Brain Washing

Today marks the 41st anniversary of a powerful event in my life. I had fallen into the trap that many pastors fall into, I had neglected my own personal, edifying Bible study for professional Bible study. And I was pumping out of a dry well as well as being defeated by old sins. God has ordained his word as the means of our cleansing (Ephesians 5:26; John 17:17-18).

On March 19, 1982, I began an aggressive Bible reading plan for my personal, devotional reading, seeking the Lord Jesus and not merely Bible knowledge (John 5:39-40).

Without the word of God, baptism and the Lord's Supper are empty rituals (Ephesians 5:26; John 6:54, 63, 35 ).

God fills us with his Spirit as we are full of his word (Ephesians 5:18; Colossians 3:16). While every Christian has been baptized into the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), we are not always full of the Spirit (Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:9).