Foundation School Curriculum: Class 1 The New Creation
Foundation School Curriculum: Class 1 The New Creation
Foundation School Curriculum: Class 1 The New Creation
CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION
It’s with pleasure that we welcome you to the Foundation School of Christ Embassy (a.k.a. BLW
Inc.).
Knowledge is vital and makes the difference between success and failure. It is our expectation that you
will be impacted with the basic knowledge of God’s Word which will afford you the privilege of having
a successful Christian Life built on a right foundation.
GRADUATION
Upon the successful completion of the Foundation School requirements, students will graduate at a
lovely and colorful ceremony.
Punctuality
• You are expected to come early for your classes in order to benefit maximally from each
module.
• You are required to be time conscious, disciplined, studious and involved.
Cell System
Every student should be committed to a cell group by attending the cell meetings regularly which will
further enhance your spiritual growth.
Ministry Materials
During the course of the Foundation School, each student is expected to get (study, listen to and watch)
the ministry books, Audio messages, DVDs, and other materials recommended by the teachers.
On behalf of the Pastor, the Pastorate and the wonderful Staff of the Foundation School, I say a big
WELCOME and CONGRATULATIONS!
The Principal
Christ Embassy Foundation School
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CLASS 1: THE NEW CREATION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this class, participants should:
• Know of their salvation and be confident of it.
• Know about the origin of Sin – The Adamic origin. Sin is the nature of the unbeliever, regardless
of if he does good or bad.
• Know that forgiveness is available to a Christian if he sins
• Understand that their parentage is of God and He gave them freely because they believed
• Understand the reality of Spirit , Soul and Body
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ANALOGY:
A fairly used engine in a car with a New Body is a fairly used Car. This is because the
ENGINE is the Car. When a Man is born again, he has received a NEW Engine. Even though
the body may have a dent or a scratch, because the ENGINE (his Spirit is NEW). He is
NEW.
• Now that you are born again, you are born into the family of God.
• The family of God includes all who believed in Him in the past, those who believe in Him
now, and those who will in future. God is the father of every believer: this makes all
Christians, brethren (brothers and sisters). You therefore are a part of God’s family.
o Ephesians 3:15: “From whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named"
• Before we got born again, we were not in the kingdom of God's Son i.e. His family; we were
alienated from it. Now as children of God, we have been translated into the kingdom of His
Son. By virtue of our salvation, we are born into God's family.
Colossians 1:13: “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us
into the kingdom of His dear Son”.
o Eph 2:19 ‘Now therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens
with the saints and of the household of God’
2) Born of God: John 1:12-13; Romans 10:9-10, Titus 3:5, John 3:3-6
• This new creation in Christ Jesus is born of God.
A son is the child of his father, born of his father's seed.
o John 1:12-13 - But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the
sons of God even to them that believe on his name. Which were born not of blood nor
of the will of flesh nor of the will of man, but of God’
The Bible says to all that believe in His Name, God gave the right to become His sons. In John
1:12-13, God calls the one who believes in His son, born of His seed and God's seed is His
WORD. That is why we cry, 'Abba Father' because the very life of God in us makes us His
beloved sons, just as much as Jesus is.
• He is not born of man or of the flesh. He is born of God because he received the nature of God in
his spirit (John 3:3-6). He first believes in his heart that the Lord Jesus was raised from the dead
and then confesses what he believes with his mouth. (Rom. 10:9-10). As soon as this is done, he
is automatically birthed of God.
3) The Origin of Sin: Rom. 5:14-16, 21, 18-19; Rom. 3:23-28, 1John 2:2.
• Sin came into this world through Adam, when he disobeyed God and committed high treason
against God in the Garden of Eden. The consequence of that action caused the death nature of
Satan to pass upon all men and it’s because of that nature that all men sinned. Gen. 2:17
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• Since then, sin became the nature of every man that is born of Man. You do not have to do
anything to sin but rather you sin because you have the nature of sin in you. Rom. 5:14-16, 21,
18-19
• This is the reason why the birth of Jesus could not have been through the agency of Man
otherwise Jesus too would have been born a sinner. But Jesus was born of a virgin without a man
and so without the sin nature. He also lived above the temptations of sin, (Heb. 4:15) so His
blood was pure enough to be the price (propitiation –atoning sacrifice) for our justification. He
was our substitute. Jesus’ death paid for the sin that came by Adam and so Righteousness nature
come by Jesus as a free gift to all Men! Rom. 3:23-28, 1John 2:2.
• This is the gospel (good news) to all men, to the sinners. This is why we preach!
• We became Christians through God’s grace, not as a result of any effort, ability, intelligent
choice or act of service on our part. It is therefore evident that no action or work we did could
have helped us obtain or qualify for salvation. It was by God’s grace. All that is required is to
believe the lordship of Jesus and confess it with our mouths.
• Romans 5:17. Those who receive abundance of grace and of the free gift of righteousness will
reign in life, though Jesus. This is God’s word to all Christians; we can reign over all the vices
and evil in this world.
5) Assurance of Salvation
Sometimes, the devil likes to deceive God’s children by making us feel that we are not saved.
• Our assurance of salvation is that thing that lets us know of a certainty that without any doubt,
we are born again. Our assurance of salvation is not through our feelings. Two key ways we are
assured of our salvation are:
a. The Word: Romans 10:9-10, 1 John 5:9-10
We know that we are saved by what the Word of God says concerning our salvation. In Rom. 10:
9-10 we see that you believe with your heart and with your mouth confess what you believe, then
you are saved. No matter how doubtful we may feel sometimes, this scripture gives us assurance.
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From the Word of God, we know that ‘the witness of God is better’ – 1 John 5:9-10. God Himself
witnesses that our salvation is assured by the belief in our hearts and the confessions that our
mouths made.
6) Remission for the Unregenerate: Acts 2:38; Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7
• An unregenerate being is someone who is not yet born again (an unbeliever, a sinner). When a
sinner comes to Christ, he does not receive forgiveness. An unbeliever needs to get his sins
remitted to be born again - he gets remission of his sins when he believes that Jesus is Lord and
confesses this with his mouth. Remission is the actual washing away of sins in such a way that
the sin never even existed before. This is being born again.
• Jesus Christ, when He died on the cross of Calvary, died for the whole world, both the regenerate
(Christians) and the unregenerate (non-Christians). “For this is my blood of the New Testament,
which is shed for many for the remission of sin” (Matthew 26:28).
• This is why the bible says that if any man is in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation. Old things have
passed away, and all things have become new. It is wrong, therefore, for an unbeliever to ask
God to forgive him of his sins. Forgiveness belongs to those who are already in a relationship
with God, but remission is for the sinner. Our redemption came through His blood.
o Ephesians 1:8: “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of
sins, according to the riches of His grace”.
ANALOGY: Use Remission of Money (Western Union Money transfer): Once money is remitted it
no longer belongs to the remitter. The remitter can no longer claim that money. The recipient
who receives the money becomes the New Owner of the money. In the case of a sinner, his sins
are once and for all remitted to Calvary.
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Jesus Christ any longer as he did this to get born again. All he needs to do is to be truly sorry and
ask God to forgive him as the scripture says and receive forgiveness.
o “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).
• If we confess our sins, God forgives us. He is not counting our mistakes against us. God sees us
as righteous children always. He sees His son Jesus Christ in us, and sees us through His son,
even when we make mistakes. If we make a mistake or sin, all we have to do is confess to Him
and He forgives us. We must always believe that He has forgiven us, and not brood over our past
mistakes.
o “…If anyone (born again child of God) sins, we have an advocate with the father,
Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1)
• Jesus Christ is our advocate. He has already suffered your penalty in your place. All you need to
do is confess and believe that you are forgiven, because He has indeed forgiven you.
8) Man is a Spirit. He has a Soul and lives in a Body: 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12;
Job 4:19; Job 10:11.
A) The Spirit
i. The Spirit Man got saved 2 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Corinthians 6:17
• It is the spirit of man that got saved. This is the man mentioned in 2 Cor. 5:17. His
body remains the same. His physical / external appearances remain unchanged,
because HE IS SPIRIT.
• The human body that houses a man is not the person. The real person is the spirit, the
one who got born again. That is the one alive to God and he cannot be seen with the
optical eye.
• God is Spirit. “But He who is joined to the Lord is one Spirit with Him” (2 Cor.
6:17). That tells us that the spirit man is the one that is alive with God.
ii. He lives In the Word of God 1 Peter 2:2; Matthew 4:4; Hebrews 5:12-14
• We all need to eat food to grow. Just as the human being (our physical bodies) must
eat to stay alive and be healthy, so also the spirit of man must feed to be healthy. The
food for the spirit is the Word of God. The Christian cannot live on bread alone as
Jesus said, but on every one of God's Word (Matthew 4:4). When we are born again,
we are spiritual babies and we have to feed to grow. Just as a human being who does
not eat well will easily fall ill, so will the human spirit that does not feed on the Word
of God be susceptible to attack. If we are healthy, we will grow, that's the only way.
Every Christian should be desirous of God's Word, to grow and be nourished by it (I
Peter 2:2, Hebrews 5:14).
• As we live by the Word and feed on it our appetite for it increases, hence the
development of our spirit is enhanced. Christians cannot live without the Word.
iii. The fruit of the recreated human spirit: Galatians 5:22-23
• Fruit refers to the character that we exhibit externally that tells people who we really
are. – By their fruits you shall know them.
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• Just as a tree produces fruits and is recognized by these fruits, so also the spirit (man's
spirit) produces character traits that are Christ's nature. These traits that the believer
exhibits are used to identify that he is a Christian.
• For these fruits to grow in us depends on how much of Him we know by feeding on
His Word and how much we love Him. Jesus Christ is the vine; we are the branches -
the fruit bearing part of same vine.
• These fruits are different from the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit
are spiritual gifts given to believers by the Holy Spirit as He wills. At every point in
time the Christian has the fruit of the spirit because they are in his nature.
C) The Body
Bringing the body under subjection: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Colossians 3:5;
The body has no will of its own. It is either a slave to the senses or a slave to the spirit. Paul
lets us know that it is our responsibility to keep our bodies under the rulership of our spirit.
The body wants to do what it feels like doing, but many times the feelings in the body may
be contrary to the Word of God. At such times, we put the body under subjection to our
spirit. In other words, we tell it what to do. Paul says the reason for putting the body under is
so that we do not get disqualified after preaching to others. It is possible to be disqualified for
the prize. Anyone who walks by the flesh will definitely be disqualified for the prize, that is
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why Jesus said that God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must do so in spirit and in
truth. We do not worship God in the flesh, but in the spirit.
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REVISION QUESTIONS:
• The bible says you are born of God; this means you have the exact kind of relationship Jesus
has with God. How true is that?
• Who are those that belong to the family of God?
• How will I be continually assured of my salvation despite what my senses tell me?
• Fidelis is feeling condemned and guilty because he committed a sin. What should he do as a
child of God?
• How is Remission of Sin different from Forgiveness of Sin?
• Write short notes on (1) Spirit, (2) Soul and (3) Body.
TODAY’S CONFESSIONS:
“I am a new creation. I may look the same outside but the truth is that I am completely new inside, in my
spirit. Therefore, I now live my life from the inside. I have the divine nature of God in my spirit. I am the
righteousness of God in Christ Jesus”
"Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION, old things are passed away and all things
are become new" 2 Corinthians 5:17
REFERENCE MATERIALS:
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CLASS 2: THE HOLY SPIRIT
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Theme Scripture: John 14:16-20
• The Holy Spirit is God Himself. He is the 3rd person of the trinity. He is the one that puts to
work God’s instruction. He is a member of the Godhead. Genesis 1:26
• E.g. in Genesis 1:26, when God said Let “us” make man in our own image, after our
likeliness……., it was the Holy Spirit that went to work.
• Also we see the Holy Spirit at work in Genesis 1:2 “….. and the Spirit of God moved upon
the face of the waters.” It was the Holy Spirit that created the earth when God spoke.
• He is the angel of God’s presence (Isaiah 63:9). He is the person that brings to us on earth the
presence of the God the Father. Jesus is in heaven, but His presence can be felt here on earth
through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. God dwells between the cherubim of glory, but His
presence can be felt in this world through the Holy Ghost.
• Being a Spirit, we cannot see Him with the optical eyes, but we can see His manifestation. He
is as real as the person sitting next to you (John 14:17). He has a personality, just as every
human being has a personality. He can be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), and can talk (Acts 13:2).
• God is too big to dwell in us but He is able to dwell in us by the Holy Spirit. Any time it was
recorded that God appeared to men, it was the Holy Ghost that brought to them the presence
of God. He is the angel of God's presence. He is one of the same kind with Jesus (John 14:16-
20).
• The Holy Spirit is also known as Allos Parakletos, meaning another Comforter of the same
kind, called alongside to help. He is not of a different kind but of the same kind with the Lord
Jesus Christ. He talks, heals, saves and does everything like Jesus. Jesus is just like the
Father; it then means that the Holy Ghost is just like the father. This implies that the Father,
Jesus and the Holy Ghost are one and the same. The Father says the same things as Jesus, just
as the Holy Ghost speaks the very words of Jesus (John 16:13).
• God and Jesus cannot be everywhere at the same time (God is in Heaven and Jesus is seated
at the right hand of God), but the Holy Spirit is the one who takes the presence of God
everywhere at the same time.
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2) THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LIFE OF A CHRISTIAN
Apart from being known as the Holy Spirit, there are 7 other ways or revelations a Believer can have
of the Holy Spirit that will help him in his walk and relationship with the Holy Spirit.
E.g. some people sometimes pass out because they have high blood pressure - they black out all
of a sudden. Such things are not supposed to happen to you. You can stop them by applying the
power of the Holy Spirit.
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• He is Our Standby Romans 8:11
When you run out of everything, strength, information, ideas, and opinion. There is a standby the
Holy Spirit. He will give life to your body. He will energize your spirit and supply you with the
necessary knowledge, wisdom and understanding.
The Holy Spirit is our Standby, to take over and carry on when we have reached our limits.
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6) THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD.
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7. THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE MINISTRY GIFTS.
a. The Difference between the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and its Fruit of the recreated human
spirit.
The gifts of the Holy Spirit 1 Cor. 12: 7 – 10 are gifts given to believers by the Holy Spirit as
He wills for the common good and the edification of the Church.
• The fruit of the recreated human spirit is the product of our recreated nature. We have
all of the fruit of the Spirit inside us. They come with our righteous nature.
• Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering,
Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance”.
• ANALOGY: Just like we can only tell a tree by its fruit, the Fruit of the Holy Spirit are
the identifying attributes of the New Creation.
b. Ministry Gifts (Heb. 5:4) is a Calling into an Office in the Body of Christ. The offices are
namely: Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher. Those Called into these offices are
given the responsibility to PERFECT THE SAINTS FOR THE WORK OF THE
MINISTRY. In other words, to prepare and build up the saints, so they can fulfill God's
purpose for their lives on earth. However, it is not everybody that occupies these offices. It is
a calling.
Ministry gift is a calling into an office but the gifts of the Holy Spirit can actually be desired.
c. Every Christian can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit Acts 2:38 – 39
• The Holy Spirit is received after salvation. It is the Holy Spirit coming upon man to
enable him do the supernatural. It is man receiving God's ability, becoming identified
with the omnipotence of God by the enablement of the Holy Spirit.
• Acts 1:8 says: "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon
you...”
• The power here means Dunamis. It is the dynamic ability to cause changes. God's
ability is received after the Holy Ghost comes upon one’s life. The Holy Ghost is
received by faith and He's mostly received by the laying on of hands (Acts 9:17, Acts
8:17, Acts 8:6).
• Receiving the Holy Ghost means receiving the anointing for Christian Service (1 John
2:20, 27; 2 Corinthians 1:21). It is God equipping you with the ability to do what He
would have done if physically present on earth. You receive the power to preach the
gospel, heal the sick and raise the dead. The Holy Ghost is for every child of God and
is received by faith (Gal. 3:2). This is a gift (Acts 2.38). Since it is a gift you don't
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have to work it - you only receive it when you hear that God desires to fill you with
His Spirit. Once you believe and act on the Word, the Holy Ghost comes upon you
immediately.
QUESTIONS:
CONFESSION
I’m full of the Holy Ghost, in Him I live, move and have my being and I declare that in whatever I do I
do by the Power of The Holy Spirit that causes me to triumph daily.
I can never be defeated, discouraged or helpless because the Holy Ghost lives in me and I manifest His
character, Glory to God!
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CLASS 3: CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE
LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
*That participants would understand the fundamental doctrines of the things that are most
surely believed in the new Christian-dom on Righteousness, Laying on of hands, Sanctification,
Holiness, and Baptism and what their role is in fulfilling these doctrines in their life.
When we received Christ into our lives, He made us new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17)
• We are now in a New Kingdom (Col. 1:12-13).
• In this New Kingdom, we have a lifestyle which is based entirely on the faith of God’s
Word (Romans 12:3, Hebrews 11:6).
• When we were in the world, there were certain mannerisms, lifestyles or ethics that we
learnt, either consciously or unconsciously. We now evaluate them in the light of God’s
Word and also take on the God-kind of lifestyle in the New Testament.
• This class deals with these lifestyles which have become doctrines in the church of God,
and especially this local assembly Christ Embassy.
2. Meaning of Doctrine
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3. Doctrine of Righteousness : Heb. 5:17
• It gives us the ability to stand before God without a sense of guilt, inferiority
or condemnation.
c. Gives you boldness: Proverbs 28:1, Hebrews 10:19
• Certain truths contained in the Word are referred to as foundational principles of the
doctrines of Christ. They are fundamental to faith and form the foundation of a sound
Christian experience.
• Heb. 6:1-2. “Therefore living the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto
perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith
toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands and of resurrection
of the dead, and of eternal judgment”.
• Any doctrine that in any way disagrees with these fundamental doctrines is according to
the standard of God’s Word a false doctrine. They therefore form a good reference
point for judging any doctrine.
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i. Repentance from dead works: Hebrews 9:12-14, Gal. 2:16.
• It is essential for a Christian to realize that he is justified by the faith and not by
any thing that he did or does. That is all that is required for salvation.
• In Heb. 9:11-14, the writer lets us know that through the blood of Christ, we
have our consciences purged from dead works to serve the living God.
• What are these dead works? Studying from verses 11-13 of the same chapter, we
can see that the Apostle Paul was talking about the ritual by which people of the
Old Testament came to God. He is letting them know that no act of sacrifices on
our part to please God is acceptable. Rather God sees them as dead works. All
that is required for us is to believe and be justified.
ii. Faith towards God: Hebrews 11:1-6, Romans 1:17, 2 Corinthians 5:7.
• The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1-2, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report”.
• The life of the believer is a life of faith, and God has called us to live in the
realm of faith. As God’s children, we walk by faith and not by sight. ‘Sight’
here means sensory perceptions. (2 Cor. 5:7).
• Before we got born again, we were led by our sensory perceptions, but now God
wants us to change. He wants us to live in His realm, the realm of faith.
• To some people, the life of faith is a struggle, but it shouldn’t be like that for a
Christian, because we are born in faith. The Bible says in Romans 12:3, that we
have received the measure of faith.
• This is the measure of faith that brought us to Christ by our responding to the
Word of God (Romans 10:9-10).
• It is every believer’s responsibility to develop his faith. “Now faith comes by
hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17). As we hear the
Word of God, we are building up our faith; so every believer must make
conscious efforts of continually hearing the Word of God not just by attending
church gatherings or being in meetings where the Word of God is taught, but
also by buying relevant audio and video tapes and other faith-building materials.
iii. Baptisms
• The word ‘baptize’ is derived from the Greek word ‘baptizo’, which means to
‘immerse completely into’.
a. Baptism of the Holy Spirit (New Birth): 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4-5
• This is Baptism into Christ: This is what happens when a man is born again, by the
Holy Ghost. He is buried into Christ in identification. He thus partakes of His death,
burial and, consequently, resurrection into a new life.
• Baptism by immersion in water: This is one of the sacraments of the church of Christ.
It is the immersion of one completely into water, and is an outward manifestation of
what happens to a man when he is born again, and baptized into Christ. It was
commanded by the Lord Himself as a sign of faith, showing the world that we have
believed and identify with the redemption of God for mankind.
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iv. Laying on of hands:
• The main reason for the laying on of hands is for the impartation of grace upon an
individual either for healing or empowerment or to impart a gift. During the laying on
of hands that has to do with imparting a spiritual blessing, it often goes along with a
prophecy. For example in Numbers 27:18-23, where Moses laid hands on Joshua to
impart his authority, we find that, by the Spirit, Moses gave him charge. Deuteronomy
34:9 later records that Joshua was full of the Spirit of wisdom because Moses laid
hands on him.
v. Resurrection from the dead : John 5:28-29, 1 Thess. 4:13-16, 1 Cor. 15:19
• The scriptures record that it is appointed for a man to die once and after that,
judgment (Heb. 9:27). But from the understanding of God’s Word, we know that
death is an enemy.
• God never means for a man to die but through the disobedience of man death came
into the earth.
• The bible says in Rom. 5:17. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one;
much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness
shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ”.
• Death reigned until the obedience of Christ. Now Christ has abolished death (2 Tim.
1:2-10) and has given us the power to choose life.
• In Christ Jesus, death is a choice for the believer. Death cannot reign over us, but
those who died in Christ have hope in the resurrection. (1 Thess. 4:13-16).
• We believe in the resurrection of the dead because the word of God teaches us so.
Man is a Spirit being and does not go to extinct when he dies. His spirit goes to his
master – either God or the devil (Rom. 6:16) but his body is buried and returns to
dust.
• Scriptural References: John 5:28-29, 1 Thess. 4:13-16, Heb. 9:27
The scriptures record that it is appointed for a man to die once and after that the judgment
(Hebrews 9:27). We have two types of judgment, one for believers and the other for
unbelievers:
Judgment Seat of Christ: The judgment seat of Christ is where Christians receive
rewards for the deeds they performed while on earth (1 Cor. 3:13-15). Note that the
Christian will not face the judgment seat to be condemned or judged. There is absolutely
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1, 14:10).
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The Great White Throne Judgment: This is when the non-Christians will be judged or
condemned for not accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Here the Church also
will be present together with God to pass judgment on the non-Christians (1 Cor. 6:2-3).
• The first fold is the separation of the believer from the world when he gets born-again.
This is instantaneous upon receiving Christ.
In this first fold, God takes you from the world. It’s like taking you out from the mud.
“But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified in the name of the lord Jesus and by the Spirit
of God”. 1 Cor. 6:11 see also Heb. 10:10, Jude 1.
This first fold of Sanctification is done by God and God alone through Jesus Christ our
Lord.
• The second fold is the ultimate separation of the believer unto God.
This is by the Word of God affecting his whole being – (Spirit, Soul & Body).
In this second fold, the world is taken out of the believer. Remember that in the first
fold He took the sinner out of the mud, now in this second fold, the mud is taken out of
the believer. It’s like taking a bath with water and soap. “Sanctify them through thy
word, thy word is truth” Jn. 17:17.
It is your personal responsibility to receive the Word into you through meditation, study
and listening to the Word of God diligently e.g. buying and actually using our ministry
materials.
Scriptural references: Heb. 10:10. 1 Cor. 6:11, 1 Cor. 1:2, 1 Thess. 4:4, 2 Tim. 2:22
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i. The Law of Moses –
• Was never for the gentiles but even so,
• Christ has abolished the law Ephesians 2:15;
• For the Love of God that is shed abroad in our heart (Rom. 8:5) is the
fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10)
• You therefore no longer have to keep the letters of the Ten Commandments
and all the other laws of Moses, yet these laws are fulfilled in us as we do
the Word and walk in love.
• The word deliver means ‘to take out’ ‘to save’ ‘rescue from’ for example from danger.
Salvation is the central theme of the gospel, and one of its benefits to the new creation
is deliverance.
• God had delivered us out of the control and the dominion of the darkness. We are free
from the power, hold, dominion or authority of darkness – Col. 1:13.
• This is a present tense reality; Jesus came to redeem man not just by paying a price
(ransom) but by force Exodus 6:6.
• Jesus made a public display of Satan’s defeat. He conquered and disarmed the power of
darkness and spoiled them, that is, He took everything they had that was of value from
them – Col. 2:15.
• This victory secured our deliverance. What’s more? He translated us into the kingdom
of His dear son. He brought us “out” to “take us in”.
• We “have been” delivered (past tense) out the domain of failure, fear, poverty, sickness
… Not “will be” delivered. It has happened already. It is our present-tense possession.
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God did not stop here; He also gave us authority over satan and all his cohorts in the
name of Jesus – Eph. 1:22, Phil. 2:9-11.
• We have been given the power of attorney to use His name and in that name, we cast
out devils Mark 16:17.
• The power of darkness that we used to be afraid of is now like you knowing someone
that used to scare you with a toy gun, but now that you have a real gun (AKA 47) in
your hand, you are now the terror to him. Now think how silly it will be for you with a
live gun to be scared of or hide from a bully with a toy gun!
REVISION QUESTIONS
1. List the ___ Foundational Doctrines of Christ. Discuss briefly on each one.
a. Repentance from dead works
b. Faith towards God
c. Baptism
d. Laying on of hands
e. Resurrection of the dead
f. Eternal judgment
TODAY’S CONFESSION
I am the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Love is my nature.
“But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly
Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church
of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits
of just men made perfect” (Hebrews 12: 22-23).
REFERENCE MATERIALS:
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CLASS 4: EVANGELISM AND CELL MINISTRY
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this class, participants should:
1. Know about the importance of Soul winning.
4. Know the importance of joining a cell (as a place to learn and grow in the Word by asking
questions a member cannot ask during church services).
5. Understand the Cell structure as a support system for Christian living and for winning souls.
• God has given every Christian the responsibility of soul winning- The Ministry of
Reconciliation: 2 Corinthians 5:18-21. The reason God does not take us to heaven after we are
born again is that He expects us to win others to Christ. He has given us the ministry of
reconciliation.
• He said go ye therefore, and teach all nations. (A nation is any group of individuals that share a
common interest, like a vocation, or a geographical)
• The Holy Spirit was given to us majorly for the purpose of witnessing- Acts1:8
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Illustration
We are His legs and His hands. We are God’s extension here on earth. If you are presently not engaged
in a job, do not say you don’t have a job because you indeed have a job. When give quality time to soul
winning your other job will come sooner than you think. If you are an accountant, you are first of all a
soul winner before you are an accountant. If you are a medical Doctor, the same thing applies.
• Your chariot is your vehicle or platform through which you reach your world with the Gospel.
• Chariots are different areas of life where we have contact with peoples of the world and influence
them with the Gospel of Christ.
• The primary reason why the Holy Ghost was sent to us was for soul winning.
• Everyone who has received Christ has the ability to win souls.
• Immediately you get born again, you are enrolled into the league of soul winners.
• He shines as stars
• He is God’s partner.
Illustration
If Jesus can leave the glory and splendor of heaven to come and die for mankind, we whom He paid this
price for should be ready to go about His work. That is the least we can do for Him.
Teaching all nations means preaching the gospel to every creature and making them observe all that we
have been taught by Jesus Christ.
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• Disciples are disciplined followers of Christ i.e. people who have come to know Christ and
follow Him in nature, character and lifestyle.
• Nations refers to different groupings i.e. group of Bankers, Nurses, Lawyers, Engineers, etc.
Our Lord Jesus asked us to carry the gospel to the various groups we are part of or that we interact with
in the course of our everyday life. Christianity delivers a better life. We are called to offer to people that
higher and more excellent life.
As believers, we have superior intelligence and higher knowledge and information which we must make
others to benefit from.
D. Praying for souls: Psalm 2:8, 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 , Ephesians 6:10-12, James 5:16
• Soul winning is spiritual and as such for it to be effective, prayer is the winning tool.
• Prayer helps to loosen men from the hold of the devil so they can receive Jesus Christ.
• God trains His children. An example is David who was trained through tending his father’s flock.
He was later to become the greatest king of Israel. Moses also underwent training for 40 years to
be able to lead God’s people.
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THE CELL MINISTRY
4. The Cell System
Reasons a member must belong to a cell (A member belongs to a support group and is not
alone. He has someone looking out for his well-being, nurturing and praying with him when
necessary) Acts 4: 32-35.
Illustration:
If a member of a cell is getting married or is planning a similar occasion, the member can rely
on members of his/her cell to be there for him/her. There have been occasions when members
have made material contributions towards such events. Cell members are often present,
making such occasions grand. Best of all is that members pray for their brethren.
The cell is a member’s address in church. Members of the cell can become a member’s social
support group.
In a church as large as Christ Embassy, it is easy for a person to be lost in the crowd. A
person who joins a cell and is active in his cell, locates himself and can easily be located.
a. The structure of the cell (Leadership, meeting) e.g. Cell Leader, Assistant cell leader,
Secretary, etc.
A missionary Christian is available and eager to preach the gospel to his world. He is also ready
to invest his resources in the gospel. Ephesians 4:15-16
It is often said that you put your money and other resources where your heart is. The Missionary
Christian sets his eyes on soul winning and does not allow any distractions. He invests in soul
winning. He also does not lack because the Lord takes over his cares.
c. Corporate evangelism in the ministry (ministry outreaches e.g. Higher Life Conferences,
Night of Bliss, etc.)
The cell member has access to the pastoral counsel and care through the leadership hierarchy of
the cell.
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8. Principles of Prayer : James 5:16-18, Acts 6:4-7
• When we pray we change situations like Elijah prayed. Because I prayed about a situation in
the office a whole department was shaken because one person decided to pray and not take no
for an answer.
• Prayer is fellowship with God, and when we pray we use God’s Word in prayer because He
can only respond to His Word so we don’t use human words.
• We pray in the Name of Jesus, we don’t pray through the Name of Jesus.
REFERENCE MATERIALS:
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CLASS 5: CHRISTIAN CHARACTER
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Growth will enable the Christian (heir) to walk in his inheritance and demonstrate the difference
between the Christian and the non-Christian (servant).
• The Christian is a student for life, Pastor Chris says you may have a D in school but you cannot
afford to have a D in life. Life is spiritual therefore there is need for serious spiritual education.
• The Berean Christians were more noble because of their checking up the scriptures.
• The Christian is a worker and must be rightly educated for the work. Rightly dividing the Word
of truth will help us pray the right way and confess the right things.
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“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they
lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14)
o Study will help us to be stable Christians and protect us from the deception of wrong
teachings. When we understand the Word we will no more be like children who pick up one
thing today and drop it tomorrow; we will be stable in the faith.
• “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word
with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things
were so.”(Acts 17:11).
• Man is a spirit and must feed his spirit man daily just like a man who feeds his body daily.
Imagine a soldier who has not eaten for days going to war. Similarly, the Christian is
continually fighting the fight of faith and must be spiritually fit. A plant needs constant
water to flourish and do well, so is the life of a Christian.
• “And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from
house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46).
• The daily (day by day) walk of faith of the early Christians is of note. Even as a tree grows
24 hours a day 7 days a week and is constantly connected to its source; the Christian is
typified as a tree in Psalm 1 that grows by the river. You must stay connected to the source
of your life. (Deut. 32:46-47)
• The Bible talks about the togetherness and participation of each of us with one another in the
body of Christ. In Christianity, no man is an Island just like the eye needs the ear, etc.
o “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in
breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders
and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all
things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as
every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and
breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness
of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to
the church daily such as should be saved”. (Acts 2:42-47)
• The early Christians are examples of believers walking together in fellowship. Their testimony
caused increase in the body of Christ as the Lord added more to the church daily as should be
saved.
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• The Cell System of Christ Embassy is a fellowship group where Christians gather together in
more intimate groups and are involved in each other’s lives.
o “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every
joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love”. (Ephes. 4:16)
• Illustration: How the human body works that all the members are dependent on each other.
Consistency in Service.
o “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews
10:24).
We must develop the habit of going to church whether we feel like it or not. The Bible
teaches that some have a manner of neglecting Christian gatherings. We must have the right
attitude in attending church services not just to fulfill all righteousness but to learn. It is like
going to a spiritual school. If you can go to work daily why can’t you attend church services
which is just twice a week, remember that the money you seek wisdom can give.
God expects you to be in service and will minister to you if you are present. Some people
have missed their ministration by being absent at church services/meetings.
• Agape is the God kind of love and is different from the world’s kind of love.
• Agape is love that is unconditional, it gives in spite of the recipient.
• Love is the emblem of the Christian. The Lord said that is how people will know we are His
disciples when we love one another. 1Cor.14:1 says we should hotly pursue Love (make it our
great quest).
• If you are going to live the faith life you will have to work in love for faith works by love.
• Love is the key to spiritual gifts 1Cor.14:1 says follow after love and desire spiritual gifts.
Note:
1. 1 Cor. 13 is the chapter that explains love (for a good rendering check the amplified version).
2. Note that in Gal. 5:22. We read that the Fruit (singular) of the spirit (the recreated human spirit
not the Holy Ghost) is (singular) Love. This connotes that all the other listed fruits are in the first
one -Love fruits. A Christian does not need to ask God for the ability to love, he has love like he
has faith. The Bible says the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans
8:5). We are born of Love. We are born with it so we can only grow in the manifestation of the
fruits.
“A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also
love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one to another”.
(John 13:34-35)
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3. The 10 commandments have been abolished and do not apply to the new creation. The new
commandment for the new creation is to love as Christ loved us.
“And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God should love his
brother also”. (1 John 4:21)
The proof of your love for God is your love for your brothers and sisters.
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath
loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-
smelling savor”.( Ephes. 5:1-2)
Illustration
Just like children copy their father we should imitate God by walking in love. Imagine a child who wears
his father’s shoes and tie acting like his father.
• CHRISTIANITY is called the great confession. There is a connection between our confession
and the way we live.
“We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I
spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13).
• Christianity is a life of confession. Confession comes from the Greek word 'Homologia'
which means, speaking the same things with God in consent. The Bible says that what we
speak is not what we see, think or feel. We speak what we believe.
• God has spoken so that we may boldly say what He has said concerning us in agreement with
Him. This is the Christian life.
• It is our confessions that put our faith to work. Salvation is sealed by confession. Merely
believing in the mind does not do anything until we declare who we are, what we have
become, etc. Confession puts the power of God to work. The Bible says, “That if thou shall
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus….” and also, “…With the mouth confession is made
unto salvation”.
• Our life goes in the direction of our confession. Bible says, “For by faith we understand that
the world was formed by the word of God...” (Hebrews 11:3).
“Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in
the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath
begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philip. 1:4-6)
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“For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus
Christ: who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body,
according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself”. (Philip.
3:20-21)
• Our citizenship is in heaven. We come from a higher kingdom and live by a different set
of rules. The bible is our constitution and that is how we know our rights and privileges.
We are like ambassadors in a foreign land who have divine diplomatic immunity.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto
righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith,
Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew
and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved”. (Romans 10:9-13)
• We start out the Christian life with confessing the lordship of Jesus Christ and continue
the Christian life by this same process of confessing the things we believe.
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I
will not be brought under the power of any”. (1 Cor. 6:12)
This is an extension of the last point we made concerning confession. The last point deals
with saying the same things with God. In other words agreeing with what God has said with
our words, but this one deals with the power of our tongue. The tongue has the power to kill
or make alive. The reason why we have to agree with God and say what He says is because
His words are spirit and they are life (John 6:63). Therefore, His words will produce life for
us. Any other word will produce negative things because there is power in the tongue.
The Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat
the fruit thereof” (Proverbs 18: 21). This is very strong. The power to control life lies in the
tongue even though the tongue is one of the smallest members of the body.
The Bible declares: “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the
same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the
horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the
ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about
with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little
member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the
tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the
whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell” (James 3:2-
6).
The Bible shows that the tongue controls everything about life. Jesus said in Mark 11:22, that
we shall have whatsoever we say. We must keep speaking the Word of God. The Bible says
we should hold fast our confession.
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Questions
1) Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Discuss this exhaustively with scriptures.
2) You shall have whatsoever you say. Explain.
B. Faith Walk
The Christian walk is a walk of faith. The Bible says that without faith it is impossible to
please God because he that “…cometh unto God must believe that He is and that He is a
rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).
We do not walk by what we see but by what the Word says. Our sight should be focused on
nothing else but on the Word. The Bible says, "While we look not at the things which are
seen, but at the things which are not seen: For the things which are seen are temporal; but the
things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18).
Everything the senses can perceive is temporal. They are subject to change but the Word of
God abides forever. So the Bible says we walk by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7).
Our walk of faith is based on the law of faith. The Bible declares in 2 Corinthians 4:13, "We
having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I
spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak". This is why God said, 'let the weak say, l am
strong'.
Questions
(1) Explain, "For we walk by faith and not by sight”.
(2) Explain the law of faith.
The Christian life is a life of submission - submission to the Word of God. When we submit
ourselves to one another or to authority (both spiritually and earthly) we are submitting to the
Word, because it is the Word that admonishes us to live in submission. There are three levels
of authority that the Bible asks the Christian to recognize and submit to. They are:
This basically makes reference to the relationship between the husband and the wife and
between the children and the parents. For the husband and the wife, the Bible says, "Wives
submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church; and He is the savior of the body”
(Ephesians 5:22-23).
Notice that it did not say "Wives submit yourselves to all husbands". It says “to your own
husbands". While the wife is submitted to her own husband, her husband is asked to love her:
“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself to it”
(Ephesians 5:25).
Authority has given the husband to be the head over his wife and so God commands the wife
to submit herself to the husband's authority. The authority that the husband exercises over his
wife is likened to the one Christ exercises over the church, and the wife is to submit herself to
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her husband the way the church submits to Christ. On the other hand, children are asked to
obey their parents while the fathers were asked to bring up their children in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-3).
In relating with the state, the Bible instructs also that we should submit to the authority of the
state or sovereign as long as he/she does not by his authority violate the authority of the Word
of God. Bible says, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power
but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power
resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation”
(Romans 13:1-2).
The reason why we should submit to the leaders is because, God is the one who establishes
them and so any rebellion against the sovereign is directed towards God. The Bible says, “For
rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power?
Do that which is good, and thou shall have praise of the same. For he is a minister of God to
thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid..." (Romans 13:4). Paul admonishes
us further to pray for those in authority so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all
godliness and honesty. (I Timothy 2:1-2)
God has set up government in His church. He lets us know how to relate with those in
positions of authority in the body of Christ. Bible says, “Obey them that have the rule over
you and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls as they that must give account, that
they may do it with joy and not with grief, for this is unprofitable for you". (Hebrews 13:17)
Every Christian is admonished to submit to the authority in his/her local assembly because
those in authority are not ruling with their own abilities. It is the power of God that
established them where they are. Whoever resists them is resisting the anointing and this is
very dangerous. The Bible says it will not be profitable to do this.
6. SETTLING DISAGREEMENTS
“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him
alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. [16] But if he will not hear thee, then take with
thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. [17]
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him
be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:15-17)
There is a way Christians should settle disputes amongst themselves that is different from the way of the
people of the world. You’ll call the party involved and talk with him. If he doesn’t listen to you invite
another Christian, yet still if there is no change tell it to the Pastor of the church. If this still does not
work you can treat the person the way you would treat a stranger.
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7. SANCTIFYING YOUR THOUGHTS
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither
tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death”.
(James 1:13-15)
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there
be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things”.(Philip. 4:8)
• Thoughts can come to you from God, from your mind based on the information you receive and
from the devil.
• As a Christian you should not allow your mind to dwell on just anything
• Be careful on what you dwell on because your mind is the doorway to your spirit.
• Be careful about the things you watch, read and hear like movies, books, magazines, news, etc.
because they could influence your thoughts positively or negatively.
PRINCIPLES OF PROSPERITY
1. WHAT IS PROSPERITY?
“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became
poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for
you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago” (2 Cor. 8:9-10)
“Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law,
which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou
mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but
thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written
therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success”.( Joshua
1:7-8)
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2. PURPOSE OF PROSPERITY
“And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But
thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may
establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day”.( Deut. 8:17-18)
The Purpose of Prosperity for a Christian is to be a blessing to the kingdom of God (i.e. furtherance
of the Gospel) and other people especially fellow Christians.
There are several blessings associated with giving offerings to God, some of these offerings are
explained below with various supporting scriptures:
• TITHES
“Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me
now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you
out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it”. (Malachi 3:10)
“And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he
gave him tithes of all”. (Genesis 14:20)
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and
cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these
ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone”. (Matthew 23:23)
“But woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over
judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone”
(Luke 11:42)
“In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this
land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: The Kenites, and the
Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims”.
(Genesis 15:18-20)
• FIRST FRUITS
“Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy
sons shalt thou give unto me”. (Exodus 22:29)
“For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches”.
(Romans 11:16)
“The first fruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy
sheep, shalt thou give him”. (Deut. 18:4)
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• FREEWILL OFFERING
“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it
shall be measured to you again”. (Luke 6:38)
• SEED OFFERING
“But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth
bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let
him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to
make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may
abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the
poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both
minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your
righteousness ;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us
thanksgiving to God”. (2 Cor. 9:6-11)
• PARTNERSHIP
“And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the
gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow labourers, whose names are in the book of
life”. (Philip. 4:3)
“But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again;
wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity”. (Philip. 4:10)
“Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from
Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.
For even in Thessalonica ye sent once and again unto my necessity. Not because I desire a gift:
but I desire fruit that may abound to your account. But I have all, and abound: I am full, having
received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a
sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God. But my God shall supply all your need according to
his riches in glory by Christ Jesus”. (Philip. 4:15-19)
TODAY’S CONFESSION:
I am love. Love is my nature. I am patient and I am kind
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CLASS 6: THE LOCAL ASSEMBLY AND BELIEVERS’ LOVEWORLD INC.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
• The student would understand the Universal Church – the purpose and functions of the Church
through its individual members
• The student is well informed about the ministry and the leadership structure of the ministry.
• The student has a better understanding of the Cell System as it integrates with the universal church.
• The student should understand his/her role and what it means to give one’s life a meaning;
understanding of the vision of the ministry, his/her role in outreach programs and our emphasis on
training at all levels.
• The student is at home with what we believe and preach in this ministry as summarized in our
statement of faith.
INTRODUCTION
“And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him the head over all things to the church, Which is his
body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all” Ephesians 1:22-23. The scripture lets us know that the church
is the body of Christ. He is the head, while the church is his body. “And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the
work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” Ephesians 4:11-12.
It is very important that you get to understand what the universal church is and also know how one
becomes a member. It must be understood that the church is one. The universal church therefore
comprises every member of the body of Christ in the whole world round. This is the whole family of
God that meets in every part of the world from Christ to date. Ephesians 3:21.
We find that Christ Himself being the head of the Church, appointed (or gave) the five ministry gifts.
(i.e. Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers) for the perfection, building up (edifying) of
the church. The church is God’s peculiar treasure. Colossians 1:18, 24.
The church is the God’s peculiar treasure. The Word of God declares in Psalms 16:3 “But to the saints
that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight” The church is God’s delight. The
NKJV reads “and to the excellent ones”. It’s great to belong to the church (i.e. the body of Christ).
I Corinthians 12:18 God Himself sets His children into the particular local assembly they should
belong. You are not here by chance. God positioned you in this particular local assembly in line with His
predestined purpose for you and I. The Universal body of Christ needs you. Romans 12:4-5
To become a member of the universal church (or the church precisely), one has to be born again. This is
the only pre-requisite for becoming a member of the church. To be born again is to appreciate for
yourself the salvation that Jesus brings. All you have to do is to act on the Word of God as it is in
Romans 10:9-10.
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“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness
and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”
By reason of this proclamation or declaration one is baptized into the body of Christ through the
instrumentality of the Holy Spirit. This is being born again (i.e. Holy Ghost baptism).
It is very important that every Christian belongs to a church (i.e. local assembly). We had seen in
Hebrews 10:25 that the Apostle Paul admonishes that we should not forsake the gathering of ourselves
together as the bad manner of some is. We should not make ourselves church supervisors, going from
one church to another under the pretext that God spoke to us, for there is no such thing as that. We
should be committed to a local assembly. The only time God will speak to you to leave a church for
another according to the scriptures is when His Word is not taught there. He would now (by the Holy
Spirit) direct you to a proper place. See Acts 2:42; Hebrews 2:13. Also, going from church to church
would not allow you to be built up. It rather helps to raise questions, doubt and suspicion.
It was the custom of Jesus to go the temple, same also with the disciples. They are our examples. We
should follow after them; also it is important that we go to church to be built up too. Finally, we go to
church to worship God, to pour out our heart to Him, to praise and glorify Him. Luke 4:16
That is why we need local assemblies; it enhances fellowship and causes every member to contribute his
or her own part in the work of the ministry. Also the unity of the brethren is adequately enhanced. I
Corinthians 12:12, 18-27; Ephesians 4:16 The whole body is fitly joined together and compacted as
each one of us supplies our own expected (ordained) quota to the work of the ministry.
Secondly, local assembly enables brethren to identify what office or role they can perform. Romans
12:4-5 The Universal body of Christ needs you. We depend on one another just as God depends on us.
That is why we must care for one another and honor one another.
God’s plan and desire is for the church to glorify Him and to show forth His glory, (i.e. His
Excellency, His perfection).
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b. To Witness to the world
Apart from glorifying God, the church should also be involved in witnessing to the world our Lord
Jesus Christ. This talks of soul winning and it is God’s number one job. It is God’s heartthrob. Every
Christian should make soul winning a priority. Involvement with witnessing is not negotiable both
singularly and corporately, the church should evangelize and disciple the world for Jesus. See
Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, 2nd Corinthians 5:17-19, and Mark 16:15-16.
He went further to tell Peter that upon this rock I will build my church. The rock Jesus referred to
there is “the revelation that Peter received, that Jesus is the Christ” So we find that Jesus Christ is the
rock upon which the church is built. Other scriptures reveal this clearly; 1st Corinthians 3:11. “for
other foundation can no man lay than is laid, which is Jesus Christ”. See Ephesians 5:23-25,
Ephesians 2:18-20 and 1st Peter 2:4-7.
When the Lord would have built up Zion, then He will come in His glory. We have seen that Jesus is
the rock which the church is built on Matthew 16:18. Jesus therefore is the builder of the church. He
is the head of the church, Ephesians 5:23. He is the author and the finisher (or perfecter) of our faith,
Hebrews 12:2.
b. Also, every member of the church is equally building the church. In Ephesians 4:12-16, you will
find that the reason for which Jesus gave the ministry gifts for equipping and perfecting of the saints
for the work of the ministry, for the building up (edifying) of the body of Christ (i.e. the church).
This therefore makes us partners with deity. God is building His church through us. The Word of
God declares that we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Ephesians
2:10, importantly also we find in 1st Corinthians 3: 9-10 “For we are laborers together with God:
ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s buildings. According to the grace of God, which is given unto
me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every
man take heed how he buildeth thereupon”.
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There is a reward waiting for us for how we build on the foundation; for our work in the ministry.
When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Then we shall receive our eternal reward. 1st
Corinthians 9:25, 2 Timothy4:8.
Christianity is a Life of Submission- submission to the Word of God. When we submit ourselves to
one another or to authority (both spiritually and earthly) we are submitting to the Word, because it is
the Word that admonishes us to live in submission. There are three levels of authority that the Bible
asks the Christian to recognize and submit to.
• The Bible says we should obey our spiritual leaders and submit to them (Hebrews
13:17)
• Loyalty: 1Cor. 16:15-16: We all like the house of Stephanas should be addicted to the
ministry of the saints. It is a decision that has eternal rewards in this world and the world
to come. This loyalty is demonstrated in our obedience to our leaders 1Chron. 20:20
• Submission: Your spiritual leader has been given the charge by God to watch over your
welfare. The leaders in the church have the responsibility of training people who are
under them, to full maturity. This responsibility could be a lot easier when the followers
humble themselves in obedience to their leaders. Your attitude should be such that your
leaders would give your report with joy and not with grief.
• In 1st Samuel 15:22-23, this scripture like many other places clearly explains that
“obedience is better than sacrifice”. This is one of the very important required characters
of a Christian in his relationship to his leader. In other words, rebellion and stubbornness
are serious sins. Scripture equates them to WITCHCRAFT and IDOL WORSHIP, sins
worthy of death. Refer to Exodus 22:18, Leviticus 20:6.
• Also Numbers 16, we read how Korah who was a Levite, and already one of the leaders
rebelled against Moses and was punished. God does not take insurrection lightly.
• Can You Speak Against Your Leaders Even If He Does Something Wrong? (Numbers
12:1-6)
• As Christians, it is not in our position to speak against our leaders even if they do
something wrong. This is because they are ordained by God and are answerable to Him or
their leaders, and not to you who is under them. (Romans 13:12) says “let every soul be
subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power that be but God’s; the powers that
be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the power resists the ordinance of
God: and they that resist the powers shall receive to themselves damnation. Just like the
example of Miriam and Aaron in Numbers 12:1-6.
• Another example of bad leadership is the Scribes and Pharisees, whom Jesus still
admonished the people to still obey what they say and not what they do. Matthew 23:2-3
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What Do You Do?
• Pray for the leader. 1st Timothy 2:1-2
• Paul urges us to pray for people, particularly for our leaders. This is not when they have been
good to us but even at times when things are not well.
• Speak to someone senior to him in love, not complaining.
• Forgive him in love.
QUESTIONS
The book of 2nd Corinthians 5:20 says that we are ambassadors for Christ. Like any other ambassador here
on earth posted to another country, we are also ambassadors (representatives) of Christ to reconcile the
world back to Him. We are posted into the world though we are not of the world. We are to win the world to
Christ. Zion is our home country because we are on an official assignment. In doing this, we give people’s
lives a meaning i.e. salvation, healing, prosperity, peace, etc.
Win souls, build them and send them. We are to take the manifest presence of our Lord Jesus Christ to the
people of the World with signs, wonders and miracles via the agency of the Holy Spirit and the Word of
God and give their lives a meaning.
This is a set of fellowships and outreach units working together as a whole for the growth or development of
the Mother church.
a. It serves as a basis of identification for our members as everybody must belong to a cell.
b. It serves as a place for the exploitation of leadership potentials. To win souls and take
responsibility over them. One can rise from being a bible study teacher who is responsible for at
least two souls he won into the cell, to becoming a PCF leader. A PCF leader is responsible for
about ten cells or more.
c. It is a unit of outreach
d. It is a unit of fellowship.
e. It is a unit to cater for the immediate needs of brethren as they arise. The philosophy of the Cell
system is: win souls, build souls, and send them.
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PCUs (Pastoral Care Unit) are made up of at least 3 cells and PCFs (Pastoral Care Fellowship) are made
up of at least 3 PCUs.
The PFCC (Pastoral Fellowship Coordinating Center) supervises the running of the Cell system. We
have cells for Teenagers, Singles and the Married.
The Ministry started as a fellowship at the then Bendel State University Ekpoma, Nigeria. It was known as
“Youth for Christ”. The name later changed to “Believers’ LoveWorld Campus Fellowship”. On
graduating from campus, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome started Christ Embassy (the first church) in Benin and
later handed it over to Rev. Tom Amenkhienan and came over to Lagos, Nigeria. In Lagos, Christ Embassy
began at Adeniyi Jones in Ikeja, Lagos. Today, we are in all seven continents of the globe.
At the helm of the BLW Inc. (aka. Christ Embassy) ministry affairs is Pastor Chris Oyakhilome (PhD).
He is the President of BLW Inc. and Head of the CEC (Central Executive Council), which is the highest
decision making body of the ministry. Members of the CEC include the Director of Church Ministry and
Organization, Rev. Tom Amenkhienan, the Secretary-General, Rev. Ray Okocha, Rev. Ken
Oyakhilome, Evangelist Eddy Owase, Pastor Tuoyo Edun, and Pastor Ambrose Isesele.
The Assistant Secretary-Generals are Pastor Kayode Adesina, Pastor Biodun Lawal, Pastor Karen Victor
and Pastor Afolabi Oketunji.
The GEC (General Executive Council) is made up of all the Pastors in the ministry. This comprises of the
Pastors of Christ Embassy Churches, Satellite Church Pastors, Campus Pastors and other ordained Pastors in
the ministry. They meet at the International Pastors’ and Partners’ Conference (IPPC), which holds annually.
NOTE: Identify and know your CEC members facially, and know the Christ Embassy chapters they pastor.
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Pastor Chris
CEC Members
Zonal
Zonal Pastor Zonal Pastor Zonal Pastor Pastor Zonal Pastor
Group Pastor Group Pastor Group Pastor Group Pastor Group Pastor
Satellite Satellite
Satellite Satellite Church Satellite Church Church Pastor
Church Pastor Pastor Pastor Church Pastor
We all jointly ensure that the gospel is made available to all men (around the world) as much as
possible. Our partnership seeds and pledges to the various arms make this possible.
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b. Media Ministry
The term media refers to the mode of transmitting information of news. This is done either by print
or electronically. For the ministry, we transmit the good news (Gospel) through our CDs, DVDs, TV
programs and the Internet.
c. Publishing Ministry
Our vision is translated in the message we preach and how we preach it. The Rhapsody of Realities
daily devotional is going around the world, giving simplicity to the gospel. Our ministry books also
portray the vision. A standard is set for these materials because of the quality we place on the gospel.
Our individual involvement in the distribution or marketing of our Rhapsody, Bibles, and Books also
help to achieve our desired end of spreading the gospel.
d. Healing Ministry
The Healing School is taking the divine presence of God, and bringing healing to the peoples of
all nations. Acts 10:38 “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with
power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was
with him”.
The world-renowned Healing School of Christ Embassy is the healing ministry of Pastor Chris
Oyakhilome which manifests the healing works of Jesus Christ, and has helped many receive
healing through the operation of the gifts of the Spirit.
Many people who had hitherto been given for dead have been touched by the healing power of
God at the various healing school sessions organized by the Man of God Pastor Chris. At the
Healing School, the miracles of healing which were recorded in Bible days are re-enacted.
Indeed, greater signs and wonders have been witnessed at the Healing School; proving the Lord
Jesus Christ is still the same; yesterday, today and forever.
QUESTION: Why do you think God told Pastor Chris to start from the Campus?
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g. LoveWorld Ministerial College
The growth rate of this ministry is very fast and thus there’s need for trained hands to handle the
responsibility of nurturing new converts in the various ministries and the doctrine of Christ. LMC is
not a bible school but a training ground for leaders. Every member of the ministry is a potential
leader. LMC affords us the opportunity of being trained in the Word, the vision of the ministry, for
the work of the ministry and the edifying of the body of Christ. This is done in our own unique way.
This is the highest level of training in the ministry. It offers courses in GS (General Studies), Church
Administration, Lay Pastoring and Pastoral courses.
Pastor Chris Oyakhilome (PhD), envisioned the International School of Ministry, specifically to
train and equip ministers of the gospel of Christ, building in them the realities of God’s Word and
empowering them to carry the message of eternal life in Christ Jesus to their world, with great
demonstrations of the miraculous power of God. The vision of ISM is teaching, demonstration
and impartation.
Since inception in 2007, the ISM has trained and equipped over 2000 ministers from different
nations of the world; providing the opportunity of networking with the Man of God, Pastor Chris;
to be taught and imparted by him.
1. Rhapsody of Realities
2. Healing School
3. Inner City Mission
4. Internet Multimedia
5. LoveWorld TV (UK)
6. LoveWorld SAT
7. LoveWorld Plus
These are programs that are held either annually or quarterly or at the discretion of our Pastorate.
Some of these programs are:
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b. Total Experience or Higher Life Conference
This is purely a meeting with the Holy Spirit in total control. Its aim is to create an avenue for the
Holy Ghost to move mightily in the lives of people, especially for salvation of their souls and healing
of their bodies.
c. Finance Convention
This program is a Holy Spirit inspired program in which the brethren are taught on the prosperity of
the spirit, soul, and body of the new creation. One very peculiar aspect of this meeting is that the
brethren are inspired by the Holy Spirit to give of their substance to the Lord for the work of the
ministry as a lifestyle and not as a once in a while thing.
This is the statement of Bible doctrine as believed and taught by the Believers’ LoveWorld Inc. aka
Christ Embassy. This statement of faith has its source in the Bible and is in total agreement with the
foundational principle of the doctrines of Christ.
1. We believe that the Bible contains the inspired and infallible Word of God. (2Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter
1:20-21)
2. We believe that there is only one God eternally existent in three (3) persons; God the father, God
the Son and God the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 4:5-6, 2 Cor. 8:16; Gen. 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17)
3. We believe in the deity of Christ: (John 1:1-4; John 10:30; Heb. 1:1-5)
(a) He was born of a virgin; (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:30-35)
(b) He was conceived of the Holy Spirit; (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:30-35)
(c) He died; (John 19:30-35)
(d) He rose again from the dead bodily; (John 20:25-29; Luke 24:36-40)
(e) He ascended into heaven bodily; (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thess. 4:16)
4. We believe in the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ. (1 Thess. 4:16-17;
Matthew 24:29-30)
5. We believe that the only means of being cleansed from sin is repentance and faith in the precious
blood of Jesus Christ. (Acts 3:19; Luke 24:47; Eph. 1:7)
6. We believe that regeneration by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God is
essential for personal salvation. (Titus 2:5; John 3:3-5; Eph. 5:25-27)
7. We believe that the redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides divine healing for the body
and salvation for the soul of everyone that believes. (1Peter 2:24; Acts 3:16; Acts 9:32-35)
8. We believe that when an individual receives the Holy Spirit, he receives divine enablement for
Christian service and witness. (Acts 1:8; 2:4; 3:1-26; 4:5-12)
9. We believe in the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:16; 1 Cor. 6:11)
10. We believe in the final resurrection of both the saved and the lost; the former to eternal life and
the latter to eternal judgment. (Rev. 20:11-15; 1 Cor. 15:12-23)
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14. OUR STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT
1. We are convinced that the gospel is God’s only saving power [Romans 1:16-17; Acts 1:8;
Romans 10:13-14; 1 Timothy 1:15].
2. We are convinced that the gospel is the answer to all human problems [John 3:16; 1 John 4:18].
3. We are convinced that the gospel is committed to our trust [1Timothy 1:11; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2].
4. We are committed to the gospel.
5. We are convinced that Jesus Christ is the only way [2 Corinthians 5:11a; John 14:6].
6. We are convinced that the gospel is the power of God [2 Timothy 2:4; Mark 16:17-18; Romans
10:13-15a; Romans 1:16-17; 1 Timothy 1:15].
These are basic principles that the gospel of Jesus Christ holds for every Christian in the New Testament.
They are the present day possessions of the Believers in Christ Jesus.
I. Eternal life (Zoë) is ours in the new birth [John 3:16; 1 John 5:11-12; Romans 6:23].
II. Righteousness is ours through faith in Christ Jesus [Romans 5:1; Romans 5:17].
III. Deliverance is ours in the gospel [Colossians 1:12-13; Psalm 107:2].
IV. Healing is ours in the gospel [1 Peter 1:24].
V. Peace is ours in the gospel [Romans 5:1; John 14:24; Philippians 4:6].
QUESTION
With reference to the eight (8th) statement of faith of the ministry, differentiate between the baptism of the
Holy Spirit and receiving the Holy Spirit.
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