Bro. Joel Urshan Preaching

Preaching Bro. Mangun- Book of Acts Church

A message from Bro. Anthony Mangun from 2004...

Studying God’s Word

Many years ago the Sunday school class I was in at that time had a contest for a new Thompson Chain Reference Bible. I do not even remember what the contest was, but I do remember the thrill of winning it. It was my first study Bible. Today it is packed away in a box as one of my most prized possessions. I'm glad I was introduced to Bible Study as a child. The Bible is not just any book, it is THE book. It is the only book that is the infallible Word of God. I fear that far too many Pentecostal Saints do not know that much about the Bible, how to study it, or even understand much of it beyond an elementary level. One of my greatest desires in my ministry is to teach people how to study the Word of God and to equip them with the tools to do so.

The Bible is the inspired Word of God. It is not really one book, but rather a collection of books providing guidelines for our beliefs and our behavior. The Bible is divided up into two major sections, called Testaments or Covenants. The first is the Old Testament, where the primary theme is the Law of God. It is a collection of 39 books and its primary focus is on the nation of Israel. The second division is the New Testament, where the primary focus is that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Law. It is a collection of 27 books and its primary focus is on the Church. It is necessary to understand the Old Testament to really grasp the Truths in the New Testament. God intended every Saint to be a student of the Word of God. It doesn't matter if you were never proficient in other subjects, the Bible is not understood with a carnal mind. If you will read and study the Word of God with a Spiritual mind, God will open up your understanding to its glorious Truths. Paul instructs us in his second letter to Timothy, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed." The entire subject of studying the Word of God can fill volumes of books, so I will attempt to give you a beginning that you can pick up and run with.

The first thing that you will need is a good study Bible. There are several available today. The one I will recommend is the Thompson Chain Reference Bible in the King James Version. It would also be beneficial to own a good topical Bible such as Nave's. Whatever Bible you decide to purchase, learn to use the study system in it to get the most out of your study. The second book you will need is a Strongs Concordance. This is a book that lists every word in the Bible and where it is listed. It also gives the word in the Hebrew or Greek that our English word was translated from. This is an essential tool to own for any student of the Word of God. You will also need a good Bible dictionary. I recommend Nelson's Bible Dictionary. It is a comprehensive book that lists all of the subjects, people, places, etc. in the Bible. It is also helpful to own a good commentary on the Bible. A popular choice among Bible students is the Matthew Henry Commentary. One of the most helpful and useful study books I have found is Nelson's Illustrated Book of Bible Facts. I highly recommend any student of the Word to own this book. It is helpful in understanding the culture and customs from the era of Scripture. These are just a few of the basic books needed to study, you will find there are many more that can be useful, but these will give you the ability to skillfully study the Word of God.

One of the things that can be helpful in studying the Bible is to mark in your Bible. Marking in your Bible for study purposes is not disrespectful, but rather adds value to that Bible over time. You may choose to write notes in the margins, or use highlighters marking different subjects with different colors. You may use red for Scriptures on salvation, purple for the deity of Jesus Christ, etc... If you do use highlighters make sure to purchase ones from a Bible book store that are designed for Bibles, regular highlighters may bleed through the thin paper.

It is important to have a good environment for study. Just as with anything you are reading, the Bible is best read in a quiet place with no distractions. Use a table or desk with space to spread your Bible and study books out. In today's world, distractions abound and obligations we must meet press upon us, but if you want to get the most out of the Word of God, you need a place where it is just you and God and His Word. We all need a place where He can speak to us from His Word. There is something wonderful about being alone with Him and Word. Jesus spoke of a prayer closet, a place where you can talk to Him with no one else around. I believe this closet he spoke of can also be used for a place of meditation on His Word.

I'm going to discuss here some of the different methods of Bible Study. The most basic and probably most important is simply reading your Bible. It is at this time that you are reading His Word and he is speaking to your heart from His Word. This is a time for personal relationship with Him. It is not a time for a preacher to find a message or a Sunday School Teacher to search for a lesson. This may happen during that time, but the primary motive is to build our relationship with Him and to draw closer to Him. You can read from anywhere any Scripture you choose, for it is all inspired by God. However, you will find there are certain portions of Scripture you may find more beneficial for your personal growth. For example, the first four books of the New Testament, known as the Gospels, are the life and times of Jesus Christ. You will gleam great truth and inspiration from reading the words of Jesus Christ. The book of Acts is the story and history of the first century Church. The letters in the New Testament, known as the Epistles, are simply letters from ministers to various Churches, and hold equal relevance for our lives today. In the Old Testament the book of Psalms has encouraged and inspired people for thousands of years. The book of Proverbs is God's wisdom for a variety of life's problems. There are exciting and miraculous stories in the books of the Old Testament that demonstrate God's power and His salvation for man. By simply reading the Word of God, great revelation, understanding, power, and anointing can come upon your life.

A second method of studying is to memorize Scriptures. You can choose some of the key doctrinal Scriptures and commit them to memory. This is a helpful tool when witnesses and also when you need a Scripture on a particular subject, you can easily recall it. You may think this is a difficult task, but most people greatly underestimate their own mental ability. If you were to memorize only one Scripture a week, in one year's time you could commit to memory enough Scripture to cover all of the key subjects.

A third method you can use during your study is to study out a topic throughout Scripture. This is where a good topical Bible can really help. You can choose a subject and follow it from Genesis to Revelation. This gives you a good balanced view of what the Bible says about a particular subject. There have been many doctrinal errors made because people have chosen one certain Scripture in the Bible on a certain subject but did not study what the rest of the Bible had to say about that subject. It is important to study out the entire subject to get a good understanding of what God is telling us. All Scripture will work in harmony to give us an understanding of doctrinal truth. An important study rule to follow when studying out a topic is to use the Law of First Mention. This is an important principle when doing a topical study. The Law of First Mention says that in order to properly understand something in the Bible, you must find where it is first mentioned. Examples of this rule could take many pages, but suffice it to say that when you study a topic, you will find this to be true.

Character study is the last method of Bible study I will give you, although there are many more. These will get you started and give you a good foundation for studying the Word. Character study is simply studying a person in Scripture. You can get a lot of encouragement and strength when you study about people in Scripture and find out that they were just like you. The Bible makes no attempt to gloss over peoples mistakes and failures. The Bible is candid and honest. The Thompson Chain Reference Bible has in it several Character studies. The best character study you can do is to study the life and times of Jesus Christ. In the Old Testament there are exciting and miraculous stories that are played out in peoples lives. Study David and Moses, Joshua and Elijah. Study Noah and Debra, Samuel and Ruth. You will find similarities in their lives that can give you direction and encouragement, to know that people facing the same struggles as you have found victory through their faith in God.

While the Word of God is always positive and powerful, I do want to warn you of a couple of the most common mistakes that are made when studying the Bible. The first error made is to take Scripture out of context. This is true with anything that you read, but great doctrinal errors have been made when it is done with the Bible. When you read a verse in the Bible, you must read the verses before and after it to properly understand what the author is talking about. The chapter and verses that you see in your Bible were not made by author of that book, they were added later to help give organization to the Scriptures. So look at the chapter before and after the verse also. It helps to understand who wrote the book, what the purpose of the book was (history, a song, a letter to a Church etc…), and to whom it was written. All of these things helped shape the verse and are important to properly understand that verse. A second common error made is to only take one or two verses on any given subject and then form conclusions, or even worse, doctrine, from these verses. You must study every verse on a subject before any conclusion can be drawn. Many false doctrines and misconceptions have been made by people who have made this error.

I want to add a final word on studying the Word of God. This is the greatest book ever written, for although it was penned on paper by man, it is the inspired Word of God. The Bible is God's mind in print. I believe Satan has deceived many by telling them the Bible is boring, it cannot be understood, or it is not relevant for our day. The truth is that the Bible is exciting, it is understood with a Spiritual mind, and it holds complete relevance for our world today. May God richly bless you as you study and learn of His Word.

Pillar #2- Fasting

Jesus said some things don't happen except by prayer and fasting. It is a combined effort of the two. However, in this day of materialism and excess, fasting is something that is often overlooked and neglected. Simply put, fasting is going without food or water for a Spiritual purpose. The very essence of being a disciple of Jesus Christ is being disciplined in our walk with Him. Fasting helps bring this discipline. The statement that has affected me the most about fasting was made by Bro. James Kilgore when he said that "fasting has become a lost art in Pentecost." I remember a preacher telling how when he received the Holy Ghost, his Pastor telling him after service to "immerse your life in prayer and fasting." Let it be said of the last day Church that fasting was a part of our lifestyle.

 

The Bible says that we have a treasure in an earthen vessel. The treasure is the Gift of the Holy Ghost. The earthen vessel is our flesh. There is a constant struggle in our lives between flesh and Spirit. Jesus said the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Don't ever forget that your flesh is weak. No matter how long you live for God, your flesh will always be weak. We have a carnal nature. Fasting mortifies, or kills the flesh, the carnal nature of man.

 

There has been some confusion over the years over the purpose of fasting. You do not fast to see someone saved or to see something accomplished in your life or even in the Kingdom of God. Fasting is for you. It is to discipline you and to draw you closer to God. You will find that after fasting when you are praying or studying His Word that you will be very sensitive to the Holy Ghost. God may reveal things to you in prayer or through His Word during these times that you may not have been able to see any other time. Because fasting does make you more sensitive to Spiritual things, it is vital that you are under the authority of a man of God who can give you direction during these times.

 

There are different types of fasts as well as different lengths of time you will choose to go without food and/or water. The first and most accepted fast is to go without food and water. As the body cannot survive without water for extended periods of time, use wisdom and common sense when choosing this type of fast. You can also go on a three day fast from food only, drinking only water during this time. While the Spiritual benefits are the primary purpose of fasting, there is a physical benefit accepted now by the mainstream medical community, that this type of fast cleanses your body from poisons and can actually increase your level of energy. While this is good, remember that the purpose of fasting is to draw closer to God. I encourage you to read books on fasting. Two very good books written by Pentecostal authors are "Gods Chosen Fast" by Arthur Wallis, and "When ye Fast" by Joy Haney. Both books may be purchased from the Pentecostal Publishing House, worldaflamebookstore.com

It’s Time to be Apostolic

While I do understand that these must be the last days of the Church before the rapture, it is certainly an exciting time to be involved in the Kingdom of God. The darkness of this hour should not discourage us. The state of affairs in our nation today afford us opportunities to minister to hurting people like never before. It's not hard to find someone in need, someone who is searching, looking for the answer to the mess they've made of their life. All God is looking for in our Church is a willing vessel. You don't have to be perfect, you don't have to be talented, you just have to be willing to be used and led of the Holy Ghost. I believe we are being led by God into a dimension of the Holy Ghost that we have not been to before, simply because our generation demands more than ever before. In our service last Sunday night was a sovereign move of God, only eternity will tell how lives were changed and affected. This is the time to let God have His way among us. Don't ever let us be guilty of rejecting traditional religious theology while embracing traditional religious procedure in our services. We are unapologetically Apostolic… in doctrine AND in worship. I watched last Sunday night as people worshipped and danced before the Lord, and God manifested Himself mightily. What impressed me the most however was that after a few minutes the shout turned into a deep conviction of the Spirit and people everywhere began to weep and break before God. If we will simply praise him, He will show up every time. Of course we need preaching, there must be a balance, and everything must be done in decency and order. But oh how we need God to direct and control our services. It's time for all of us to determine and commit, "I will be a vessel God can flow through." I don't claim to know exactly where God has us as a local church right now, but I pray that we are entering into a season of reaping the great and final harvest of souls. Times of transition are always a little painful, but I pray God would do whatever it takes to get us to the place where we are seeing the altars tear stained, the baptismal waters troubled, and the pews filled. We've wore a badge of pride for years over being Apostolic in doctrine, "we've got the truth." God didn't give us truth just so we could be right and someone else could be wrong. He gave us this revelation so we could Apostolic in Power. Let's forget those things which are behind, and let's press toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. It is time to be Apostolic.

Seven Pillars of Christian Living

A few years ago I wrote a handbook entitled "The Seven Pillars of Successful Christian Living." I will be posting each chapter over the next few weeks. They were written to be geared toward the new convert, but I think everyone can benefit from making sure our lives are built on a solid foundation. I hope and pray they are a blessing to you.

Pillar #1-Prayer

 

This is it. This is the key. You will not have to read this entire series to discover the key to your success. It is here at the beginning of this handbook that you will find the foundation to your Spiritual success. The challenge that we face in talking about prayer is where to start. This is a subject that spans from the first book of the Bible to the last. There have been countless books written on the subject of prayer. Thousands of sermons have been preached about the power of prayer. There are prayer journeys and prayer seminars, prayer rooms, prayer teams, the list is endless. So as I said in the introduction, I will not attempt to make an entire study on prayer, I will hit on the main points of prayer, the first one being that you practice it consistently and faithfully. I encourage you to make a further study on prayer, both in your Bible and by reading books on Prayer. In many instances we spend more time talking about prayer, reading about prayer, and preaching about prayer than we do actually praying. So let me begin by saying that you need to pray.

 

    I have listened to countless sermons in my life telling me what the key to revival is, the key being a variety of things. The key is unity, the key is faith, the key is Home Bible Studies, you get the picture. I do not disagree with these things, they are all keys. However, we must understand to be successful in our walk with God, and to see our Church grow and mature spiritually, there is more than one key. It is actually a key chain with all of these things comprising a part of our success. However, the master key that opens all of the doors is Prayer. It is the single most important endeavor that a Christian can make. All the rest of what we do in the Church must have a foundation of prayer to be successful. In Scripture, the disciples did not ask Jesus to teach them to heal the sick. They did not ask to learn how to walk on water or raise the dead. In Luke 11, they simply asked Jesus, "Teach us to pray." The disciples understood that prayer was the foundation for all that Jesus said and done. They noticed after Jesus spent the night in the wilderness praying he walked into the city the next day with great power.

 

    What is Prayer? In the simplest of terms it is communication with God. It is you talking to God, and God talking to you. It is important to understand that in our fast-paced world God does not operate on the same timetable. There are no shortcuts in prayer. Prayer is communication with God, this means not only do you talk to Him, but also He talks to you. As you develop a walk with God, you will learn to hear the voice of God. One of the things I ask God for almost every time I pray is to let me be sensitive to the Holy Ghost, and let me learn to hear and know His voice. Paul said in I Corinthians 14, "There are so many kinds of voices in the world." We are hearing so many things today, it is vital that we know how to distinguish the voice of God from all the other voices in this world.

 

    So how do I Pray? One of the best things you can do is pray with people who know how to pray. Attend every prayer meeting, and be in the middle of it. As with anything else, be sincere in your prayers. You don't have to sound like anyone else. There is no prayer language except your own language. God isn't impressed by our vocabulary, he wants to hear from our heart. This being said, you must still vocalize your prayers. There is a law of confession in your tongue. Jesus said we have not because we ask not. There are many things in our walk with God we may desire, but if we stop and think about it, we may have never actually asked God for them. Follow the Lords Prayer as an example of how to pray. Begin with praising Him, and then ask Him to cleanse and forgive you for anything that is not right in your life. After this begin to pray for your Church, your Pastor, your loved ones, the list really is endless. There will come a point in prayer that you find the flow of the Spirit and God will guide and direct you in your prayers. Remember you are not alone in this, God is working with you and is on your side. One of the tremendous things about prayer is that it can be difficult to begin a prayer meeting, and then once you get going, it is difficult to stop. Remember the purpose of prayer isn't to "feel" God. It is to feel after God. Just because you do not feel in your emotions like you want to when you pray does not make that prayer any less powerful. There may be times when you feel like your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and falling back into the room, but you are touching Heaven.

 

    One of the things I encourage you to do is to find a prayer closet. This is not an actual location, but rather a time of prayer where it is just you and God and no one else. I am a big believer in this. It is absolutely vital that you pray with others, attend prayer meetings, and pray around others. But there also must be times when you are alone with God. There are some things you need to talk about and vocalize to God that you will not do when others are around. There are battles and struggles in your life that no one else knows about that you wouldn't dare let someone hear you talk to God about. But they need to be discussed with Him. There may be things that you need to confess to Him, that can only be done in your prayer closet.

Jesus said in Matthew 6, "But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

 

    I would like to give you some final words on prayer. Jesus said that some things don't happen except by prayer and fasting. There are battles that will not be won except by prayer and fasting. There are spiritual strongholds that Satan holds in our cities that will not be defeated unless we pray. There is no amount of singing, no amount of preaching, no amount of giving that will bring us victory in some areas. Prayer must be made always. Paul said "Pray without Ceasing." In other words don't ever stop praying. Pray when you're tired, pray when you're not tired, pray when you're happy, pray when you're sad, but don't ever stop praying. Powerful Churches are praying Churches. Powerful saints are praying saints. People who backslide, or quit living for God are never people who live and walk in the Spirit. The key to your success is walking in the Spirit through prayer.