All Scripture quotations are from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise indicated.

August 17, 2007

NEW or OLD

Checked with Grammatik

Published by:

HANDS FOR JESUS

P.O. BOX 18655

MILWAUKEE, WI 53218-0655

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www.handsforjesus.org

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2007 by Merle E. Koepke

NEW or OLD COVENANT

One day someone asked the question, "what do you think about some of the teachings from the Old Testament?" Before I could think about the question, out of my mouth came these words, "why do you think it is called the Old Testament?"

When words come out of your mouth without you thinking first about what you are saying, pay attention to those words. All prophecy that comes from God is "speaking words by the unction of the Holy Spirit." Numbers 23:5 says, "And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said..."

When words come out of your mouth before you have time to think about what you are saying, they didn't come from your mind, they came from your spirit. When this happens, we need to listen to our spirit as we receive more information concerning that which was spoken. At that time, I didn't say much more concerning that subject. Mainly, all I said is that which is old is replaced by that which is new.

Even though the question was "what do you think about some of the teachings from the Old Testament?" We must understand that the word Testament and Covenant mean the same thing. We now have a New Testament that replaces the Old Covenant of the Law. Jesus said to His disciples at that last supper, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you" (Luke 22:20). The word "testament" in this verse should actually have been translated "covenant." These two words mean the same, but many Christians are deceived by the word "testament" when our Bibles are divided into two Testaments, the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Actually, in the Old Testament there are a number of "Covenants." Even thought some of these "covenants" are older than the New Testament that does not mean they are not effective today. As an example, God made a covenant with Noah and his seed after him in Genesis 9:8-17. The token of that covenant is the rainbow, which is still in effect today. The LORD also made two covenants with Abraham, one according to the sand of the sea shore the other one according to the stars of heaven.

The covenant made with Abraham according to the stars of heaven is known as "a covenant of faith," it applies to everyone who lives by faith, that includes the New Testament and the Old Testament even way back to Abel (Gen. 4:4, Heb. 11:4). This covenant of faith applies to Gentiles and Jews alike. It is the same covenant that the New Testament is based upon.

The covenant made with Abraham according to the sand of the sea shore applies only to the seed of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. The possession of the land of Canaan only applies to the descendants of Abraham, through Isaac and Jacob, who came out of Egypt at the time of Moses. The only descendants of Abraham that were promised land, were those who were under the covenant of the Law, given by Moses. The New Testament does not promise Christians any possession of land.

The covenant made with Abraham according to the sand of the sea shore does not apply to the descendants of Abraham through Ishmael neither does it apply to the descendants of Abraham through any of his six other sons born of Keturah, Abraham's second wife (Gen. 25:1-4). Neither do the descendants of Abraham according to the sand of the sea shore apply to "Midian," (considered as the father of the Midianites). The Midianites were the seed of Abraham. Jethro, "the Priest of Midian" was under the covenant made with Abraham according to the stars of heaven. Jethro was a priest of God, and he was also Moses' father-in-law. Yet, he was not an Israelite, and not under the covenant of the Law.

Ishmael, and the six sons of Abraham from Keturah were all sons of Abraham after the flesh. Only Isaac was the son of Abraham according to promise (Gal. 4:28). When the Law came through Moses, all the descendants of Jacob, came under the Law. Yet, none of the other descendants of Abraham came under the Law. If we do not "rightly divide" the Old Testament, we will easily be deceived by the teachings of men.

If we study the Bible, we will find that in Hebrews, 8:6-13 it speaks of our New Covenant. What's interesting about this new covenant is that it is not actually a new covenant but a renewed covenant. It's the same covenant that the LORD God made with Abraham. It's a covenant of faith, by promise, not of works.

After quoting Jeremiah 31:31-34, Hebrews 8:13 says, "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." At the time Paul was writing the Epistle to the Hebrews, the New Testament was still being written. We are now living about nineteen hundred years later. If at that time, it was ready to vanish, how long would it take until it actually vanished?

The covenant that is spoken of in Jeremiah 31:31-34 is the covenant of the Law, given by Moses. The covenant of faith was made with Abraham before the Law. The Law could not change the covenant of faith, given to Abraham. Galatians 3:17 says, "And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect."

How long are Christians going to keep teaching the Law, when it has already passed away? The Law was called the letter, which was first written by the hand of God on tablets of stone (Ex. 24:12). In 2 Corinthians 3:6 it says, "Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life."

In Acts 13:38,39 it says,

Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:

And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Even if Christians could obey the Law, they still could not be justified by the Law. We are not justified by the Law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, Who redeemed us from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:1-4).

Satan uses the Law to keep Christians in bondage. God uses the Blood of Jesus to set us free of sin and death. Sin condemns, but the love of God sets us free. In John 1:17 it says, "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ."

Jesus is the Truth. Truth always sets people free. There is no condemnation when we walk in the truth. The Truth came by grace. By the grace of God, He sent the Truth into the world, that through Him we could be saved.

Even in the worlds system, truth always gives us peace. When we walk in truth, everyone loves us. The world knows those who walk in truth. Those who are honest and do not lie are accepted by others. Truth brings freedom, peace, and joy even in the worlds system.

How much more will the Spirit of Truth help those, who know the Truth (which is Jesus Christ, Himself)? Jesus said in John 8:31,32, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;...And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Freedom comes to those who "continue in the Word of God." Freedom comes by knowing the Truth. Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." When we come to the Father, through the Truth, we receive eternal life.

Eternal life is the very life of God within us. God, Himself lives within our new created spirit. God is in us and we are in Him, making us one with God in the spirit. How can anyone establish a better relationship? When we are related to God by the new birth (born of God), we are a new creation. The old is passed away, and the new has come (2 Cor. 5:17). What a joy, what a peace, knowing from within our spirit that we are truly, children of God. Knowing we will spend eternity with God.

This knowing, is not head knowledge. This is a knowing that produces peace and joy within. It is experiencing the very life of God within us. It's a life changing experience. It's not head knowledge, its revelation knowledge from within our spirit, not within our mind.

To know the Truth, is to experience the Truth in our daily lives. It's when we experience the Truth in our daily lives that we have peace and joy from within.

The Law could not do this. We cannot obtain inward peace and joy by the Law. The Law is good in that it brings us to the knowledge and understanding that of our own ability, we cannot please God. The Law reveals to us that we need the LORD Jesus Christ in our lives daily, for only through the Truth, can we please God.

The more we try to please God by our good works, the more we realize that we cannot please God. Therefore, because of this knowledge, which is taught by man (each one teaching his brother and his neighbor to know the LORD), we put ourselves in bondage again to rules and regulations. Under rules and regulations, we will never be free.

Jesus spoke of the letter of the Law, when He said, "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess" (Matt. 23:25). The Law only works from the outside. It tries to change the way people live as they are seen by others. The Law does not change the inside. It is the inside of a person that must first be changed, before the outside. If that which is inside is still corrupt that which is on the outside will not become a lasting change.

This is seen clearly all throughout the Scriptures. The principle of the seed and plant is used many times in the Scriptures. Whatsoever is the source of the seed will be revealed by the fruit that is produced by the plant. The plant is dependant upon the seed by which it had its beginning. The life of the plant is in the seed. The life of the plant flows through the stem, into the branches, and produces fruit, which is identical to the seed that was planted.

It is a complete reproduction of that which is on the inside, not that which is on the outside. God works from the inside, and religion, rules and regulations work from the outside (from the mind).

If the inside is not changed, what is on the outside will only be temporal. For a seed to produce another seed like unto itself, that seed must die, and a new plant must come from the dead seed. This is an operation from inside, not from the outside.

Religion, rules and regulations, work from the outside. But God works from the inside. God begins with a new birth. This new birth must be in Christ Jesus. This new birth is born of the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:23, John 3:6,7).

This new birth is "spiritual" not natural. All things that exist began in the spiritual realm, not the natural realm. Before the creation of heaven and earth, there was God. John 1:1-3 says,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (NKJV)

The LORD is the beginning of all things. Without the LORD in our lives, we cannot inherit eternal life. Without the LORD we cannot be saved.

The beginning of eternal life takes place in our spirit, not our flesh, not our mind. In the new birth, life begins by receiving a new spirit (Ezek. 36:26). This new spirit is the dwelling place of God the Father and the Son. This is an inward birth, not an outward birth. It begins in our spirit, and from our spirit, God changes our outward man.

The New Testament is focused upon the inward man of the heart, not the outward man of the flesh. What the law could not do, God did for us in Christ Jesus.

If Christians would focus upon what God is doing from the inside, the outside will change to be like that which is on the inside. We should be teaching Christians who they are in Christ Jesus, and how that God wants to change everything in their lives for their good. God's total plan for man is revealed in 1 Corinthians, Chapter Fifteen. The turning point from the beginning of that Chapter is in verse forty-nine, which says, "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly."

This is the answer to all the needs of everyone born into this world. What man could not do, God is doing for us in Christ Jesus. To try to change a person from the outside, by religion, or rules and regulations, will not work. It never did work and never will work. But to submit to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and let God make the changes from the inside, from within our spirit will result in peace and joy, and eternal life.

When we focus on the New Testament, God will change our lives from the inside out. If we focus upon the Old Testament law and try to help others by teaching from the Old Testament law, we will see some temporal changes. But these changes will not last. Many times, we may think we are helping them. As long as they obey the rules and regulation, it will look good in the outward appearance, but the inside is not changed. Man cannot change the inside. Only God can change the inside of man.

As years go by, many of those whom we may think were changed by teaching from the Old Testament law will slowly drift away. One by one they leave and we may not see them anymore. The changes that we make by teaching then ourselves, will only be temporal.

But, when God gets inside, and changes a person from the inside by the preaching of "the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and Himself Crucified," we will see lasting changes. It is that which continues until the end that will be saved. Those who turn away, once they have come to the knowledge of the Truth, could be in danger to say the least.

It's important to understand spiritual things. God works from the spiritual realm, drawing people to Jesus Christ, His Son. Satan also works from the spiritual realm, drawing people away from the Truth which is in Christ Jesus.

It says in Philippians 2:13, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." God works from within our spirit. Satan works from our minds, trying to control what we think and what we do according to the flesh. God works from the top down. Satan works from the bottom up. The top points to heaven, the bottom points to hell. The spirit of man is from God. The flesh of man is from the earth.

We must learn to separate that which is of the flesh from that which is of the spirit. Galatians 5:17 says, "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." Jesus said in John 3:6, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Christians need to learn the difference between the flesh and the spirit, the difference between that which is from God and that which is from the devil. We cannot walk with God and walk after the flesh at the same time. We must learn to walk after the Spirit, and not after the flesh, not according to our mind, but according the Word of God in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit always leads us according to the Word of God, which is revealed in the New Testament.

The complete Old Testament is the foundation of the New Testament. It is like a house that is built upon a foundation. The foundation is under the building, holding the building up. The foundation extends into the ground. A good foundation goes way down in the earth until it rests upon solid rock. If the foundation is not resting upon sold rock it can be moved and may not stand when the wind and rain come.

Yet, the house we live in is above the foundation. We do not live in the foundation. We live in the house which is built upon the foundation.

Our life is not of this world. Our life is from above, not from below. We must look up toward heaven, not down at the foundation upon which we came from. We began in the foundation, but we must arise above the foundation. Only those who have eyes to see and ears to hear will understand the difference between the Old Testament law and the New Testament. We cannot change peoples lives, we can only lead them to the giver of life, and let God change them from the inside out, not from the outside in.

The Difference

Between the New and the Old?

The Old Testament was the foundation for the New Testament. In the Old Testament the children of Israel were chosen by the LORD to be His people. In Genesis 12:7 it says, "And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land ..." The LORD chose the children of Israel because of Abraham. In Genesis 13:15 the LORD said to Abraham, "For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever." Then the LORD added to that by saying, "And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered."

As we study the Scriptures of the Old Testament, the LORD was keeping His covenant that He made with Abraham. The children of Israel were not children of God, they were the seed of Abraham. They were as the dust of the earth. They were living souls, earthly, of the earth (1 Cor. 15:45-48).

They were still "in Adam," none of them were "in Christ." They were born of the flesh, but not of the Spirit (John 3:6). They were chosen by the LORD in Abraham, because of a covenant the LORD made with Abraham. They lived in the flesh and walked after the flesh.

In comparison, let us look at some important facts concerning the New Testament. In Daniel 2:44 it says, "And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever." Here we can see that "the kingdom of God" did not come until the fourth kingdom beginning with the Babylonian captivity (which was the Roman captivity).

One important fact concerning the New Testament is "the kingdom of God is here on earth" as well as in heaven. Yet the kingdom of God did not come to earth until after Jesus died and arose again from the dead. Jesus said in Luke 22:18, "I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come." At that time (when Jesus spoke these words), the kingdom of God had not yet come. Yet, Jesus did drink of the fruit of the vine with His disciples during the forty-days following His resurrection. In Acts 10:41 it talks about Jesus and his disciples, saying that they, "did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead." The kingdom of God came after Jesus' resurrection.

The complete New Testament is based upon the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, whereby, the kingdom of God came down to earth and now dwells in all those who are born again. There is a major difference between a person who is born again and one who is not born again. In 1 Corinthians 15:22 it says, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

What man could not do in the flesh, God does for those who are "in Christ." Man could not save himself. The Law could not justify man. In the kingdom of God, all who believe are justified by Jesus Christ (Acts 13:38-39).

In the new birth, people become true children of God by a second birth. In the New Testament, those who are chosen by God are true children of God. They are not of this world, but born of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:23, John 3:6).

In the Old Testament there was a covenant made with Abraham, which included all those who walked by faith. These were according to the stars of heaven (Gen. 15:5). Yet, none of the children of Israel were born again, or baptized in the Holy Spirit. This could not happen until after Jesus was glorified through His death and resurrection (John 7:39).

Now speaking of the complete Bible, the major difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament is the new birth and the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Without the new birth and the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we are no different than the children of Israel in the Old Testament.

Why do Christians still want to go back to live like the children of Israel lived in the Old Testament? Why go back to walking after the flesh when God's desire is that we walk after the Spirit?

In the Old Testament times many did walk by faith, and thereby they were justified. Romans 4:2 says, "For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God." Abraham was justified by faith, not by works. Romans 4:3 says, "For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." Because of Abraham's faith, it was counted unto him for righteousness. It was not Abraham's righteousness, it was the LORD'S righteousness which was imputed upon Abraham (Rom. 4:22).

In the New Testament we have justification by faith, but now we can also "walk after the Spirit" and not after the flesh. This was not a part of the Old Testament. Walking after the Spirit is a much better plan than walking after the flesh. God is not pleased with those who walk after the flesh. Romans 8:5 says, "For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit." Walking after the flesh is the same as being "carnally mind." In Romans 8:6,7 it says,

For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

The New Covenant gives us the opportunity to walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. We serve God from our spirit, not from our mind. In Romans 1:9, Paul makes mention of this by saying, "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son..."

The first four books of the New Testament are called "the Gospels" (good news). The good news of the New Testament is much better than the Old Testament. Therefore, Christians need to understand the difference between the New Testament and the Old Testament.

In the Old Testament, people were killed when they did not obey the LORD. Nations were destroyed, even the little children (1 Sam. 15:3). But in the New Testament it is not that way. In Luke 9:54, James and John came to Jesus saying, "Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?" Jesus answered them, saying, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of....For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them..." (Luke 9:55,56). God is not for killing anyone in the New Covenant. That was Old Testament, the Old is now passed away and the New Testament is now in full operation.

In another case in John 8:3-11 the Pharisees brought a woman to Jesus, which they caught in the act of adultery, tempting Him. They said to Jesus, "Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act....Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?" (John 8:4,5). When Jesus answered them, He said to them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her" (John 8:7). After the Pharisees left, Jesus said to the woman, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more" (John 8:11).

In the New Testament, we are not to condemn anyone. We are to preach the gospel, and get them set free of whatsoever is binding them. Everyone must be set free of anything and everything that the spirits of this world hold them in bondage to.

God is not condemning anyone in the New Testament. God is setting people free of all bondage to any of the works of the enemy. People condemn themselves by not believing on the name of (Jesus) the Son of God (John 3:16-18).

Religion, rules and regulations, operate by the spirits of this world, and they put people in bondage. They work through the minds of people, including Spirit-filled Christians. This operation works from the outside of man. The Holy Spirit works from the spirits of people, working from the inside. If there is no change on the inside of a person, the changes made from the outside will not succeed in setting a person free of the spirits of this world.

Even among many Christian churches today, there are spirits working to bring Christians into bondage. They make rules and regulations that keep Christians in bondage. They compel and require certain rules and regulations that even those issuing these rules and regulations cannot keep. In Acts 15:28,29 the apostles made this statement concerning the Gentiles who come to Christ. It says,

For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

The apostles at that time, who knew how to hear from the Holy Spirit said, "it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things." Therefore, the Holy Spirit was in on that decision, not to lay any greater burden upon the Gentiles then those four things.

When Christians lay greater burdens upon other Christians, the Holy Spirit is not in on it. Burdens laid upon a person only keeps them from being free. Burdens open the door for the spirits of this world to control what people do.

The Holy Spirit is not a controlling Spirit. God is love, and all things are done in love, not placing burdens upon Christians. God never forces anyone to do anything. God leads, guides, comforts, teaches, and helps Christians to do the will of God.

Philippians 2:13 says, "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." God works with Christians from within them, from their spirit. Satan works from outside, from the mind. Satan puts people in bondage, and the Holy Spirit sets them free of bondage.

There are many teachings of men today among Christian churches, putting others into bondage, and compelling them to obey their rules and regulations. This is not of God. God does not compel anyone to do anything. God puts His laws in Christians minds and writes them in their hearts that they know and do His will (Heb. 8:10).

From within our spirit, we know the laws of God and the will of God. We are never forced to obey, for God only receives that which we do of our own free will. Love is the motive for the whole New Testament.

The New Testament operation is different than the Old Testament operation. In the Old Testament, people taught people to know the LORD. As one example, The LORD chose the tribe of Levi in place of the firstborn of every family to serve Him. The Levites were chosen by the LORD to do all the service of the LORD and to teach the people (Num. 3:12). That was a part of the Law given by Moses. But, in Jeremiah 31:31-34 it says,

Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

In the New Testament, people are not sent to teach people to know the LORD. This will seem somewhat different from most Christians have been taught. But, this is God's Word to Christians. The LORD, by way of the Holy Spirit is going to teach Christians to know the LORD. He is going to put His laws in their inward parts (or minds as it says in Hebrews 8:10), and write them in their hearts. God is going to be the God of Christians, and none other will be their God. God, meaning "supreme in power, authority, and ability."

Jesus said in John 6:45, "It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God..." In John 14:26 Jesus said, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things..." In John 16:13, Jesus said, "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." In 1 John 2:27 it says, "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."

How does the Holy Spirit teach the children of God? From within our spirit the Holy Spirit leads, guides, comforts, helps, and teaches us. Yet, the Holy Spirit can do very little without the written Word of God. Therefore, as it says in Philippians 2:13, "it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." From within us, the Holy Spirit draws us to the Word of God, whereby He can give us revelation of the Word of God, that we might do that which is pleasing to God.

When we read or study the Word of God, it's not our own idea, it's the leading of the Holy Spirit. When we study or even hear the Word of God, the Holy Spirit brings to our attention those things which He knows we need to understand. When the Holy Spirit leads us to read or hear the written Word of God, He then gives us revelation of what it truly means, not according to man's wisdom but according to the wisdom of God.

Christians don't need someone to teach them the Law, for the Holy Spirit will guide them to read, study, and hear the written Word, especially the New Testament. As we read, study or hear the written Word, the Holy Spirit gives us understanding, by the wisdom of God, not the wisdom of men.

The Holy Spirit works with Christians differently then people work with people. The Holy Spirit brings revelation knowledge to Christians, not intellectual knowledge. The Holy Spirit draws our attention to those things He knows we need to understand. Not what we want to know, but what He wants us to know.

There are many ways the Holy Spirit works in the Word of God to teach the children of God. Sometimes, He puts the desire in us to read in the Scriptures. Then when we open our Bibles, He draws our attention to certain passages, that we need to see certain parts of. Many times, the Holy Spirit will bring us back to the same passage, and reveal to us something that we never understood before.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit will bring certain passages to our mind even when we are not reading, studying, or hearing the Word of God. This He does so that we get back into the Scriptures and see something, and learn something we did not know before. And sometimes only to remind us of what we learned a long time ago and have overlooked what we already knew from the Word of God.

There are numerous ways the Holy Spirit uses to teach us the Word of God. If we love the LORD, then we also have a love for the written Word of God. We cannot love the LORD without having a love for the written Word of God. The LORD and the Word of God are one in the same. You cannot separate them, one from the other.

Hebrews 4:12 tells us, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." When the Holy Spirit is leading and teaching us from the written Word of God He makes changes in our inner being that we understand the love of God and that changes the thoughts and intents or our heart.

It is the love of God that changes us from the inside, not the teaching of men that try to change us from the outside. The Spirit of God works from our spirit, whereas men work from our minds. That which God does from our spirit causes changes in the way we think, and in what we do according to the will of God, not according to the will of man.

Many people in the position of ministry today want to do God's work for Him. So they try to change people by the teachings of men. It looks like is works sometimes, but in the end, it usually fails. God is love. And only God can change peoples lives to flow with God. Religion tries but will always fail. When God does it His way, it always works.

When the Holy Spirit draws Christians to read or hear the Word of God, especially baby Christians, He usually starts with the four gospels, where Jesus did the teaching. The more they love the LORD, the more they see changes in their lives to resist the devil and sin, and follow Jesus.

As Christians mature in the LORD while being taught by the Holy Spirit, they enjoy reading and hearing the Word of God from Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation. In these books the Holy Spirit adds to their understanding the teachings from the Word of God. As it says in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." It is the Holy Spirit that does the teaching in these areas of a Christian's life.

When people try to teach the Scriptures for the purpose of doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction, there is an element of rebellion. The spirits of this world inject thoughts in the minds of Christians and they cause rebellion. These things cannot be taught by the natural mind. They must be witnessed by the Spirit. When there is no witness in the spirit, rebellion takes root in the individual, and they turn away from God, not to God.

How does the Holy Spirit use those who are called to the ministry to help teach others? It is done by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, working in and through the individual that God has anointed to do the speaking. It is interesting to understand what the Holy Spirit is saying in 1 Corinthians 14:1, which says, "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." Those who have been taught by men, do not understand what the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to write in this verse. When it says, "but rather that ye may prophesy," it means "that you would speak as the Holy Spirit gives you the utterance."

All ministry work is to be done by the Holy Spirit working through the individual. No ministry work is to be done by the natural man from his natural mind. It should be by the unction of the Holy Spirit.

The teachings of men have caused many to try to do the work of the ministry by their own ability, working from their mind. That is Old Testament, not New Testament.

In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is the teacher, and He teaches us from our spirit, not our mind. He teaches by His ability, not man's ability. When He anoints someone with a ministry gift, He controls that gift Himself.

The true anointing does not operate without the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit must be involved for the true anointing to operate. The true anointing does not work outside of the written Word of God.

Notice something of importance between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. In the gospel of John, it says,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3, NKJV)

These verses are explaining that in the beginning was the Word of God, Who is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Word of God. The Word of God is Jesus.

Jesus created all things, and in the beginning, nothing was created that was not created by Jesus. Jesus comes before all things. The Word of God comes before all things. Without the Word of God this creation would not exist. Without the Word of God, man would not exist, for man was created by the Word of God. "In the beginning was the Word," and the Holy Spirit always follows the Word of God.

First, Jesus came into this world, manifest in the flesh, born of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 1:23). The Word of God had already gone forth into this world, concerning the birth of Jesus, born of a virgin, etc. Once the Word had gone forth, the Holy Spirit could come and manifest that which was written. Jesus could not have been born of a virgin, had not the Word of God been first written in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit can only manifest that which is written....

When Christians understand this, then they will be in a position to receive "revelation from the written Word of God." The Holy Spirit cannot come before the Word of God, and in the New Testament especially, He cannot manifest anything which is not already written.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit cannot indwell in anyone who is not first born again of the Word and the Spirit. Those who are not truly born again, cannot receive the Holy Spirit into their spirit. It is written in Ezekiel 36:26,27,

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

First a person must receive "a new heart and a new spirit" before God can put His Holy Spirit within them. This was written in the Old Testament, therefore, the Holy Spirit could come and indwell in the spirits of Christians, but not in those who are not born again.

Jesus said in John 16:7, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." The Holy Spirt could not come and indwell in the spirits of Jesus' disciples until after Jesus arose again from the dead. Jesus is the firstborn from the dead. Jesus is Christ, the anointed, risen Word of God. Jesus died and arose again from the dead according to the written Word of God.

Understand this spiritual truth: Jesus was the Son of God from the beginning. Jesus was the Word of God from the beginning. Jesus was the LORD God all throughout the Old Testament. Jesus created all things, including everything listed in Genesis, Chapter One and Two. "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made" (John 1:3).

At the same time, Jesus was not "Jesus," until He was born into this world as a man, born of a virgin. Jesus became "Jesus" according to the written Word of God, when the Holy Spirit caused His conception in Mary.

Following that, Jesus did not become "Christ" until after He received the Holy Spirit following His water baptism by John the Baptist. Jesus was about thirty years old when He became "Christ," the Anointed One. He was always the Son of God. He was always the Word of God. He was always the LORD God. But, He did not become "Jesus" until He was born into this world as a man in the flesh. He did not become "Christ" until He was anointed with the Holy Spirit at about the age of thirty.

In the beginning Jesus was called the Word of God. After His death and resurrection He is still the Word of God, the Son of God, the LORD, Jesus, Christ, etc. Jesus never lost anything that was once His according to the Word of God.

Once Jesus died and arose again from the dead, He became Christ, "the head of the body of Christ." Christ is the beginning of a new creature. Adam was the first man (old creature). Christ became the Second Adam (man), the One in which all those who are in Christ become a part of His body.

Christ is the Anointed One, and all those in Christ can also be anointed with the same Holy Spirit that Jesus was anointed with. It's the same Holy Spirit that Christians can also receive.

No one could become born again until after Jesus became the firstborn from the dead. No one can receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit before they are born again. Therefore, Jesus said in John 16:7, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." This indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the anointing of the Holy Spirit was not available to those of the Old Testament. These things are only available to those of the New Testament.

In the New Testament, we can become "a new creature in Christ." We can become anointed with the Holy Spirit. We can receive the power of God in our lives to live like Jesus lived. We can walk like Jesus walked. We can talk like Jesus talked.

Yet, there is one requirement concerning all these things, that we do it just as Jesus did it. It must be the Holy Spirit working through us just as He worked through Jesus.

It must be the will of God, not the will of man. It must be the Holy Spirit, not some other spirit. It must be from our spirit, not from our mind.

We must follow Jesus' instructions, written in the Gospels and explained further in the Epistles. Unless we deny ourselves, we cannot walk like Jesus walked. Unless we do "only the will of God the Father," we cannot walk like Jesus walked. Unless we pick up our cross and follow Jesus example, we cannot be one of His disciples.

It must be the Holy Spirit working in us and through us, otherwise it is counterfeit (another spirit). There are many spirits manifesting in great signs and wonders within the Churches today. These are not the Holy Spirit, they are sent by the devil to lead Christians away from the true anointing.

We cannot serve other spirits and God at the same time. God cannot have fellowship with other spirits. God can only have fellowship with those who follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

This is what the New Testament is all about. It is our preparation for eternity. In Heaven, the people that will be there are those who will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. We must know the difference between the Holy Spirit and other spirits.

WALK AFTER THE SPIRIT

In Romans 8:14 says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Walking after the Spirit and led by the Spirit are the same thing. We cannot walk after the Spirit of God unless we are led by the Spirit of God.

There is a lot of information in Romans, chapter eight concerning walking after the Spirit. The first eight verses compare walking after the Spirit with walking after the flesh. Why this comparison? Simply, because walking after the Spirit is the opposite of walking after the flesh. Galatians 5:17 says, "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."

Christians cannot do the things that the flesh wants to do and walk after the Spirit of God at the same time. One is the opposite of the other.

How do we know what is of the flesh and what is of the Spirit? We can only know the difference by revelation of the Word of God given to us from the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 2:14 it tells us, "...the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."

By the Word of God, we can know the difference when we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit from within us. Those who do not have the Holy Spirit within them, cannot know the things of the Spirit. The discernment of spiritual things comes from within our spirit, not from within our mind.

So, how can we know the difference between that which is of the flesh and that which is of the Spirit? The Scripture makes it very clear which is which. As it tells us in Galatians 5:17, they are opposite of each other. But now look at John 3:6, which says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." These are opposite of each other. One is born of the flesh. The other is born of the Holy Spirit. Whatsoever is of man, is of the flesh. Whatsoever is of God is of the Spirit.

Everyone who is born into this world is born of the flesh. There is only one person who was born into this world that was not born of the flesh, and that is "Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God." Jesus' conception in Mary, was not by man, but by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:31-35).

Jesus was without sin, whereby everyone else born into this world was born with sin and death resident in them (Rom.5:12). Adam and Eve were not born into this world, they were created without sin, but they yielded over to Satan and sin and death entered into them and became resident in them.

Everyone born into this world following Adam and Eve were descendants of Adam and Eve (except Jesus). Everyone came out of Adam and Eve, just as a plant reproduces after its own kind, so did man reproduce "after his kind." Genesis 5:3 says, "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth." Seth was not born in the likeness and image of God, but in the likeness and image of Adam.

In Isaiah 53:6, it tells us, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way..." That which is born of the flesh walks after the flesh... Before Jesus' death and resurrection, everyone (except Jesus), walked after the flesh, and went their own way. Not one person (other than Jesus) walked after the Spirit.

What happens when a person walks after the flesh? If we study Romans 7:14-24, the apostle Paul used himself as an example, telling us that when we know what is good, and want to do good, we find ourselves doing that which we know is not good. Therefore, of our own ability, we cannot walk after the Spirit. If we continue to walk after the flesh, we cannot please God. Romans 8:7,8 tells us,

Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

The New Testament talks about two Adams. In 1 Corinthians 15:47 it tells us, "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven." In 1 Corinthians 15:22 it says, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."

There are many who are still in the first Adam. But those who are born again are "in Christ" (the second Adam). We were in Adam, but when we were born again we passed from the first Adam into the second Adam, which is "Christ." Look at Romans 8:9, which says, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his."

We are still the same person as we were in the beginning, but we have changed our position. We were in Adam, but now we are "in Christ." This is all a work of God in our lives. It is not something we did of ourselves. John 1:13 says, "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

God has made us a new creature "in Christ." This was a work of the Holy Spirit and not of man. We could not of ourselves become born again. It had to be a work of the Holy Spirit, not of ourselves.

Just as when we were born into this world, we were babies in the flesh. We did not know anything about living in the flesh. We had to learn and be taught how to live in this world as a human being. We had to continue to learn as we grew up from a baby to an adult. In our learning experience we made many mistakes, which we paid the price for our mistakes.

This is the same in the new birth. When we are born again of the Spirit, we are babes in Christ. We must learn to walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. We must grow up and mature in Christ. Yet, there are many who still make mistakes and they do pay the price for their mistakes.

One thing wonderful about God is that we do not have to pay for the mistakes we make if we repent and believe the gospel. For Jesus, Himself, paid the price for our mistakes. The payment was already made almost two-thousand years ago on the Cross of Calvary. He paid the price that we could be free of our past mistakes. All our past mistakes "that we have repented of" are paid for and forgotten by God.

But, what about our present mistakes and our future mistakes. Are they already paid for and forgotten? The Bible tells us, they are paid for, "but not forgotten." We must turn from our mistakes, repent, and then they will be forgotten. In 1 John 1:9 it says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." But then in the next verse it says, "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." God is not a liar, but if we make Him a liar in what we do, He will not cleanse us from all sin.

There are many Christians today, walking after the flesh and not after the Spirit. Not only that, but many who say they are pastors, prophets, and apostles, are still walking after the flesh and not after the Spirit.

Therefore, it is important that we learn to walk after the Spirit, and not after the flesh. Galatians 6:7,8 says,

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

We must not sow to the flesh. We must sow to the Spirit. All that we have, all that we will ever be is dependant upon which one we sow to, the flesh or the Spirit?

How do we know if we are sowing to the flesh or the Spirit? It is simple, when we receive revelation from the Word of God. The world walks after the flesh. They do not know any different. They do what they know, and what they have been taught by the world. What the world does is of the flesh.

The flesh and the Spirit are opposite of each other, therefore, the Word of God tells us,

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. (1 John 2:15-17).

There are many places in the New Testament that tell us this same thing. In Philippians 3:17-19, Paul writes,

Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

It is sad, when we see so many in the positions of pastors, prophets, and apostles who "who mind earthly things." These are walking after the flesh, and not after the Spirit.

We cannot love the world or the things that are in the world and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit at the same time. The Holy Spirit will never lead us contrary to the written Word of God. What is written, is what the Holy Spirit uses to lead us.

Identifying the flesh and the Spirit

It is important that we learn how to identify that which is of the flesh and that which is of the Spirit. There are many ways to identify the difference between the two.

In 1 John 4:1 it tells us, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." We must be very careful of what we believe. It is easier to believe the flesh than it is to believe the Holy Spirit. We are taught in the world, and by the worlds system to believe according to what we see, and what we hear, along with all the other senses of our natural man. These can be very deceptive, being they are of the flesh.

Therefore, we are instructed to "try the spirits whether they are of God..." This means two things, not all the spirits are of God. To know if they are of God or not, we must try the spirits. Certainly, when we try the spirits and find they are not of God, we should not follow after them. Those who follow after spirits that are not of God, will easily be deceived by these very same spirits.

We are to try "every spirit," not just the spirit of antichrist. How do we try the spirits? We try the spirits by the words that a person speaks. We are not told to try the person, but the spirits that are influencing the person.

From what Jesus said in John 6:63 we see that words are spirit. Jesus said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." Jesus said, the Words that He speaks are spirit, and they are life.

Understand, Jesus said, "words are spirit, not spirits." Words travel throughout the entire creation, even all the way from earth into heaven. But words are not spirits. Words control what spirits do. Spirits are controlled by words.

What Jesus also said is, that it is the Holy Spirit that brings life to the Words that He speaks. If the Holy Spirit does not witness with the words that are spoken, then we should not believe them. There must be a witness in our spirit to the words that are spoken. There must also be a witness in the written Word of God to the words that are spoken. These two witnesses are necessary to establish which spirit is speaking.

In 1 John 5:8 it says, "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one." We know from the writings of the apostle John that the word "water" in this verse is speaking of the written Word of God, not liquid water. (Those who have been deceived by the flesh, and the natural mind will not understand this. Only those who receive revelation from the Holy Spirit will understand that many times the apostle John used the word water symbolically or figuratively, not literally).

Therefore, 1 John 5:8 is telling us that God has given us three witnesses here on earth, the Holy Spirit, the written Word, and the blood of Jesus. These three witnesses replace the Old Testament witnesses of two or three men (Deu. 17:6; 19:15).

There must be a minimum of two of the three witnesses listed in 1 John 5:8. God never tells us to go by only one witness. There must always be at least two witnesses. That would mean, we cannot go only by what is spoken, without the witness of the Holy Spirit and the written Word of God. Sometimes, we will also need the witness of the blood of Jesus (in certain instances only).

If it is of the flesh, there will not be a witness in our spirit. Also, most of the time when it is of the flesh, the words spoken will not agree with the original writings of the Scriptures (that is the Hebrew and the Greek). English translations are not the original writings of the Scriptures and they have many errors in them. We will not receive a witness from the Holy Spirit to any English translations that do not agree with the Hebrew and the Greek.

When we hear words spoken by someone that are quotations from some translation that is in error, the Holy Spirit will alert us, that we know it is not of God. That is a work of the Holy Spirit, working for us from within our spirit.

If we continually study the written Word of God, and continue to pray in the Spirit, we will become very sensitive to the witness of the Holy Spirit within us. In our spirit we will know when there is something wrong with what was said. Let me give one example of what the Holy Spirit will do when you hear someone say something that does not agree with the original inspired written Word of God.

One day I was listening to someone teaching from the Bible concerning the three parts of man, "spirit, soul, and body." Then a statement was made, something like this, "According to John 4:24, God is a Spirit, therefore, man being created in the likeness and image of God is also a spirit, and has a soul and lives in a body." When I heard that, I got a sick feeling in my spirit. I knew there was something wrong with that statement.

Remember, we are to try the spirits, if they are of God. We do not try the person doing the speaking, but we try the words that are spoken. Even though I knew that the statement was not correct, I also knew that when the Holy Spirit gives me a witness in my spirit I am to check it out with the written Word of God (which is one of the three witnesses).

When I looked it up in the King James Version of the Bible it did say, "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." But, when I looked it up in the Greek, it didn't say that. In the Greek, it begins by saying "God Spirit...." The words "is" and "a" are not in the Greek. In the New King James Version it was corrected, and also a number of other translations were correct. In the New King James Version it says "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." The New King James Version left out the word "a" and also the second word "him." These words were added by the translators, and in this case the translators of the King James Version made an error in their translation from the Greek to the English.

What happens in the spirit realm is, that spirits cause people to teach things that are not correct. Right along with this error in John 4:24, another error is taught from Luke 3:38, where the King James Version says, "Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." Adam was not the son of God. That is an error in translating from the Greek to the English. The Greek says, "which of Enos, which of Seth, which of Adam, which of God." Adam was not a son of God, he was a created being, created by the LORD God.

Errors like these cause many Christians to believe the error, and not the truth that the Holy Spirit inspired in the original text. What the spirits of this world do, is they use these errors to teach their doctrine, which many who do not study their Bibles, and do not pray in the Spirit, believe their teachings. These teachings are sometimes called the doctrines of men (Col. 2:22). These are doctrines that are taught by those who do not receive their information from the Holy Spirit, but rather from men. Their information does not come from the Holy Spirit, it comes from other spirits. This is similar to the time when Peter spoke in Matthew 16:22, saying "...Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee." In Matthew 16:23 it tells us that Jesus "...turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men." The spirit that Peter heard from was not from God.

We must be very careful which spirit we hear from. We cannot go around teaching what we hear others teach, unless we first receive it from the Holy Spirit.

It is so important that we know what the Holy Spirit inspired in the writings of the original Hebrew and Greek. We cannot believe every translation. We must check out these translations against the original. This does not mean we must learn to read Hebrew and Greek. The Holy Spirit knows what we know and what we do not know. If we are committed to follow after the Holy Spirit and not after the flesh, He will alert us when we read in some translations that which is not correct.

We must try the spirits, if they are of God. Those teachings that do not agree with the original inspired Word of God are of other spirits, not the Holy Spirit.

Another way the spirits of this world, working through the flesh manifest is in teaching a doctrine, using a Scripture that has nothing to do with what they teach. There are many of these teachings within the Body of Christ.

One example, is using Galatians 3:13,14 to teach on worldly prosperity. It says in Galatians 3:13,14,

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

What the spirit of error does, is it adds an "s" to the word blessing in Galatians 3:14. It's not in the written Word, but it is spoken by those who teach this doctrine. In other words, you will know the spirit that is not of God by the words people speak.

When someone adds an "s" to the word blessing, it changes the inspired Word of God from the singular form to the plural form. This then allows them to teach something that is not in that Scripture verse. It changes the Word of God and makes the Word of God of non-effect. When this is done, the Holy Spirit cannot bare a witness to the words that are spoken.

The complete context of this verse of Scripture is changed. The changing of this by adding an "s" gives the spirits of this world a way to mislead Christians into thinking God wants to bless them with all the blessings of the world. First of all, this is contrary to 1 John 2:15-17 and alines itself with what is spoken about Satan in Mark 4:18,19, which says,

And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Jesus said, this is a work of Satan, not a work of God.

The context of Galatians 3:14 is speaking of "the blessing of Abraham," which is "the promise of the Spirit through faith." Abraham had the Holy Spirit. Abraham was a prophet (Gen. 20:7). Jesus died on the Cross, and fulfilled the Old Testament Law for those who were under the Law. Then Jesus arose again from the dead that the Holy Spirit could come and dwell in the spirits of those who are born again, by them receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). The Holy Spirit is "the blessing of Abraham" that should come upon the Gentiles.

The greatest blessing anyone could receive after they are born again, is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in them. The Holy Spirit can manifest the written Word of God in the lives of anyone who will receive Him. The Holy Spirit is God on this earth. He brings with Him all the power of the Godhead. There is nothing impossible for God, when the Holy Spirit manifests the Word of God in our lives.

The Holy Spirit brings the Word of God into manifestation. What man cannot do, the Holy Spirit can do. All of the gifts of the Spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 operate according to the will of God "as the Holy Spirit wills." All of the anointings in 1 Corinthians 12:28, and Ephesians 4:11 are under the control of the Holy Spirit. All of the works that Jesus did, before He went to the Cross were empowered by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus cast out devils, it was by the power of the Holy Spirit that they came out (Matt. 12:28).

The blessing of Abraham spoken of in Galatians 3:14 is the Holy Spirit. Anytime some uses that verse of Scripture, saying the blessings of Abraham were his worldly, material blessings, they are speaking from the flesh, the Holy Spirit is not involved in that kind of teaching.

Any misquoting of Scripture is always from the flesh, by people who are walking after the flesh and not after the Spirit. When we walk after the Spirit, what we say and what we do will always agree with the inspired written Word of God. Just because something agrees with what it says in some translation that does not mean it is of God. The Holy Spirit only bears a witness with the inspired Word of God.

Another way to know if the spirit is of God, is when someone promises to do something and they do not do what they promised. This is a very common operation of wrong spirits among those who say they are called to the ministry. They promise they will meet with you on a certain day, and at a certain time, but they never show up or even call to tell you they cannot make it. Their words are idle words, spoken from their mind without intentions of keeping their word.

If you pay attention to those who are under the influence of that spirit, you will notice that it is a common occurrence in their life. It doesn't just happen once in a while, it happens most of the time. They make promises and never keep their promises. Day after day, week after week, month after month they make the same promises, but very seldom fulfill their promises.

What many Christians do not understand about these spirits is that if you spend a lot of time with those who are under the control of these spirits, you also could become under the control of the same spirits. You will find yourself doing the same thing as they are doing.

If it was the Holy Spirit working through the person who says they will be somewhere at a certain time, then they will be there. God is God, and God never lies. God keeps all His promises, and never lets anyone wait without showing up on time. Those who make promises and do not keep their promises are walking after the flesh and not after the Spirit.

As Christians, let us learn how to walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. Let us live according to the New Covenant, not according to the Old Covenant (which walked after the flesh).

For greater insight on this subject, get the books "Taught by God," "From My Spirit," "Life in The Spirit," "God is My Father," "One Gospel," etc. These book as all free by downloading from our Internet Web sites.