Tag: salvation

A Prepared Place for a Prepared People

Heaven is a prepared place is for a prepared people. Much is said these days about accepting the Lord as one’s personal Savior, and of the need for repentance. Yet, many times it stops there. We need to go on to full obedience to the plan of salvation.

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Jesus introduced this plan in Luke 24. Peter started preaching it in Acts 2. Let’s take a look.

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).

“(For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus)” (Acts 8:16).

“And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days” (Acts 10:48).

“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5).

“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27).

Why did Jesus command to baptize in “the name?”

  • His name is above every name (Philippians 2:9-11; Ephesians 1:21).
  • There is salvation in no other name (Acts 4:10-12).
  • Whatever you do should be done in the name of the Lord Jesus (Colossians 3:17).
  • We are washed in the name of the Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 6:11).

The Apostle Paul was so convinced that baptism in Jesus name was necessary that he rebaptized some believers in the name of Jesus (Acts 19:1-5).

Baptism remits sin. The blood of Jesus Christ is necessary to remit sin (Hebrews 9:22; 1 John 1:7). The only biblical way to receive remission of sin is through baptism in Jesus’ name (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38).

We are privileged to be filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. A sobering thought is this: “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his” (Romans 8:9). This Scripture implies that if we do not have the baptism of the Holy Spirit we do not belong to Jesus Christ.

“But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you” (Romans 8:11). We will need the baptism of the Holy Spirit in order to go in the rapture.

One day the Master will call our name. We will have no choice but to answer, “Yes, sir!” However, there is a choice you now have. Where will you spend eternity? The right choice now ensures your new home later.

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When Can We Use the Name of Jesus?

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In Prayer…

“Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it” (John 14:12-14).

In Preaching…

“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47).

When in Need…

“That whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (John 15:16).

To Receive Eternal Life…

“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31).

When Healing Is Needed…

“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ rise up and walk.

And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong whom ye see and know” (Acts 3:6, 16).

“By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?…Be it known unto you all… that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole…But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:7,10, 17-18).

In Salvation…

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

In Deliverance from Demons…

“And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:18).

In Water Baptism…

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

“For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 8:16).

“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:5).

In Everything…

“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17).

David Livingstone, the great pioneer missionary to Africa, declared concerning the name of Jesus: “It is the word of a Gentleman of the most strict and sacred honour.”

He came as the Word (John 1:1, 14)
and left the Word.
He came with a name and left His name.
Who shall proclaim His name if the
church fails to do it.

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He Needed the Rest of the Story!

“Apollos, a wonderful Bible teacher and preacher, had just arrived in Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. While he was in Egypt, someone had told him about John the Baptist and what John had said about Jesus, but that is all he knew. He had never heard the rest of the story! So he was preaching boldly and enthusiastically in the synagogue . . . Priscilla and Aquila were there and heard him—and it was a powerful sermon. Afterwards they met with him and explained . . . ” (Acts 18:24-25, LB).


Characteristics of Apollos

  • An educated (learned) man. Academic knowledge is not enough.
  • Eloquent in speech.
  • Mighty in the Scripture. He was dynamic in his preaching. He was well acquainted with the Old Testament law and the prophets. Note that the New Testament never records any other preacher as “mighty in the Scriptures.”
  • Instructed in the way of the Lord.
  • Fervent in spirit. He had the zeal and desire to spread the truth. He was on fire for God. The Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary says, “He burned to impart to others the truth he had himself received.”
  • Taught diligently the things of the Lord. He was a hard worker.
  • Well versed in Scripture. However, his message and understanding was incomplete.
  • A bold man.

“Like many preachers what Apollos said was quite true. What he left out demonstrated his inadequate understanding of Christian truth.” (Holman New Testament Commentary—Acts; General Editor—Max Anders, Author—Kenneth O. Gangel)

He needed the rest of the story.

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Baby Raised From the Dead – Parents Baptized

The following is a testimony from Terry McIntyre, AIMer to the Fiji Islands

The baby pictured below was born on June 12, 2012 and was immediately hooked up to machines, struggling to live. Shortly thereafter, the baby died, was taken off the machines, and was taken by the unsaved parents to the mortuary. However, a lady from one of our UPCI churches by the name of Sis. Rita was there. She asked these parents if she could pray for them and the baby. As she prayed, life came back into the baby. The baby is now six weeks old and doing fine.

The General Secretary of the UPCI of Fiji, Pastor Isireli, from their area (Nausori) started teaching the parents a Bible study. Today (Thursday, August 2 at noon), when they came to the Headquarters and Bible school complex, they wanted to have the baby dedicated. Pastor Isireli asked me if I would do it. I didn’t have my Bible with me or planned to do this, but we are instructed in the Word to “Be instant in season and out of season,” so I conducted this dedication and God moved in a wonderful way. When I was finished, both of these parents began to pray, and to make a long story short, I ended up baptizing both of them in Jesus’ name. PRAISE GOD!

Folks have been getting baptized just about every day of the week here and some late at night. Many have received the Holy Ghost and been refilled. Besides this, there have been other notable miracles to take place. We are excited to be here in the perfect will of God.

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The Tragedy of Misdirecting Souls

A story is told of a terrible storm that was raging across the eastern part of the United States, making the progress of the train difficult. Among the passengers was a woman with a child, who was concerned lest she get off at the wrong station. A gentleman, seeing her anxiety, said: “Do not worry, I know the road well, and I will tell you when you come to your station.”

In due course the train stopped at the station before the one at which the woman wanted to get off.

“The next station will be yours,” said the gentleman.

As they went on, in a few minutes the train stopped.

“Now is your turn, Madam. Get out quickly!”

The woman took up the child and thanking the man, she left the train.  At the next stop, the brakeman called out the name of the station where the woman had wished to get off.

“You have already stopped at this station,” called the man to the brakeman.

“No sir,” he replied, “something was wrong with the engine, and we stopped for a few moments to repair it!”

“Oh, no” cried the other man, “I put that woman off in the storm when the train stopped between stations.

As they went back they found the lady dead (frozen to death in the storm) with the child lifeless in her arms.  It was the mistake of wrong directions being given.

Still more terrible is the result of misdirecting souls.  We must preach the original salvation message given to Peter in Acts 2:38:

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

photo credit: jvc via photo pin cc

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