LECTURE 1 “What is Salvation?”
FACE OF JESUS
LECTURE 1, Class 1
- – Apostle Abraham Blessings, DSM
CHRIST’S GATHERING:
The Doctrine of the Grace and Truth of Christ
Prophet Joachim Francis
1. WHAT IS SALVATION
7/22/19, 14:26 – Prophet: We will look at WHAT SALVATION IS and look at WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN. The biggest challenge in today’s church is that, many people feel saved but in truth not saved, though they are Christians and are involved in the church or houses of worshiping.
The purpose of this teaching is to lay the foundation for why we are called Christians. Number two, to understand salvation which is the foundation of Christianity.
The first one we need to know is WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CALLED A CHRISTIAN:
To be a Christian is not to attend worship every Sunday. To be a Christian is not to offer sacrifices. “A Christian is to be an Agent or Ambassador of the Kingdom of God on earth.” That is, “you represent the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.”
This has no Pastor … Prophet … Evangelist … nor believer. Here, everyone carries the Kingdom of God and responds to the exercise of his authority on earth as it is in heaven. The meaning of the word ‘CHRIST’ is ‘OILED / ANNOINTED ONE.’ Christ is the Word that has been derived from the three languages … the Greek, which is the ‘Kristos’…. Latin which is ’KRISTHEN’….Hebrew that is ‘MESSI / MESSIAH;’ which means the anointed one, in the Old Testament who were anointed were Kings … the Jews, King was appointed by God to be anointed by the Prophet, therefore, He handed over the Kingdom to be oil on it.
In the New Testament, Jesus became Christ by the anointing of the Holy Spirit – Matthew 1:16. Jacob became the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ ‘- Luke 4: 17-18. [17] He was given the Prophet Isaiah’s college, opened the college, and searched for the place where it was written, [18] ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the blind to see, to set at liberty them that are bruised…’
Prophet: I want you to understand one thing:
The Holy Spirit is not the ‘oil’, I am talking about here … but it is authority / power assigned the oil. When I say oil, I do not mean oil as oil but rather ‘Power from the Holy Spirit.’ That power is what is called ‘Christ.’
The power I am talking about is ‘GOD’S WISDOM.‘
On the other hand, the glory of God … of that, Jesus came to earth; He came to restore the lost human relationship with God. Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, ‘and come short of the glory of God;’ without this glory of God or His presence being in us, we cannot have a relationship with God.
Being a sinner means is ‘short of the glory of God ‘… or ‘fall short of the glory of God’s presence,’ which is called ‘DEATH!’
Adam was a victim of ’death’ after sin caught him. All that came after he inherited the condition of death or short of the glory of God after failing to obey the WORD OF GOD.
Romans 5:12 – Therefore, ‘as by one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death;’ and so death came to all men because they had all sinned…
Therefore, be very careful as you begin to pray for mercy and say that you are a sinner before God. Because, we have to remember, we received Christ and we are no longer sinners. That is, we do not lack the glory of God. God gave us the gift of his son Jesus and through Him; we receive ‘Eternal Life!’
We receive that life only by believing in Jesus Christ.
John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Now, I read with attention here:
In what is called the life of eternity:
Because we receive presence / glory of God in the world and after leaving this world, therefore, we find the guarantee of living longer lives after death into glory.
Therefore, this eternal life / glory of God or the presence of God, we receive and dwell in us … not at the altar … not for servants … but in us because our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes into our worship because of the presence of God within us.
1 Corinthians 6:19 – Or do you not know that “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you,” which ye have of God? You are not the property you own…
This is the mystery of God which he has set up from the foundation of the world; that His presence will abide in us and we will be His people.
Colossians 1: 25-27 – [25]in which I have been made a minister, according to the stewardship of God which was given me for your profit, ‘to fulfill the word of God; [26] ‘the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but is now made manifest to his saints;’ [27] To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, ‘which is Christ in you, the hope of glory …’
If you understand that you are carrying the glory of God / God’s presence in you, then you will be able to exercise the royal authority within you.
I said before that, we are Ambassadors of the Kingdom of God on earth:
2 Corinthians 5:20 – “Only Ambassadors for Christ”, as though God were making his appeal through our mouths; we ask you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God.
We have the ‘Royal authority of God’ when we are “born again here on earth” through the Word of Christ / the Kingdom of God.
Unless we change our living systems by believing in the word of the Kingdom of God, we cannot see the glory of that kingdom manifesting into our lives.
John 3: 3 – 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.
We are born again here on earth … being born again does not happen spiritually … I want you to understand this paradox from today because, there are many interpretations of what it means to be born again … Jesus made this clear by telling Nicodemus that, what he was telling him was the stuff here on earth…
John 3:10, 12 [10] – Jesus answered and said to him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and knowest not these things? [12] ‘If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, where will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?’
To be born again is to transform living systems from earthly systems into a system of the Kingdom of God through the knowledge of God’s word of His Kingdom.
Ephesians 1: 18-19- [18]Let the eyes of your heart be enlightened, and know the hope of his calling; and the glorious riches of his inheritance in the saints: [19] ‘and the greatness of the greatness of his power in us which we believe to be; according to the exercise of his power; ‘…
Without understand these things, you cannot see the glory of God manifesting in your life. There are works of God but there is glory of God, now you will see works but glory is what you will have trouble seeing if you do not understand what God’s kingdom is.
+255 767 540 7 **: It is very true and I feel we are saved by God’s grace. Is salvation measured by your actions?
Prophet: Salvation is not measured by our actions. Ephesians 2: 8-9 [8] ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; [9] ‘not by works, so that no one can boast.’ He tells you that you must make an effort to show that you are saved. If you understand that there is a presence of God in you then you will receive the promise to receive the Holy Spirit as a helper in your life here on earth. Unless you are led or inspired by the Holy Spirit, you will still be unable to find it in the kingdom of God.
John 3: 5 -Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Being born of water and the Spirit is led by the Holy Spirit. Those who are led by the Holy Spirit are sons of God. They are heirs of God’s promises in their lives … you cannot inherit God’s promises without being led by the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of God … and the purpose of being led by God’s Spirit is to that you may know what is yours in the Kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 2:12 – “But we received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that were freely given to us of God.”
Everything you need God has given you but the prerequisite to receiving it is to listen to Him and accept the guidance of the Holy Spirit because He alone knows the Will of God in relation to you. Your life… not a Prophet … not a pastor or any minister…
‘But we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.’
Romans 8: 26-27- [26] likewise, the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not how to pray as we ought; but the Spirit maketh intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. [27] ‘And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.’
1 Corinthians 2: 10-11 – [10] But God hath revealed them unto us by the Spirit. “For the Spirit searches all things, even the mysteries of God.” [11] For it is what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
‘So, with the things of God no one knows but the Spirit of God.’
Prophet: Here I just finished explaining the meaning of who is the Christian. Anyone having a question, may ask me via: Prophet Joachim Francis +255743238599.
I will continue to teach another subject.
+255 713 626 4 **: Thank you very much.
+255 654 333 5 **: May our Lord Jesus keep you Man of God. I ask, there is this notion that, “to be saved you need to live a life of repentance every hour; every day, every minute because as humans we are imperfect, so we need to repent frequently … now, how do you talk about that?
Prophet: This is not appropriate. If it happens, we are wrong, the Bible does not say to ask for mercy. The Bible does not say that. The bible says we have an intercession with God for our transgressions. Acts 26:18 – ‘to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God; then they shall receive remission of their sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
1 John 2: 1-2 – (1) My little children, these things I write so that you may not sin. In addition, if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, [2]and he is the propitiation for our sins; not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world.
+255,654,333 5 **: In addition, the reason we humans are too weak, is because heaven exists for those people who God is justified by his grace through Jesus Christ.
1) All who did not believe and would not believe in Jesus
2) All who know the truth and do not follow it
3) All who mend salvation
4) All who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit
5) All who do not live a life of repentance, their place is hell
Life of repentance is not just a matter of asking for forgiveness but continuing to be cleansed in the Blood of Jesus.
+255 654 333 5 **: …be blessed to see this teachings; especially, the last paragraph ‘not just a matter of repenting but continuing to purify yourself with the Blood of Jesus.”
+255 767 540 7 **: Thanks, Servant of God!
Prophet:This sounds good but it is not the true teaching. It is not on WORD at all.
Repentance is not an apology. Repentance is changing your attitude, intentions, and thoughts and focusing them on the WORD of God. Do not pray for the Blood of Jesus to sanctify you every minute; every day or whenever you want to pray. The Blood of Jesus once cleansed us when He died on the cross; we were indeed cleansed once and for all. What we need is to receive that forgiveness right away. We do not need to pray daily cleansing: Purification was done in Calvary; it is just a matter of believing that you are sanctified. Hebrews 9:28 – so also Christ, having been once offered to bear the sins of others, and he shall appear a second time, without sin, to them that hope for salvation.
Hebrews 10:10 – In that will you have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
+255 686 361 1 **: Amen!
+255 654 333 5 **: Amen!
+255 654 333 58 **: Wow, it is totally true…
+255,767,540 7 **: This is in fact often confuses a lot, so, for example, someone has committed a sin of lying, do not repent but only believe that Jesus has already forgiven you as a reason of His death at the Calvary? I ask for help, Servant of God.
Prophet: That is what the word says. The problem is the tradition we are in for long time.
+2557675407**: Ok, thank you.
Prophet: We are not told to pray for sanctification because our prayers cannot purify us. Here is where we need to understand that we have been forgiven by grace. If we understand this, even committing a sin will get harder.
Laura:Amen, today I have learned something very great. Be blessed the Servant of God. I also have a question … how about every time when we enter the church and somewhere we are led a prayer of ‘repentance’? Put it clear Man of God or it will confuse me…
Prophet: It is just the tradition!
Laura:So, as we are praying; are we screaming loudly or is God watching over us?
Prophet: It is that we have been taught unanswered prayers and understanding of the Word of God. If you say, O God, I am a sinner, forgive me and cleanse me: you mean, you have not been saved yet. Moreover, you do not believe that, Jesus died so that you might be sanctified…
Laura : Ah!
Prophet: It does not make God pity on you, He sees you perishing for lack of knowledge, nothing else!
Laura: Today is today!
Prophet:Because God is watching His ‘Word’ to fulfill it, it is not the sound of your prayers or you are many words…
+255 719 513 9 **: Very good lesson, my Prophet, I have been blessed.
Prophet:Amen!
+255 719 513 9 **: Amen!
Laura:Prophet Jo, I say, we have been lost in the wilderness. Bring us back to the real gospel of Apostle Paul!
Prophet: Satan knows; if people know this, he will stop bothering them!
+255 719 513 9 **: Did you notice they are not telling us the truth…
Laura : They’ve taught us so much … they don’t analyze it like this … I am completely puzzled because every new day … Truly, Servant, you just teach us something of great value and God will bless you. As we go to our churches, we will know to differentiate between what is true and what is wrong.
Prophet: ‘HOW TO PRAY CORRECTLY…’ I want to teach you briefly about ‘How to pray correctly’ because I know you are about to go to bed and you will pray…
+255 686 361 1 **: Okay!
Prophet: The key to look before you pray, is to examine the motives that make you pray.
First of all, I want you to understand that prayer is not giving God information. The application is a confession. Prayer is not an excuse for God to do certain things for you. God knows your needs. Therefore, the important things to consider before you pray are what motive has made you pray to. Are you believing what you ask for? Any requests you make will be answered if you have the right motive and confession based on faith. Matthew 7: 7 – [7] Ask and it shall be given unto thee; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall begiven you; seek, and ye shall find; hide and you will be released…
+255 785 918 6 **: Amen!
Prophet: Any application has three ruleswhich are:
- Pray for Faith
- Pray for God’s will to be accomplished
- Pray through the name of Jesus
Praying by faith:
Praying by faith is believing that you have received what you asked for: Mark 11:24 – Therefore, I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. If you do not believe that what you ask for, you have received it; you will not receive it because you have not prayed in faith.
+255 785 918 6 **: Amen!
+255 785 918 6 **: God help us!
+255 686 361 1 **: Amen!
Prophet: Secondly, make sure that what you ask for, if you get it, will bring glory to God! James 4: 3 – Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
1 John 5: 14-15 – [14] And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us. [15] And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the needs that we have asked of him.
Vesta: O God, help us, we do not understand your scriptures. We are fed things we do not fully understand!
Prophet: Do not ask for things you can use for your own benefit, you will not receive.
Vesta: Amen!
Prophet: Pray ‘God’s will to be fulfilled’, is that, you ask that, whatever they will receive will also be used to develop the Kingdom of God.
+255 785 918 6 **: Yes!
Vesta: Amen!
Prophet: Thirdly, pray in the name of Jesus. Jesus said that, He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to God except through Him, so He is the door.
When He had said ‘knock,’ and it shall be opened unto you; He meant to pray through His name only.
John 14: 6 – Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14: 6 , 13 -14 – [6] Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life: no man means the Father, but by me. (Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.)
John 14: 13-14 – [13] ‘And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, this will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. The promise of the Holy Spirit.
John 16: 23-24 – [23] And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything, he will give it to you in my name. [24] ‘Until now you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and ye shall receive; let your joy be full.
‘Prophet: Now, if you ask for the name of your favorite and trusted servant then you lose the address completely! You get into other gods. When you pray, make sure you know and believe that God is your Father; He loves you and you are in relationship with Him and you know you will find what you ask for in faith. God is your Father; you better not ask for something until you understand that you have a relationship with the God who is your Father…
Matthew 7: 8-11 – [8] ‘ to mean everyone who asks receives; and he that seeketh findeth; and he that knocketh, shall be loosed. [9] ‘Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?’ [10] ‘Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a serpent?’ [11] ‘ If you, then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, do you not? How much more will your heavenly Father give the good things to those who ask him? ‘If you ask for in this manner, you will enjoy your life of prayer and prayer will not be a burden to you.
+255 719 513 9 **: Amen!
+255 713 626 4 **: I am pregnant now!
+255 713 626 4 **: I guess it is not that they do not tell us the truth, probably they do not understand!
+255 6543335 **: For me, everyone has different traditions. I do not know what to do to get to a place where all Christians can find the right teachings…
Prophet: They are available but very few. That is why many of the Christian life do not have good results because of wrong or weak teachings they receive or fed.
+255 654 333 5 **: Well, we need the power of God to help us get out of this tragedy!
+255 654 333 5 **: I have a question. When a young child is baptized, is this wrong? If I look at many of our churches, children are baptized when they are toddlers or under 5.
Prophet: Okay, WHAT IS BAPTISM?Many people have been convinced that, baptism is ‘water baptism’ that is why you even see young children being baptized. I will bring up the scriptures very briefly.
Are We Christians baptized with water…?
Our baptism is through faith in receiving the Holy Spirit and receiving His power in us. To receive the Holy Spirit, we must believe in the baptism of Jesus Christ. Here now, is the great challenge…
What is the baptism of Jesus?
The baptism of Jesus is His death and resurrection. Unless you believe in dying and rising with Jesus you will not receive the Holy Spirit.
Let me bring you the Scriptures first:
Luke 3:16 – John answered and said unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but there cometh one mightier than I, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire;’ so, it means, Jesus did not come to set up Water baptism, no!
He came to establish the baptism of the spirit. Therefore, here comes the question may be: to why Jesus was baptized with water?
In fact, Jesus was baptized in water as a sign and prophecy of death and resurrection. It is not necessary for people to be first baptized with water as a tradition. Therefore, those who baptize in water are the only ones who know about John’s baptism and not Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 18: 24-26 – [24] ‘And a certain Jew named Apollo, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. And he was mighty in the scriptures. [25] The man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and as his spirit was aglow with him, he “began to speak and to teach with correctness the things about Jesus. And he knew only the baptism of John. [26] He began speaking with confidence in the synagogue; even when Priscilla and Aquila heard him and took him to them, they ‘directed him in the way of the Lord more correctly.’
Therefore, this servant was preaching about Jesus but he only knew about John’s water baptism. Therefore, the baptism of Christian is acquired through trust. Colossians 2:12 – “Buried with Him in baptism; and in that ye were risen with Him, through the faith of the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
Vesta: Where do we Africans go wrong?
Prophet: Here is what the true meaning of baptism is, let me explain it well…
Vesta: We are indeed fed with wild cucumbers, God, help us to know your writings and understand it correctly.
Prophet: Unless you believe that Jesus died for our sins and we died with Him spiritually, raised with the Holy Spirit and raised with Him in the spirit; and set very high with God, you cannot receive the power of the Holy Spirit.
Vesta: Absolutely true!
Prophet: What I will say here is the basis of our belief as Christians, that, Jesus died; and we died with him; He arose, and we arose with Him. Colossians 1:23 – “if ye continue in the faith grounded and grounded, and be firm; unless ye be turned from the hope of the gospel which ye heard of him, which was preached unto every creature which is under heaven; of which I Paul was made a Minister. Colossians 2: 4, 6-8 – [4] I say this, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. [6] So as ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him; [7] with a stump and built in Him; being made firm in the faith, as ye have been taught; more than giving thanks. [8] ‘See that no one be taken captive by his vain doctrine and empty deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after the manner of Christ.’
Romans 6: 3-5, 8 – [3] ‘Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?’ [4] ‘Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.’
[5]For as ye have been united with him in the likeness of his death, so also ye shall be joined in the likeness of his resurrection; [8) ‘But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him; Therefore, unless you believe that we have died to the nature of sin and received life through the Holy Spirit, it is very difficult to live a victorious life through the power of God … and no other divine power can be gained without believing this truth.
(If you want that anointing, you are here.)
1 Corinthians 15:14, 17 – [14] ‘And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.’ [17] ‘And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. ‘So, if you don’t believe this and if you don’t know this and you go to church you are still not a Christian.
This is not today’s lessonbut I just answered the question asked above because it touches some areas of today’s lesson.
+255 785 918 6 **: Amen!
+255 654 333 5 **: Thank you very much Servant of God … now this lesson I have understood it. So, for those who believes in the baptism of deep water what is it exactly? Because one member of my family this week is going to the deep water baptism.
Prophet: Nothing but will come out wet!
+255 654 333 5 **: When they will hear you about their baptism, they will not understand you! They give their testimonies, some of them on the day they were baptized that, they were touched by the Holy Spirit…
Prophet: You know, many people mix the feelings and power of the Holy Spirit. If you want to know, follow them after two to three days… and see whether they have been transformed…
+255,654,333 5 **: I heard one Servant of God claiming that the true baptism is the baptism of deep water and not shallow water or water in the cup…
Prophet: Now, the challenge is to understand the scriptures…and connect to the reality.
Prophet: God help us too…
Prophet: We end up here for today. We will continue with the second part of our lesson focusing on GOD’S PROMISES.
Continue to next LECTURE 2