that the religious leaders crucified him, and that salvation is only found in Jesus.

Acts 4:13 says, “The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus.”

B. The Holy Spirit gives us revelation knowledge.

Revelation knowledge is the ability to understand the true meaning of Scripture as given by the Holy Spirit.

Peter and the disciples did not display any real insight into Scripture before the day of Pentecost. Yet, once filled with the Spirit, Peter shows amazing insight as he witnesses for Jesus.

C. The Holy Spirit gives us inspired speech.

By this I simply mean that when we speak the Holy Spirit supplies the words.

For example, in Acts when Peter “addressed” the crowd of mockers on the Day of Pentecost, the word or phrase used there used there means that the Holy Spirit gave him the ability to speak.

III. What is the purpose of speaking in tongues?

In addition to being the primary sign that you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit according to the Bible...

There are at least 3 purposes of speaking in tongues, according to the New Testament:

1. As a gift to edify the church when the tongues are interpreted (1 Corinthians 12:10)

2. As a sign for unbelievers that they might believe (1 Corinthians 14:22)

3. For effective prayer and praise (1 Corinthians 14:2, 14).

In all these cases, tongues is the same in essence, but different in purpose.


Now our quest to be empowered by the Spirit should not focus on tongues. This is where we get out of balance sometimes!

IV. Who is the baptism in the Holy Spirit for?

Acts 2:38,39 says, “Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.”

As the church moves forward, surrounded by an increasingly wicked world, it is essential that we receive the power of the Holy Spirit...

Think about it...if Jesus told His disciples not to leave Jerusalem until they were endued with power why should it be any less important to us?

One writer said...“If your employer offered you a new tool to do your job with less physical effort but more excellence and precision, would you take advantage of that offer?

If a friend told you about a new program that has a great ability to assist people in their efforts to be better husbands, wives, and parents, would you be interested in the program?

How about an offer of some way to improve your Christian witness or multiply your efforts for God’s kingdom?

God has offered you a gift that will give you greater power than you could ever acquire naturally. That gift is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

V. How can I receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Listen, the Bible doesn't give a formula for receiving the baptism, but remember...

1. This experience is for all believers.

If you want the baptism of the Holy Spirit, you must be a Christian that believes this experience is for you.

2. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a Gift.

A gift is not given because you deserve it, fasted or waited long enough … The only requirement is faith.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a gift that God, your loving heavenly father, wants to give you. Don’t make it more difficult than it is.

3. God’s Spirit already lives inside me.

If you're a Christian, the Holy Spirit indwells all believers.
Therefore, Spirit-baptism is an additional work of the already indwelling Spirit.

4. Be open and receptive.

Christmas time is coming! What do normal people do with gifts?

God does not baptize a person against their will. Yielding to the Lord and a willingness to submit to Him will prepare you to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Remember He already gave us the Helper now receive the gift of baptism!!!

 

We apologize. due to technical difficulties we do not have the audio for this message!

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Ghost Stories Part 3 My Helper

John 14:26 reads,
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.

 

Now our text gives us two insights into what the Holy Spirit does in His role as HELPER...

#1.) The Holy Spirit is here to instruct me in understanding my walk with Christ and

#2.) He's here to remind me of things I've forgotten.

Jesus Christ had been a great teacher of his disciples while He was on earth. In fact they called Him “Rabbi” – which means teacher. (John 1:38)

And there was great honor & recognition of His ability in that title...

 

5 characteristics of the Holy Spirit as the Helper that will also encourage you are...

#1. The Holy Spirit is a LOVING Helper

 #2. The Holy Spirit is a FAITHFUL Helper

 #3. The Holy Spirit is a WISE Helper

 4. The Holy Spirit is an ACTIVE Helper

 #5. The Holy Spirit is an EVER-PRESENT Helper

 

The Message Bible says it this way:
“I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us."

God did not call your name to abandon you in the wilderness. He sent you a Helper to be with you forever.

A man had a hundred sheep – yet one night one of them was not to be found. So what did the man do? Did he say, “Ninety nine is enough.”? No!

He left the ninety nine to search for the one that was missing. He searched high and low and He didn't give up his search until the lost one was found.

And when He found it – He rejoiced over it. In fact he went around to his friends and told them the good news – and invited them to rejoice with him.

The Holy Spirit is an ever present helper! He never leaves & He never sleeps... He's the Helper we ALL need...

Ghost Stories part 2

What was the Purpose of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? THE PURPOSE...

The term “Holy Spirit” is actually only used 3 times in the Old Testament – once in Psalm 51 and twice in Isaiah 63. But the terms “Sprit of God” and “Spirit of the Lord”, and other similar terms which are used to identify the Holy Spirit, are used frequently.

#1. To give life

We see this clearly in the Book of Genesis during creation...where the Holy Spirit makes His first appearance in the Scriptures...

Genesis 1:2 says, “The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.”

This idea is confirmed by Job in Job 33:4 where he says, “For The Spirit of God has made me and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.

So in Genesis when God spoke...”Let there be..” With those words (breathing & speaking) He gave life to ALL of creation! Remember, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God!!!”

And knowing that breath is required for life just further confirms the idea that the Holy Spirit is the giver of physical life. And in the New Testament we find that He is the giver of spiritual life as well. So like we said, the Old Testament foreshadowed what was to come!

Now the Holy Spirit draws us to salvation and when we invite Jesus into our hearts the Holy Spirit comes in to give us new life...in the rebirth...we are born again!!!

#2. To reveal

In Nehemiah 9, the people of Israel gathered to worship and Ezra the scribe got up and began to recount how God had blessed His people throughout their history.

As he reminded them of how God had blessed them in the wilderness even after they had forsaken Him, He pointed out how God had revealed His ways through the Holy Spirit.

He says in Nehemiah 9:20, “You sent your good Spirit to instruct them and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst.

Yet because of Jesus, I believe his purpose has become more personal NOT being limited to His Kings, prophets, and priests...so that today He reveals truth to ALL believers!!!

Imagine we have direct access to God & He wants to reveal His truth to us!!! That's AWESOME!!!

#3. To rebuke

The Holy Spirit has ALWAYS been involved in the process of revealing sin and rebuking us when we rebel against God and His ways.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit often did that through the prophets...

Nehemiah 9:30 says, “In your love, you were patient with them for many years. You sent your Spirit, who warned them through the prophets. But still they wouldn’t listen! So once again you allowed the peoples of the land to conquer them.”

God used the prophets to point out Israel’s sins and to warn them of the consequences of that sin. Those prophets spoke as they were led by the Holy Spirit. The prophet Micah also expressed his reliance on the Holy Spirit as God used him to rebuke His people:

Micah 3:8 says, “But as for me, I am filled with power—with the Spirit of the Lord. I am filled with justice and strength to boldly declare Israel’s sin and rebellion.

#4. To equip

And we see this purpose operating in the lives of His people in two broad areas:

A.) To serve God

Throughout the Old Testament we see God giving His people a task and then equipping them to accomplish that task through the work of the Holy Spirit.

When God gave the instructions for the construction of the tabernacle, His Holy Spirit equipped the craftsmen to be able to carry out those instructions:

Exodus 35:30,31

So we see the Holy Spirit equipping His people ...A.) To serve God and...

B.) To represent God

By far the majority of the accounts of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament involve equipping men to be God’s representatives in the world.

We’ve already seen that in the life of the prophets, who spoke on behalf of God. But the Holy Spirit also equipped many others to be God’s representative in some way.

Numbers 11:25 says, “And the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to Moses. Then he gave the seventy elders the same Spirit that was upon Moses. And when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied.

1 Samuel 16:13 says, “So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

So let's briefly look at the process of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament. THE PROCESS...

#1. The work of the Holy Spirit was limited and temporary

regardless of whether the Spirit was upon someone or in them, that was, as a rule, a temporary work of the Holy Spirit that was limited to certain tasks.

For instance, we read that once Saul no longer served God in obedience, God removed His Holy Spirit from Saul’s life:

And 1 Sam. 16:14 says, “Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul and the LORD sent a tormenting Spirit that filled him with depression & fear.... (allowed that spirit to come NOT that He was the source of that spirit)...

We also see that in Samson’s life, the Spirit of the Lord came upon him on a number of different occasions, indicating that His presence in Samson’s life was not permanent.

#2. The work of the Holy Spirit was the sovereign choice of God (spell sovereign :)

The men who experienced the Holy Spirit in their lives neither expected the Holy Spirit to come upon them nor did anything to prompt His work in their lives.

None of them prayed for the Holy Spirit to come or tried to engage in some kind of religious activity that would bring His presence.

It was God who took the initiative to give the Holy Spirit and there is certainly no clear reason given why the Holy Spirit came upon some and NOT on others.

There clearly wasn't some formula or method that someone could use to ensure that they would receive the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

NEVER forced Himself upon anyone. So when Saul rebelled against the leading of the Spirit, the Spirit departed from his life.

And this aspect of the process by which the Holy Spirit operated in the Old Testament is actually very relevant for us. Cause even though the Holy Spirit is present in our lives, there's no guarantee that we're automatically going be a “spiritual” or godly person. And this is Key!!!

*We have to choose to plug into the power He provides and make sure that we don’t hinder His work in our lives.

And when we put everything together that we’ve learned about the work of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, we find that He's the same Holy Spirit who works on our lives today.


The Holy Spirit gives us God’s divine power to accomplish God’s divine work. WE NEED HIM!!! Every day! Every hour!!!