2014

LIFE
TABERNACLE
CHURCH
THE GOSPEL ACTS 2:38
 The Gospel Acts 2:38

INTRODUCTION

Authors' Note: This preamble is an optional lesson before the other lessons begin. We
understand that everyone does not accept the Bible as authoritative so this lesson is meant
to show the reliability of Scripture through the phenomenon of predictive prophecy. We will
endeavor to show the reliability and authority of Scripture by pointing out prophecies people
made concerning Jesus' birth, life, ministry, death, burial, and resurrection hundreds of years
before Jesus was born. Those very prophecies were then fulfilled with remarkable accuracy.
Since we can trust the Bible concerning those prophecies, we can also trust the Bible
concerning the human condition.

We use the Bible to teach about salvation because we believe the Bible is the Word of God.
Our goal here is not to convince you of our own personal ideas or the beliefs of any one
church. Rather, we want to show you what the Bible really says about us and how we can be
saved. By relying on the Bible we can have confidence in our salvation.

2 Timothy 3:15-16 (NKJV)

And that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you
wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration
of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness

You can trust the Bible to tell you the truth. Over and over again, history and archeology
have shown the Bible to be factual. For example, the Old Testament was completed
hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. Yet despite being separated by centuries, the
writers of the Old Testament made an astonishing 300 plus prophecies about Jesus. And He
fulfilled each one! Many of these prophecies were very specific and could not have been
fulfilled by just anyone. Let's look at some of those prophecies:

Jesus Christ would be born in Bethlehem.

Micah 5:2 (NKJV)

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out
of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of
old, from everlasting.

Matthew 2:1 (NKJV)

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise
men from the East came to Jerusalem.

Jesus Christ would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey.

Zechariah 9:9 (NKJV)

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Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is
coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal
of a donkey.

Matthew 21:1-9 (NKJV)

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, then
Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately
you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. And if
anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately
he will send them." All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the
prophet, saying: "Tell the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and
sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.' " So the disciples went and did as Jesus
commanded them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and
set Him on them. And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut
down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. Then the multitudes who went
before and those who followed cried out, saying: "Hosanna to the Son of David! 'Blessed is
He who comes in the name of the LORD!' Hosanna in the highest!"

Jesus Christ would be betrayed by a friend.

Psalm 41:9 (NKJV)

Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel
against me.

Matthew 26:21-25 (NKJV)

Now as they were eating, He said, "Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me." And
they were exceedingly sorrowful, and each of them began to say to Him, "Lord, is it I?" He
answered and said, "He who dipped his hand with Me in the dish will betray Me. The Son of
Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is
betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born." Then Judas, who
was betraying Him, answered and said, "Rabbi, is it I?" He said to him, "You have said it."

Matthew 26:47-50 (NKJV)

And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with
swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer
had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him." Immediately he
went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him,
"Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

Jesus Christ would be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver.

Zechariah 11:12 (NKJV)

Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they
weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

Matthew 26:14-16 (NKJV)

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Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are
you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?" And they counted out to him thirty pieces of
silver. So from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

Jesus Christ would be executed by crucifixion, having His hands and feet pierced.

Zechariah 12:10 (NKJV)

And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace
and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him
as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.

Psalm 22:16 (NKJV)

For dogs have surrounded Me; the congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They
pierced My hands and My feet.

Matthew 27:35 (NKJV)

Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments.

John 19:34-37 (NKJV)

But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came
out. And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is
telling the truth, so that you may believe. For these things were done that the Scripture
should be fulfilled, "Not one of His bones shall be broken." And again another Scripture says,
"They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

More than 300 messianic prophecies like this were made in the Old Testament and were
fulfilled through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. The chances of one person fulfilling a
mere eight of these prophecies are one-in-100,000,000,000,000,000. For one person to fulfill
forty-eight of these prophecies, the number becomes staggering—one chance in 10 to the
175th power. Add to that the 250 other prophecies, and it becomes impossible for any other
person except Jesus Christ to ever fit that particular sequence of time and events.

If the Bible was able to predict the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ with
this type of staggering accuracy centuries before they happened, it must be a book inspired
by God. It's humanly impossible to merely imagine prophecies like this and have them all
completely fulfilled in the life of one man. Seeing then that the Bible has demonstrated to be
inspired of God, Paul was absolutely 100% correct when he said it was profitable for
teaching (doctrine), rebuke, correction, and instruction on how to live a right life. This also
means that what it says about the human condition, and even the state of our own heart,
must also be true. We must be open to receiving this truth and honest enough to confront
the reality of our own hearts so we may receive the love and salvation of Jesus Christ.

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Picture yourself spending an entire day inside. Whether you are playing video games or
cleaning the house, you've been in the dark all day. Now imagine walking out of your house
and looking directly into the sun. The sudden change in brightness would cause some
discomfort. You may even want to look away, but give your eyes a few moments to adjust,
and you'll see more clearly. The same thing can happen when we look into the light, the truth
of God's Word. The truth sometimes reveals a drastic contrast between what we currently
know or believe and what is actually true. The same thing that happens with our natural eyes
happens with our spiritual eyes as we see the truth, and our hearts start to adjust. When that
happens, we find hope and joy in knowing the truth of God's Word.

This Bible study is designed to show us how to live a life surrounded by the light of the Word
of God. The gospel literally means good news. Together we are going to learn from Jesus
and His apostles what this good news is! There are five things we must understand so we
can be
saved and begin a relationship with Jesus:

1. Sin
Covering the fall of man and the debt of humankind

2. Jesus
Covering who Jesus is and why He matters to salvation

3. Repentance
Covering what it means to truly turn back to God

4. Baptism
Covering the importance of baptism in the name of Jesus

5. Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit[1]

Covering the power and necessity of a spiritual infilling

[1]We interchange Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost terms throughout the study. Feel free to use
whichever title you wish.

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1ST BIBLE STUDY – SIN

1 John 3:4 (NKJV)

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

Isaiah 59:2 (NKJV)

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face
from you, so that He will not hear.

Romans 3:23 (NKJV)

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

Sin is described as many things in the Bible: lawlessness, rebellion, separation, and even
death. In all of these cases, sin means "to miss the mark" of God's holy standard of
righteousness. Righteousness simply means a person's life and actions are pleasing to God.
Therefore, sin is everything displeasing to God—whether it's absolute rebellion or merely
disobeying a portion of God's Word, the Bible.

Sin came into the world as a result of Adam's fall in the Garden of Eden. God created the
world and everything in it and then declared that it was good. God told Adam and Eve they
could do anything in the Garden except eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and
Evil. Adam and Eve disobeyed and ate fruit of the tree. This disobedience to God was man's
initial sin.

Adam is the head, or root, of the entire human race, and his actions affect everyone born
after him. This means that everyone born after Adam, including us, inherits a sinful nature.

Psalm 51:5 (KJV)

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

You may still be asking, "Why do I need to be saved?" The Bible declares that all human
beings are sinners.

Proverbs 20:9 (ESV)

Who can say, "I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin"?

1 Kings 8:46 & 2 Chronicles 6:36 (NKJV)

There is no one who does not sin.

Romans 3:10-12 (NKJV)

As it is written: 'There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there
is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become
unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.'

Another translation puts it this way:

Romans 3:10-12 (ESV)

As it is written: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even
one."

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Not only are we born into sin, but we also live a sinful lifestyle. No matter who you are, how
you have been raised or what you believe, everyone is a sinner. Don't believe me? Just look
around you at all the pain and destruction in the world. Every day, thousands of children die
from preventable diseases; every year, millions of young girls are sold into slavery; countries
start wars over natural resources oppressing any challengers. Even our own culture is
obsessed with how people look, how people act, or who people know and befriend. All of
these things hold up a giant sign that screams, "This is because sin is in the world!" Sin
brings pain, destruction, and most of all, sin brings hopelessness.

Romans 3:23 (ESV)

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

Not only is sin missing the mark, but the more we sin, the farther it pushes us from God. The
reason we feel like we're not in danger, or that we're not sinners, is because we are born into
sin and it's all we know. Because we are all born sinners, we are all subject to the cost of
sin, which is death.

Romans 6:23 (NKJV)

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

Romans 6:23 introduces something we have not mentioned yet—eternal life in Jesus, which
is the free gift of God. If you understand the cost of sin and the role it plays on your eternity,
then this verse has powerful implications.

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2ND BIBLE STUDY – JESUS

In the midst of all the hopelessness of sin comes the hope and promise of salvation.
Salvation is deliverance from the power and effect of sin on your past, present, and in the
future. This hope is found in Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 (NKJV)

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through Me.

Jesus made it abundantly clear that salvation can come only through Him. Who is Jesus?
Jesus is God in flesh.
Everything the Bible says is built on the foundation that there is only one God.

Deuteronomy 6:4 (NKJV)

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!

When Jesus Christ came, He echoed this. Instead of saying, "I am the Father," Jesus said, "I
and my Father are one," because Jesus was both the Father and the Son; He was both
invisible Spirit and visible flesh (CF John 10:30).

Jesus also said, "I am in the Father," because unlike any other person, including us,
Jesus' humanity was inseparably united and joined with the Spirit.

What does any of this have to do with us and our sin? The purpose of God coming as a
man, revealing Himself as Jesus, was to

1) provide salvation for our sinfulness

2) reveal the Father
3) establish the kingdom of God on earth
4) judge the world

Why would God do this? Why would God come to earth as a man and die on the cross?
He did it because He loves us.

John 3:16 (NKJV)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in
Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

The Cross wasn't easy or pretty. Jesus died a horrifying, agonizing death. He was beaten,
whipped, and had nails driven through His hands and feet. He was lifted up on a cross and
hung there until He died. He suffered this horrible punishment for you and me. We deserved
that death, but instead of us paying the price for sin, Jesus paid the price for us.

We do not deserve what He did, nor is there anything we could ever do to repay Him. And
here is the incredible thing - Jesus doesn't ask you to earnthis salvation. Because of His
mercy and grace, He provides it as a free gift.

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Grace means "undeserved favor." Although you cannot earn it, God gives it to you. Grace
means God is willing to provide salvation to us without us having to work for it or earn it.

Our sin is against God. Jesus Christ is God in flesh, and because of that, our debt can only
be paid to Him. Since we could not pay our own debt, Jesus paid our debt for us. Therefore,
there is no other belief; there is no other hope; there is no other salvation from sin. There is
only Jesus. Only He can save us.

So the next question is, "How do I apply Jesus' salvation to my life?"

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3RD BIBLE STUDY – REPENTANCE

Luke 13:3 (NKJV)

I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Repentance is the first step towards receiving salvation.

Romans 3:23 (KJV)

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

What does this mean? Everyone is a sinner; no one is good; so everyone must repent.

If we do not turn from our sinful ways, we will answer to God for the things we have done.

Repentance is important and we all have to do it, but what is it? What is repentance?

There are two biblical components to repentance.

First, repentance is godly sorrow.

Sorrow is a feeling of distress or disappointment. It is hard to accept, not to mention

embrace, godly sorrow because deep down, we all want to feel good. We want to be happy,
but in order for us to find true happiness—in order for us to receive the joy of the Lord—we
must recognize the sin inside of us.

The realization that you have broken God's law because of your sin should lead you to
repentance because you feel sorry and want to make things right with God. We must take
responsibility for our sins and turn our life over to the mercy of God. Repentance is
understanding you are guilty of sin and saying, "Jesus, please forgive me."

Second, repentance is a change.

Change means "to make something different or to become something different." Godly
sorrow leads us to a change of heart and a change of direction. These two things result in a
life-change. It's not just about feeling bad because lots of people feel bad or guilty when
they've been caught doing something wrong. Repentance is driven first by an authentic
desire to please Jesus Christ. The difference between acting on guilt and acting on godly
sorrow is true love for God.

Repentance is about making God the Lord of your life. It's surrendering your will to the will of
God. To repent is to turn. Repentance is turning from sin and turning back to God.

Jesus told a story in the Book of Luke that illustrates genuine repentance.

Luke 15:11-20 (NLT)

To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: A man had two sons. The younger
son told his father, ʻI want my share of your estate now before you die.ʼ So his father agreed
to divide his wealth between his sons. A few days later this younger son packed all his
belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.
About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to
starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed
the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs
looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

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The son who took his inheritance went and blew it all. He spent everything on worthless
stuff. The money ran out, and when it did, even the pig slop looked appetizing. This is a
picture of sin. Sin is like the pig slop. It's gross and disgusting, but hunger makes it
appealing. It is because of sin that people do nasty things, hoping they'll find something to
satisfy the appetites of the flesh. Sometimes they don't even realize the slop they're eating,
but they eat it anyway because it's all they know. Jesus continued,

When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ʻAt home even the hired servants
have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and
say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being
called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."

The first thing the son did when he wanted to make his life right again was express his
sorrow. His words demonstrate how disappointed he was with himself for the decisions he
made. He was also willing to submit himself to the will of his father even if his father wanted
to make him a servant.

So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him
coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.

The son turned back. He came home. He made the decision to pick himself up, get out of
the pig slop, and come home.

Jesus is waiting on you to turn to Him. He loves you. You might be feeling as though you've
messed up. We all have. You might even feel as though God hates you because of what
you've done, but He doesn't. God loves you no matter what you've done, no exceptions. He
gave His life to set you free from your sin. Jesus will forgive you. He's waiting for you to
come home—He's waiting for you to repent.

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4TH BIBLE STUDY – BAPTISM

Colossians 2:12 (KJV)

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the
operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

Water baptism is the death of your sin; it's your funeral. It's God washing you clean of all the
things you've said and done that were against God. Baptism is the old you being buried
alongside Jesus into His death.

The holiness of God demanded that He separate Himself from the sinful nature of humanity.
Adam and Eve were able to walk and talk with God in the Garden, but it was only because
they had no sin. Once they decided to go against God and eat the forbidden fruit, they were
kicked out of God's presence. This kind of separation from God means death—physically,
spiritually, and eternally. So God's law, the Bible, requires death as the penalty for sinners.

God does not excuse our sins, but He has paid the price through the innocence of Jesus
Christ.

Romans 6:3-7 (NKJV)

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into
His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ
was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we
also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified
with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves
of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Water Baptism must be by immersion.

The word baptism comes from the Greek word "bapto" which means, "to cleanse by dipping
or submerging, to wash, to make clean with water."

Baptizing in water preserves the significance of baptism as a burial.

Baptism must be accompanied by an oral invocation of the name of Jesus.

Acts 22:16 (KJV)

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the
name of the Lord.

Why? There is power in the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus represents theblood of
Jesus Christ that washes away our sins. By saying the name of Jesus, the blood of Jesus is
applied to the person being baptized. The power of what Jesus did on the cross in
conquering death is applied to us when we are baptized into His name! Without the name of
Jesus, baptism has no power. Baptism cannot wash away sins without Jesus because, in
order for that to happen, the blood of Jesus must be applied!

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Colossians 3:17 (KJV)

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

In the Bible, the apostles taught that the power of God was exercised through the name of
Jesus. So the apostles also used the name of Jesus when they were praying for God to
meet a need such as physical healing in someone's body.

Imagine you have faith in Jesus Christ and truly believe He holds the power over sin. Then in
a single moment, the old you—the sinful you—the part of you that has no fellowship with
God, can be buried forever.

Mark 16:16 (KJV)

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.

God washes away all our sins, big or small, and buries them forever. He takes our sins so
far away that we are never again associated with them. You get rid of the old you and
become a new person who lives to please God.

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5TH BIBLE STUDY – HOLY GHOST/HOLY SPIRIT

Acts 2:37-38 (NKJV)

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the
apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let
every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

So far we have learned about repentance and baptism in Jesus' name. Now, let's look at
what the Bible says about receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This forces us to ask the questions: What is the Holy Ghost? Who is the Holy Ghost?

All throughout history people have asked questions about who Jesus is and who the Holy
Spirit is, and they have made things horribly complicated in an area where the Bible speaks
very clearly.

Romans 8:9 (NKJV)

But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if
anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

The author of Romans interchanges the words "Spirit," "Spirit of God," and "Spirit of Christ"
easily. The writer is not talking about different people, but a singular God; one God who is
Jesus. The Holy Spirit is Jesus living inside of you.

Colossians 1:27 (NKJV)

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among
the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Here the Bible is very direct: you have not received Christ if you have not been filled with the
Spirit.

How important is all of this?

John 3:3-7 (NKJV)

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he
cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he
is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered,
"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the
kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is
spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.'"

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a critical part of salvation. Repenting, baptism in Jesus'
name, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit is the process whereby we are saved! Itʼs how we
are washed of sin and filled with the power of God.

Salvation is not just about right now, but it's about being saved for eternity!

So how do I know I am saved?

When you've repented, you've changed your heart and turned toward God.
When you're baptized, you get soaking wet. Pretty hard not to know that happened.

But how do I know if I have been filled with the Spirit?

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Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And
suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the
whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of
fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to
speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 10:44-46 (NKJV)

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the
word. And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with
Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they
heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

In both of these instances, when people received the Holy Spirit, it was accompanied by a
supernatural sign. The supernatural sign was, and still is, speaking in other tongues. In
other words, speaking in a language you do not understand.

This is the initial evidence of someone being filled with the Spirit of God. You're in prayer,
worshipping God, and you can feel His presence surrounding you. Maybe tears begin to flow
as you feel God's touch on your heart. Then, all of a sudden, it gets hard to speak your
native language. What's happening?

You're feeling the presence of God, and God is trying to speak through you in other tongues
while you are praising Him in your native language. When that happens, you must make the
decision to consciously surrender your tongue to God. This is where faith comes in—you
must trust in God and relinquish all control.

Why did God choose tongues? Why is this the sign of the Holy Ghost?

James 3:6-8 (ESV)

And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members,
staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For
every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed
by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly
poison.

These verses of scripture make it sound like God shouldn't choose tongues because the
tongue is evil and full of deadly poison, but one reason God chose tongues is because this
action cannot be duplicated.

We cannot make people say things no matter how much we try. They must make the
decision. That is why speaking in other tongues signifies the person has given God total
control over their life.

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Tongues is a supernatural sign. It's more than just a good feeling. You can get a good
feeling in lots of different ways, so that's not a specific sign. It's also not just feeling excited
or glad, but it's something that cannot be replicated or duplicated outside of the power of
God.

Why be filled? Because the Holy Spirit is Christ in you!

Jesus said, "I have come that you may have life and life to its full" (John 10:10). When you
are filled with the Spirit, you become alive to God. The Spirit brings power into your life.
When you're filled with the Holy Ghost, you have power because Christ has power and now
He is living inside of you.

Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV)

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they
will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it
will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.

Miracles come through the Spirit of God.

Healing comes through the Spirit of God.
Peace comes through the Spirit of God.

Do I have to speak in tongues? Why would you not want to be filled with the Spirit? It's a
GIFT from God! You do not have to earn the Holy Spirit. You just need to ask God for it and
be prepared to receive it.

You can have this experience—you can be filled with the Holy Spirit. It doesn't matter where
you are or what time it is. As you reach out to God and begin to feel His presence, He can fill
you.

You can become an overcomer through the Spirit of God.

Conclusion
Do you believe you are a SINNER?

Do you believe JESUS came to save you?

Do you believe you must REPENT of your sins and turn back to God?

Do you believe BAPTISM IN JESUS' NAME is the only way to be washed of your sins so
your debt is paid?

Do you believe being filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, initially evidenced by speaking in other
tongues, is necessary for salvation and is the only means whereby you can live dead to sin,
alive to Christ, and filled with the needed power to live an overcoming life?

If you can accept all of these things, if you can believe in them and are willing to obey,
then Jesus can save you.

Let's close with a prayer and thank God together for His saving grace.

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