Words for Life Articles

John 14: 25 - 26

25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

Many believers today fail to understand or even grasp the fact that the Holy Spirit is the closest we have to being with Jesus.

Believers today do not realise how much the Holy Spirit longs to come alongside us and help.

Jesus had been with His disciples for 3 and half years, now He is going back to His father and His disciples are worried and scared.

The book of Revelation is probably one of the few books of the Bible that most of us hardly read. We see it as a very hard and complicated book.

It is however one the most enlightening books of the Bible if one allows the Holy Spirit to help.

The book begins with a statement from John who was exiled in the island of Patmos.

Revelation 1:1

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,

Key Scriptures

2 Cor 13:5-6 (NLT) - 5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you ; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. 6 As you test yourselves, I hope you will recognize that we have not failed the test of apostolic authority.

2 Cor 13:5-6 (KJV) - 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? 6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.

This month we are looking at spiritual MOT. What is spiritual MOT?

Before looking at the theme of Spiritual MOT, I want to look at a physical MOT that happens – The Car MOT.

Many times, most Christians are comfortable with doing what they want to do rather than doing what God has asked to them to do.

Love those we want to love.

Forgive those we want to forgive.

Live our lives the way we want to.

When Samuel made this statement to Saul, it was to address his partial obedience. Partial obedience is still disobedience.

1 Samuel 15:22

22 But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Saul had been asked by God to go to the Amalekites and destroy them, destroy the whole city, animals, kings, everyone no one was to be spared.

In the book of beginnings, Genesis, Jesus is introduced to us with the Father and the Holy Spirit, as co-creator of heaven and earth. He is the seed of the woman who bruised Satan's head.

In Exodus, He is the Paschal Lamb, whose blood was sprinkled on the lintel of the Israelites' houses, averting God's judgement and securing their salvation from Egyptian bondage. By implication, His blood secured both our salvation from sin and eternal salvation in heaven.

In Leviticus, He is presented as the Lawgiver and the High Priest who pleads our cause before God and makes atonement for our sin with His precious blood.

In Numbers, He is portrayed as the Serpent of Brass lifted up in the wilderness for the Israelites bitten by the fiery serpents to look upon and me saved.

He is the Pillar of Cloud by day and Fire by night providing guidance through the wilderness journey.

 Mark 11:20-24

20 Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. 21 And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Today many Christians do not realise or understand the power or authority they have in their mouth.

The world system is based on the power of words. Those who shout loudest get heard quicker than those who fail to speak or voice their concerns.

The sermon on the mount is the longest and most detailed set of instructions to the disciples of Jesus. Jesus was specific and deliberate in the sermon on the mountain.

If anyone should ask us how we should live or behave as Christians, it is detailed in these three chapters of scripture, Mathew 5-7. 

The sermon on the mount is popularly referred to as the “BEATITUDES”.

Over the years I have looked at these as “THE BEAUTIFUL ATTITUDES” or “THE BE ATTITUDES”.

I believe that Jesus’ instruction to His disciples was simple and straight forward. If you want to succeed, be strong in the faith and be fruitful in this life, this should be your attitudes as a believer.

This is what Jesus was saying to us as believers, watch your attitude because your attitude will determine your actions and your actions will determine your blessings.