The Bible and Life

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Just Keep It Simple

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

JESUS TOLD ME TOLD ME KEEP IT SIMPLE.

Jesus never did give anything complex. Did you ever stop to think about the fact that as Jesus preached to folks when He was on the earth, He talked about sheep, sheepfolds, shepherds, grapes, vineyards, and so forth? He taught so the people could understand Him.

Google commons

You wouldn’t believe it today to hear me preach or teach, but in my early days of ministry, I used big words and theological terms that a lot of people didn’t understand.

I started out as a preacher in another denomination. Then even after I received the baptism in the Holy Ghost and came over into Pentecostal circles, I was cold and stiff in my preaching many times.

My wife said to me once, “I believe you could preach standing in a wash pan.”

You see, I never moved from behind the pulpit when I preached! I just stood there, straight as a string and stiff as a board! I would stand there behind the pulpit, “just so.”

I was trained to preach that way. And I studied big words in preparing my sermons. My wife would never criticize me. She’s only said a couple things to me in my more than sixty years in ministry. And even then, it was what you’d call good criticism, not destructive criticism.

But my wife did say something to me about using big words in my sermons.

She said, “Honey, why do you use all those big words when you preach? Nobody understands them, and you have to take fifteen minutes just to explain what the words mean.”

Google commons

My wife didn’t know it, but the Lord used her, because He’d already been dealing with me about that very thing.

The Lord kept saying to me, “Keep it simple. Keep it simple. Keep it simple.”

You see, when I received the baptism in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost began to talk to me in a more real way.

And one day the Lord through the Spirit said to me, “The people I preached to had very little or no education. The masses of people had no education. And I got right down on the level where they were.”

That’s the reason I started way back in 1939 just trying to say things the simplest way I could say them — the simplest and the plainest way. I endeavored to keep it simple.

Jesus said to me, “I talked in terms the people could understand. I talked about shepherds, sheepfolds, vineyards, grapes, and so forth, so they could understand what I was saying.” Then He repeated to me, “Keep it simple.”

So I began to obey the Spirit of God.

You see, He never did give anybody anything that was so complex that he couldn’t understand. What good would it be for the Lord to give you something if it were complex and you couldn’t understand it? He’d be wasting His time. And you know God is not stupid; He’s not going to waste His time.

- Kenneth E Hagin (The Healing Anointing)

Google commons

Apostolic Church History

Friday, October 30, 2026

The First Trinity

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

Nimrod was married to Semiramis, who gave birth to Tammuz after Nimrod's death, and declared him the reincarnation of Nimrod, forming a "pagan trinity" that spread throughout the ancient world. Nimrod and Semiramis were king and queen of Babylon. Nimrod (Genesis 10:8-9) was the grandson of Shem, who was the son of Noah His father was Ham's son Cush.

Google commons

They ruled together and turned the people away from God. However, Nimrod eventually died and Semiramis, in a desperate attempt to hold unto her throne derived a plan that would ultimately lead to not only retaining the throne but would elevate her to that of goddess.

Semiramis claimed that after Nimrod had died he ascended to the sun and became the sun god himself. She then told the people that her son, Tammuz, was the reincarnation of the sun god, Nimrod. Nimrod, Semiramis, and Tammuz became the first "trinity." Tammuz became the resurrection god who is the "false messiah."

In the Scriptures, Tammuz is a false Mesopotamian god of fertility, vegetation and agriculture, who is condemned in the book of Ezekiel 8:14. The prophet Ezekiel sees women weeping for him, a pagan ritual mourning his descent to the underworld, which is described as a detestable abomination in God's Temple.

Tammuz, an ancient personification of the sun of the springtime, is named as the first of Ishtar's (Easter) lovers; Tammuz is slain by a boar and enters the underworld, to be rescued by Ishtar every spring. Ishtar and Tammuz are closely related figures; both symbolize vegetation- one as the personification of the sun and the other as the personification of mother earth.

Some versions have Semiramis commanding 40 days of mourning and fasting for Tammuz, and even that a wild boar should be killed and eaten after the 40 days as a remembrance of Tammuz. The Catholic season mourning and fasting of Lent is 40 days.

Google commons

In Tammuz worship, which is symbolized by evergreen trees, because Tammuz is the eternal god of vegetation. It is decorated with red balls, which represent his testicles, which brings fertility. he dies every year in the autumn, and is resurrected by his wife Ishtar (Easter) after a 40 days of fasting and mourning. He is resurrected every spring on the Easter holiday.

How has that corrupted Christianity over the centuries?

During the Christmas holiday (winter solace), we erect a evergreen tree, decorated with red balls, among other things. Tammuz is the resurrected god. The counterfeit Messiah. We put nativity scenes at the bottom of the tree. The people knell and bring gifts to baby Jesus, and Jesus is looking up at the tree with his arms in worship. Jesus is looking up the tree, worshipping Tammuz, the fake Messiah. Christmas is all about Tammuz worship.

Tammuz is resurrected by Ishtar on Easter, the fertility gods, symbolized by rabbits and eggs, to bring in a new growing season. But our real Messiah was resurrected on the 14th day of Nisan during Passover, the day the Israelites eat the paschal lamb, because Jesus is the Lamb of God. Tammuz, the false messiah is not resurrected on Easter, Jesus died and was resurrected during the Jewish Passover.

Tuesday, October 27, 2026

Elder Lucy Smith

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

THE WOMAN WHO CARRIED THE PRESENCE OF GOD ; ELDER LUCY SMITH

We hear a lot about Kathryn Kuhlman and Maria Woodworth-Etter whom both I love, but there also was a black woman that God had his hands mightily upon named Elder Lucy!

Google commons

Lucy Turner Smith, also known as Elder Lucy Smith, was the first black woman to build and pastor a megachurch in Chicago, which was named All Nations Pentecostal Church. She saw an estimated “200,000” miracles and healings in her ministry.

Lucy was born on January 14, 1875 in Woodstock, Georgia, and birth named: Lucinda Madden. She was born in a "little one-room log cabin" where she and 5 siblings were raised solely by their mother. She gave her life to the Lord at the age of 12 and began school for the first time in her life at the age of 13. She went on to marry and have nine children, but she was abandoned by her husband and decided to move to Chicago in 1910.

After being in the city a couple of years, Elder Lucy joined a predominantly white Pentecostal church called Stone Church. It was known for its incredible healing services. The most well-known divine healing ministers of the time regularly ministered there: William Seymour, Smith Wigglesworth, John G. Lake, Maria Woodworth Etter.

Google commons

It was in this atmosphere of miracles where she received her personal calling into the divine healing ministry. Lucy began a "one-room prayer meeting" in her own house with only two people. The meeting grew quickly as many flocked in.

The greatest encouragement from Elder Lucy Smith was "just be yourself." She was known to have little regard for grammar, and she never tried to be oratorical. She would at times calmly talk and move around as she preached or ministered, but when she prayed for the sick, all manners of sickness and disease would be healed. WHAT SHE LACKED IN MAN'S EYES, GOD'S POWER GREATLY COMPENSATED!

CREDIT : Jaqualin Pennyman

Google commons

Apostolic Church History

Friday, October 23, 2026

Don't Criticize Others

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

DON'T CRITICIZE OTHERS UNTIL YOU'VE

WALKED ON THE WATER YOURSELF.

Jesus didn’t intend for Peter to sink. Jesus meant for him to be able to walk back to the ship with Him. But don’t criticize Peter until you’ve successfully walked on the water without sinking! Then we’ll accept your criticism. Besides, when you criticize others, it hinders your own faith.

Google commons

In the last church I pastored, we had to raise some money in order to pay the church insurance which came due every three years. Since we only had to pay every three years, it was a large sum to raise in one service in those days.

On Sunday night I explained to the congregation that we needed to raise money for the church insurance. Within about ten minutes all the money we needed was given or pledged.

The next day my wife and I were in town. A cafe there in town was owned by a man who wasn’t saved, but his wife was. She was not a member of our church and neither was he, but they came to our church some on Sunday nights. He always wanted us to eat at his cafe free of charge, and we usually ate there every Monday at noon time.

One of the women in my church worked in that man’s restaurant as a waitress and she came to wait on us. We were alone in the cafe, so she began talking to me and told me that she didn’t like the way I had taken up the offering the night before. She really vented her feelings about it. I didn’t say a word; I just let her talk. All the time she waited on us, she was fussing about that offering.

Google commons

Finally, after we had prayed over the food, I asked her if she was through talking. I told her that we had some more things we were supposed to pay for that week and that on the next Sunday night we were going to raise money again to pay the lumber bill. I told her that she could take up the offering and that if she didn’t get the money, she could pay it out of her own pocket. She said she wouldn’t be there then; she’d just stay home.

So I told her that if she didn’t come to church that Sunday night, I would announce to the congregation why she didn’t come. And if she didn’t come, the next time she did come to church, I would have her stand up and I would make another announcement to the congregation about it.

She asked me if I really meant what I said and I said I did. Then she said that if I would not make her do that, she would never criticize me again as long as she lived. I said I had made up my mind and I wouldn’t change my mind unless the Lord changed my mind.

Google commons

She came on Wednesday night and asked me if she would still have to take up the offering on Sunday night and I told her, "yes." I told her that she should never criticize anyone until she can beat what they can do. She repented and said she couldn’t take up an offering better than I had. On Sunday morning she was there to teach her class and she said she was going to pray that the

Lord would change my mind.

When it was time for the evening service, she was there. I hadn’t really changed my mind, so I explained to the congregation about the offering and why we needed it. Just as I started to say that Sister So-and-so was going to receive the offering, she leapt to her feet and said that she would give the first portion of it.

Immediately people all over the building were pledging; and before I knew it, we already had the needed amount. The next day my wife and I were in the cafe and this woman said that she would never criticize me again. She said that she would keep her mouth shut and she didn’t

care how I took up my offerings.

So don’t criticize old Peter until you’ve walked on the water yourself! Don’t use Peter’s failure to believe as an excuse for you to be able to doubt God. When Peter saw the wind boisterous, the Bible says, he was afraid. Looking at the circumstances caused Peter to begin to sink.

• Kenneth E Hagin // Faith Study Guide

Google commons

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

The Gift Of Healing

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

The Lord showed me while here that I had the gift of healing and of laying on of hands for the recovery of the sick. (Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit...But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

Google commons

For to one is given by the Spirit, to another the gifts of healing. 1 Cor. 12. 4, 7.9.) I had been working day and night for many months and had no strength only as God gave me each meeting. It would be two o’clock often before I would get to sleep. When God began to show me I must preach divine healing I could not understand that it was the Spirit of God leading me. For three nights when I was almost dead for want of rest I lay awake.

God was teaching me a lesson I could not, or would not learn. I said: Lord, you know I started out to win souls for heaven, and I have been busy all the time. I have tried to be faithful in everything you have given me to do. I am so exhausted with constant labour that I have to be helped many times to rise from my bed.

I thought if I would preach divine healing they would bring all the cripples in the country, and I would neglect the salvation of souls. The Lord showed me He would take care of the work. I told the Lord if He wanted me to pray for the sick to send them to the meetings, and show me He wanted me to pray for them, and I would. When I made this promise I had perfect rest of mind and soul. From this time God began to lead me to teach divine healing and pray for the sick. It is now nine years since, and God has healed thousands of all manner of diseases. Thousands have been brought to Christ by seeing the people healed. The devil tried to make me think there would not be nearly so many saved.

- Maria Woodworth-Etter

Apostolic Church History

Friday, October 16, 2026

Faith and Hope

Hello everyone. Praise the Lord!

The Difference Between Faith and Hope by Kenneth Hagin

Google commons

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

— Hebrews 11:1

First, faith is not hope. Too often people are just hoping they will receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit, healing, or an answer to prayer. But it's not hoping that gets the job done; it's believing.

“Now” faith is. If it's not now, it's not faith.

When someone says, "Well, I believe I'll get the Holy Spirit sometime," that's not faith; it's hope.

Hope is always future tense

— pointing to the future— but faith is always now. Faith says, "I'll receive right now. I have it now.”

“What Faith Is”

Kenneth E. Hagin.

Google commons