Posts Tagged ‘Faith’
Do You Need a Bible Believing Holy Spirit Filled Pentecostal Church Pastor San Antonio Texas Area?
Do you need a Spirit Filled pastor in your life? With resources abundant in the age of technology, it may feel like the need for a Holy Spirit Filled pastor is dwindling. There are online resources, videos, discussion pages, and social media communities galore to be found on the internet. The pastor’s role as a teacher and shepherd may seem less important and more time consuming when the Bible can be studied either through the Book itself or online. However, the role of the pastor is much more than just someone to be listened to on Sunday mornings or mid week service and Bible study.
The Pastor’s role is primarily to teach and to instruct, but the depth of their role does not end there. The Pastor acts as the figurehead of the Church, leading it and choosing what directions and walks of faith the Church should take. By actively participating in Church and unifying with a body of Holy Spirit filled believers, you are also releasing some control to the pastor and his direction. In this regard, it is more a question of whether or not you should align with a physical Apostolic Church San Antonio TX instead of trying to lone wolf it and learn only through your own resources. However, once the decision is made to align with a Pentecostal Church San Antonio Texas area, it is important to foster the relationship you have with the Church and the pastor.
For example, let’s look at the role Jesus had with the disciples as their pastor and spiritual leader. Think of where the disciples came from before they met Jesus. Peter, James, and John were all fishermen. Matthew was a tax collector and left to their own devices they would have continued with these roles in relative spiritual ignorance. Without Jesus forging a relationship with each of these individuals and them taking the time to let that relationship grow and move them, many great strides in the Christian faith would not have been taken. If Peter hadn’t first accepted and been enriched by the pastoral relationship he had with Christ, then he never would have moved on to start the first Apostolic Churches. The same applies for each of Jesus’ disciples, past and present. Jesus desires not only a relationship between Himself and us, but between us and the leaders He has selected to lead us.
Jeremiah 3:15
15 Then I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.
Jesus has called individuals to lead, to teach, and to help grow others in their faith. His work did not end when He rose from the grave and ascended into heaven. In fact, that event marks more a beginning of His work than it does the end. This is evidenced in the great commission that Jesus delivered to His disciples in between resurrection and ascendance.
Matthew 28: 16-19a
16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, …
Jesus called the disciples of His day to be pastors to the masses that they encountered. That role has not changed with the changes in society and culture that have occurred in the 2000 years since Jesus’ ministry. That commission is still lived out by the pastors of today. The Pastor is an individual called and instructed by God to lead and to love His Church body. The Pastors have a special call on their life, and they are also there to assist with the calling that God has on your life.
Not only do they posses a generally deeper and more profound knowledge of Christ, but they are also there to assist others along their walks in the Christian faith. When you have questions on what to do with the direction and decisions of your life, who do you turn to? Is it your parents, perhaps a spouse, or even a mentor? What about your Pastor? They are called by God to be someone that can be turned to with these dilemmas. A Bible believing Spirit Filled Church pastor can instruct and to guide people through these difficult decisions.
If you are attempting to walk the Christian faith and to live your life in a manner pleasing to Jesus, then odds are that God has placed a pastor somewhere in your life. Maybe it’s someone you see on a weekly basis but seek no deeper relationship with. Perhaps its someone you’ve met in passing while visiting a United Pentecostal Church San Antonio Texas. Perhaps you don’t yet know who this person is, but regardless, there is a pastor out there for you. There is someone whom God has called to be knowledgeable and wise in the scriptures, someone to advise and instruct whenever necessary. There is someone who has walked the path long enough to know many of the obstacles that lay along the path. There is someone who is seeking people to help and to assist in growth. There is someone who God has called to speak into your life.
As you go about your business in the coming days, I hope that you already have a relationship like the one I’ve described. If you do not have a relationship like this already, I hope you will seek out the person that God has called you to build this relationship with. I hope that you will take the time to be enriched by the people that God has called to enrich. I hope that you will listen to the words that they speak from the pulpit and to the words that they speak into your life personally.
If you would like to be a member of a Holy Spirit Filled United Pentecostal Church San Antonio Texas area, we invite you to Pentecostal Life Church. Pentecostal Life Church is a United Pentecostal Church ( UPCI Church ) located in a suburb of San Antonio Texas, called Schertz Texas. Schertz is connected to San Antonio Texas, Universal City Texas, Cibolo Texas, Selma Texas, Garden Ridge Texas, and Converse Texas. The city of Schertz is also claimed by three Texas counties, which are Comal County, Bexar County, and Guadalupe County Texas. It is the desire of Pentecostal Life Church to provide a Full Gospel Apostolic Church in San Antonio TX area. Pentecostal Life Church is located at 102 FM-78, Schertz, TX 78154. Service times Sundays 10:30 am & Thursdays 7 pm.
The Blessings of Personal and Group Prayer
Prayer is a key element of walking in faith with Christ. Prayer is our most direct and most accessible connection to God. While in the older days before Christ’s life, death, and resurrection speaking to God was a right reserved for the Priests on certain occasions and in certain manners. As followers of Christ we have the benefit that they did not of an open line of communication directly between us and God. We don’t need to have been born in a certain line of succession, and we don’t need to worry about using a middle man, such as a priest, to communicate what we want to say to the Lord. Today we will be discussing two different types of prayer, personal and group.
Personal prayer is what one does when praying alone. Perhaps it’s in a bedroom before turning in for the evening, perhaps it’s done in the car ride to work, or alone in a waiting room. Regardless, personal prayer occurs when a person chooses to pray alone, making it solely a conversation between them and God. Personal prayer is important in everyday life, whether one is blessing their food or prayer for God to make serious changes in their life. The blessings of personal prayer are also immense. Personal Prayer gives us the opportunity to seek God’s help with our struggles in a personal manner. We are blessed to live in a day and age where forgiveness is not bought with the blood of an animal sacrifice, but has already been paid for through the blood of Jesus Christ. Because His blood has already paid the unpayable debt left by our sins, we need to ask for Jesus’ help on a daily basis. While prayer for forgiveness is a blessing of personal prayer, there are several other benefits of it as well. For instance, prayer can be utilized to seek advice or guidance on a personal matter that has proven challenging for us to handle on our own. Perhaps a person is deciding between two jobs in different cities, and wants input on where God is truly calling their life. Through prayer we can bring these questions directly to God; and because we are blessed with the benefit of having received the Holy Spirit into our hearts and in having a connection through the Holy Spirit, he will answer us. Sometimes this answer comes in the form of scripture, sometimes it comes in the form of a feeling, and sometimes it comes in the form of a fellow believer providing guidance and insight that God has placed on their hearts. Whatever form it takes, and it may often take many different forms for different people. Prayer provides communication between us and God. Prayer can bring us many blessings because of this direct connection between an individual and God. Prayer can bring discernment, strength, wisdom, healing, peace, forgiveness and the list goes on. The blessings of group prayer is similar, but the process of it changes slightly.
When one person prays alone, it is a direct and personal communication between an individual and God. When the prayer becomes corporate, some of that intimacy may be lost, but there is also much to be gained. We know from Matthew 18:20 that “For where two or three gather together as my followers, [a] I am there among them.” So, it stands to be reference that if two or more are gathered in prayer, then the presence of Jesus dwells there as well. This exemplifies the power that is present in group prayer that may not be as accessible when praying as individuals. And much like individual prayer, corporate prayer can be used in many situations. Maybe it is something as simple as praying for food before a Church potluck, but it could also be something vastly larger in scale. Perhaps it’s a group of people praying for the healing of a terminal family member, or a Church body praying before it sends one of its members on a mission trip. Whatever the situation, blessings that are present in personal prayer are also present in group prayer, often in a much more noticeable sense.
We see many occasions where prayer is instructed and advocated for in scripture as well. Here are a few examples for your reference:
Ephesians 6:18
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
Luke 11: 9-10
9 “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Philippians 4:6
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
Above are three examples from the New Testament ascribing the need for and the power of prayer. The verse from Ephesians focuses on the need to be persistent and committed in our prayers. It is important to continually seek the Lord through prayer. The verse from Luke highlights the importance of that continuity and the blessings that come forward because of that dedication. While there may be doors in front of us that block our paths, we must remember to keep praying, to keep asking, and to keep knocking. God sees and hears this dedication and this desire to seek him, and the doors cannot remain closed against His will. Finally, in Philippians, we see the reassurance of prayer. When we are in close communication with Him, through personal or corporate prayer, we don’t need to worry. Instead, we just have to tell Him what we need, and thank Him for all that He has already provided. The blessings of prayer don’t end there, and neither does the need for it. God has given us a direct line to Him, it doesn’t do us well to ignore it. Instead, take the time and reach out to Him and listen for His answers.
We at Pentecostal Life Church would like to invite you to be apart of our group prayer and worship. It will have a positive impact on your personal prayers and worship. Pentecostal Life Church is a Spirit filled Apostolic Pentecostal Church in a suburb of San Antonio Texas.
Pentecostal Life Church currently meets at 1201 Oak Street, Schertz, TX, 78154
Service times are Sunday 10:30 am & Thursday 7pm.
Apostolic Churches In San Antonio TEXAS
The teachings of the apostles are a foundation of the Christian faith, but why? The Apostles were, after all, just regular people, right? They were followers themselves, following Jesus Christ during his brief tenure on this planet over 2000 years ago. So why are their teachings placed in the same esteem and stature of the prophets and the Messiah? Listed are some reason to be apart of an Apostolic Church San Antonio TX.
Well, a fundamental aspect of the Christian faith is in the divine inspiration of the Bible. As Christians, we believe that the Bible was written by men acting on the message that they received from the Lord. So, while Paul may be the writer of the book of Romans, the knowledge, wisdom, and teachings found in that book were created and inspired by God. We find evidence for this throughout the Bible as well, both with events that occur and with the writings themselves. For example, Moses received the Ten Commandments directly from God on top of the mountain. We also find, specific scriptures that indicate the nature of scripture in accordance with divine inspiration. Here are two of these examples:
2 Peter 1: 20-21
20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
The writers themselves acknowledge the source of their works and give due credit to the One who not only inspired them, but who is also the reason for which they are writing. This lends credibility to the topics they speak on, the wisdom they pass on, and the knowledge that they transcribe for fellow believers. This credibility, coupled with knowledge of these individuals themselves and theme of topics and ideas between the works themselves, lends proper credibility to the authors and the books that they wrote.
If the works can be accepted as credible and valid for the time which they were written, how can they still be applicable to the modern audience? After all, most of the letters were written as letters to specific groups of people or Churches. As modern citizens, we have the benefit of modern communication and the extent to which the Gospel has already spread. We have easy access to churches, to copies of the Bible, and countless other sources of information and knowledge about Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. What can possibly be learned from works that are two thousand years old?
First, the opening books of the New Testament, the Gospels, are a record of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. They are our closest source of information regarding what He said and what He did. The books following the Gospels, excluding Revelations, help break down the meaning of His life and how that is applicable to the readers. The later books of the New Testament are in layman’s terms, a break down of the call that Christ places in the hearts of every believer. Through the teachings of the Apostles and the examples in the book of Acts , we are able to better understand the teachings of Jesus Christ and the true depth of his actions.
The list of topics goes on and on, the examples above only covering a fraction of what can be found in the book of Acts of the Apostles alone. These things were written to teach us the fundamentals of the Christian faith, and to build on them into the in-depth topics that help us answer the difficult questions that world is apt to throw at us. The teachings of the apostles equip us for the difficulties of being the minority as believers; submerged in a world that not disagrees with us, but that works against us as well.
The latter books of the New Testament also help to equip us not only as individual believers, but as members of the larger Body of Christ. Paul’s letters to the churches, Peter’s letters, and even the short book of Jude, all have crucial wisdom and practical solutions to the problems that churches faced not only two-thousand years ago, but that still apply to the church today. The applications of the teachings of the Apostles are timeless in the sense that they do not lose influence and truth when removed from their original audiences, but that carry both similar and unique ideas to any who reads through their pages today and tomorrow. Do you live in or near San Antonio, TEXAS, and are wanting to be apart of Apostolic Churches in San Antonio, TX.
We invite you to come and be apart of Pentecostal Life Church. It is our desire to be a book of Acts Holy Spirit filled Church and provided an Apostolic Church in San Antonio, TEXAS and the surrounding. Pentecostal Life Church is in a San Antonio suburb called Schertz TEXAS.
Service Times: Sunday 10:30am Thursday 7pm
Pentecostal Life Church Location: 1201 Oak St. Schertz, TX. 78154
This is a quotes post
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.