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FOUNDATION CLASS MANUAL
CONTENTS
Who is a believer? ................................................................................................................. 3
Being born again .................................................................................................................. 3
There must be a change........................................................................................................... 3
Fruit of Unrighteousness......................................................................................................... 4
Fruit of Righteousness……..................................................................................................... 4
Restitution………... ................................................................................................................ 5
Water Baptism………………………………………..........................................................…..6
Sanctification ………… ……………………………............................................................6
Healing…………………… …………………………...............................................................7
Courtship……………………………………………….............................................................8
Marriage………………………………………………..............................................................9
Divorce ………………………………………………..............................................................10
Second Coming
Rapture…………………….…………………………………………………………………...11
Millennial Reign………….……………………..………………………………………….…..11
The Revelation……………………..…………………………………………………………...11
Conclusion……………………………………………….............................................................12
Who is a believer?
Acts 16:31 They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."
A believer is one who believes Jesus has died for his/her sins; and through the death and resurrection of Jesus, he/she has been reconciled back to God, as a child of God. Note that God created everybody, some are children of the devil and some are children of God (John 8:44, John 1:12).
Being Born Again
It is vital to be born again. Acts 2:21 states ‘It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
Our Lord Jesus gave us the requirement to become Born Again in John 3:3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, Verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
You have to believe in your heart that Jesus died for you and was raised from the dead and confess this with your mouth to be saved. Romans 10:9-10 sates: 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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
What must we do? must be the cry of anyone who wants to be saved. Acts 2:37 says “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Peter answered them, "All of you must (repent) turn to God and change the way you think and act, and each of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.
There must be a change:
2 Corinthians. 5:17 (KJV) states ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. GWT Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation’;
Example of Forgiveness:
A sister while in the world; not born again had committed very actively, the sin of fornication and had several abortions. In the process of having an abortion, her womb was damaged and the doctors informed her she could no longer have children. As a Christian, she believed God can do the impossible. When a brother proposed to her, she disclosed the fact that she no longer had a womb. The brother was convinced and had prayed through and had the leading of God that this sister was his wife. He went ahead and married her. At the last count they had 3 children. God forgave her, her husband forgave her and she forgave herself. You should also forgive yourself of whatever sins you have committed before you became a Christian, don’t be hunted by your past. The bible says God overlooks the times of ignorance. However, after believing, you are not to go back to those sins again so that the future is not worse than the past. For example, abortions forgiven could bring the avenger of blood after you if you go back to it.
Fruit of unrighteousness
These must no longer be in the life of a child of God. Galatians 5:19 – 22 states ‘Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication (illicit sex), uncleanness (perversion), lasciviousness (promiscuity), 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance (rivalry), emulations (jealousy), wrath (angry outbursts), strife (selfish ambitions), seditions (conflict), heresies (factions), 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings (wild partying), and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.’
Lying, gossiping, stealing, evil speaking shall no longer be a part of you. Ephesians 4:25-31.
Fruit of Righteousness
Fruits of righteousness and ability to do righteous acts come from the Holy Spirit who is given to us when we accepted Jesus as savior (Rom 5:1-5). His Holy Spirit makes us to will and to do of God’s good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:16 states ‘Let me explain further. Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants GWT. KJV is rendered as: This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh’.
Galatians 5:22 -23 also says ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering (patience), gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance (self-control): against such there is no law’.
How is this achieved? Galatians 5:24 says ‘And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts’. Or as rendered by the GWT ‘Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their corrupt nature along with its passions and desires’
Adultery, fornication, flirting, alcoholism, addictions must now be a thing of the past and not to be found among you. Your former friends may not like it, however you have a new family that will help you to stand and grow. See 1 Peter 4:1-7; Matthew 19:28-29. With God’s help you can do all things. Your dressing will also change. You will not expose your nakedness for all to see. Only your spouse is entitled to see your private parts, such as breasts, armpits, thighs etc. Exodus 20:26; 1 Corinthians. 11:1-10; 1 Peter 3:1-4; Job 31:1. Do not cause others to stumble or fall. Luke 17:1-2.
Example - Fornication
A Pastor came in one Sunday and announced that we lost a brother. He further explained that the brother was hit by a vehicle on his way home from church. He was the choir leader in his church. He fornicated with a sister in the choir and the sister became pregnant for the choir leader. The vehicle that hit him picked him up at the bus stop and rammed him into a wall, pinning him by the private part area to the wall. They committed the very act in the hidden when no man could see them, however, it was not hidden from the God that sees all things and knows all things. It was not also hidden to the devil who tempted them. Flee from any lustful sin or act; the consequences may not be mild.
Fornication is dangerous, that is why the Bible says ‘flee fornication’.
Restitution
If you have taken something that is not yours, without the consent or knowledge of the owner, return it. This allows you to stand just before God and allows God to speak on your behalf. (Exodus 22:1-17)
Restitution:
A brother used high school results not belonging to him to register for a professional exam. He sat for and passed the professional exams. After becoming born again, he did not have peace concerning this issue. He informed the professional association that the results he used for his initial registration did not truly belong to him, as another person wrote the papers on his behalf. The professional body cancelled his certification and withdrew his rights and privileges. Whatever the sacrifice, it is important to restitute with wisdom and counsel from your pastors, so we can have a conscience void of offence before God and man. Restitution allows God to speak on our behalf, just like the story of Zacchaeus in the Bible. See Luke 19:1-9.
A similar case of using fraudulent entry results resulted in a different decision. A brother used high school results written by someone else to gain entrance into the University. He performed well in the University and got a good degree. On becoming a Christian, he discovered he had to restitute. After informing the university by writing a letter and sending the certificate back, the University Senate ruled the certificate now belonged to him and it would not withdraw the certificate.
Water Baptism
You are baptized by immersion in water to follow the footsteps of Jesus and identify with Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection. Matthew 3:16 states ‘And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." It also signifies the beginning of open heavens on the believer’s ministry. Heaven now speaks on your behalf (Romans 6:3-6).
Sanctification
This is being set apart from sin and the world unto God and holiness. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 states ‘May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 also states ‘For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;’
Healing
God is a healer. 1 Peter 2:24 states ‘Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so that freed from our sins, we could live a life that has God's approval. His wounds have healed you. This is in fulfillment of his promise in Exodus 15:26 And He said, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer."
You obtain healing by asking God to heal you in the name of Jesus. Your prayer of faith will be honored by God.
Exodus 23:25 also states "But you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst.”
When challenged by any form of sickness, you may call on the elders in the church to pray for you. James 5:14 – 17 states: 14 If you are sick, call for the church leaders. Have them pray for you and anoint you with olive oil in the name of the Lord. 15 and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
Jesus healed all the sick that were brought to him, including demon possessed persons, the lame, blind and raised the dead. There is nothing God cannot do.
Example of Healing By Faith
A woman was sick in the hospital, and she had a nephew who newly became born again. When her nephew visited the hospital, he was told that his aunt had just died. He asked the doctor and nurses to show him her corpse. He prayed for her and she came back to life. He had just become born again for a few months when this incident happened, but he held onto the word of God, that God heals and raises the dead.
A sister and her husband had been praying for healing for the diagnosis of fibroid in the sister’s tummy. They were expecting a child. They called a brother to join them in prayer and lo and behold, the fibroid was gone, subsequently they were able to have a baby boy. They exercised faith in God; they believed God’s unfailing Word and God proved Himself mighty and strong on their behalf! God will do the same for anyone who believes in Him!
Courtship
Courtship is the period before marriage for the intending couple to pray together and agree on details about running the new home they are setting up (1 Corinthians. 14:40). Some of the purposes of courtship are:
(1) Praying towards the marriage
(2) Planning for the marriage and new home
(3) Meeting relatives of both spouses
(4) Discussion about finances, children, church attendance etc
(5) Agreement about treatment of in-laws
(6) Discussion on goals and direction for the home and family
Courtship is a delicate period during which the couple should pray and study the bible together. You are not to take liberties with one another. Avoid petting, caressing, kissing, and definitely sleeping together. 1 Corinthians 6:18 states ‘Stay away from sexual sins. Other sins that people commit don't affect their bodies the same way sexual sins do. People who sin sexually sin against their own bodies. 19 Don't you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, whom you received from God, lives in you. You don't belong to yourselves. 20 You were bought for a price. So bring glory to God in the way you use your body’. There must be no sexual relations during the courtship and before the marriage. Hebrews 13:4 says ‘Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge’. Do not take liberties with one another by staying in secluded areas, places where other people are not present, so you are not tempted to sin. The bible says you should flee from fornication.
Example – Disclosure during courtship
A brother and sister were engaged to be married, but the sister did not disclose she had no breasts to the brother, even though she disclosed the same to her pastor. The pastor encouraged the sister to disclose same to her husband to be, when she refused, the pastor called off the courtship, as the home was about to be built on a faulty foundation of lies and dishonesty. It does not matter how critical the situation may be, it is very important that you disclose any hidden secret to each other and let God take it up from there. God knows exactly how to take care of situations when you are open to Him. Adam and Eve were both naked to each other and were not ashamed.
Marriage
Marriage is the union between a Christian man and a Christian woman. Ensure your spouse is a genuine born-again believer before you proceed into the marriage, so as not to enter into a difficult marriage. See these scriptures 2 Corinthians 6:14 “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 Can Christ agree with the devil? Can a believer share life with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
They are joined together before God for life, until death separates them. Genesis 2:18; Matthew 19:3-6; Romans 7:3
Example - Marriage
The husband of a sister abandoned her and married another lady, leaving her to take care of two young children. She held onto God that re-marriage was not for her as she was not willing to commit adultery. Though it was tough and challenging, she endured the hardship and God saw her through it all. By the time the children were in their twenties, the husband came back begging to be accepted again, asking for forgiveness. Hold, on do not commit adultery. Romans 7:3
Divorce
God hates divorce - Malachi 2:16 "For I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel, "and him who covers his garment with wrong," says the LORD of hosts. "So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.". Divorce and re-marriage is not permitted in the bible for believers. Hear Jesus Christ, the Son of God in Matt 19: 3-6 “3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?" 4 Jesus answered, "Haven't you read that the Creator made them male and female in the beginning 5 and that he said, 'That's why a man will leave his father and mother and will remain united with his wife, and the two will be one'? So they are no longer two but one. Therefore, don't let anyone separate what God has joined together."
7The Pharisees asked him, "Why, then, did Moses order a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her?" 8 The Pharisees asked him, "Why, then, did Moses order a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her?"9 I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery."
Marrying a divorced woman is adultery, and adulterers are hell bound. When a divorced person is to re-marry, they can only be married to the original spouse they were married to. The only exception is when the spouse of the divorced person is dead, as explained by Paul in his letter to the Romans, Chapter 7:
2 For example, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he is alive. But if her husband dies, that marriage law is no longer in effect for her. 3 So if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she will be called an adulterer. But if her husband dies, she is free from this law, so she is not committing adultery if she marries another man.
Example of Perseverance and Love
A sister had a husband that was a drunk, anytime he went out to drink, he would come back home drunk, knock on the door. His wife would welcome him, take off his clothes, clean his vomit, bathe him and change his clothes. On some occasions, he would even beat his wife, but she kept on praying for him. Subsequently, the Lord touched him through love that his wife expressed towards him and he became born-again. The man is now a senior pastor in a bible believing church.
His wife did not give up on him, she persevered in love and prayers and God helped her through!
Second Coming
Jesus is coming back at a time no one knows nor expects. That is why you must always be ready. 1 Thessalonians 5:1states ‘Brothers and sisters, you don't need anyone to write to you about times and dates.2 You know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 For when they are saying, "Peace and safety," then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman; and they will in no way escape.
The second coming of Jesus is in two phases:
(i) The Rapture
Only believers who are living a holy life and looking for his coming will see him.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 ‘Brothers and sisters, we don't want you to be ignorant about those who have died. We don't want you to grieve like other people who have no hope 14 We believe that Jesus died and came back to life. We also believe that, through Jesus, God will bring back those who have died. They will come back with Jesus 15 We are telling you what the Lord taught. We who are still alive when the Lord comes will not go [into his kingdom] ahead of those who have already died. 16 The Lord will come from heaven with a command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet [call] of God. First, the dead who believed in Christ will come back to life. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive will be taken in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. In this way we will always be with the Lord. 18 So then, comfort each other with these words!
This is not new. God has taken people to heaven before they tasted physical death, Enoch in Gen 5:24, Heb 11:5; Elijah 2 Kings 2; and Jesus Acts 1:9-11.
Millennial Reign
This is a 1000-year reign of Jesus on the earth after the rapture and the battle of Armageddon where Jesus defeats the anti-Christ, devil and the beast, see Revelations 19. It is a time of peace when the devil and his cohorts have been imprisoned for 1,000 years Rev 20:1-4). This is a time of peace and tranquility for Christians and faithful and joyous service to the Lord Jesus, the reigning king.
(ii) The Revelation
Revelation 1:7 ‘Look! He is coming in the clouds. Every eye will see him, even those who pierced him. Every tribe on earth will mourn because of him. This is true. Amen.
After the rapture and the millennial rule, Jesus is coming back to wage war on the anti-Christ, the devil and disobedient and disloyal people who have been deceived after the devil is released from the prison of a 1,000 years (Revelation 19, Revelation 20:1-3, Revelation 20:7-15).
Conclusion:
Be a believer who loves God and serves God with all of his/her heart. The bible in Deut 10:12 states
“And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,…”
Be inspired by the words of this Christian, culled from Sherry’s Inspirational List:
From: Sherry's Inspirational List <Sherry@SherrysInspirationalList.com>
To: Sherrys_Inspirational@googlegroups.com
Sent: Tue, March 16, 2010 10:59:59 PM
Subject: Inspirational 03/17/10 I Am A Christian
Sherry’s Inspirational list
When forwarding / copying, please include the entire message.
I Am A Christian
I'm a part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The dye has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me--my banner will be clear!!!
Written by a young African pastor: It was tacked on the wall of his house, and found after he died as a martyr for the Gospel!
“And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.” –Acts 22:20
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