Walking in the Spirit to Abundant Life

Preface

I knew there had to be more than just sitting in a church pew for one hour each week and remaining miserable. No wonder so many people get disenchanted with the church as a whole. They see no difference in church people than most people living in the world. If this was what being a Christian was all about, I too was about to give up.

This book is for those people wanting more than just a religious experience. This book is for people who desire a twenty-four-hour, seven-days-a-week intimate relationship with Jesus; something religion cannot provide you. This book will help you fall deeply and madly in love with Jesus. Another purpose of this book is to help you become a true disciple in Christ. It will help you understand your true identity in Christ, Authority in Christ and how to walk in the Spirit to Abundant Life; the life that Jesus died to give us all.

Jesus never told the church to make converts; He told us to make Disciples.

God called Melda and I as teachers into the Body of Christ so You can read this like any other book or use it in small group Bible studies because of the format having questions and answers at the end of each chapter. You will find most of the answers bolded and underlined in each chapter of this book.

Melda and I pray Ephesians 1:15–23 over you today in Jesus’s name.

Acknowledgments

I want to thank all the mighty men and women of God that teach and write books that helped us understand our true identity in Christ and become Disciples for Jesus. Charis Bible College in Woodland Park, Colorado where Melda and I attended most of our biblical study and was transformed by the renewing of our mind. Romans 12:2.

Andrew Wommack, President of AWMI and Charis Bible College

Barry Bennett, Instructor at Charis Bible College

Arthur Meintjes, Instructor at Charis Bible College

Wendel Pharr, Instructor at Charis Bible College

Mark and Trina Hankins, Mark Hankins Ministries

Bill Winston, Bill Winston Ministries

Joyce Meyer, Joyce Meyer Ministries

Introduction

Purpose: To equip and empower Disciples of Jesus to live a holy, righteous, healthy and abundant life in Christ to influence and promote the Kingdom of God on earth, by walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

When we were born again by believing and accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord, many blessings and benefits become available to us at that moment in time. The more we walk in the Spirit by faith, the more we experience these blessings and benefits already promised to us as the Sons and Daughters of the Most-High God; His name is YHWH or Jehovah. We experience a new birth and our dead spirit becomes alive with Holy Spirit moving inside of us as a new creation ( 2 Corinthians 5:17).

• John 3:1–21: There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou do, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

• Read Luke 17:20–21: And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, the kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

• Observation: Greek word paratereo defined

• To stand beside and watch continuously

To watch, to attend to with eyes. To see what is going to happen

In a bad sense, to watch with deceit or intent to entrap

To observe, keep carefully by religious actions.

• Many religious people like the Pharisees watched with deceit or intent to entrap a Believer in Christ when we rise to the occasion to live as Jesus instructs us to live.

• Religious activities and being religious will not provide a person access into the Kingdom of God, neither will it provide access into heaven after a person dies.

• Only a personal, intimate, twenty-four hour per day relationship after acknowledging Jesus as your Lord and Savior will provide abundant life and assurance of living in eternity with Jesus forever.

Ephesians 2:8–13: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them (Walk by the Spirit by faith). Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth (citizenship) of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ (Lev. 17:11)

John 3:

• Nicodemus said unto him, how can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind blows where it goes, and thou hear the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goes: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, how can these things be?

• Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knows not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly (Spiritual) things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, which he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Truth Message: What is the difference between seeing or experiencing the Kingdom of God and having eternal or everlasting Life?

Experiencing or obtaining the Kingdom of God begins at your new birth.

Having eternal life/everlasting life is when we transition from our earthly existence to our heavenly abode.

Read Galatians 5:16–26.

Read Romans 8:1.

John 3:16-21:

• For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that does evil hates the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

• But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

Isaiah 42:5–9: Thus says God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that gives breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

There is a process God gives us in His word to become Kingdom-Minded People.

Knowledge: The only way we can be obedient to God is know His will, by reading His word.

• Meditation: is considering and thinking about everything God has said, either through His written word or by His Spirit in us.

Understanding: Is the provision of comprehension; by and through the Holy Spirit in us. Our intellect (our Soul, mind will and emotions) prepares us to act by this Revelation Knowledge by faith to accomplish God’s purpose and plan for our life and to promote, influence and manifest the Kingdom of God on earth.

Vision is seeing the Kingdom of God through Revelation Knowledge and word pictures. Expecting this vision to come to pass by what we say; by the authority given to us by Jesus. God’s vision and purpose for mankind becomes our vision and purpose for mankind.

Wisdom is the application, the action or doing Kingdom Work by the combined knowledge and understanding of God’s word and by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

• Romans 1:17: For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.

• Galatians 2:20: I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Truth Message: We must allow the faith of Jesus to manifest in us and through us as we walk in the spirit in our daily life.

Prayer: Ephesians 1:15–23

Introduction to Walking in the Spirit to Abundant Life Review

Purpose: To equip and empower Disciples of Jesus to live a holy, righteous, healthy and abundant life in Christ to influence and promote the Kingdom of God on earth, by walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

1. When we accept Jesus as Savior and Lord, what changed instantly?

2. What does 2 Corinthians 5:17 say we become?

3. What is God’s name in this section?

4. In John 3, what did Jesus tell Nicodemus he must do to see the Kingdom of God?

5. Jesus told Nicodemus the Kingdom of God did not come with _________________.

6. What does Ephesians 2:8–9 say about our salvation?

7. Ephesians 2:12 states we were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from _______________________.

8.What does commonwealth mean?

9. How does Ephesians 2:13 fulfill Leviticus 17:11?

10. What is the difference between experiencing the Kingdom of God and having Eternal or everlasting life?

11. Galatians 5:16–26 gives a contrast between the behaviors of born-again believer walking in the Spirit and someone walking in the flesh

a. If a born-again believer is walking in the flesh, what does that person not experience?

b. How many Fruits of the Spirit is listed in these scriptures?

12. How is a person condemned to an everlasting hell?

13. How is a person condemned or feels guilty while living on earth?

14. Does God condemn you?

15. Review the promises God spoke in Isaiah 42:5–9.

16. Israel was to be the light for who? (Isaiah 42:6)

a. What will happen to those we minister too? (Isaiah 42:7)

17. Review the process of obtaining Kingdom Mindedness

a. Knowledge

b. Meditation

c. Understanding

d. Vision

e. Wisdom

18. Galatians 2:20 say what? Review scripture.

Chapter 1

Original Intent

Original Intent is defined as the purpose, design or reason something is created. Example: A hammer being made or invented to drive nails into wood. The manufactures designed the hammer with the weight and hardness to assure it could do the expected job and endure the harshness of the work as designed. Look at an electric hand saw. You plug the electrical cord into the wall and the saw cuts through wood like a knife through butter. The original intent or design of the saw is being utilized to its optimum efficiency while it is plugged into its power source. Unplug an electric saw from its power source and it no longer functions as the inventor designed it to operate. It is still an electric saw, it still looks like the original invention, but it has lost its purpose, intent and functions because it has no power.

Truth Message: Kingdom work can only be accomplished by born again people Plugged into our power source. We must walk in the Spirit to fulfill God’s will.

God created man with an original intent.

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.

When God said Let us…Our image…Our likeness, HE was clearly talking about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit; the three ways God manifests Himself to mankind. The Hebrew word used for God in this scripture is Elohim and has a plural meaning in definition.

The word image is very important to understand; look at some definitions: (1) a representation of the external form of a person or thing, (2) an optical appearance or counterpart produced by light or other radiation from an object reflected in a mirror or refracted through a lens.

John 4:24 states, God is a Spirit. The definition of image helps us understand that man was created a spirit being, just like our creator; God is a Spirit. The word likeness defines mankind with a little more detail.

The word likeness is defined as similar, resemblance of someone or thing, one word used to help us understand likeness is the word guise and is defined as "an external form, appearance, or manner of presentation, typically concealing the true nature of something."

In other words, likeness could help define our soul and even body. Our soul is defined as our mind, will, emotion, personality, intellect and is typically controlled or motivated by our five senses. Look at what Genesis 2:7 says, "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul."

• Dust of the ground represents the body being created to live in a physical world.

• Breathed the breath of life is the Spirit of God.

• Man became a living soul is the uniqueness God made our personalities, our intellect as well as our individual minds, will and emotions.

Scripture clearly define the ultimate attribute, nature and characteristic of God as Love. This was the primary likeness of God that man was supposed to manifest in our life.

• 1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.

Man was originally created to love God and purpose was to have dominion over creation and to dress and keep the Garden of Eden; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth (Gen. 1:26). Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Recap: Man is created a spirit and possesses a soul (mind, will, emotions, personality, and intellect) and lives in a physical body. The boiled egg is a great illustration of how we are created. Yoke = Spirit, White = Soul, "Shell = Body.

Man was created for love only

Man was not created to experience anger, anxiety, depression, selfishness.

Man was created to fellowship and worship God our creator.

Man was given dominion over God’s creation.

Man was to work in the Garden of Eden.

Man was to keep and guard the Garden of Eden.

Man was to be fruitful and multiply and replenish (fill) the earth with others just like themselves.

As a born-again believer we must know our Identity in Christ and our Authority in Christ, before we begin to walk in the Spirit by the power of God residing in us.

Sovereignty of God needs to be defined at this point. The word sovereign is defined as principal, chief, and supreme Ruler. It speaks first of position (God is the chief Being in the universe), then of power (God is supreme in power in the universe). How He exercises that power is revealed in the Scriptures. A sovereign God could be a dictator (God is not).

Truth Message: God has the absolute right to do all things according to his own good pleasure (Dan 4:25, 35; Rom 9:15–23; 1 Ti 6:15; Rev 4:11).

Some people teach that the sovereignty of God is defined as: God controls everything that happens in His creation. This is not true. This truth can be proven with one question; does God control you? God allows what man allows, otherwise HE would not be true to His word and keep His word as stated in scripture.

Psalms 89:34 My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.

God gets blamed for many things that He had no control over or was not in His will; due to the fall of mankind and the sin nature that exist in creation today.

Remember original intent and purpose of man. God gave man dominion and authority over creation. God is to be our supreme ruler and we are supposed to rule and have dominion over His creation with the power and authority He has given us.

Psalm