Your life is hid in Christ

Colossians 3: 1-3 says, “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God

Gal 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Gal 3:26-27 says, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

• The bible clearly states in Habakkuk 2:4 and Romans 1:17 that the just shall live by faith.

• What happened is that our lives were bonded with the life of Jesus on the cross. When He died, we died with Him and hence we have already served the penalty of sin, death. (Rom 6:23).

• Brothers and Sisters, the good news is that Jesus Christ has risen from death and has ascended to the right hand of God (Power) and our lives are hidden with Him. The Bible says that we are the body of Christ and He (Christ) is the Head. (1 Corinthians 12: 12-14 and Colossian 1:18)

• The truth is by faith, our life is in Christ. Remember that Adam and Eve had died spiritually and so had we (the offspring), but Jesus sacrificed His life, that we might be joint to it.

• The truth is without Jesus, we would have all died and with no hope of resurrection, but since He Has resurrected, so are we in Him. That is why Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” (John 11:25).

1 Corinthians 2: 12-14 says, “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

• We have been given the Spirit of God, such that He(the Spirit) teaches and reveals the things that are vague to us that are in Christ Jesus. There are so many dear brothers and sisters, for example; the promises that God gave to Abraham now apply to you also, since in Christ, you are the seed of Abraham, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:26-29).

Philippians 2: 5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God…”

2 Peter 1: 3-4 says, “as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

• The truth is that you are partakers of the divine nature, through the promises that are laid up for you in Christ Jesus, which make you escape corruption (decay, ruin) that is in the world through lust (longing, desire for what is forbidden, craving)

• Let us discover the promises we have in Christ by studying, meditating on the Word of God and allowing the Holy Spirit to minister to us. (Colossians 3: 1-3).

Article By Sheunopa Matambo

Speaking in tongues 2

Please note that the gift of tongues (as well as your prayer language) is a product of both God and man. Every believer has a part to play in speaking in tongues for the Spirit gives you utterance, and you do the talking. The Holy Spirit does not talk with tongues. In fact, nowhere in the Bible does it mention that the Holy Spirit ever talked with tongues. Instead, you will be doing the talking in the flesh; after all, God said He would pour out His Spirit on all flesh. Everyone who has ever spoken in tongues was in the flesh; however, he or she was inspired by the Spirit when they spoke.

• Many people inaccurately define speaking in tongues as "speaking gibberish" or "talking nonsense." The truth is, speaking in tongues is the most intelligent, perfect language in the universe. It is God's language.

• What language do you suppose is spoken in heaven? Languages are given their name based on the countries they come from. For example, French comes from France. Spanish comes from Spain. Italian comes from Italy.

• Where do you think tongues come from? They come from Heaven! Tongues are the heavenly language. It is what is spoken in heaven; the only difference is that the people in heaven understand what they are saying. Paul says, "For anyone who speaks in tongues does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit" (1Corinthians 14: 2).

Jesus says that those who believe in Him will "speak in new tongues" (Mark 16:17). The word "new" means appearing for the first time. No one had spoken these languages before. Contrary to bad theology tongues is not an ability given to preach the gospel in the language of foreigners. This would make tongues "old" languages. It is only appropriate that "new tongues" should be spoken by those of the "new birth." It is natural and normal to speak in the language of your birth. We are born again from above, therefore we should speak the language from above--that language is called "new tongues."

Someone may say, "How can you say that all Christians should speak in tongues considering the Apostle Paul's words, 'Do all speak in tongues?'? (1 Corinthians 12:30).

• In this passage, Paul is talking about public ministry gifts that are manifested in the church. He is not talking about tongues as the initial sign of the baptism in the Spirit, nor is he talking about tongues as a private, devotional, prayer language.

• You can recognize this by simply looking at the language Paul uses concerning speaking in tongues. In this chapter he calls speaking in tongues "different kinds of tongues" (1Corinthians 12:10, 28). "Different kinds" means "not the usual." The usual kind of speaking in tongues is a language no man understands or interprets. However, speaking in "different kinds" of tongues enables the speaker or someone else to recognize the meaning of the tongue and thereby interpreting it.

So when Paul ask the question, "Do all speak in tongues?", he is referring to the public manifestation of tongues which enables a person gifted in interpretation to speak out the meaning of the tongue. Not all have been given this gift of "different kinds" of tongues.

1 Corinthians 12:3 “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and [that] no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”

“For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to his people” (Isaiah 28:11).

More Scripture reference on speaking in tongues:

(Mark 16:17), (Acts 4:4), (Acts 10:44-48),

(Acts 19:1-7), (1Cor12:10, 13:1-3, 15:2, 4-22, 26-32), (Romans 15:30)

Article by Sheunopa Matambo

Speaking in tongues 1

• Speaking in tongues is the mystical (supernatural) utterance through the power of the Holy Spirit in a person that manifests as spiritual language.

• Through language and music, the Holy Spirit empowers the believer to be edified (built, restored, grow).

Jesus told Peter that upon the rock (upon the revelation hat Jesus was the Christ, Son of the Living God), He was to build His church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). We are part of the church and one of the ways God makes us grow spiritually is through speaking in tongues.

When the Holy Spirit enables you to utter in tongues, you speak in foreign language(s) that you have never learnt or studied, a language which those without the gift of interpretation could not understand. In (Acts 2) Day of Pentecost, When the Holy Spirit came upon the believers; they began to speak in foreign languages. God outpoured His Spirit so that we may be witnesses and prophesy (build the church).

• There are different gifts, yet only one Spirit; therefore, there is need for us all to be united. Some members of the church in Corinth uttered tongues that no man could understand (which led to arguments and disarray), and Apostle Paul attended to this (I Corinthians 12:4-11). This led to controversy and division. Paul tried to unite the church, assuring the church that there are different gifts but only one Spirit (I Corinthians 12:4-11).

There are 3 types of Tongues:

1. An unknown tongue unto God (I Corinthians 14:2).

• For self edification (I Corinthians 14:4; Jude 20).

• Aid in prayer (Romans 8:26-27).

• Increases the prophetic ministry when interpreted (I Corinthians 14:5).

• Revives your soul (Isaiah 28:11-12).

• Conquering the enemy (Ephesians 6:18).

• Helps you worship in the Spirit (I Corinthians 14:14-15). While singing in the Spirit,, God sings along and defeats the enemy (Isaiah 30:29-31).

• Breaking the yoke of bondage (Acts 16:25-26).

• Bringing you into the presence of God (Psalm 22:3).

• Aiding you in intercession (Romans 8:26)

2. A known tongue that is a sign to unbelievers (I Corinthians 14:2; Acts 2:6).

3. A tongue that is understood through interpretation (another gift if the Holy Spirit).

Article by Sheunopa Matambo

Jesus bore your sickness

“Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.... (Isa. 53:10)”

§ God did not give His Son only for us to be pardoned of iniquities. He gave His Son, Jesus to bear also our sickness and diseases.

§ Make sure that this sits in your heart. The Lord Jesus was made sick with our diseases. He was made sin for our sins.

§ According to Father God and Jesus, our diseases and sins were borne by the Lord Jesus Christ. And if they were borne by Him, then it's wrong for us to bear them.

§ So many people that doctors declared their sickness would lead to death are living today because they have grasped the truth.

§ So how did they grasp the simple truth into their hearts? They acknowledged it as truth. They meditated on it. They spoke it over and over to themselves until it recorded on the inside of them.

§ Father God revealed that it was His will to heal people physically and mentally throughout the life of the Lord Jesus on earth. God redeemed us, breaking the power of disease over us and set us free by laying disease and sickness upon Christ Jesus.

Confession to make:

§ My disease and sickness were laid upon Christ, therefore, I am healed and free. I accept that Jesus bore my disease and sickness as truth.

§ And I confess that I am healed and made whole.

Article by Sheunopa Matambo