competing with himself

 

Jesse Sablan’s island dream, Ivy reality      by Richelle Ann Agpoon, Mar 29, 2023  

JESUS “Jesse” Sablan, a 17-year-old Saipan International School senior, is going to an Ivy League institution, Columbia University, to pursue a bachelor's degree in biochemical engineering. "Getting accepted into Columbia was nearly impossible, so I had doubts about my chances. I knew I had to double my efforts to get in," he told Variety in an interview. As of 2021, Columbia had an acceptance rate of 4.1% compared to Harvard's 4%. To be accepted to Columbia University, a student must have outstanding academic grades in high school, and has to excel in different areas of life such as community service and extracurricular activities. In addition, he or she must have acquired talents and other skills.

Columbia has thousands of applicants each year with similar academic backgrounds and accomplishments that make them highly competitive for admission, and I knew I had to do something different to stand out, so my approach was to excel in my application essays and supplements.  

My writeups focused on how I was unique as a student, a leader, and more importantly, as a person coming from a remote island.  It was a challenge to put my whole life into 650 words and  give it my personal spin to make it unique,”  Jesse said. He said he was happy to be accepted and is looking forward to college life. “I am now focused on spending as much time with family and friends before graduating from high school, at the same time, preparing myself for what will come next,” Jesse said. He is excited to meet new people, experience a new place and learn more. Competing with oneself Meanwhile, Jesse continuously keeps himself occupied with the things that will make him a better student, son and community member. He is also preparing for the National Speech and Debate Competition as one of the CNMI’s representatives. 

According to Jesse, life is more than what it is now. “We should all be proud of our accomplishments, but I believe that we are capable of achieving more.  We should never settle and must strive to exceed academic and personal limits.  Take advantage of opportunities and keep breaking  our personal record,” he said. He believes that a person's greatest competition should be oneself. “I like to challenge myself,” he said. Growing up in a family with high achieving siblings, Jesse thinks it is innate for him to set high goals that  are achievable through hard work and to be passionate in every endeavor.  “I am a product of my environment.  

Growing up I was surrounded by siblings, especially my older ones, who pushed  the envelope.  Everything about them inspired me to always give it my best, but at the end of the day, I was my biggest competition, so I had to keep stepping it up,” he said. After getting a degree in biochemical engineering, Sablan said he wants to continue his studies and become a lawyer. “I aspire to become an attorney one day. I plan on returning back home to serve my community,” he said. Surrounded by greatness The son of business executives Jason and Shirley Sablan, Jesse is the grandson of former Lt. Gov. Jesus R. Sablan and Annie T. Sablan, and Roman and Ana Tudela. Jesse said he was raised by people who believed in him. He said his greatest source of motivation are his older siblings Annabelle Sablan, who is a senior student at the School of Architecture of Syracuse University; Jon Paul Sablan, a senior student at the School of Biological Sciences in UC Irvine; and Jason Sablan, a sophomore student at the School of Economics in UC Berkeley. “I look up to my older siblings, but I also want to be a role model to my younger siblings,” he said. Jesse's younger siblings are Soledad Sablan, who also studies at SIS, and Jose Peter Sablan, who is a student at Saipan Community School. Jesse believes that it is his responsibility to help his younger siblings succeed. “I push myself because of them. Much of who I am today as a person is because of my siblings,” he said.  He is also grateful for the support of his parents who, he said, have been patient with him and supportive of his activities.  “My parents have full time jobs that keep them very busy, but they are always there for me,” he said.  Jesse's typical day includes studying after school hours, not missing a meal, reading books and watching instructional videos.  

 He said as soon as he felt the desire to study at an Ivy League school, he began doing research on how to be  accepted.  “I knew early on in high school that I wanted to pursue my college career at one of the prestigious  Ivy  League universities.  I knew it would take a great deal of hard work and dedication to even stand a chance at being admitted,” he said. Jesse makes sure that he studies his lessons efficiently. “I study very hard to get excellent grades, and I take part in organizations and clubs and assume office to  demonstrate leadership and commitment,” he said.  

For Jesse, his achievements are gifts of honor to his family. “Everything I do I dedicate to my family and I try to bring honor to them. However, these achievements would not be possible without good mentors, teachers, school administrators and friends who in one way or another got me to where I am now and I am indebted to them,” he said. These include Tiana Cabrera, Charles McDonald, Kim Church, Ron Snyder, Ingur Lee, Mili Saiki, Julie Newman, Whit Altizer, Derek Culp and Jeff Race.  

Jesse is currently the president of the SIS Student Council and the SIS Interact Club. He is also the  CNMI MUN vice president and president of the SIS National Honor Society. Multi-talented  Jesse's dream to be an attorney is fueled by his passion to serve the CNMI.  “It is also an honor to represent the CNMI in various competitions nationally and internationally,” Jesse said. For the third time, he represented the CNMI in Model United Nations, and recently  competed  in  the Global Education City Model United Nations or GECMUN in Jeju, South Korea. He has been twice named Best Delegate for Model United Nations and a Honorary Delegate at GECMUN. Jesse also participated in a CNMI-Guam Voice of Democracy essay-writing competition hosted by the Veterans of Foreign Wars which he won from 2019 to 2022. Science is one of his favorite subjects, and as a junior  last year, he competed in the CNMI-wide STEM  Fair and won first place in General Science and received the PSS Commissioner’s STEM Award. He is also a cross country runner. 

During the height of the pandemic, Jesse did not lock himself in his room while remote learning. Instead, he felt the desire to give back to his school community by conducting a ukulele class.  “I’ve been playing the ukulele for 11 years and I felt I could make better use of my time during the pandemic to teach other students how to play the instrument. With the help of Ms. Julie Newman, this dream became a reality,” he said. Jesse also coaches his fellow SIS students in speech and debate, and is already looking forward to joining Columbia University’s Rotary Club, Model United Nations, University Band, and the Asian & Pacific Islander Law Club. 

Jesse hopes to leave a legacy of excellence to his fellow youth and students in the CNMI that will inspire them to do better in life. “My message to everyone in the CNMI is to recognize our reality,” he said. “Though we may be bombarded with disadvantages and defeat, we will never be defeated. There is so much more for us to show the world. Do not silence your aspirations, but rather, shout it out loud for the entire world to hear. We are not just a group of people, we are a family.”

My comment posted on the online newspaper:

Congratulations Jesse! You probably don't remember me, but i had the opportunity to do be your's and your older brother's Social Studies teacher,  at SCS. You have suceeded inspite of me, not because of anything i did. I better understand you now, after reading your article. Jesse, indeed, you have always been competing with yourself. Well said. I get it now. Thank you! Hope you will not mind if I share your success with my friends on FaceBook, and on my own personal blog site, not for any benefit to me, but to share with the rest of the world, your exemplary achievements, worthy of respect and honor. Also hope younger syudents will follow your example. You are the very 1st of all the students i have had the priviledge of serving (in the States, China, and CNMI) to have been accepted into an Ivy League university. Thank you, Jesse for your hard work! If I'm still alive at the time, got a feeling I'll be voting for you, either as the governor, or the president (why not?). Jesse, please say hello to your brothers for me.

last day at Rota housing

 

Knowing a big move was coming up, I made clones of the black beauty eggplants and roma tomatoes for the next garden. Hope to show you how that's coming along soon.

 

God is doing wonderful things in our lives, in our families, and in the next "my garden on Rota," at a diffent place, in Songsong Village.

 

Want to thank again all my old friends, who re-friended me on Face Book, the new friends, and one friend who knew my Mom, when we shared Jesus with lots and lots of people together 50 years ago. The one person i'm most grateful for, is my 2nd oldest brother who invited me to be his friend on FaceBook after i'd left four years ago.

 

ALL MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS

 

MY BLOG ABOUT ROTA

wisdom of God: followup

 

So, we are asking God for his wisdom every day and  we must believe that God exists and that he rewards us for diligently doing so. And, we realize the difference between God's wisdom, from above, and the wisdom from below. We are also aware that the wisdom of God has nothing to do with our current educational system, books, magazines, degrees, or anything published or posted on the internet by people.

God's ways are far above our ways, his thoughts are far above our thoughts. We must be careful to not try to define God by our limited experience or understanding.

So, according to the Bible verse in the book of James 1:5-8, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts, is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let no man supose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

FAITH - Forsaking All I Trust Him

If we're asking the Lord for his wisdom every day, and we believe he is giving it to us generously, do we act on the wisdom he gives us, or are we double-minded? When the Holy Spirit drops something in our heart, a thought, a desire, a new idea, a plan, even an inkling to do something, we don't ignore i and tell ourself, "Oh yeah, I have to do that, but not now, maybe I get it later." We ask the Lord for wisdom, he gives us wisdom, and then we don't act on it?

Why are we not acting on what God drops into our heart? Not convenient, doesn't sound good to us, someone doesn't agree with it, or I'll do it later? God puts it on our heart for a reason - to do it. Then, when we put it off, 5 minutes later, God puts it on our heart again? Why are we even asking for God's wisdom if we want to control everything, including the timing of when we do something, or what we do when? I thought we gave everything to the Lord already.

When we act on the leading of the Holy Spirit, in a timely fashion, we will be amazed at God's wisdom, and how the Lord is so way ahead of us in everything. In the Gospel of John, often times we can read how Jesus only did what God told him to do. He never did what he himself wanted to do. He only said what God wanted him to say, not what he wanted to say. 

"As many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God."

Jesus didn't raise Lazarus from the dead until the 4th day after his death. The Bible says, "The body of Lazarus began to stink." We have all heard of many testimonies of people being raised from the dead, in our life times. No doubt it really happened. Truly all things are possible with the Lord. God must have told Jesus specifically, "Don't raise Lazarus from the dead, until the 4th day." So, that's what Jesus did. His body was already decomposing, and started to stink from rot. But, when Jesus yelled out his name, where all the tombs were, "Lazurus, come forth!" Lazarus hoped out of his tomb, all wrapped in grave clothes, with every part of his body fully restored! Someone said that It was a good thing Jesus didn't say, "Come forth!" or all the corpses in all the tombs in ear shot would have come to life and started hoping out, looking like zombies in their grave clothes. No, God only wanted Lazarus to be raised from the dead at that time. We don't know why, or what God's purpose is in many things he has us do. Some answers we get right away, some answers don't come to us until years have passed.

So, if we really are following Jesus with all our heart, we will keep asking for his wisdom every day, and actually expect Him to flood us with it (he did say liberally, or generously). And, we should act upon the wisdom we asked for, and always thank God for it.

The wisdom of God can be many things, from things in the future, connecting the dots of things in the past, what to do at the right time, to even knowing how to do something, or even knowing what to say at the perfectly right time. Worked for a guy in our Church recording studio, and and the Holy Spirit  would gave him precise electrical schematics to put the studio together. Or, a person, on the job, walks into a situation, and somehow starts picturing in his mind, everything that needs to be done, right down to the smallest detail. Or suddenly having complete understanding of something extremely complex. We don't turn the wisdom of God on or off, we just diligently ask for it, every day, and as we live our normal lives, God gives us his wisdom, generously, when we do it. We must remeber to keep humble and give God all the credit and glory, because, the truth is, we know it wasn't ever us. Even if we just do it in our minds, we thank God always for all these cool things we see him doing in our lives, and around us every day.

holy spirit language marathon

 

Three people died on crosses that day, Jesus Christ, the son of God, and the two thieves, one on either side of Jesus. One thief believed in Jesus, and the other didn't.

After three of them died. Only the one that believed that Jesus Christ is the son of God, ended up in paradise with the Lord. That's what Jesus promised him, but he never got water baptized. After three days Jesus rose from the dead, and before he went into heaven, he told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem, to receive the promise of the Father (the baptism in the Holy Spirit), and go out into the world and tell everyone the good news, baptize new believers, and make disciples, lay hands on the sick, cast out demons, raise the dead, etc.

For our example, and even before he did his 1st miracle, he got water baptized by John the Baptist. When he came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit came down upon him, like a white dove. And, God, his Father, spoke from heaven (everyone there heard it), "This is my son, in whom I'm well pleased." What a wonderful picture in the Gospel of John. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, are one, a three-parter. In the beginning God created the first human being, Adam, in his own image with a spirit, a soul, and a body, a three-parter. When you talk with me, hear my voice, see me thinking, it's only one person - jerry, who has emotions, who has flesh and blood, as well as an intellect, and a thinking brain.

 

When we asked Jesus into our heart, asked him to be the Lord of our life, and we believed he took away all our sins when he died on the cross for us, God gave us a new spirit, a new heart, we were born again (not our physical body, or our mind, but our spirit).

 

God gave us a brand new spirit, pure and perfect, with no sin - clean as ever. That's what needs the milk of God's word, to grow.

 

Jesus didn't need to get water baptized, but he did to give us an example to follow. Then the father gave the Holy Spirit to Jesus with no limit. Jesus didn't do any miracles until after he received the Holy Spirit. I've checked the Bible many times, from cover to cover, every page - the first miracle was when Jesus turned the water into wine at the wedding feast (in the Gospel of John).

 

Know people personally, who never got water baptized, or even baptized in the Holy Spirit, but right before they passed away, they believed in Jesus Christ, like that one thief hanging on the cross next to Jesus. Hard to explain, but I know I'm really going to see them again, with the Lord.

 

So, let's follow our Lord's example of water baptism. You are telling the world, "Hey everybody, all my bad, all my sins, died with Jesus on the cross. and now, as I come up from the water, I have a new life, like Jesus, when he came back to life after 3 days." 

 

We need God's unlimited power, to tell people about Jesus and do the same things Jesus did, and more. So, we ask Jesus Christ to baptize us in the Holy Spirit (like John the Baptist said, "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire").

 

As we can read in the Book of Acts, the first diciples of Jesus, did exactly as he said. The didn't go all over the world telling people the good news, instead they all met together in the 2nd floor of a building, in Jerusalem, where Jesus got crucified, and prayed together to receive the Father's promise, the filling of the Holy Spirit. Before long they all got filled with the Holy Spirit. With Jesus, the Holy Spirit was like a white dove, but when the Holy Spirit filled the first disciples, the Holy Spirit was like flames of fire, that landed on each person's head. As they all got filled up, they started praising and thanking God. Everyone was speaking out loud with a Holy Spirit language. People walking buy on the streets, heard lots of noise coming from that second floor - sounded like a big party, or a  rave going on early in the morning. Everyone on the street were saying something like, "those followers of Jesus are all drunk, listen to them, all so noisy."

Right after that, the disciples went out into the city telling people about Jesus, and thousands and thousands of people also became disciples, within days. The Holy Spirit started doing miracles through the disciples.

We don't need to get baptized in the Holy Spirit over and over again. The first time, the Holy Spirit will give us a new language. When we speak that Holy Spirit langauge, our heart, our spirit, prays directly to God. It's a tool the Holy Spirit gives us to build up our faith, to get recharged, if you will. 

When my 2nd old brother got baptized in the Holy Spirit, he described to me all the details. Sounded like quite an experience, as wild as the first disciples, even way beyond getting drunk. And, he spoke this new prayer language, to get reifilled all the time. I had just recently giving my life to Jesus, got water baptized, and started going to Bible studies to learn more. I wanted the same thing as my brother got. Read all the Bible verses, and the guy at the Bible study placed his hands on my head, and I prayed the prayer out loud. Nothing. Wait, wait, wait, still nothing, and no language. The Bible study guy told me to believe everything we read about receiving the Holy Spirit and the new prayer language. So, I did. Next thing I know, I have this new prayer language (don't know what I'm actually saying, but my heart feels warm). Then, at church, a preacher, behinf the pulpit challenged everyone, "Pray with your new Holy Spirit prayer language, every day, non-stop for 30 minutes, and you will hear God speak to you." Did what he said, believing what I read about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, was really true, just as true as the new life i had been experiencing. The first week, praying with the new prayer language every day for 30 minutes, things started happening to me. In a Bible study one night, with people all sitting around on the floor, the Holy Spirit filled filled me up just as my 2nd oldest brother had described to me - i couldn't even stand up (so pure, so intense, like burning hot fire, and icy cold mountain water all at the same time). Couldn't do anything but praise and thank the Lord. Every day, i went into a small closet and closed the door in the dark, because i didn't want anyone to see me or hear me. On the fifth day, got totally blown away - praying with my Holy Spirit prayer language...blah, blah, blah, and go completely quiet after 30 minutes. Then I heard God's voice (my 1st time ever experience). It was as the Bible describes it, "a still, small voice." And, God said to me, "Jerry, I love you. You will preach the gospel in China one day."

You have to understand, in 1971, there were no people like me (young American guy), "Preaching the Gospel in China." China was having a cultural revolution, under Mao Tse Dong. He and his government were atheist, and China was still closed to the world. 

At the time of this blog post, it is 2023. Since 1971, have been into China many times, worked there many years, saw many people ask Jesus into their hearts (mostly children), and often experienced the power of the Holy Spirit like the early disciples did that short time after they all got filled with the Holy Spirit. 

 

God's word is true, not just stories or religious philosophies. If you know God stirred your heart, and you gave your life to Jesus, and you know it's real. If you are still believing God's word to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Or maybe you still aren't able to speak your new Holy Spirit prayer language. My Mom, 2nd older brother, and I all came to Jesus around the same time, but different circumstances. We all got baptized at the same time, at a small Pentecostal-Baptist church, Berean Baptist Church, in Kansas City. My 2nd oldest brother got baptized in the Holy Spirit and got his language 1st, then i did, and then my Mom did. But our Mom didn't get her Holy spirit language until maybe 6 months or more later. She did everything right, read all the Bible verses, read all the teaching books on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, but - nada, nothing. She was super frustrated. My Mom is very stubborn (I know because I have her stubborness - totally extreme). So, she sat down in her bathroom at home (my Dad and family had already been transferred to Taiwan at the time), and she said to the Lord, out loud, "Lord, I'm not getting up from here until you give me that prayer language you promised me!" When I got to Taiwan to do my Bible college missionary internship, my Mom, had experienced eveything we read about in the Book of Acts about the early disciples and how the Holy Spirit worked many miracles through them to glorify God, and bring many people to Jesus.

Really, really, we should never doubt. God's word is solid, solid as a rock. Everything Jesus did on earth was by the power of the Holy Spirit. He told us to be like him as he was, and we would do what he did, and even more. What are we waiting for.

 

The challenge: set your own schedule, for example (I've tried them all and they all work, at least for me they did, thank the Lord) -

 

* Speak out your new language, non-stop for 30 minutes every day for one week, then be quiet and be still afterwards (see if you don't hear God's voice) 

* Get on your face, and speak, out loud, your new Holy Spirit language, non-stop, for 2 to 3 hours with no breaks

 

* Pray outloud, with others the same as you,  with your new Holy Spirit langauge, in a closed and quiet room for 1 hour every day for at least one week (see what happens)

* Get together with hundreds of people, in one place, and, in unison, everyone sings in their new language, togther in harmony, while praising and worshipping (you will probably begin to see how many of the gifts of the Holy Spirit work)

* Please take the challenge. The Holy Spirit is not limited - by yourself, in a group, all good

* Remember, the Holy Spirit never does anything wierd that you can't find in the Bible and wherever He is, God is glorified. Jesus Christ is lifted up. He is as gentle and sensitive as a dove, more powerful than any force in the universe, yet burning hot as a flame of fire, and cold, so pure as a mountain spring, all at the same time.

* Remember, it is from your spirit, from you heart, you are praying your new Holy Spirit prayer language, not your mind. While you pray in the Spirit, praise and thank God in your mind.

baptism in the holy spirit, waiting?

 

After Jesus came back from the dead, he told his disciples something like, "Wait in Jerusalem, until you receive power from God." Why Jerusalem? That's where Jesus was when he came back from the grave. That's where his disciples were at that time.

Problem is - "Wait"? No need to wait, you can ask and receive it now, before going out.

We have to be familiar with all the other things Jesus talked about with his diciples before leaving them and going up into heaven. 

He wanted his disciples to go everywhere and tell everybody about himself and how God wants people to believe and receive.

Jesus wanted them to wait for the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit. He wanted them to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, then go out and tell everyone, lay hands on the sick, cast out demons, raise people from the dead. In other words, first get God's power, the Holy Spirit, then go out and help people in God's power, not our own.

We are so excited after we have asked Jesus into our hearts, and all our sins are gone, and we are born again. But, we must have the power of God to do the works of God. If Jesus, the son of God, had to get water baptized and receive the Holy Spirit from the Father, we do too, even more so. When the Holy Spirit filled Jesus, the Holy Spirit was like a dove. When Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit, we're talking flames of fire.

Before we take a long road trip, we like to start with a full tank of gas. If God chose you to walk this long and narrow path with Jesus Christ, you need to be filled with his power before you begin moving down the path.

Receiving the baptism in the holy spirit is not the main purpose - doing God's works is the main purpose. When we have God's power, we do God's works, and have God results, not good results. God ideas, not good ideas. 

Jesus said "wait" so his disciples wouldn't run off trying to do stuff in their own strength without the Holy Spirit. We have all done this, with miserable results.

We don't need to wait for Jesus to Baptize us with the Holy Spirit. It's already been promised - the Promise of the Father. We need to ask and receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, if we ask, we will receive. Ask for the Holy Spirit, and we will get the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Wait, wait, wait! Receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit first, then go out and help people, and have God results.

If we want to see what God can do in 2023, look at the Book of Acts in the Bible. Jesus had the Holy Spirit without limit. He did nothing miraculous without the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us that we would do even more than he did. 

Baptism in the Holy Spirit (1st), do God's works (2nd), then see God's results and thank Him (3rd).

* Don't forget to read all the Bible verses

* Remember, not to wait for the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, but ask for it 1st, receive it, then go do the works of God

* Use your new Holy Spirit language often (i dare anyone out there to have a marathon, speaking their Holy Spirit language for an hour or two, non-stop)

* Remember, it's our spirit that is using the new language directly to God, and our minds can be thinking other things, like thanking and praising God, while we're speaking our new Holy Spirit language

Congratulations Carol!

 

CarolLee was more than a "local tennis star." Before she even started college she had become a high ranking world class tennis pro. Hope the newspaper will get it right next time - give credit to whom credit is due. We forgive you - we know who Carol is, and she's awesome!

Had the honor and priviledge to be Carol's  Junior High Social Studies teacher at Saipan Community School, in the Mariana Islands. Felt humbled by her dedication, hard work and focus. It's no surprise, Carol got a full scholarship at Georgia Institute of Technology not too long ago. Now she's done it again, she's on the Dean's List!

Way to represent, Carol! The CNMI is so proud of you and for giving us all a living example, with a beautiful smile, hard work, focus, and respect! Go Carol, go! You're the best!

ask God for his wisdom

James 1:5

But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom without criticizing you.

* ask God for his wisdom every day, for at least one year

* believe he will answer your prayer

* act on the wisdom God gives you

* remember, God's wisdom is not wisdom from below

baptism in the holy spirit

 THE BEGINNING WITH JESUS
 

John 1:32-34
32 John said, “I saw the Spirit come down as a dove from heaven and stay on him. 33 I didn’t know who he was. But God, who sent me to baptize with water, had told me, ‘When you see the Spirit come down and stay on someone, you’ll know that person is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen this and have declared that this is the Son of God.” 

Matthew 3:11
I baptize you with water so that you will change the way you think and act. But the one who comes after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  
 

John 14:26
26 However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you.
 

Mark 16:17-18
17 “These are the miraculous signs that will accompany believers: They will use the power and authority of my name to force demons out of people. They will speak new languages. 18 They will pick up snakes, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them. They will place their hands on the sick and cure them.”
 

Luke 24:49
49 “I’m sending you what my Father promised. Wait here in the city until you receive power from heaven.”
 

THE EARLY BELIEVERS OF JESUS CHRIST

 
Acts 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes to you. Then you will be my witnesses to testify about me in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
 

Acts 2:1-4
2 When Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Passover, came, all the believers were together in one place. 2 Suddenly, a sound like a violently blowing wind came from the sky and filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 Tongues that looked like fire appeared to them. The tongues arranged themselves so that one came to rest on each believer. 4 All the believers were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
 

Acts 2:17-18
17 ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour my Spirit on everyone.
Your sons and daughters will speak what God has revealed.
Your young men will see visions.
Your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days
I will pour my Spirit on my servants, on both men and women.
They will speak what God has revealed.
 

Acts 4:31
31 When they had finished praying, their meeting place shook. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s word boldly.
Acts 8:14-19
 

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the Samaritans had accepted God’s word, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 Peter and John went to Samaria and prayed that the Samaritans would receive the Holy Spirit. 16 (Before this the Holy Spirit had not come to any of the Samaritans. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and the Samaritans received the Holy Spirit.
18 Simon saw that the Spirit was given to the Samaritans when the apostles placed their hands on them. So he offered Peter and John money 19 and said, “Give me this power so that anyone I place my hands on will receive the Holy Spirit.”
 

Acts 10:44-48
44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit came to everyone who heard his message. 45 All the believers who were circumcised and who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured on people who were not Jewish. 46 They heard these non-Jewish people speaking in other languages and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47 “No one can refuse to baptize these people with water. They have received the Holy Spirit in the same way that we did.” 48 So Peter ordered that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Then they asked Peter to stay with them for several days.
 

Acts 11:15-16
15 “When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came to these people. This was the same thing that happened to us in the beginning. 16 I remembered that the Lord had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized by the Holy Spirit.’
 

Acts 19:1-7
19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces to get to the city of Ephesus. He met some disciples in Ephesus 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They answered him, “No, we’ve never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”
3 Paul asked them, “What kind of baptism did you have?”
They answered, “John’s baptism.”
4 Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.[a] John told people to believe in Jesus, who was coming later.”
5 After they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came to them, and they began to talk in other languages and to speak what God had revealed. 7 About twelve men were in the group.
 

USE THIS BIBLE VERSE – ASK THE LORD TO BAPTIZE YOU IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
 

Luke 11:9-13
9 “So I tell you to ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 Everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find, and for the person who knocks, the door will be opened.
11 “If your child asks you, his father, for a fish, would you give him a snake instead? 12 Or if your child asks you for an egg, would you give him a scorpion? 13 Even though you’re evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. So how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

 

* Pray with all your heart and believe God's word

* Pray often with your new Holy Spirit language (not around people, or they will think you are crazy)

* You will feel very bold and want to tell people about Jesus - go ahead, tell them

* Pray with them, help them just like Jesus and the early believers did

* The Holy Spirit will teach you many things in the Bible - do what you learn, every day, with all your heart

* Be thankful to God for all things, all the time

 
 

One is Number 1

Side Note: One An was a student of mine, while teaching Junior High Social Studies on Saipan. He was the best and most focused in all my classes, and always had a great attitude. Remember often thanking God for this young man. At first I thought to myself, "One, what a strange name!" Before long I realized that One truly was number 1 in all my classes. Was also quite impressed at his respect for me, his teacher, and the respect he had for all his classmates. Truly a gentleman and a scholar.
Although I have lost touch with him and his family over the years, I thank God for him. The news article caught my attention because of his orange hair. Then I put my glasses on and looked closer - "Wow, I know him, that's One!" Maybe I'm just reading too much into everything these days, but I really, really think One was trying to get my attention here on remote  Rota, to let me know my efforts in the classroom and prayers were not in vain. Although I'm 70, maybe God wants me back in the classroom (where I often felt the presence of God) Thank you, One!

kneel down now and pray out loud with me

kneel down, pray this prayer with me out loud and believe with all your heart

start reading the Bible - start with the Gospel of John (you are a new baby in Christ, your new spirit needs food), every day, even just a little

try to connect with other people who love Jesus and are full of the Holy Spirit - they will help you

anything you need, anytime, call out to your heavenly Father - He will answer you

find a good church that loves Jesus and has His power (not just words) and go regurlarly for a few years

thank God for everything, all the time

start praying in the spirit a lot, when the Holy Spirit gives you your new prayer language

get water baptized as soon as you can

receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit

tell others how the Lord changed your life

shade, shadow, and shadows

 

shade, shadow, and shadows

 
“As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.” – Song of Solomon 2:3  
 

Attended Liberty Bible College in Pensacola, Florida, from 1971-1975. Took one year longer to graduate because of a 9 month missionary internship in Taiwan, Republic of China.
 

Joined the college choir one year. Bill Caffey was our director. He trained and prepared us to sing a piece by John Sebastian Bach, “I Sat Down Under His Shadow”, which we ended up performing for a local T.V. station.
Found it on You Tube, sung by the Bairstow Luther College Nordic Choir. Sounds almost exactly as Bro. Bill Caffey taught. Here’s the link:

https://youtube/tugtmKhAVc0

 
If the link doesn’t work, just go to You Tube, and at the search thingy, type, “I sat down under his shadow.”
 

Now, about 50 years later, 70 years old, and living in the Marianas Islands almost 8 years, I find myself often singing that Bible verse.
Out here it’s Pacific island tropical climate. 365 days out of the year, the temperature is 82-83 degrees F. That’s why I can grow veggies in my garden year round, even during our rainy season.
 

The first 4 years living here was quite difficult walking outside under the noonday sun – seemed to always be walking from one shady spot to the next. Didn’t need to exercise to work up a sweat, just walked out in the sun for ½ hour, and my shirt would be drenched with perspiration. Couldn’t even sleep at night without the air-con on full blast. No longer use an air conditioner, but I do use an electric  fan quite often.
 

So, here on Rota, been walking a lot, sometimes several miles at a time, in the middle of the day. Fortunately there’s more nature here than people, so there’s loads and loads of big trees of all sorts all along the sides of the road, everywhere. That tropical sun beats down, and I often take plenty of rest breaks – always under the cool shadow of a big tree, always start singing my 1st tenor part, “I sat down under his shadow with great delight!” That’s when God, touches my heart, reminding me of the cool calm rest under his shadow. And yet, he is “the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1:17).”
 

Under his shadow, in the shade are one thing, while “in the shadows” is something entirely different.
 

God is light and in him is no darkness.
If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin. And, our fellowship is not just with each other, but also with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  
 

King David said, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because God is with me.”
 

Ashamed to admit it, but I’ve veered off the path and walked in the shadows, thinking I can jump back into the light at any time (actually thinking I’m parallel to the path of light). All the while, the path in the shadows skews off, ever so slightly, into darker shadows.
 

The enemy of our souls is not limited by time as we are. So, our miniscule deviations off the path of light, which we are intended to take, go unnoticed. 10 years go by, and a person ends up in complete darkness. What happened to all that sweet fellowship?
 

Our Abba Father is with us wherever we go, whether in the light or in the darkness. Thing is, we are limited by time, and we are completely out of our element in darkness. 

 

As children of God, we are unable to thrive in spiritual darkness. Our adversary, the devil, can do anything he wants to us in the darkness, playing us any which way (on his own timeline).
 

All that to say this – let’s avoid walking in the shadows (metaphorically speaking) at all costs, and make every effort to walk in the light. With the power of the Holy Spirit, the word of God, and fellowship in the body of Christ, we can not only be a greater blessing to all, but also wage war with the kingdom of darkness more effectively.