Author Archives: bongobarbie

Part 4

When Jesus came to earth as a baby, He had laid aside His divine power. This is called the ‘kenosis of Christ.’ He operated completely as a human. He emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.                                                            Ref. Philippians 2:7

So how did Jesus do the miracles that He did on earth?

How?

Matthew 3:16-17

As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment Heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him.

And a voice from Heaven said, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”

We see here that Jesus’ ministry is both confirmed and revealed on earth. The presence of the Holy Spirit was on His life.

Also we see the presence of the Trinity; the Father,  the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

What Did We Learn From The Kenosis of Christ

1. Jesus was truly human as well as divine. He lived a perfect human life as an example to all men who desire to please God.

2. Jesus laid aside His natural and divine attributes, and became a perfect example of yieldedness to God and the Holy Spirit. In doing this He overcame the world, the flesh, and the devil.

3. Jesus did His works solely by the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

4. Jesus did His work by the anointing to demonstrate and prove to all believers that they could do even greater works than He did.

5. Jesus life and works were done as a pattern for all believers after Him.

6. All the manifestations of divine attributes in Jesus’s earthly life were really the operations of the Holy Spirit, which He was constantly baptized into. They were exercises of the spiritual gifts.

7. Jesus possessed the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit to the full to demonstrate what being like God is really like, and to encourage us who aspire to that position of, sons of God with power.

Jesus operated in the gifts, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let’s Look At the Gifts.

1 Corinthians 12: 1, 8-11

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant.

For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another the different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one as He wills.

The Nine Gifts of the Holy Spirit

The Gifts of Revaltion

The Gifts of Inspiration

The Gifts of Power

Revelation Gifts:

The Word of Wisdom

Is a supernatural revelation, or insight into the divine will and purpose, often given by the Spirit to solve perplexing problems and situations.

The Word of Knowledge

Is a supernatural revelation of Divine knowledge or insight in the Divine mind, will or plan, to know things that could not be known of oneself.

Discerning of Spirits

This is a supernatural revelation or insight into the realm of spirits to detect their presence and plans.

Power Gifts

Gift of Faith

This is a supernatural ability to believe God without human doubt, unbelief, and reasoning.

The Gift of Healing

This is the healing of all manner of sickness by supernatural power, without human aid or medicine.

The Working of Miracles

This is supernatural power to intervene in the ordinary course of nature and to counteract natural laws if necessary. 

Gifts of Inspiration

Prophecy

Prophecy is the supernatural utterance in the native tongue. It is a miracle of divine utterance, not conceived by human thought or reasoning.  It includes speaking unto men to edify, exhort and comfort.

Tongues

The supernatural utterance in other languages that are not known to the person speaking. 

The Interpretation of Tongues

The supernatural ability to interpret the meaning of the tongues that were uttered in other languages not known by the one who interprets by the Spirit.

So as we come to the end of this series   ‘ Put On Christ ‘  there has been alot of new information. It may have brought revelation on some new information. It may have brought conviction of things that God doesn’t want you doing. You are so aware now, that the works that Jesus did, you can do. You need to work with the Holy Spirit, because it is Him, who does the working of the gifts through you.

It is a process in our lives. We have to die to self (our old ways) and Put on Christ ( His ways and behavior).

As we study and pray, the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth. He will never condemn you, but He will convict you of sin (wrong doing before God). Confess the wrong to God and repent ( turn away from it and t no God’s way) .

Keep going, always moving forward towards God. He has a great future planned for you.

1 Corinthians 2:9

But as it is written. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard. Neither have entered into the heart of man. The things which  God hath prepared for them that love Him.

I pray you will believe God. Don’t go into your own human reasoning.  The Bible tells us that human reasoning or thinking, is void of the Holy Spirit. We only know what we know, the Holy Spirit knows all. Trust Him and His leading.

I will close this teaching and pray that the Holy Spirit will give you understanding and revelation.

Our next series we be ‘ The Person of the Holy Spirit ‘.

Bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Pastor Barbara.                                               4/23

Part 10

The childhood of Jesus according to Matthew 2: 1-23

Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King. A census was being done by Caesar Augustus because he had decreed that everyone would be taxed, so the people had to be counted. Joseph and Mary were living in Nazareth of Galilee, so they had to travel to their hometown of Bethlehem for the census. Bethlehem was the town of David, and Joseph was of the line of David, also Mary.

While Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, Jesus was born. Mary gave birth to Jesus, wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger. 

After the forty days of her purification, Jesus was presented to the Lord. Mary and Joseph then returned home to Nazareth. 

The Wisemen Hear

Wisemen had heard the prophecy of the One to be born in Bethlehem.  They came to Jerusalem inquiring of the whereabouts of the One that was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem and be the King of the Jews”. They had seen His star and started their search to find Him. The star led them to Bethlehem and then to the house in Nazareth where they lived.

King Herod Hears of Jesus’s Birth.

*King Herod heard of the prophecy also and gathered his chief priests and scribes together and demanded to know where this Christ child should be born. He then privately calls the wisemen and enquires of them. He sends them off to find the Christ child and to let him know His whereabouts.  Herod tells the wisemen he wants to know so that he can go to the Christ child and worship Him. *This is the first plot to kill Jesus.

When the wisemen saw Jesus they fell down and worshipped Him. They then presented the gifts they had brought with them; gold, frankincense and myrrh.

God’s Protection of the Child Jesus!

The wise men were warned in a dream,  that they should not return to Herod. So they departed to their own country another way. When the wisemen did not return with news, Herod realizes that he has been mocked and he becomes very angry. He orders all children two years of age and under to be killed in Bethlehem and the surrounding coasts.

Jesus’s Childhood According to         Luke 2: 39-52

Luke 2: 39-52

:39 And when they had done everything according to the law of the Lord, they went back into Galilee to their own town, Nazareth.

The Law required 40 days of purification after the birth of a boy, so they stayed in Bethlehem. After that time period was completed and doing all that was required of them by the Law, they returned to their home town of Nazareth.

:40 And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and grace ( favor and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him.

Jesus grew in body and spirit. He was personally trained by God through the Holy Spirit. He was filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon Him. God had given Jesus the wisdom of a learned person. He knew how to speak a word in season to those who were weary. Jesus was woken each morning by God who spoke into His ears; and He received revelation teaching.

:41 Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year to the Passover Feast.

:42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up, as was their custom.

:43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. Now His parents did not know this,

:44 But, supposing Him to be in the caravan, they traveled on a day’s journey; and then they sought Him ( diligently, looking  up and down for Him) among their kinsfolk and acquaintances.

:45 And when they failed to find Him, they went back to Jerusalem, looking for Him all the way.

:46 After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

:47 And all who heard Him were astonished and overwhelmed with bewildered wonder at His intelligence and understanding and His replies.

All were astonished and bewildered who heard Jesus speak in the Temple. They didn’t understand how He had the intelligence and understanding that He did. Jesus had received divine insight into truth and instruction by God for twelve years. As His body grew and His mental faculties developed, He was being taught by God through the Holy Spirit. 

*Jesus also had earthly teachers but He was always far ahead of them. He had more understanding than all of them.*Reference: Psalms 119: 97-104

:48 And when they ( Joseph and Mary) saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, Child, why have you treated us like this? Here Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You (distressed and tormented).

:49 And He said to them,*How is it that you had to look for Me? Did you not see and know that it is necessary (as a duty) for Me to be in My Father’s house and (occupied) about My Father’s business?  *These are the first recorded words of Jesus.

*At the age of twelve every Jewish boy became ‘a son of the law’. The Law required a price to be paid in redemption money for the first born child. Joseph paid 5 shekels ($3.25) giving him the right of ‘father’, and claiming the obedience of the Child.   *Reference: Numbers 3: 47; 18: 16

The Child, Jesus, now ‘a Son of the Law’, is old enough to be a servant of God. The divine will of God was in operation and Jesus was ready to be in His Father’s house, so He stayed back when Joseph and  Mary left with the caravan. He wanted to be about His Father’s business, it was necessary and His duty. God had been teaching Him and giving Him divine revelation.

:50 But they did not comprehend what He was saying to them.

Joseph and Mary did not understand what Jesus was saying. In their understanding, Joseph was Jesus’s father and he was a carpenter.

:51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was (habitually) obedient to them; and His mother kept and closely and persistently guarded all these things in her heart.

:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom ( in broad and full understanding) and in stature and years, and in favor with God and man.

So Jesus returns home with them and is obedient to their wishes. Mary keeps all that had taken place to herself even though she didn’t understand. The angels had revealed enough to Mary and Joseph that they were aware of the great mission that was ahead for Jesus, but they didn’t comprehend it in full.

We see the obedience of Jesus as a child to His earthly parents. His desire was to be about His Father’s business but His time had not yet come. There was still more preparation to be done. And then He was to be tested.

Jesus has given us the perfect example to follow in our life.

He was obedient from a child right up to His sacrificial death on a cross. He did it for you, because of His great love He has for you and the world.

Obedience has a cost but the reward of obedience far outways the cost. Jesus gave us the example to follow. When love is involved, obedience is easy.

Bless you dear ones as you seek Him and His presence in your lives. As you follow His leading you will see Him move on your behalf.

Bless you Pastor Barbara. 39/23

Reason #3 Sin

Romans 5: 12, 14

Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man, and death as the result of sin, so death spread to all men, ( no one being able to stop it or escape it’s power) because all men sinned.

Yet death held sway from Adam to Moses (the lawgiver), even over those who did not themselves transgress as Adam did. Adam was a type of the One who was to come. 

Genesis 3

We see in scripture that sin had come into the world. Adam and Eve were living in the Garden of Eden. God had given them instructions on what they were to do. They were not to eat or touch the fruit of the tree, in the midst of the garden lest they die.

The serpent told Eve that she would not die if she ate the fruit and she would be like a god. That her eyes would be opened and she would know good and evil.

So Eve saw that the tree was good for food and that it would make her wise. She took the fruit and ate, and gave it to Adam, who was there with her, and He ate. Remember, God had given him instructions that they were not to touch or eat the fruit.

Their eyes were opened and they saw that they were naked. They heard God calling them and they hid from Him because, now they new that they were naked.

Scripture tells us that by one man, Adam, sin came into the world. Adam had disobeyed a command that God had given him. The moment Adam ate the fruit, he had sinned. The penalty of eternal death took effect on everyone then and to follow.

Some will say, that it was Eve’s fault for  the world now being condemned under sin. Let me show you something  In case you haven’t seen it. 

Genesis 2: 16-18

And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him an help meet for him.

We see that God had told Adam about the tree and not eating the fruit, before He had made Eve. Adam knew but disobeyed God. Yes, Eve took the fruit first, but Adam was with her and did not stop her. That is why Roman 5:12 states, by one man sin came into the world. God held Adam responsible. And now the world was condemned under sin and separated from a Holy God.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The Wages of Sin is Death.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This death is a ‘spiritual death’. Spiritual death is the separation of man from God. God cannot look upon sin, He is holy.

We are sinners because all mankind came under this judgement when Adam sinned. We naturally have a sin nature now, that separates us from a Holy God. We may think that we are righteous and living a godly life. But our sin nature is there and has to be removed if we want to have fellowship with God.

Isaiah 59:2

But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.

This is why Jesus became human!

All mankind were under the penalty of death because of Adam’s sin, all were now condemned.

Jesus came to earth, He laid aside His divine power. He was born as a baby and laid in a manger. He grew in stature and wisdom and performed many miracles. He was falsely accused, tortured and crucified. He died and rose on the third day.

A blood sacrifice was needed for the cleansing of the sin of the world. Jesus gave Himself for the sin of the world. He paid the price for our sin. God, the Father loves us so much that ‘ He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.’

The choice is ours…..receive the free gift Jesus has provided and spend eternity in Heaven.

OR

Do not believe what Jesus has done for you. Reject His gift for you and spend eternity in Hell.

I will be praying for you. Today is the day of salvation. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Bless you Pastor Barbara. 38/23