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1stCorinthians 4:20
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| Bible / teachings / personal gospel | ||
Claiming a personal gospel.
according to my gospel, Romans 2:16 & 16:25, 2nd Timothy 2:8.
There are 137 scripture references that contain the phase, "my God", the apostle Paul was not unique in personalizing the gospel. The list of names are:
- (In the Old Testament: Jacob, Moses, Balk, all the Israelites 'during the 40 years in the wilderness', Joshua, Ruth, David, Solomon, Elijah, Miciah 'the prophet', Ezra, Nehemiah, sons of Korah, Asaph, Ethan, Ahaz, Agur, Isaiah, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Jonah, Micah, Habakkuk and Zechariah)
- In the New Testament: Jesus, Thomas and Paul claimed a personal God.
- In prophecy, God spoke through prophets;
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and My judgment is passed over from My God? Isaiah 40:27.
and I will say to them which were not My people, Thou art My people; and they shall say, Thou art my God, Hosea 2:23.
Israel shall cry unto Me, My God, we know thee, Hosea 8:2.
they shall call on My name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God, Zechariah 13:9.
It is not enough to know about God, just by reading His word and learning about God. But we also need to know God personally, For God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth, John 4:24.
Why we should all personalize our gospel?
All of us need to have a personal belief in God and not just a corporate academic belief. Everyone needs a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. And just as all earthly relationships are different, ie. (some may be very personal, some become strained, some are strictly business, etc.) Likewise, we all have a personal and unique relationship with (God, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit). There is no question that God is all powerful and that He can supply all of our needs. But, even as Paul teaches this concept, he uses the phrase, "my God"; But, my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:19.
Jesus said many times in the gospels, let it be done according to your faith or it shall be done as you believed. Both of these statements depend on one's relationship with God. If you do not know God as a Healer, why would you believe that you could be healed by Him? The Apostle Paul was using his strong belief, faith and his powerful relationship with God, as a baseline. And then having established a strong foundation of beliefs, he was able to confidently let other believers know what [his] God was able to do.
We must call upon the Lord, are you willing and able to do so?
Do you have a close relationship with God, or is it just a casual relationship,
perhaps you have no relationship with the Lord? The degree of your relationship will
tell you, how comfortable you are calling on God? Just as in an earthy relationship,
in our time of need, we call on our close friends. We do not call on strangers or
mere acquaintances without making some kind of retribution. And if we see no need to
call on the Lord, He is liable to pass by us. In both the scriptures below, it gives
us examples of how Jesus, how God was intending to pass by, unless He was called on.
And in both situations He was called upon and He stayed with the people.
And He saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary
unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night He came unto them, walking upon the
sea, and would have passed by them, Mark 6:48.
And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and
He made as though He would have gone further,
Luke 24:28.
Hence we all need a personal relationship with God, for how can we call on someone to
meet our personal needs, (direction or healing) if we do not have a personal relationship
with that person?
The Holy Spirit dwells within us, the ultimate personal relationship.
Scripture states that the Holy Spirit (God), dwells within us. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit in you, whom you have of God? And you are not your own, 1st Corinthians 6:19. God gave us the opportunity to have a personal relationship with His Holy Spirit, (a relationship that we could never have commanded or archived of ourselves). But it is up to us if we are going to acknowledge and participate in this relationship. For just as in an earthy relationship we must not only acknowledge it, but we must also have an ongoing desire to continue and share in the relationship. This is entirely up to us! For the Father has said that; I will never leave you or forsake you, Hebrews 13:5. But if we deny Him (His Holy Spirit), He, (the Holy Spirit) will deny us. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven, Matthew 10:33.
Thus, God is waiting on us to take part in relationship with His Holy Spirit and to receive the gifts that He has for us. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth, Acts 1:8.
Why a personal relationship is not only beneficial it is crucial.
Scripture tells us that in this world we fight against powers and principals. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places, Ephesians 6:12. Also we know that (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;), 1st Corinthians 10:4. Since our weapons are not carnal (physical), but are mighty through God. If we intend to stand for Christ and do work for His kingdom, we will need to stand in His strength and use His weapons, rather that standing in our own strength. Thus we will need to have a personal relationship with our God. For you do not lend your tools out to strangers.
The importance of a personal relationship can be seen in the story of the seven sons of Sceva in Acts 19:13-16. For the seven sons were driving out demons by the name of the "Jesus that Paul preaches". And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you? Then the man having the evil spirit overcame them and they fled out of that house naked and wounded, Acts 19:16.
We will only reap the benefits of God's Word when we personalty believe His Word
Only when His powerful Word becomes our core philosophy and we expect His Word to produce for us, will we then start seeing the Word work for us. In the verse below, Jesus was praying not only for His 12 disciples but also for all believers that would believe on Him through their word, [in Him], or we could say through their belief system. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word, John 17:20. The Word works, God's Word always works, the Word will not return void, Isaiah 55:11. However it is according to what you believe, If you are believing for nothing or just for good encouragement, you will receive according to what you are believing, below I put a few scriptures and various healings that speak of this, Mark 11:24, Matthew 9:29, centurion's servant, woman with issue of blood, etc..