Title: Spirit-Filled Living
Bible Book: Ephesians 5 : 18-19
Author: Donnie L. Martin
Subject: Spirit-filled Life; Spirit, Infilling of; Christian Living; Holy Spirit
Objective:
Introduction
Too often we Baptist tend to shy away from the term “Spirit-filled.” This is perhaps largely due to some of the wild and weird things perpetrated and practiced under the guise of being filled with the Holy Spirit, such as “taking up serpents,” “speaking in tongues” (glossolalia), the utterance of “prophesies,” or being “slain in the Spirit.” While some of these practices have their basis in Scripture, they are usually practiced outside their proper scriptural context. Other practices, such as being “slain in the Spirit” simply have no real scriptural basis at all that I can find. But if you think some of those things are strange, listen to some of the stuff that is being mentioned in some churches these days. Dr. J. Mike Minnix relates the following:
It seems that some churches are hearing testimonies from people who report that they have been visited by and had conversations with dead relatives. When other church members state that talking to the dead is evil, the testifiers state that Jesus was visited by the dead on the Mount of Transfiguration, so how can it be wrong? What the false testimonies avoid to mention is that Jesus was in Heaven with those people before He came here to be born of Mary and die for our sins!
Some church members are making wild claims about angels dropping gold dust on them or laying precious gems at their feet. Though all Christians know that angels exist and carry out ministries at God’s command, it is over the top to think that angels are visiting Christians to sprinkle gold dust on them. When Jesus was tempted by Satan after His 40-day fast, angels attended our Lord. We aren’t told exactly how the angels assisted Jesus after the temptation, but you can be sure that it wasn’t by sprinkling gold dust on Him or by dropping a few jewels at His feet!1
Folks, things like what I’ve just read to you, have nothing to do with the work of the Holy Spirit of God. They are the deceptive works of Satan, geared to get people sidetracked and into error. However, the Holy Spirit and His ministry within the child of God are legitimate, and we are commanded by God to “…be filled with the Spirit” (Eph.5: 18b). God further commands His children to “…Walk in the Spirit…” (Gal.5: 16a). In other words, we are to “…let the Holy Spirit guide…”2 our lives, by being ever in submission to Him. This series of messages will hopefully give some insight into this truth.
I. The Comprehension Of The Spirit-Filled Life
A. The Command To Be Filled With The Spirit
Ephesians 5:18, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;…”
The word “excess” in verse 18, literally means, “unsavingness.”3 The idea here is that drunkenness “…has nothing of a saving quality about it, but rather a destructive one.”4
Paul said that there are no redeeming qualities in being drunk and out of control. Alcohol has the potential for putting one “out of control.” On the other hand, being “filled with” (“controlled by”5) the Spirit brings one under control. By the way, the words “be filled” carry the idea of, “Be constantly, moment by moment, being controlled by the Spirit.”6
One of two things is true of every person in this room today: You are either filled with the Spirit, or you are filled with self. Which is it with you?
It was D.L. Moody who said, “I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled.”7
B. The Contrast Of Filled With The Spirit And Baptized By The Spirit
Being filled with the Spirit is being under His control.
Acts 4:31-33, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.”
The question is not, “Do you have the Holy Spirit?” but “Does the Holy Spirit have you?” Only by being under the Spirit’s control can the child of God hope to be effective for Christ.
Moody was to have a campaign in England. An elderly pastor protested, “Why do we need this ‘Mr. Moody?’ He’s uneducated, inexperienced, etc. Who does he think he is anyway? Does he think he has a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?”
A younger, wiser pastor rose and responded, “No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Mr. Moody.”8
Being baptized by the Spirit is that work of the Holy Spirit whereby He places the believer into the Body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.”
The point is that the Holy Spirit immerses us into, and identifies us with, the Body of Christ—the Church. This He does by fostering the inner changes that indicate that we have passed from death unto life (John 5: 24; 1 John 3: 14). This takes place at conversion.
C. The Culmination Of Being Filled With The Spirit
Acts 1:8, “But ye shall received 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.”
Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Ephesians 5:19, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;”
Why is it so important that the Spirit controls us? Because folks, the Holy Spirit of God is the One who supplies the power for living the Christian life. The lack of walking daily in submission to the Spirit is the reason so many Christians fail miserably in their Christian walk. They are living by self-effort rather than being enabled by the Spirit.
Dr. Joe McGee sent the following story that might make you watch for the floor sweeper the next time you are in the hospital!
“In a hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, patients always died in the same bed on Sunday morning at about 11:00 AM. Regardless of their medical condition, death occurred at exactly the same time on Sunday morning.
The doctors were puzzled by this phenomenon and some even thought it had something to do with the super natural. No one could solve the mystery as to why the deaths occurred around 11:00 AM on Sunday. A worldwide team of experts was assembled to investigate the cause of the incidents.
The next Sunday morning, a few minutes before 11:00 AM, all of the doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward to see for themselves what the terrible phenomenon was all about. Some of them were holding wooden crosses, prayer books, and other holy objects to ward off the evil spirits. Just when the clock struck 11:00 AM, Pookie Johnson, the part-time Sunday sweeper, entered the ward and unplugged the life support system so he could use the vacuum cleaner. Problem Solved!”
When applied to the Christian or the Church, we need to realize that failure is almost always linked to the fact that we have unplugged ourselves from the power source—the Holy Spirit!9
II. The Commencement Of The Spirit-Filled Life
A. This Will Involve Separation From Known Sin
1. Sin Contaminates God’s Temple Within
1 Corinthians 3: 16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.”
2 Corinthians 7: 1 “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
2. Saints Cannot Live In Two Worlds
Matt.6: 24 “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
Corinthians 10:21, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.”
Corinthians 6:14-18, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: and I will receive you, 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
1 John 1:6, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:”
Folks, can you imagine how the church of Jesus Christ would be helped and strengthened if its members began to walk in obedience to the Spirit of God. We need the right kind of spiritual bones to build a strong body for Christ. The following will explain what I mean:
The modern church needs to put emphasis on the right kind of human bones. We need members with Backbone to stand for Christ. We need people with Anklebones to walk the walk for Christ. We need people with Cheekbones to smile for Christ. We need people with Jawbones to speak up and witness for Christ.
We need to get rid of the Wishbones who are always wishing instead of praying, the Lazybones who are always willing for someone else to do the giving and the working, and we should get rid of the Skull and Crossbones who like the pirates of old are always looking to start a war. We need to eliminate the Funny Bones who are always so sensitive that the slightest bump in life they go into spasms.10
Dear child of God, trying to straddle the fence, as it were, will make you extremely uncomfortable in your spirit. There’s another word for this kind of approach to one’s Christian life: worldliness. How can the child of God fraternize with what God hates? Spurgeon said it well.
If I had a brother who had been murdered, what would you think of me if I daily consorted with the assassin who drove the dagger into my brother’s heart; surely I too must be an accomplice in the crime. Sin murdered Christ; will you be a friend to it? Sin pierced the heart of the Incarnate God; can you love it?11
3. Sin Causes The Holy Spirit To Be Grieved, Hindered And Wounded
Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
1 Thessalonians 5:19, “Quench not the Spirit.”
Sin grieves the Holy Spirit who indwells the believer. What does that mean? It means that when we
sin against God, the Holy Spirit within us is wounded and hurt by it, in the sense that His holiness is offended and insulted. W.E. Vine defines the word “grieve” of Ephesians 4: 30, to mean, “to cause pain…to distress.”12 Also involved in this word is the idea or causing another sorrow.
In 1 Thessalonians 5: 19, the word “quench” is used by Paul to liken the Holy Spirit to the characteristics of fire. Our sin and rebellion can eventually extinguish the Holy Spirit’s influence in our heart and life. Wiersbe notes that:
Fire speaks of purity, power, light, warmth, and (if necessary) destruction…The fire of the Spirit must not go out on the altar of our hearts; we must maintain that devotion to Christ that motivates and energizes our live.13
B. This Will Involve Surrender To God’s Service
Psalm 100:2a, “Serve the Lord with gladness…”
Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
Ephesians 6:7, “With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:”
True servants of Christ don’t have a “what’s in it for me” attitude. If all the saints began to walk in the Spirit there would never be any lack in God’s house and ministry. Here’s what real service is all about:
Self-righteous service comes through human effort. True service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside.
Self-righteous service is impressed with the “big deal.” True service finds it almost impossible to distinguish the small from the large service.
Self-righteous service requires external rewards. True service rests contented in hiddenness.
Self-righteous service is highly concerned about results. True service is free of the need to calculate results.
Self-righteous service picks and chooses whom to serve. True service is indiscriminate in its ministry.
Self-righteous service is affected by moods and whims. True service ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need.
Self-righteous service is temporary. True service is a life-style.
Self-righteous service is without sensitivity. It insists on meeting the need even when to do so would be destructive. True service can withhold the service as freely as perform it.
Self-righteous service fractures community. True service, on the other hand, builds community.14
C. This Will Involve Saturation With The Scriptures
1. The Scriptures Are Holy Spirit-Inspired
Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”
2. The Saints Walk In The Spirit When They Follow His Instructions
Psalm 1:1-2, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
Why do we need to saturate ourselves with the Word of God? It is because as someone once noted concerning the Bible: “This book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book.”15 The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to instruct us concerning God’s will for our lives. If we take it to heart, it will change us.
One day an infidel named William Hone met a small boy who was reading the Bible. Hone said to him, “Why do you spend your time with a worthless book like that?” The lad responded, “It’s the only thing that gives my sick mother any comfort.”
The man was moved by the youngster’s simple comment and decided to read the scriptures for himself. As he did, God’s Spirit spoke to his heart. Some time later he wrote the following lines on one of the pages in his Bible: The proudest heart that ever beat/Hath been subdued in me;/The wildest will that ever rose/To scorn Thy cause or aid Thy foes/ Is quelled, my God, by Thee.16
D. This Will Involve Standing In Faith On The Scriptures
Kings 8: 56, “Blessed be the Lord, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised: there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses his servant.”
Isaiah 55:11, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”
Romans 4:19-21, “And being not weak in faith, he [Abraham] considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
Corinthians 1: 20, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”
Folks, the Holy Spirit of God can’t give you direction, comfort, or insight through the Word of God if you choose not to believe it. But you can stand on the promises of the Bible with complete confidence, for not one of God’s promises has ever failed (1 Kings 8: 56). Here are just a few promises from God’s Word:
A promise from God is a statement we can depend on with absolute confidence. Here are 12 promises for the Christian to claim.
- God’s presence — “I will never leave thee” (Heb. 13:5) God’s protection—“I am thy shield” (Gen. 15:1)
- God’s power — “I will strengthen thee” (Isa. 41:10) God’s provision—“I will help thee” (Isa. 41:10)
- God’s leading — “And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them” (John 10:4)
- God’s purpose s— “I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil” (Jer. 20:11)
- God’s rest — “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28)
- God’s cleansing — “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)
- God’s goodness — “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11)
- God’s faithfulness — “The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake” (1 Sam. 12:22)
- God’s guidance — “The meek will He guide” (Psalm 25:9)
- God’s wise plan — “All things work together for good to them that love God” (Rom. 8:28)17
III. The Concerns Of The Spirit-Filled Life
A. Security
Ephesians 1:13-14, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
Ephesians 4:30, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
There are a number of implications involved in the idea of being “sealed” by the Holy Spirit. Being sealed by the gift of the Holy Spirit implies “ownership and security.”18 In essence, the fact that the Holy Spirit indwells the believer is proof that he or she is the exclusive property of God, that the believer is “…secured from destruction and marked for reward.”19
Wiersbe also comments on the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit:
What is the significance of this sealing of the Holy Spirit? For one thing, it speaks of a finished transaction. Even today, when important legal documents are processed, they are stamped with the official seal to signify the completion of the transaction. This sealing also implies ownership: God has put his seal upon us because He has purchased us to be His own (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20). It also means security and protection. The Roman seal on the tomb of Jesus carried this meaning (Matt.27: 62-66). So, the believer belongs to God, and is safe and protected because he is a part of a finished transaction.
Another use for the seal is as a mark of authenticity. Just as a signature on a letter attests to the genuineness of the document, so the presence of the Spirit proves the believer is genuine. “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Rom.8: 9). It is not simply our lip profession, our religious activity, or our good works, but the witness of the Spirit that makes our profession authentic.20
Notice also that in verse 14, Paul refers to the indwelling Holy Spirit as the “earnest of our inheritance.” One commentator explains as follows:
Who is the earnest of our inheritance. That is, the pledge which guarantees that all the rest will follow. Until the redemption of the purchased possession. Jesus Christ has purchased us for himself and has given us the Holy Spirit as the pledge that the redemption which has been so wondrously begun will be completed.21
There is a humorous story concerning the indwelling Holy Spirit that illustrates the security of the believer. It goes like this:
I love the story about the man who went to the barber to get a shave. It seems the barber’s wife, Grace, was working in his place. She shaved the man and charged him $30.00. He started to complain about the price but decided against it.
The next day he noticed that he did not need to shave again. Then the next day he also did not need a shave. This went on for two weeks.
Finally he went back to the shop and saw the barber. He told him the amazing story. The barber said, “Oh, that was Grace who shaved you. Don’t you know that when you’ve been shaved by Grace it is once shaved, always shaved!
Aren’t you glad that we truly do have amazing grace? Once we are saved by Jesus, it is a finished act that never can be lost and never has to be repeated.22
B. Power
Acts 1:8, “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 4:31, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
1 John 4:4b, “…greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Some Christians seem to feel that they are powerless against the onslaughts of Satan’s temptations in their lives. However, that’s not the case; they have simply succumbed to the devil’s lie. Because of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we have the power to resist temptation. Paul said, “…Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal.5: 16).
There is much talk today about the energy shortage. Political parties banter back and forth about who has the best ideas for solving this expensive and dangerous problem. But, we have a much more serious energy problem. We have little resistance to sin today. We need God’s Spirit to enable us to stand true.
Tim Stafford tells in his book Unhappy Secrets of the Christian Life about the Thresher (Charisma & Christian Life, Oct 1991. page 82). It was a nuclear submarine that traveled under the Arctic ice to the North Pole. However, it went too deep and water pressure became so great that the sub’s hull collapsed and imploded. At great depths like that even thick steel bulkheads cannot withstand the tremendous pressure—but certain species of fish can. It would seem like these thin-skinned creatures would be crushed by the weight of the water. They aren’t simply because they have within themselves an equal and opposite pressure. When we face the pressure of the world and all its temptations, we don’t need to try to protect ourselves with thick steel walls. We just need to have an equal and opposite pressure inside us: the power of the Holy Spirit.
Stafford is right. We must be filled with the Holy Spirit to overcome the power of Satan and this world against us.23
C. Identification
Romans 8:9, 14-16, “But ye are not in the flesh (“…controlled by your sinful nature”24), but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:”
D. Reproving And Conviction
John 16:7-8, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove (“convict”25) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:”
One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to bring conviction upon the human heart. This story explains my point:
A London merchant named Henry Goodyear was inclined to scoff at the Bible. But one Sunday, just to please his niece, he went to church. The young lady was greatly disappointed when she learned that the pastor’s message was based on the fifth chapter of Genesis. As she listened to the monotonous list of names being read, she wondered why God had permitted him to pick such an uninteresting passage. She feared that her uncle would close his mind to those gloomy verses. As they walked home, little did she know that every tread of her uncle’s feet, every throb of his heart seemed to repeat the doleful refrain, “And he died! And he died!”
The next day he could not concentrate on his work. That night he searched for a half-forgotten family Bible. Finding it, he read once again, “And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died…And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died…And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years: and he died.” The simple story was the same for the good as well as the wicked: “He lived—and he died.”
Henry Goodyear thought, “Now I’m living, but someday I too must die, and then where will I spend eternity?” That very night he asked the Lord Jesus to forgive him and make him His child. His niece rejoiced when she heard of his conversion and was reminded again that the Holy Spirit can use even the most unlikely passage, such as a genealogical table, to bring conviction to a sinner’s heart.26
E. Intercession
Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
F. Teaching
John 14: 26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
___________________________________________________
1. Dr. J. Mike Minnix, Editor, www.pastorlife.com, “Weird Things in God’s House.”
2. Holy Bible: New Living Translation, Second Edition, published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois; Copyright © 1996, 2004, pg. 1369.
3. Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies, Vol. I, Ephesians And Colossians In The Greek New Testament, published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49502; pg. 127.
4. Ibid, pg. 127.
5. Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Rich, published by Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois; pg. 136.
6. Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies, Vol. I, Ephesians And Colossians In The Greek New Testament, published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49502; pg. 128.
7. J. Kuhatschek, Taking The Guesswork Out of Applying The Bible, IVP, p. 153ff.
8. Source unknown. Acquired sermonillustrations.com.
9. Dr. J. Mike Minnix, Editor, www.pastorlife.com.
10. Author unknown. Acquired from www.pastorlife.com.
11. C.H. Spurgeon.
12. W.E. Vine, with Merrill F. Unger and William White, Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary Of Old And New Testament Words, Copyright © 1984, 1996 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN; pg. 281.
13. Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Ready, published by Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois; pg. 118.
14.Ricard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, "The Discipline of Service.
15.Author unknown.
16. Author unknown. Acquired from pastorlife.com.
17. Our Daily Bread, January 1, 1985.
18. W.E. Vine, with Merrill F. Unger and William White, Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary Of Old And New Testament Words, Copyright © 1984, 1996 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN; pg. 553.
19. Ibid, pg. 553.
20. Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Rich, published by Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois; pgs. 24 & 25.
21. Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, Editors, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Copyright © 1962 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago; pg. 1304.
22. Dr. J. Mike Minnix, Editor, www.pastorlife.com.
23. Ibid.
24. Holy Bible: New Living Translation, Second Edition, published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois; Copyright © 1996, 2004, pg. 1322.
25. Ibid, pg. 1263.
26. Author unknown. Acquired from www.pastorlife.com.
