Pastor Vic's Nuggets of Truth

Free Podcast Downloads How the Holy Spirit Produces Spiritual Boldness in the Believer Boldness in the Christian life is not something we work up; it is something God works in. When the Holy Spirit fills a believer, courage replaces fear, clarity replaces confusion, and obedience replaces hesitation. Jesus says in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Like electricity in a house, power may be available, but unless the switch is turned on, the room remains dark. The Holy Spirit is God’s power within us—boldness flows when we yield to Him. Obedience is the switch that releases the Holy Spirit. You can tell if you are trusting in the Lord or not by asking yourself the following question: Am I trying to be bold in my own strength, or am I relying on the Spirit’s power? Biblical boldness is not loudness, arrogance, or natural confidence. It is supernatural courage produced by the Holy Spirit...

Free Podcast Downloads I want to talk about an important aspect of God’s will for us, and that is the difference between God’s perfect will and His permissive will. However, before we can really understand the difference between God’s perfect will and His permissive will for us, we need to understand the Biblical concept of free-will. In Scripture, free-will refers to the God-given ability of human beings to make real, meaningful choices for which they are morally responsible. Every individual has the ability to make their own choice to either obey wholeheartedly, obey reluctantly, or disobey God.

Free Podcast Downloads One of the most misunderstood words in the Bible is the word “rest.” We are commanded to “enter into the Lord’s rest” but many understand that to mean to refrain from work. While it is important to get physical rest the rest that the Lord wants is a rest for our souls. Many try to replace work with recreation such as sports, hobbies, TV or watching reels on our phones. All of these activities have a place in our lives, but the “rest” the Lord wants is the rest we find in his presence. Jesus wants us to spend time with Him, focused on His healing, purposes and plans for our lives. For most people, life is filled with activity, competing for time that should be spent in communion with God. An important truth is the principle of doing “first things first!” This means doing the most important things first and then everything else will follow.

Free Podcast Downloads In my last post, “190 Are Christians under the Law of Moses,” I said that the Bible teaches that Jesus fulfilled the Law. Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” This means that the Law is now outdated because Jesus completed its purpose. The Law has been replaced by grace, Hebrews 8:13, “In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.” Jesus fulfilled the Law by living in perfect obedience, demonstrating the righteousness no one else could achieve. Through His death, He became the final sacrifice for sin! 2 Corinthians 5:21,” For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Where the Law exposed guilt, Jesus brought grace and truth; John 1:17, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” You might ask what does “Jesus fulfilled the Law” mean? Here is a practical example: suppose you borrow a sum of money and agree to pay a portion each week until it is paid in full. What happens when the debt is paid in full? Do you continue to make payments each week, or do you stop? Of course, you stop when the obligation is finished or fulfilled! In the same way, the Law of the Old Testament has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ, and there is now no obligation for Believers to keep it. The New Covenant of Grace through Jesus Christ has now replaced it.

Free Podcast Downloads In my previous episode, 189 The Better Covenant, I made the point that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the inspired Word of God, literally 'God-breathed' (2 Timothy 3:16). From beginning to end, it reveals God’s redemptive plan and His covenant relationship with humanity. The two Testaments represent two distinct covenants: the Old Covenant given to Israel through Moses, and the New Covenant given through Jesus Christ to all who believe. Understanding how these covenants connect, and how the New is better than the Old is basic to living in the freedom and grace God offers.

Free Podcast Downloads 189 - The Better Covenant As Christians, we understand that the entire Bible, Old Testament and New Testament, is inspired, or “God breathed.” 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” The word “inspiration” literally means “breathed”, in other words, all scripture is “God breathed.” We also know that the two parts of the Bible represent two separate Covenants. The word testament is from the Greek diathēkē, which means covenant. A covenant is an agreement or contract. A theological covenant is an agreement between God and mankind. Therefore, the Bible represents two covenants. The Old Covenant was a covenant between God and the Hebrews, and the New Covenant was a covenant between God and the followers of Jesus, Christians. Every theological covenant has a mediator. The dictionary defines a mediator as one who attempts to bring people involved in a conflict to an agreement, serving as a go-between. In the Old Covenant, Moses was the mediator; that is why the covenant was often called the “Law of Moses.” The New Covenant mediator is Jesus, who gave His life willingly to save us from sin and gave us eternal life with Him in Heaven. Notice that I said, “Jesus gave His Life.” That giving of life is why the New Covenant is called the Covenant of Grace. Back to the dictionary, grace is defined as: “(in Christian belief) the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings.” Put another way, Jesus giving His life for us is the very definition of grace. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Here is the crucial point: you can’t have two mediators! Too many Christians are trying to live under the Law and under Grace. Grace and Law are mutually exclusive, meaning that it must be one or the other; it can’t be both. Look at what the Apostle John said in John 1:17, “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” And then the Apostle Paul in Romans 6:14, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

Free Podcast Downloads God’s desire is to dwell with His people. The basic restoration of God’s plan is eternal, unbroken fellowship with His people. The Bible makes it clear that God longs to dwell with His people; it is not a side note or unimportant issue. From the Garden of Eden in Genesis to the New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation, the Lord continually moves towards us. God’s desire is to be close, to live among us, and to restore what was lost through sin. The Lord uses the word “dwell with.” We need to understand that in modern terms, “dwelling with” means relationship and fellowship. In the beginning of the Bible, we can see that God dwelt with Adam and Eve. They knew the Lord in a personal way; they walked with Him and talked with Him. Even after they sinned and were trying to hide from God, God was there waiting for them to come to Him. Genesis 3:8 “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.” At the end of the Bible, we see the conclusion to the story of redemption and restoration of fellowship. Revelation 21:3, “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.” God Himself will be with them and be their God.”What a beautiful picture of the Tabernacle, God’s dwelling place, being in His people.

Free Podcast Downloads The Relationship Between Character and Anointing in Christianity There is a vital relationship between the character of a Believer and the anointing in the Believer that is often overlooked. It is all too common to focus on either character or anointing, rather than both. This problem in Christianity goes back to the saying, “With the Word (Bible) only, you dry up. With the Spirit (anointing), only you blow up. However, with the Bible and the anointing, you grow up. Growing up to be the person God created you to be in the image of Jesus Christ is our goal as disciples. When Jesus walked the earth, His disciples and followers had the advantage of learning from Him directly. They walked with Him, talked with Him, and lived with Him. Jesus knew that He would be leaving His followers and that they would scatter without Him. Jesus made it very clear that the Father would not leave us as orphans when Jesus was gone, but that He would give us a “Helper,” the Holy Spirit, to guide us into becoming disciples of His. The early followers of Jesus had Jesus to help them grow mature; today, we have the Holy Spirit of God to help us grow into mature Christians.

Free Podcast Downloads Interdependence of the Holy Spirit and the Bible The Bible provides the unchanging truth of God’s revelation, while the Holy Spirit brings that truth to life. It is possible to read Scripture without spiritual understanding—many scholars have dissected the Bible as mere literature without encountering the Author. This is why Paul writes, “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God... because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). Conversely, if we rely solely on spiritual impressions without anchoring them in Scripture, we risk drifting into subjective experience and doctrinal error. The Holy Spirit never contradicts the Word—He illuminates it. Jesus declared, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit... will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (John 14:26). What He teaches always aligns with what God has already spoken. This is captured in the wise saying: “The Bible alone—you dry up. The Spirit alone—you blow up. Both the Bible and the Holy Spirit together—you grow up.”

Free Podcast Downloads The Bible and the Holy Spirit: Maturity! In recent months, I have focused on the work of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life. However, I want to make sure there is no doubt that we need both the Holy Spirit and the Bible. Without the Bible, we can easily fall into error. Remember, Satan is a deceiver, as the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:14, “And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” So, how do we know what is from God and what is from the enemy of our soul, or just wrong thinking? The Bible is the standard of truth for life and godliness.

Free Podcast Downloads I am sure that all of us have faced the age-old question of, “Why is it so hard to obey God?” The truth of the matter is that we cannot consistently obey the Lord in our own strength and discipline alone. We need help, we need power! That is why Jesus ascended to the Father, so that the Father would send the Holy Spirit to us as the “Helper” John 14:15-18, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

Free Podcast Downloads When's the Stuff Going to Happen? Many people believe they need to become better people before they can get close to Jesus. However, the truth is, if you draw closer to Jesus, He will make you a better person. The Lord doesn’t want to put you into a mold and make you look like a Christian. The Lord wants to change you from the inside out to make you a Christian. This process is called transformation. Look at Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” The Lord’s perfect will is that you become like Jesus and that in life’s situations, you would do what Jesus would do. Jesus empowered us, through the Holy Spirit, to do the following in Mark 16:15-18, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Free Podcast Downloads As Christians, we commonly use the word salvation to mean being “born again.” We talk about being saved or not saved, but what does that really mean? In its most straightforward understanding, it means that by putting our faith or our trust in Jesus Christ, we are saved. Our faith is in Jesus alone, and as a result of that faith, we believe that His crucifixion, death, and resurrection purchased something that we could never obtain on our own. We believe that faith in Jesus has caused the following: our sins to be forgiven, a restored relationship with God the Father, His Holy Spirit to come live in us and that we will have eternal life with God in Heaven! If the above is what you believe, then you are absolutely correct; however, there is more! These facts of being forgiven, in a proper relationship with the Father, and knowing you have eternal life are the beginning of understanding what being “born-again” means. As the term born again implies, you have been spiritually reborn, and this rebirth not only changes your spirit, but it also changes your soul and body.

Free Podcast Downloads Mustard Seed Faith: A Journey of Transformation The writer of the book of Hebrews makes it abundantly clear that it is impossible to please God without faith! The writer says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6). It is wonderful that all we need is the smallest measure of faith to start our faith walk, and Romans 12:3 tells us that the Lord graciously gives us that seed of faith. Like any seed, the destiny of that seed is to grow.

Free Podcast Downloads Faith Is Required To Believe What God Says About You. Walking by faith means trusting God completely, even when we don’t understand everything. Faith helps us live the way God wants us to. It gives us the strength to do what’s right, even when it’s hard. This message explains how faith makes us right with God, how it helps us live holy lives, and how it changes us to become better people.

Free Podcast Downloads One of the challenges of becoming an “overcoming” Christian and of success in general is to recognize that there is more to the process of becoming successful than wishing and wanting. We all want the love, peace, and joy of success, but are we willing to pay the price? You will find all kinds of motivational slogans and clichés about reaching your dreams or reaching your potential on social media, advertising, books, magazines, TV, and movies. However, all the slogans and clichés will not replace two things: making the right decision and committing to follow through!

Free Podcast Downloads As a Christian, it is important to know who you are! Today, there seems to be such an effort in the world to put everyone into a group or category. This suggests a real identity crisis in our cultures, societies, and countries. The Bible makes it very clear who we are: we are citizens of Heaven, Philippians 3:20 (NKJV) tells us. "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Free Podcast Downloads How to be led by the Holy Spirit of God is of utmost importance. It represents the difference between working for the Lord or working with the Lord! While working for the Lord may be a sincere effort to please the Lord, it is often a work the Lord has not asked us to do. Here is an important point: if the Lord is not in it, it usually isn't worth doing. A lot of frustration and disappointment comes from trying to do God's work without God! This reminds me of Moses when he said to the Lord, “If you don't go with me, I won't go!” Exodus 33:14-16 (NKJV): “And He [God] said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." Then he (Moses) said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us?” The difference between doing a good work and a God work is one letter “o”, but that difference makes all the difference in the world!

Free Podcast Downloads A friend of mine asked this question about God. “When I pray, who do I pray to, God the Father, Jesus or the Holy Spirit? This is really a good question and maybe something you have wondered about as well. Let me try to explain this question first from how I approach the triune nature of our God and also from a scriptural perspective.

Free Podcast Downloads 1 Corinthians 12 is the apostle Paul's exhortation to recognize the spiritual gifts available to every believer who acknowledges the presence of the Holy Spirit in them. I quote Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:1 (NKJV), “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant.” Paul was chastising the Corinthian Christians for abandoning the work of the Holy Spirit in their personal lives and in church life. It is not enough to know the basic truths of the Bible; knowledge should lead to understanding, and then the ultimate fruit of understanding is wisdom. Wisdom is the proper application of truth. In other words, we are called to be “doers” of the Word.