Show What You Know: Mind, Mouth, Motive, Fast

By Jill L. Deville

I pray this book activates God’s Word in you, giving you wisdom and understanding in a way that is clear with love. I pray that as you read it, you reflect on what you have learned in the reading of this book and decide today how to apply God’s Word in your life. You will learn how not to focus on time, attendance, laws, or works but how to focus on what Jesus would do and truly did do for you. You will learn a lot about what’s next after repentance. You will be intrigued to seek God’s Word eagerly, wanting to know more and finally understanding how much Jesus loves, protects, and provides for you. You will learn how to show what you know!

Look for Show What You Know on Facebook. “Like” us to stay connected and share with the world what this book has taught you and feel free to ask for more guidance in God’s Word. Pray with us and for us. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing the new creation in Christ in you!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638147718

Book preview

Chapter 1

Where Do I Begin?

Romans 10:9–10 (NIV) If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

Salvation

First we must ask the Lord to come into our lives to be our Lord and Savior, repenting for our sins, and then we become a Christian. To repent means to turn away from, to declare, I cannot do this on my own, Lord, asking God to forgive me and change me. Understanding He died for our sins and rose from the dead. God only ask us to come as we are, do not wait to fix you, then go to God. You just need the desire, and He will take it from there.

Have you ever noticed a baby when they are first starting to find their tongue, hand, feet, thoughts? It is like they are trapped in their own bodies. You can only imagine they are filled with so many thoughts that their little body just trembles, and you begin to wonder, do they feel trapped, excited, scared, and joyful? What are they thinking? Are they like, Come on, arm, do this, Come on, tongue, say this. It sure appears that way when watching them, right?

As baby Christians, we start there too. What do I say? Where do I go? How will I get there? Who is this crazy person smiling in my face with so much joy? Do I look silly or have something in my nose? Why is this person jumping around? What is this person crying about? I want to have that joy; I want to have that peace.

It is so eye-opening how, with each time in our lives when we start over, we literally have to start over! So now that you are saved, now what?

Matthew 3:11 I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Therefore, first we are saved, then baptism by water and Holy Spirit and fire. Right about now, you’re probably thinking, what is all this about? That is a great thing; I am ready to tell you.

Baptism by Water

Baptism of water, what do you feel it symbolizes? Being baptized by water is to symbolize going under as the old person, and Jesus washing you white as snow, to come up as a new creation in Christ. The old has gone, and the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Imagine going into the water as you are, then coming out washed clean, with a new beginning. The importance of this is in obedience of God. Even Jesus was baptized, and He had no sin; however He had to fulfill His righteousness. You see, it is very important to understand, Jesus came and died for us; however, Jesus also came and lived for us.

Matthew 3:15 (NIV) Jesus replied, Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness. Then John consented.

Baptism by Holy Spirit

How do you think you are baptized by the Holy Spirit?

Let’s check out Luke 11:13, "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

You heard it right, you simply ask. Whether you ask the Lord to fill you with the Holy Spirit in private, or you ask in agreement in prayer. That is all it takes! Your faith, knowing that if you ask, believe, then you will receive!!

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Some argue when you are baptized by water, and saved, that you are then automatically baptized by the Holy Spirit as well. They are not wrong to think that. I will show you why in scripture.

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:5 For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

So you may be thinking, Wow, which is it? It is all. You see the truth is, it is different for each of us individually. For Jesus, it was at the time of baptism by water; as shown in Acts, it was days after. In my studies, I have learned that if you are a mature Christian in Christ and taught about the baptism of water, Holy Spirit, and fire, then yes, it could happen all at once, with or without asking. However, let’s be honest, not all are taught this, and for that reason, it comes later when you have been saved, baptized, and looking for more information in the Bible and books like these that go deeper. Maybe you missed a Sunday when it was being taught about, or you simply go when it is convenient for you, maybe your teacher, preacher, pastor does not teach on this. No matter what, what they do is what they do, and what you do is what you do. We all are accountable. We can never ever say, I thought, they said, I am confused. We have outlets to know and find out. We must learn to be accountable.

Baptism by Fire

You may be thinking, fire? I do not want to go nowhere near fire, and I am doing this to stay out of hell. What is this about?

These I like to call sandpaper. Imagine yourself as the rough wood. Just cut and sent out for a new job. Then here come the trials and temptations! So why does God allow them if I am now saved? Isn’t His promises mine, and now I am protected, adored, loved, provided for, healed, vindicated, set free? Yes, however, those things are activated with faith. Sure you can be saved, baptized, and have a glorious life with no temptations or trials, if that is the level of faith you have on day one. However, chances are you do not have that level of faith on day one, but you will in Jesus’s name,