His Kindgom Now

Why House Church?

2012-01-12T18:39:00.000-05:00

P.S. Please note that the author says, "There is nothing wrong with meeting in a barn, a field, a cave, in a church building, or in a synagogue. The Lord is looking on the heart. But if we are encouraging a system that is stifling the life of the church by heavy-handed leadership and a deadening clergy-laity caste system, we will not have the fruit we are seeking."

What is a House Church?

The characteristics listed below are those of the church for the first 250 years of church history. When the church moved away from simplicity, it also moved away from much of its power and flexibility in evangelizing and discipling the nations. These are also the characteristics of house churches springing up all over the world today.

A HOUSE CHURCH IS A SIMPLE CHURCH

No frills. No ceremony. No rituals. No symbolism. It is simply a time for the people of God to come together with Jesus in the midst. They talk. They sing. They pray. They eat a meal together. They take the holy communion together and study the Bible. They share what God is doing in their lives. They intercede for people and for all kinds of needs all over the world. They minister one to another through the gifts God has given each one. They love one another and seek to encourage and build each other up in their faith.

A HOUSE CHURCH MEETS IN A HOUSE

It’s an easy place to have church. There are no mysterious emblems to explain. It is not a religious setting. No one feels uncomfortable about doing something unreligious. People feel at home, and just relax. Church starts the minute the first two or three people arrive because church is people and not program. Where born-again believers gather, there is a church. They are the “church gathered.” When they all leave, they are the “church scattered.” They come together to be strengthened. They go out to touch the world as salt, light, and leaven in the power of the Holy Spirit. They go everywhere preaching the gospel through words and deeds to those who do not know Jesus. They are fulfilling the Great Commission, which I’ll paraphrase this way: “As you are going, here, there, and everywhere, preach the gospel at all times, wherever you happen to be…NOW!”

A HOUSE CHURCH IS A CENTER OF EVANGELISM

It is easier to get an unsaved person to visit a meeting in someone’s house than it is to get him to go to a sanctuary. The plan is to put a little church in walking distance of every person in every neighborhood. This is one of the reasons the church of the first century “turned the world upside down.”

A HOUSE CHURCH MAKES DISCIPLESHIP EASIER

It is good to knock on doors and lead people to Jesus. It is good to lead them to the Lord on the streets, in the parks, in huge stadiums, over the phone, or in casual conversation. But when we lead him to the Lord right in the place where he will be discipled, a church in a house, we have a distinct advantage. He has already been introduced to the church. He can be baptized right on the spot and led gently into a deeper walk with Jesus by the people who led him to receive Christ. The task of getting him into a church is already done.

A HOUSE CHURCH RELATES TO THE ENTIRE BODY OF CHRIST

The only name that is worthy of lifting up is the name of Jesus. We don’t need to think up a good name for our church. It is not our church. It is Jesus’ church. It is “the church that meets at someone’s house.” Everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to his church. Everything that Jesus is doing in our city is ours. We all have some responsibility toward it even if it is just to pray. We are one body. We are born into unity and we are to maintain that unity by receiving all the saints without regard to where they live or what group they attend. We all belong to each other.

A HOUSE CHURCH IS MOVABLE

We do not have to meet at the same house every week. It is not the building that holds us together. It is relationships that bond us together. We are flexible. We can meet anywhere. In this way we are exposing ourselves to more people in more places.

A HOUSE CHURCH IS SMALL

Big is not always better. Big, however, is what we want. But we can get bigger faster by multiplying than we can by adding. A house church builds the big citywide church by dividing and multiplying. We will have large gatherings from time to time, but our basic church is still small. When more than twenty or thirty people attend consistently, it is time to “have a baby.”

A HOUSE CHURCH IS “THE CHURCH”

We read of the church on four different levels in the New Testament. “The church” in the world (Colossians 1:24), “The church” in the country (Acts 9:31), “The church” in the city (2 Corinthians 1:1), and “The church” in the house (Colossians 4:15). The church in the house is a microcosm of the church in the city, in the country, and in the world. It is just as much the church as the church in the city, or in the country, or in the world. It contains all the essential elements and ingredients of church. The word microcosm simply means “little world” or “a universe in miniature.” The church in the house is church in the fullest sense of the word. That is how the apostle Paul saw his work in the first century. On his first missionary journey he left a little group of disciples in four different cities: Antioch, Iconium, Derby, and Lystra. He referred to each little group as the church in that city.

A HOUSE CHURCH IS NEW TESTAMENT PRACTICE

I did not say “New Testament Pattern” for I am not sure God left us a “pattern” to be followed as to how to conduct church. The true New Testament pattern is to pray, hear from God, and obey what he tells us. If he tells you to build a gigantic cathedral GO FOR IT! You will be blessed and so will the entire Body of Christ. The dynamic power of the early church was just that. They were not trying to follow a “pattern” that they read about somewhere. They were following the leading of the Holy Spirit on a day to day basis. Success followed. It is still safe to do the same in our day. Many churches have tried to find the formula for growth that Pastor Cho of Seoul, Korea found and built the largest church in the world. He gave it in six simple words: “I just pray and I obey.” There is nothing wrong with meeting in a barn, a field, a cave, in a church building, or in a synagogue. The Lord is looking on the heart. But if we are encouraging a system that is stifling the life of the church by heavy-handed leadership and a deadening clergy-laity caste system, we will not have the fruit we are seeking.

HOUSE CHURCHES ARE EASY TO START

We will not find a simpler method of planting new churches. And we are using church planting as a means of evangelism, discipleship, and missions. It has been proven in the Church Growth Movement that the best method of evangelism is planting lots of churches. The best way to make disciples is also to start lots of new churches. When people gather in small, informal groups, discipleship takes place almost without a conscious effort.

HOUSE CHURCHES CAN START BEFORE THE CHURCH PLANTER ARRIVES

This happened in Antioch as well as in Samaria. Also in the tenth chapter of Acts, we see that Cornelius was instrumental in starting a house church without even knowing what he was doing. This is happening in China and in many other places in our day. This does not rule out the work of apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers. We are talking about starting churches, not the ongoing success of these churches. We will need the ministry of anointed leaders appointed by the Lord if these churches are to succeed. These are some of the characteristics of house churches: Every house church will have its own personality. No two meetings will be alike. It is the Spirit of Jesus who guides us in all our gatherings. He brings all the excitement of his presence into each meeting by using anyone he chooses to minister.

Fitts, Robert; Carrier, Marc (2011-09-10). Kingdom Expansion Series (p. 79). Kindle Edition.

Fitts, Robert; Carrier, Marc (2011-09-10). Kingdom Expansion Series (pp. 78-79). Kindle Edition.

Fitts, Robert; Carrier, Marc (2011-09-10). Kingdom Expansion Series (pp. 77-78). Kindle Edition.

What is the Kingdom?

2011-11-12T07:40:00.009-05:00

Part 1

Part 2

Post-Constantine "Christendom"

2011-11-12T06:20:00.002-05:00

By the end of the century (4th), the emperor Theodosus finalized the conquest of Christianity, making the faith of the Christians the only legal religion in the empire. Within one century, the Christian church had moved from the status of a minority, persecuted sect to that of the only legally sanctioned religion in the Roman Empire. Indeed, as some historians tell the story, Christianity had "triumphed" over its enemies. The Christian church had arrived, or so it appeared. Thus arose "Christendom" - an alliance between church and empire.

On the other hand, other historians and theologians recount these events as the "fall of the church." This type of story telling is perhaps too naive, simplistic, or sweepingly judgemental - surely there is much to be learned from post-Constantine Christians. Nonetheless, one finds in "Christendom" particular ways of thinking about Jesus that obscure (if not set aside) his teaching. In other words, some serious consequences came in the wake of the "triumph of Christianity." Painting in too-broad strokes, one might characterize some of these consequences this way:

"Christianity" increasingly loses the biblical emphasis upon discipleship and replaces it with an emphasis upon religious ritual.
"Church," rather than denoting the New Testament concept of a community of disciples living as the "body of Christ," begins to connote a hierarchy that protects "orthodoxy."
"Salvation," instead of being construed as the gift of a transformed, abundant life in the now-present kingdom of God, begins to be equated with an otherwordly reward. More crassly put, "salvation" is increasingly viewed as a fire-insurance policy, a "Get Out of Hell Free Card" guaranteeing an escape from the fires of torment and ensuring the receipt of treasures in heaven.

In Christendom, the "whole world" may be dubbed "Christian," and yet it is un-Christlike.

We in the Western world are long removed from those days of governmentally established Christianity, living in the day of "separation of church and state." Nonetheless, such habits of thought remain.

by Lee C. Camp in 'Mere Discipleship - Radical Christianity In A Rebellious World'

I Can Only Imagine!!

2011-11-04T20:22:00.002-04:00

I was just reminiscing the other day about how heavenly real estate, mansions, jewels, precious stones and crowns are offered as enticements for people to live holy. Now ofcourse, I know that people can point scripture verses to me for all the above mentioned things. But as mentioned in my previous post "The Missing Ingredient", fear and/or rewards shouldn't be our motivating factors to "live holy", rather, it should be love - a loving intimate relationship with Jesus born out of a revelation of how much He loves us.

When we see the love of our lives, Jesus, face to face, I wonder if any precious stone, crown or mansion would really matter. What could be more precious, lovely and awesome than the person of Jesus? Me thinks that we would lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus, because to Him belongs all the glory, honor and power. He alone is worthy to receive all praise. How can I hold on to that crown??

There are 2 songs that come to mind now:

and

The Missing Ingredient!

2011-08-21T19:09:00.002-04:00

I was reminiscing the other Sunday, with the brethren, about my quest for holy living for almost my entire life. I grew up listening to the constant drum beat of "be ye holy, for I am holy" and "holiness without which no man shall see God." (Let me stop here and say emphatically that I am all for holy living). The carrot that was offered was "heaven" and the stick was "missing the rapture", "the great tribulation" and eventually "the lake of fire." I tried very hard to follow all the rules and commandments, made the best effort to keep every sin, intentional and unintentional, confessed. But the goal post always seemed to be elusive and the standard unreachable. Even though I put on a "holy" face, I knew in my heart that it was such a big burden to obey all the laws and commandments and keep every single sin of thought, word and deed confessed and I wasn't doing a good job at it. I tried to compare myself with others and console myself that I wasn't a big sinner as some others were. But my Christian life was like running on a treadmill, running hard but getting nowhere and honestly I was getting frustrated.

But thanks be to the Lord, that He opened my eyes to see that I could "never" live this holy life by my efforts. He also gave me a glimpse of how much He loved me and how much I was forgiven - not because I was a "good" Christian or was good at keeping my sins confessed, but rather while I was yet a sinner, He loved me and died for me. He saw me in my most wretched condition and yet He chose me. Now the words of Jesus, "but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little" made sense to me. This revelation of how much I was forgiven and loved by Him caused me to fall in love with Him as never before. What was the result of this love relationship? - I started living holier "accidentally" and "effortlessly" than I ever did by my efforts, trying to escape hell. No wonder Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." I found out experientally that "love fulfills the law ."

Moreover, I found out that I was already holy, not by my holy living, but because He had washed me and made me holy and the Holy One had taken up residence in me. Now, the exhortations in the New Testament for holy living started making sense to me - "you are in light, so walk as children of light" and "walk worthy of your calling." In other words, live out who you are. You are holy, therefore live holy. All my life I was trying to put the cart before the horse. I was trying to live holy to "become" holy, not knowing that holy living was to be a fruit of my being holy. Not only that I was trying to do it in my strength, not knowing that the only Person (Jesus) who could live holy was now living in me.

Dear one, can you see the subtle difference between living under the drudgery of legalistic religion and living in true holiness? It is a simple yet subtle difference of either being on the treadmill of "becoming" holy by holy living or living holy because you are already holy. It is so simple that it is very easy to miss it, but if you get it, it will change your walk with the Lord forever.

So what was the missing ingredient in my quest for holy living? T'was Love! Say "Yes" to love and "No" to fear, because fear has torment, but perfect love casts out fear!!

Some benefits of Organic Church Life

2011-08-14T17:25:00.007-04:00

We met with the brethren today and had a wonderful time sharing Christ with each other. One of the things that we are experiencing and realizing more of is the benefits of meeting organically under the Headship of Christ.

Each person has the freedom to express Christ creatively in their own way. One such form of creative expression is through writing new Christocentric songs or adding new verses to or modifying existing songs.

Since Christ is a multi-membered Person, He is expressed fully when every member functions by sharing and participating as opposed to one-man preaching a sermon. It is akin to how a person is not made up of just one part of the body, but all the parts of the body together.

Overfunctioning or underfunctioning of certain members of the body leads to atrophy or weakness in the underfunctioning members and abnormal growth in the overfunctioning members thereby affecting the overall well-being of the body.

Since Christ speaks through different members, the chances of erring in doctrine or teaching is minimized drastically as opposed to a large institution or sect where doctrines are handed down by a few elite people or a person. Even if there is a chance of error in an organic church it is confined locally to the group and not widespread as in the case of denominations, sects or institutions where huge masses of people could possibly be led into error.

Most of the New Testament exhortations of "one-anothering" like bearing one-another's burdens, edifying one another, loving one another etc can be lived out in a small community of believers.

Since there is no room to hide in an organic church, you are exposed and very vulnerable. You can't but share your life with your brethren and therefore open up yourself to the possibility of getting offended or offending others. It is here where the instrument of the cross can be allowed to work in your life to conform you to the image of Jesus. It is here where your flesh gets exposed and you learn to put it off and put on Christ and live by His life. You see the fruit of the Spirit - patience, kindness, gentleness, self-control, love and other virtues develop in you by the Spirit. In short, this is the natural habitat for the believer where one grows and matures into the fullness and stature of Christ. This rarely happens without living in the community of brothers and sisters.

In short, you see DNA of the Trinity in the local church (ekklesia), since she came out of Jesus' side and lives by His life. You see the fellowship, mutual love, submission, sharing of life, laying down of life between the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, manifest in the local ekklesia.

Tower of Babel (TOB) vs City of New Jerusalem (CONJ)

2011-08-10T12:41:00.001-04:00

1. TOB built by 'dead' bricks, CONJ built by 'living' stones.

2. Bricks - man's handiwork, Living stones - God's handiwork.

3. TOB - man's effort to reach heaven, CONJ - result of God reaching out to man.

4. TOB - man made religious organizations/institutions, CONJ - the ekklesia of Christ

5. TOB - dwelling place of man, CONJ - dwelling place of God.

6. TOB - anthropocentric, CONJ - Christocentric

7. TOB - mystery of iniquity, CONJ - mystery of Godliness

8. TOB - Babylonion system (worldly system), CONJ - Heavenly system

9. TOB - wordly kingdoms, CONJ - heavenly kingdom.

10. TOB - legalism, CONJ - Grace.

11. TOB - headed, controlled and led by man through heirarchical authority, CONJ - headed by Christ alone through every member of His body functioning.

12. TOB - community disintigerated, CONJ - community formed.

13. TOB - Division, CONJ - Oneness/Unity.

Born to be wild

2011-08-04T22:59:00.005-04:00

So, we went to a wild life safari recently and the animals in captivity reminded me of the message shared by Milt Rodriguez at Threshold 2011. It was pathetic to see these animals living in an artificial habitat, lying around motionless, not hunting or being the wild animals that they are supposed to be - a case of lost or mistaken identity as a result of being in captivity. They wait for the humans to bring their food. At one point when the elephants saw the white striped truck approaching them, they ran towards it knowing that they were going to be fed. The elephants munched on the "pre-packaged, processed food" that the humans threw at them. Humans have tried their best to create a habitat for these animals, but everything smells of human there, nothing like the wild. The lions that are supposed to live in a group called a 'pride', now live in isolation. They perhaps have lost their natural instincts and forgot the smell of a live prey. They have forgotten what it is like to go on a prowl, crouch upon the prey and make a kill, and bring back the meat to be shared with the pride. Since they do not have to run after the prey, their muscles have probably atrophied. Since they get "ready made" food, they probably, have become lazy. Folks, they were born to be wild.

My story, as a christian, when I was in captivity, is similar to the story of these lions. I was in the institutional church setting, pretty domesticated. Little did I know that I belonged to the 'pride' of the Lion of Judah (although I had head-knowledge of it). I did not have to hunt for my 'food' - Jesus, since I was expecting to be 'fed' every Sunday morning. I got 'processed and prepared food' thrown into my mouth, with no effort required on my part. Since I didn't have to move a finger to get my food, I became quite lazy and my muscles atrophied. I began losing my spiritual instincts and started forgetting and losing my identity. I had been tamed, domesticated and institutionalized. As a lion, I was supposed to be living in a pride or a community of believers, but I found myself living a solitary Christian life. The only contact I had with the kind of my own was for a few minutes before and after the 'service' which was limited to handshakes. After that I was on my own. I did not know how to find my food and share it (share Christ) with my pride, since there was no pride at all. I did not see how I could do the 50 or more "one anothering" in the New Testament, like carry "one another's" burden in this artificial environment. I thought I was living in the right habitat, but little did I realize that it did not smell like the wild, but it smelled of 'humans', the work of man's hands. Little did I realize that little by little I was being stripped of my identity as a 'royal priest' and my spiritual instincts being suppressed.

But thank God, He opened my eyes to see that I was 'born to be wild'(singing 'born to wild - steppenwolf now). I was to live in the wild, my Canaan land, a land where there is abundance of food, my inheritance - Jesus Christ. I was to live in my natural habitat, the ekklesia, hunting down my food -Jesus Christ and sharing it with my brethren in the ekkesia. I was to live a shared life with my brethren, in the same pattern of sharing that goes one between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the Trinity - a life of shared love, life, fellowship, communion, relationship. Since then my muscles are slowing gaining strength. I'm honing my hunting skills with my brethren. Our 'pride' needs help to be rehabilitated in the wild fully. I pray that the Lord will bring 'special lion handlers', the apostolic workers, to do just that.

P.S. Milt Rodriguez is an apostolic worker, who co-labors with Frank Viola, Jon Zens and Alan Levine.

What is God doing these days? (He who has an ear, let Him hear)

2011-07-18T15:10:00.011-04:00

Well, some may say that God is sending a revival here or there. Others may say He is saving souls, yet others may say He is doing miraculous things or blessing people spiritually, financially and materially. Others may say that He is delivering people from the bondage of legalism and sweeping the earth with a revolution of grace! And all that is true! But why is He doing all these things? Are these things the 'end' or just a means to the 'end'? Does God have an overarching Purpose, an Ultimate Purpose, towards which He is working all these 'things' together? If God does have such a Purpose in His mind, it would only make sense to find out what this 'Ultimate Purpose' of His is, and what is our part, if any, in the fulfillment of that Purpose. If this Ultimate Purpose of God is like the bulls-eye on the target, is our Christian walk or gracewalk going towards that target or are we like a ship adrift in the vast ocean?

In the past, I personally, while reading the N.T especially the letters to Ephesians, Colossians and Romans, have overlooked, the passages where Paul talks about the 'Purpose' of God, Him working everything according to the counsel of His 'Will', His 'Intent'. He calls it specifically the 'Eternal' purpose of God, which was hid throughout the ages, but has now been made know to us by the Spirit through the apostles. If it is 'Eternal' that must means that God has had this Purpose or Intention in His heart even before there was anything, before the beginning of time, before He said 'Let there be..", before the foundations of this earth was laid. In fact, creation itself happened towards the fulfillment of this 'Ultimate' Purpose, Intention or Will. Some may say that His Ultimate Purpose is to save people from their sins. But He did not create Adam and Eve in need of salvation. So what is it that caused Him to create Adam and Eve in the first place. So this 'Purpose' must be something beyond the 'salvation' of lost souls.

Well, we can get a glimpse of what was in God's heart in reading the creation account in Genesis 1 and 2. Man had not sinned yet in these chapters. There are 4 aspects to this eternal plan or Purpose.

1. God is a 'community' of 3 persons, yet they are One. God is Love. God is a passionate lover, yet if love is not shared or received, there is not much of an expression of love. Of course there was mutual love and fellowship and sharing within the Trinity. Yet God being love, had to pour out this love on something or someone apart from the Trinity. God wanted to expand His fellowship (community) and include man in this circle of passionate love between the Father and Son through the Spirit. More specifically, the Father wanted a 'bride' for His Son on whom the Son would lavishly pour out His love.

2. We also see that God wanted to expand His family, or more specifically, the Father wanted, not just one Son, but many sons and daughters. He told man to be fruitful and multiply.

3. Sarting from Genesis to Revelation, we also see that God then wants to live and fellowship (have community) with man on 'Earth', not in heaven. We see Him coming to commune with Adam in the cool of the day in the garden. The garden was the first dwelling place of the Lord on this earth. Throughout the Bible, He is seen as someone who is seeking for a place to dwell. Now you know, why David was a man after God's own heart, because he wanted to build a house for God.

4. God also wanted this earth to be filled with His image. Now, as we know, God is a corporate God (three persons) and He wanted a corporate image of Himself on this earth. Because of the fall, we see it as an individual thing. It only makes sense that God wants a community of people to bear His image since He himself is a community. The first man Adam and his race failed in this mission. The new man Jesus is the express image of God. God wants His image to fill this earth, more specifically, Jesus to fill this earth.

Later on we see that man sinned and it seems that the enemy may have thwarted God's Eternal Purpose. But not so!! God is still working out this Grand Purpose of His on this earth. How so? Through Jesus Christ who is at the Center of His Purpose! 1)He is still pursuing His bride (think corporately). 2. He is still increasing His family through His Son Jesus 3. He is still building His dwelling place with living stones built "together" (think community) upon the foundation (Jesus). 4. He is still enlarging and spreading His image on this earth through His Son Jesus!

Who is this bride - She is the church, the most beautiful woman on this earth.
Who is His family - Sons and daughters, who call Him Abba Father - The church
What is the dwelling or habitation of God - The church (think corporately, rather that individually)
Who is the image of God on this earth - The church, who is the fullness of the Son.

Saints, this is what God is after. This is what He had in his heart from the dateless past. This is His eternal Purpose. The church is His passion, His beautiful bride, His dwelling place, His family and His image on this earth.

He wants His church to bear His image in every city on this planet. How is this done? By local expressions of His church, a close knit "community" of people who live by His life, fellowship with each other, share His life with each other, share their lives with each other, love each other thus expressing the corporate image of shared life, love, fellowship and community in the Godhead. "Everyone will know that you are my disciples because of your love for each other", said Jesus. How will the world know this without a local expression of His community? - A local community, where saints let go of 'individualism' (not individuality) and live like the family of God (not just in theory), sharing lives, love and more importantly His life. A community where people meet, solely under the Headship of Christ, where Christ is allowed to take His rightful place of King and Head of the church, where He leads the meeting through the Spirit, and not a meeting based on programs, rituals and liturgy. A meeting where every member is free to function in their priestly role, thus making Christ visible through every member of the body functioning and not just one person or a few people functioning, while the rest are merely spectators in the pews. Saints, Christ is looking for a home (habitation) among us! Are we as 'living' stones, being built up "together" with the other living stones, or is our interaction with them limited to a hand shake at the end of the meeting?

God is passionate about His purpose? This is what He is doing today - working out His Eternal Purpose, and He has been doing it since the beginning. Of course, He will bring it to completion at the end. Today, He gives us an opportunity to be part of this 'Grand Purpose'! The question we need to ask is, is His Ultimate purpose our purpose, is His vision our vision? Are we living our 'individual' Christian lives as lone rangers or are we being built up together with other local believers to be a habitation for Him, a local expression of His Body, His image, His family and His beautiful bride!!

P.S. For those who want to explore more about the 'Eternal Purpose', here are two awesome resources:
1. Audio mp3 :The Eternal Purpose of God
3. Book : From Eternity to Here: Rediscovering the Ageless Purpose of God

Tidal Wave

2011-06-01T10:23:00.000-04:00

Tidal Wave from simplechurch.com on Vimeo.

Starfish-type multiplication of organic/simple house churches, regional apostolic networks and a return to Kingdom economics.

2011-05-23T16:18:00.001-04:00

But I have a few things against you... Rev 2:14

2011-02-17T18:48:00.002-05:00

This post is not meant to be critical of any individual/individuals/church/churches, but an observation of the system in general.

The church of Jesus Christ is a living, breathing organism. The very life of Jesus is the source of "her" life. When left untainted by human tinkering, her DNA will give expression to the most beautiful woman the world has ever seen - the bride of Christ. Unfortunately, the traditions and doctrines of men have altered her DNA to such an extent that her growth and appearance have been stymied and distorted.

Some of the factors which contribute to this situation are:

1. A seperation of sacred vs secular life for a Christian. For a christian every day, every minute, every second is sacred. He is living in union with Christ every moment of his life. So wherever he goes, Christ goes with him. That means his workplace, school, market place is sacred and they become his mission field.

2. A seperation of clergy vs laity. According to the N.T. every christian is a king and a priest. The old system of priests, temples and sacrifices has been fulfilled and done away in Jesus Christ. Of course there are apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. But they are not "positions" like in an organization such as GE or Microsoft. These are gifts that Christ has given to His church for the equipping of the saints. Neither are they "titles" like in a secular organization, but more like a "function" that these people fulfill within the body of Christ. Seperation of clergy and laity, renders the laity as non-functioning or rarely functioning members of His body, sitting in a pew, passively listening to a sermon and going out and living their individual lives thereafter.

3. The church is viewed as a place we go on Sundays to "worship". Worship is not a 45min to 1 hour thing we do on Sunday mornings. Worship is an attitude of the heart which is born out of love for our bridegroom. It includes, but is not limited to a few songs, sung along with an orchestra played by professionals. Jesus told the samaritan woman at the well, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem..Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks". We don't limit our worship when we go to this place or that mountain or the building we call "church".

4. Jesus also said that by your love for one another they shall know that you are my disciples. To say the least, the body of Christ has been sliced, diced, butchered and cut into innumerable pieces constituting denominations and sects. Sunday morning is the time when this division is most visible. Some say they are of Paul, some say they are of Apollos, some say they are of Christ, some of Wesley, some of Luther, some baptists, some pentecostals, some anglican, some reformed. When the church was born after the resurrection of Jesus, the churches were simply known by the city they were in for ex. church in Corinth, Ephesus etc. You could never see any church named after a person or an organization unlike the modern churches. Paul strongly rebuked such divisiveness among the christians in Corinth. Imagine, if just the Christians that lived in your street or block (I'm picturing my densely populated town) identified themselves, not by the name of their "organization" but by identifiying themselves as part of the church in that city and lived as such. Imagine the display of "oneness" for the world to see. Christ will be made manifest to the world!

Does this mean that God won't use the existing system? Of course God will use His people and God will bless His people! But that is not His highest and His best, that is not the vision in His heart of His beautiful bride called the church. In the midst of all this confusion, He is building His church, not human organizations, but His bride and His house!

Just some thoughts!

Sam

He drew us from darkness into Light

2011-01-30T15:38:00.001-05:00

We had an awesome face to face, every member functioning meeting under the living, breathing, functioning Headship of Jesus Christ. He made Himself visible through the songs, testimonies and word shared by each member. Jesus ministered to us through the following verses:

Col 1:12 (Amp version) Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light.13 [The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
1 Peter 2:9,10 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God’s people; once you were unpitied, but now you are pitied and have received mercy.

I had never read Col 1:12 in a version other than KJV. Some other versions make it very clear that God Himself has “qualified” us and made “fit” to share in the inheritance of the saints in the Light. (Note that: we are in the Light now, NOT will be someday). It is not because of anything we did that He qualified and made us fit, but only because of His love and grace. The Father (not our doing) delivered and drew us to Himself out of the control and dominion of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son.

Not only that, He made us (the church):
- a chosen race (not Jew, not Gentile, but a NEW third race),
- a royal priesthood (every believer is a priest),
- a dedicated nation (not of this world – an alien colony from heaven),
- God’s own purchased (He paid with the precious blood of His Son),
- a special people, God’s own people.

Now why did He make us, the “church”, all these things? – to display the wonderful works and virtues of Him Who called us out of darkness into His light, in other words, to give visible expression to Jesus on this earth.

How do we do that? Notice the corporate nature of I Peter 2:9, 10 - It refers to race, nation, and people. An individual Christian may be able to do these things, but God’s purpose is fulfilled, when the church (Christians as a body) functions as she is supposed to – every member functioning as royal priests (not just in theory, but practically), sharing Christ in them with each other, fellow-shipping and living a shared life as members of His family, as people of this new race and colony.

Tidal Wave

2011-01-28T18:29:00.000-05:00

Tidal Wave from simplechurch.com on Vimeo.

Eating from the Right Tree - the Tree of Life

2010-12-05T17:39:00.001-05:00

Why Did Jesus Come? - It's Not What You Think!

2010-12-05T17:32:00.001-05:00

Why Did Jesus Come?

2010-11-08T13:15:00.000-05:00

Did he come to provide us an escape from hell or ticket to heaven? Or is it something else?

House Churches on the Rise in the United States

2010-10-22T07:35:00.000-04:00

NBC Nightly News Report

I have terminated ALL intercourse with the law

2010-10-15T18:28:00.002-04:00

Dead to Sin; Alive to God

2010-10-11T15:39:00.000-04:00

by Paul White (scroll down to watch my video that is related to this article)
Romans 6:11, 12

Due to Christ’s death on the cross, every sinner, who places their faith in His finished work, is made dead to the old nature, and alive to God. Since Jesus is dead to sin, and we are in Jesus, we too are dead to sin. Thank God that upon salvation, we are no longer controlled by who we used to be!

Since we are made dead to sin through the death of Jesus, then we should reckon that death to be a completely finished work. The word for “reckon” is also translated “count” or “consider”. We must consider ourselves dead to sin, even if we do not feel dead to it. The Apostle is not telling the believer to go with what they feel, but rather to walk in what the Word says about them.

Whether you reckon yourself dead to sin or not, YOU ARE! Considering yourself dead brings a freedom and a victory about in your actions and deeds, but you are no less dead to sin if you fail to realize it. This is not about considering yourself dead to sin so that you will eventually be dead to sin. NO! This is about considering yourself dead to sin because Jesus is dead to sin; and you are in Jesus. Line up the way you think with the way God thinks of you and you begin to walk in the more abundant life that Jesus promised was yours (John 10:10).

You are just as alive in Christ as you are dead to sin. Again, this is not contingent on you knowing it, but if you don’t know it, you won’t walk in it. Every believer is dead to sin and alive to God through Jesus. If they count themselves that way, they walk free from the devices of sin, and they live according to the identification of the Holy Spirit within their life. When we consider ourselves as equal to whatever symptoms that we are showing, then we walk beneath the standard of living that Jesus paid for us to have. For instance, if we fail and then consider ourselves failures or sinners because of our sin, then we are powerless to stop doing what we are doing.
Proof for this is found in the next verse, “Let not sin reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof” (Romans 6:12). Upon first glance, one might say, “See Pastor, it is my job to stop sin in my life”. Actually, within context, you counting yourself dead to sin but alive to God is the only thing that will stop sin from reigning in your mortal body. The word “therefore” is key to the understanding of this text, for it links the result of verse 12 with the action of verse 11. Realize that you are dead to sin, and sin becomes dead to you!

As long as you are trying to die out to sin on a day-to-day basis, you will find yourself in trouble. Consider the finished work of Jesus as a truly finished work, not left to be done on your part, but finished on His. Rest in the accomplishment of Christ on the cross, where He died to sin so that you will not be held under its grasp. Still struggling with an area of sin in your life? Don’t fret. Consider yourself dead to sin and then move on. With every failure, declare that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, consider His work finished in you and watch grace change you in miraculous ways. Under God’s grace, you will never get the credit for your changing, for you know you did nothing!

Remember, only grace can “build you up” (Acts 20:32). Let it!

Welcome to the house of God

2010-10-09T17:38:00.001-04:00

Article for St. Catharines Standard newspaper by Peter Youngren.

Tomorrow is Sunday, and many congregants will hear the words stated in the headline. Some pastors use this greeting as they welcome people on the front steps of the church building, and some use it as an opener for the Sunday worship.

Christianity can trace its history to a Savior born in a stable, crucified on a hill just outside the city, and ascending to heaven from a mountain. For the first two hundred years apostles and preachers conducted their services in market places, on the streets, in caves, on ships, and in the homes of their converts. There was no building called “church”, or “the house of God”, such a thought was anathema to their understanding of the Good News they had received from Jesus.

What happened? How did these two words, church and building, become so intertwined that we automatically equate the two? For many being a Christian in good standing means a weekly visit to the building referred to as the church.

Now grant it, Canada’s climate doesn’t lend itself to year around worship in the outdoors. I’m filing this article from Singapore, and frankly the humidity and heat here makes me grateful for air-conditioned buildings. My point is not about buildings, but about the annoying habit of Christians, to call a building “the house of God”.
It is deeply engrained indeed! Many think they go to church to meet God, as if He hung around the building waiting for our weekly appearance. Some even dress up; you certainly want to look your best for the Almighty.

When Christianity started it was the only religion in the world that had no “sacred areas,” no “holy” buildings. Jesus and the apostles were surrounded by religions, Jewish and Greco-Roman, that all had their sacred territories; synagogues, temples, shrines and offering places. Yet, they saw no need for these. Theirs was a message for all, preached by untrained common people, in everyday places.

By the third century Christians had began conducting worship services in cemeteries, where a martyr or an especially committed believer was buried. Soon these burial places were considered sacred. Add another hundred years and now Christianity wanted the same respectability as other religions, and to have that, you needed buildings – “holy buildings” – the kind of places you approach with reverence, and once inside you speak only in a hushed tone. Once Helen, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine, returned from the “holy land”, the concept of church buildings took off. Splinters of the cross of Jesus, and bones of dead “holy people” were spread all over Europe, and each bone fragment and splinter needed a building, and it was holy in the minds of the people. Add another seventeen hundred years and today we find ourselves with many more layers of tradition.

Jesus and the apostles taught that God lives in people, not buildings; we are temples where God’s Spirit dwells. We don’t go anywhere to meet God. Why would we, since God lives in us? The meetings Christians have on Sundays are not people going to church; it is the church (the people) going to the building. The meeting place isn’t a sanctuary; it is an auditorium. We are the sanctuary. That puts a different spin to the expression “no coffee in the sanctuary”. I put at least one large cup in my sanctuary every morning.
What’s the big deal? If we think a church is synonymous with a building we stifle our understanding. Whether Jesus talked to the devoutly religious Pharisees or to a five times divorced, now living common-law woman, his message was the same; something has to happen in you. God’s life is expressed in people, not in buildings. God is in people, not in real estate.

We call that Gospel, the Good News that God, through Jesus, has come to live in people. Imagine you can be the house of God.

So You Want To Produce Fruit, Huh?

2010-10-08T19:23:00.003-04:00

Are you struggling to produce fruit in your Christian walk? May be you are not supposed to produce fruit, but just bear fruit. May be you haven't sown the pure seed (without weed mixture of the law) of the gospel of grace. Only the pure, unadulterated gospel of grace can produce godly fruit in your life!

Why Moses Had To Die

2010-09-28T16:58:00.000-04:00

before entering the Promised Land. Was God really that impatient with a man who had given everything?

Most of you are familiar with the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt and then Joshua leading them into the Promised Land. (Exodus 3-12 and Joshua 1-4)

I think that most Christians would agree that they have left Egypt. They are free. But like the Israelites, I wonder how many Christians still live as slaves in what was intended to be a land of freedom?

How many Christians would you say are living in the Promised Land, enjoying the inheritance that Christ purchased for them?

Though the Israelites were led out of captivity, they quickly returned to what they knew. Exodus 32:1 (ESV) 1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

As Christians, we often fall back on what we know. We do that whenever we combine the covenants of Law and Grace. We live under the new covenant of Grace but are still enslaved to the old covenant ways of law.

When Moses died, God said to Joshua, 'Get going'. Josh 1:2 Msg. The King James Version says, 'Go over....' signifying a transition.

God was saying,'time to make a transition' from old covenant/law thinking to new covenant/Grace thinking, a paradigm shift of epic proportion.

Does that mean they were freed from the law?  No, the law, the whole law, not just those written upon tablets of stone, was still in effect and would be until Jesus ratified the New Covenant at which time the law would be written upon their hearts.

Through relationship there would be no need for an external system of government. Only Grace can transform you from the inside. Law simply modifies your behavior externally.

The night before they crossed the Jordan, Joshua spoke to them and said, Joshua 3:4 (GW) ”.......you have not gone this way before.”

God was saying, 'This is a new way. It is time to follow Jesus apart from the law'.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV) But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." ....... Grace is a brand new way of looking at things....... righteousness apart from the law had never been done before.

Joshua is a type of Christ and the very name means Yeshua. Jesus is the Greek transliteration of Yeshua.

We have to leave the pilgrimage of law (Moses), enter the water (a baptism signifying an identification with Christ, an identity exchange), via spiritual death, to be resurrected in the promised land under Grace with Jesus as our Guide.

Jesus (Yeshua) destroyed principalities and powers at the Cross.  In Joshua 3:10, God eliminates 7 tribes (7 signifying complete) 10 And Joshua said, 'Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite.

Jesus stripped principalities and powers of their authority at the Cross, a complete victory.

In the process of moving into the promised land, we are given cities we did not build. It is not a place of works, but of rest. Joshua 24:13 (ASV) And I gave you a land whereon thou hadst not labored, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell therein; of vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.

The original Hebrew word for cities is from a root word signifying an 'opening of the eyes, a becoming naked', referring to a return to innocence, rest and provision similar to Adam and Eve.

The Greek word for land is from a root word meaning 'Adam',  symbolic of shamelessly entering the new Eden.

Adam and Eve were not under law. Until shame drove them from His presence, they were in right relationship with God apart from law. At the Cross, Christ bore our shame so that relationship with our God could be restored.

Moses, because he represents the law, had to die rather than cross the Jordan and enter the Promised Land. Law cannot take you into your inheritance, only Grace can do that.

This crossing marked the end of the pilgrimage of law and the beginning of Grace.

The name "Moses" is from the Hebrew word Mosheh meaning "drawing out of (the water)", that is "rescued". He was drawn from the water to be the deliverer of God's people.

The Jews call Moses “Moshe Rabbeinu”, Our Teacher/Rabbi. The numeric value of “Moshe Rabbeinu” is 613, the number of laws (the mitzvot) that Moses taught the children of Israel!

But just like the law only takes us to the teacher, Moses could only take us to the edge of our inheritance. Jesus must take us in. See the teaching, 'Arrested Development' at http://ow.ly/2K48b

The Reubenites, the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh were given land by Moses before his death before crossing the Jordan. They chose to stay.

I wonder if they don't represent the brothers-in-law? No doubt, our brothers in law will always be around.

We, however, have chosen to pilgrimage with Joshua and now live under the pilgrimage of Grace, not law-less but law-free, and are motivated by a personal relationship with Jesus rather than an impersonal relationship to the law.

Law cannot take you into your inheritance, only Grace can do that.

Freedom From Your Ex-Boss (Mr.Sin)

2010-09-25T14:12:00.002-04:00

The Body Language of Prayer by Pamela Donnan

2010-09-19T17:33:00.000-04:00

What does prayer look like in light of the revelation of Grace?

Dear Pamela,

'I suck at spending time in prayer with God. I don't like to do it. Well, that's not necessarily true. I like it sometimes, but I'm very undisciplined when it comes to a regular habit of prayer.

I've tried to analyze this.......I'm just lazy; my attention span is too short; I must not have any real faith; I don't like intimacy with God because of father issues, etc. But, analyzing it to death doesn't help either.

I don't think I'm being performance-based with prayer, yet I do feel like a failure and that God is disappointed when I don't pray every day. The crazy thing is, when I do spend time in prayer, I usually enjoy it and feel good, so I don't know why it's so hard practice it.

I do not have this problem with studying the Word. That seems to come so much easier to me, probably because I naturally love to read and learn, but who knows?

Where does Grace fit into all this? How do I stop seeing prayer as a chore? Do you have any insight or suggestions? I'm so tired of going round and round with this. I really want some freedom in this area, but feel at a complete loss to attain it.'

Karen

What does prayer look like in light of the revelation of Grace?

I found her question interesting..... it has been one that I have contemplated many times. I once asked a respected Grace teacher the same question early on in the journey of growing in Grace. His answer was somewhat vague but it gave me permission to challenge what I had been told.

When we evaluate God according to our world, He is diminished. We need to evaluate our world according to God. It is only by a revelation of Grace and seeing Jesus as He really is that we begin to understand our world as it really is.

I believe however, that there are a lot of things we can see in this world that reflect our God and speak to us about our relationship to Him, marriage being one of them. (I understand that not every marriage is healthy, and maybe yours is not, but imagine with me for a minute what marriage should be like.....)

Romans 1:20 (ASV) 20 For the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even His everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse'

If marriage is to reflect Christ's love for the church, Eph 5:23-26, than I should be able to learn a lot about my love relationship and interaction with Christ by examining the love relationship I have (or should have) with my husband.

My husband does not talk a lot, but he talks more than me within the context of our personal relationship (he's a preacher, what can I say?) And, while I do not consider myself to be a quiet person, I speak less than him and I enjoy listening to him.

I feel fully engaged in the conversation even when I don't respond verbally.

Through marriage, I have been made one with my husband.

Mark 10:8 (ASV) 8 and the two shall become one flesh: so that they are no more two, but one flesh.

Through salvation, I became the Bride of Christ Who indwells me and I am one with Him.

John 17:11 (ASV) 11 that they may be one, even as we are. (A Jew is considered married as soon as she agrees to the proposal, even before the marriage ceremony is performed or the marriage consummated. So we do not have to wait for the ceremony. Christ has made us one with Him now.)

Only a small percentage of communication is verbal. One study at UCLA indicated that up to 93 percent of communication effectiveness is determined by nonverbal cues. Another study indicated that the impact of a performance was determined by the following; Only 7% by the words we use, 38% by our voice quality (tone, inflection, articulation) and 55% by our nonverbal forms of communication (body language).

What does this say about us? What does this say about many Christians? If words count as little as 7% of our conversation, what does our body language say to Him?

Below I have listed some observations I have made in my relationship with my husband that I believe should be reflected in my relationship with Jesus relating to prayer.

1. I don't force myself to speak to my husband. I like to be in his presence, hold his hand, kiss him and talk occasionally. He knows I am not withholding anything from him. He understands my personality. We often communicate without words.

I can easily convince him of my love for him in non-verbal ways. If non- verbal communication is weighted at 55 percent, than my actions MUST back up my words (7%) or I would quickly contradict myself!

Sometimes conversation seems disruptive and intrusive.

If he talked at me every time we were together, I would be irritated. I do not enjoy being around someone that is constantly talking.

Jesus knows my heart (intimately). Must I always use words? The 55% body language theory should confirm the few (7%) words used. (Believe me, my husband knows when I don't wish to be in his presence even without verbal confirmation! )

I like to be in the presence of my Savior. I enjoy the beauty of this Good News called Grace and love to contemplate how it has changed my life. My heart often spills over in praise, song and gratitude.

'Let your living spill over into thanksgiving' Col 2:7 Msg

It is poured out upon others in conversation and attitude. It blesses the girl checking me out at the grocery store with a kind word or the barrista behind the coffee bar is blessed with a bigger tip. When I sense His presence and feel His Goodness, I feel a sense of overwhelming gratitude. I take a longer minute to care about those serving me. It appears in how I treat a stranger.... or how I treat my husband when no one is looking.

God is within me. I need only acknowledge Him there and I am in His presence. I do not have to remind Him that I am there. He is always aware of it. I believe my body language conveys my love for him in ways my words cannot.

2. When I ask my husband for something, I don't keep asking. That would be nagging. I simply trust that he will provide. Wouldn't he find it irritating if I asked over and over and over again for the same thing? He would probably suggest I see a doctor! If I wouldn't nag my husband why would I nag Jesus?

Here is where many of you will disagree -

Matthew 7:7 (AMP) 7 Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you.

However, this asking, seeking, knocking is in reference to Kingdom thinking and a greater revelation of Jesus which will result in the manifestation of provision!

3. I do not ask my husband for things that already belong to us. Watchman Nee says it beautifully, 'Oh the folly of trying to enter a room we're already in.' Since Jesus already secured every spiritual blessing for me at the Cross, why would I ask for something that already belonged to me? In my impatience, I may remind him from time to time that I have yet to see it, but otherwise, I would show Him my love and appreciation for what he is doing to provide for me. My words and actions should say, 'thank you for doing that (at the Cross) so that I could have this (provision) here and now.......'

Ephesians 1:3 (ASV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ'.

There is nothing less than complete and abundant provision of every good thing in the message of Grace.

4. I do not create an outline or rehearse for a speech before and when approaching him. Sometimes I come with an agenda, however, a majority of the time, I do not. So many people feel they must sound eloquent or articulate things perfectly. Do you hesitate that way in discussion with your husband/wife?

5. I do not speak from a list. I would not present a list of requests or praises to my husband. We should count our blessings. We should remind ourselves to pray for others. That is not to say we shouldn't have prayer request lists.

Philippians 4:6 (ASV) 6 let your requests be made known unto God.

Here we are told to make them known, however would you ever approach someone you care about with a list of wants? Not unless it was Santa Claus. The more mature we become in Grace, the less self centered we are and the list becomes shorter as we walk in the provision (the revelation of the finished work of Jesus Christ, where everything has been provided). This isn't to say we don't have needs. But rather than present them in list format, make them known as they appear in a conversational approach.

Philippians 4:6 (ASV) In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving.

Rather than constantly seeking the same thing, move into an attitude of appreciation and honor (thanksgiving) for Who He is to us and what He is doing on our behalf and those we bring before Him. Ask once, then rest in His provision and thank Him for it. He is not deaf. He is not ignoring you.

If my husband came with a list, I would begin avoiding him!

Sometimes there are several things that need attention but rather than nag, I would rather spend the rest of my life honoring him, blessing him, and caring for him. In doing that, I believe he would be motivated to get them done as he reciprocates in love.

Remember, relationship is an ongoing dialog, NEVER a monologue.

I am convinced that prayer is much more relational than what was modeled for me. It has been turned into a 'work', rather than a natural, necessary and even enjoyable part of the relationship. I would HATE it if my husband spoke to me the way some of us have been taught to speak to the Father!

I live with a constant awareness of being married to my husband. I do not have to be reminded of it. I am secure in that relationship and do not fear punishment or abandonment when I do not speak to him verbally. I try to have a gracious attitude for all that he does and all that he is, thanking and appreciating him, telling him of my love for him, enjoying our relationship while modeling that for others.

I now look at my relationship with Jesus, in light of Grace, the same way.

I am frequently thanking Him and telling Him of my love for Him, but mostly I am simply enjoying the relationship and spreading that joy by telling others of His 'saweeet' character and what He did for me on the Cross......

There are times for corporate prayer and time should be set aside specifically for meditation and prayer, but what prayer looks like is not what we have been taught. I do not think our prayer time should be compartmentalized but rather it should be lived in a constant state of awareness of His presence within us and our marriage relationship with Him. It must be treated relationally with ongoing dialog, never monologue.

How does a branch abide in the vine? Naturally with an ongoing flow of communication. The life flows between the two without effort. The Vine knows everything in the heart of the branch, after all, He created it..... Think of this in light of prayer and prayer without ceasing....

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ASV) 17 pray without ceasing;

John 15:4 (ASV) 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me.

Listen to yourself pray. Is there anyone else you would speak to the way we have been taught to speak with God?

Even the teachings on spiritual warfare I have been taught are nothing more than superstition and magic. They remind me of an Indian rain dance. I think the Indians were more correct in their theology in that they were petitioning God rather than exalting the enemy by giving him any attention. The battle was won at the Cross......

'He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets. Col 2:15 Msg

He stripped the devil and his cohorts of their power and authority, making a public spectacle of them. They were defeated and humiliated. Why would I jump around shouting at a defeated, humiliated foe? That indeed is in itself a public spectacle and it is no wonder we are often thought of as crazy! (Paul warned us of this.)

I don't see one instance where Jesus did that and if I tried to resolve conflict with my husband that way, he would have me committed..... which by the way, may be why some are calling it the 'institutional' church.

Relax and be who He created you to be. Let life flow between you and your Creator as you enjoy life together, as one, with or without words.

Dead to the Law - What does it mean?

2010-09-15T16:08:00.002-04:00

What About Your Old Man?

2010-09-11T16:23:00.000-04:00

What is God's Logic? It is so simple that people miss it!

2010-09-08T21:38:00.000-04:00

Are You So Foolish?

2010-09-06T22:31:00.003-04:00

A comprehensive look at the gifts of forgiveness and righteousness

2010-09-06T22:30:00.000-04:00

Labor Day Special - Stop Laboring,...Enter Into His Rest

2010-09-03T19:12:00.002-04:00

Shocking! Is God Fudging The Accounts?

2010-09-02T11:16:00.002-04:00

So you want to become righteous, huh?

2010-08-30T22:06:00.001-04:00

Temporary or Eternal Forgivness?

2010-08-30T22:05:00.000-04:00

The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil = The Law of Commandments by Ian Hall

2010-08-26T08:20:00.000-04:00

The Tree of the the knowledge of good and evil was declared "good" along with everything else He created in the garden of Eden (Genesis 1:31).
The Law is good (Romans 7:12).

Eating from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil brought a curse (Genesis 3:17).
The Law brings a curse (Galatians 3:10).

The Tree the knowledge of good and evil brought death (Genesis 2:17).
The Law brings death (2 Corinthians 3:17, Romans 7:5,10).

The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil enlightened the eyes of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:7).
The Law enlightens the eyes (Psalm 19:8).

The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil was forbidden by God to be eaten (Genesis 2:17).
The Law is forbidden for believers to be sought after (Galatians 5:4).

The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil makes one wise (Genesis 3:6).
The Law makes one wise (Psalm 119:98).

The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil made Adam and Eve sin-conscience (Genesis 3:7).
The Law brings consciousness of sins (Hebrews 10:1-3).

The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil caused Adam and Eve to hide them selves from God (Genesis 3:8).
The Law disconnects people from God (Galatians 5:4).

The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil brought fear to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:10).
Slavery to the Law brings about fear (Romans 8:15, also see Galatians 4:25).

Adam eating from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil brought condemnation (Romans 5:14-18).
The Law is a ministry of condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:9).

Adam and Eve began to judge each other after eating from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:12-13)
The Law causes people to judge one another (1 Corinthians 6:6).

By Adam eating from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil, many were made sinners (Romans 5:19).
The Law came in so that sin might increase (Romans 5:20).

The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil brings knowledge of good by definition (Genesis 3:5, 22).
The Law is the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth (Romans 2:20), which is good (Ephesians 5:9).

The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil brings knowledge of evil by definition (Genesis 3:5, 22).
Through the Law comes the knowledge of sin (Romans 3:20).

There are only two trees; one brought life, and one brought death. The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil brought death, thus we can assume that the law brings about death. Jesus is full of GRACE and truth, and He is the way the truth and the LIFE. Therefore, Jesus is the Tree of life, which is the Covenant of Grace as opposed to the Covenant of Law.

by Ian Hall
http://facebook.com/manaftergod33

You Should Strive To Do Right and Avoid Wrong - Not True by Steve McVey

2010-08-25T13:10:00.000-04:00

One of the worst and yet most prevalent lies I’ll present in this book is this one. The idea that we should focus on improving our behavior so that we avoid doing wrong and consistently do right seems to be the mindset of most of Christians in the contemporary church world. Most ministries are devoted to helping people know how to act better and avoid sin in an attempt to do what they imagine God wants them to do.

The problem with this belief is that it misses the point entirely. God’s purpose for mankind isn’t that we do good things and avoid doing evil. Don’t misunderstand me on this point. Of course, it’s better to do a good thing than a bad one in terms of the consequences the action will produce. That’s what makes this lie so easy to believe. However, God’s primary interest in our actions isn't about right and wrong. It never has been.

When God created Adam and Eve, do you think His purpose for them would be to do good and avoid evil? From a moral standpoint, that seems to make perfect sense. The problem is that the Bible presents a very different scenario. Our Creator never intended for our lives to be understood from a moral standpoint.

When the first couple was placed into the Garden of Eden, they were told they could eat from any tree in the garden except The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They were plainly warned not to eat from that tree. Eating from it would bring death.

Take a careful look at the description of the tree. It was a tree that gave knowledge of two things. What were they? Good and evil, or to put it a different way, right and wrong. This was a tree that would activate morality if they were to eat from it. It would give them the knowledge of good and evil and, after all, right and wrong are the two great pillars of morality. Moral living leads one toward doing right and away from doing wrong. Immoral living has just the opposite effect.

As strange as it might seem, before they ate from the tree, Adam and Eve’s lives weren’t moral. Neither were they immoral. Their lives didn’t exist in the realm of morality. By virtue of their oneness with their Creator, their lives were miraculous. Their actions transcended rightness. Their behavior was righteous.

So when God put them in this garden, He told them not to eat from that tree at all. Notice that He did not say, “Eat from the good branch on the tree but be sure to avoid the evil branch.” No, God told them not to eat from the tree at all. Their lives weren’t to be based on morality. He had a better plan for them than that. Their lives were to be an expression of their relationship to Him. As they trusted Him as their life-source, their behavior would always honor Him.

But it was not to be that way. They chose to eat from the forbidden tree and, as a result, the template by which humanity began to live by was one of right and wrong – good and evil. Man began to evaluate his every action by right and wrong, despite the fact that God had told them that was not to be the way they lived.

Fast-forward many millennia later and where do we find ourselves today? Living from that same tree. Even those who desire to honor God with their lives commonly think that the way to do that is to do right and avoid wrong. Churches sound forth that message again and again. The idea that God’s goals for us revolve around our doing good and not evil is pervasive in the modern church.

The reality is, though, that God didn’t change His mind. His intent for you is the same one that He had for Adam and Eve. He doesn’t want you building your life around a system in which you try to do good and avoid evil. He wants you to recognize that your lifestyle is to flow from your connection to your Creator. Like Adam and Eve before the fall, when our lifestyle is an expression of the union we share with Him our behavior will be better than good. It will be godly.

Don’t think that doing the right thing necessarily honors your Father. The Bible says that whatever is not of faith is sin. (See Romans 14:23) So a person can do many good things, moral things, and still be committing sin because their actions from the wrong source. The Source of our lives is to be Him, not our determination to behave in a certain way, even if it is good.

I’m not suggesting that it doesn’t matter how we behave. To the contrary, I’m saying just the opposite. It does matter how we behave, but our Father doesn’t intend for our behavior to revolve around rules of right and wrong. He wants our behavior to be an expression of His indwelling Life, coming out through our thoughts, our words and our actions. He wants to animate our lifestyle, not some sterile list that tells us how to act right.

Most believers understand this to some extent. They’ll say to an unbeliever, “It’s not about how you behave. Christianity is all about trusting Jesus Christ! That’s what matters.” The sad thing is that they don’t see that the same thing is true for themselves. Let me say it to those who are believers that are reading this book: “It’s not about how you behave either! Christianity is all about trusting Jesus Christ. That’s what matters!”

You don’t have to be worried that your behavior will jump track and you’ll run off into a crevice of sinful living. When we stop focusing on right and wrong and start focusing on Jesus Christ and Him alone, I assure you that His Spirit within us will regulate our behavior. He will see to it that we act in the way that honors our Father to the max, and it won’t be moral living either. It will be nothing short of a miraculous lifestyle.

We All Died With Christ by Steve McVey

2010-08-25T13:07:00.003-04:00

Is a person included in the crucifixion of Jesus at the moment when he believes? Does it become true for her that "I have been crucified with Christ" only if she has faith in Him? It isn't believing that makes it real. Mankind's co-crucifixion with Jesus on the cross is a reality whether we believe it or not. Here's how Watchman Nee said it:

It is the 'inclusive' death of the Lord which puts me in a position to identify myself, not that I identify myself in order to be included. It is God's inclusion of me in Christ that matters." (Watchman Nee, The Normal Christian Life, p. 46).

Nee points out that I'm not included because I believe it. I believe it because I am included and that is what matters!

Faith doesn't make it happen that we died with Jesus and that the old Adamic man was destroyed. It happened! It is a historical fact that we all died with Him. That's true whether we have faith or not.

How many ways can it be said???

The New American Standard Version says, "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died."

The New International Version says, "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died."

The Bible In Basic English says, "For it is the love of Christ which is moving us; because we are of the opinion that if one was put to death for all, then all have undergone death."

The New King James Version says, "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died."

Young's Literal Translation says, "For the love of the Christ doth constrain us, having judged thus: that if one for all died, then the whole died."

Can it be clearer than this? Did Jesus die for all or not? Did Jesus die for all but only some died with Him? This verse (among others) shows that everybody for whom Jesus died died with Him. The gospel of grace that the human race needs to hear is that Jesus Christ has dealt with Adam's sin in The Garden and has now given us new life!

It's true! We have died with Christ and have been raised to walk in newness of life - His life. That is the gospel we proclaim to those still trapped in their own darkness. That is the gospel that will cause people to come alive to the truth of the finished work of the cross. That is the gospel that will cause those who are blind to finally see. That is the gospel that will cause those who are lost to finally know they have been found. That is the gospel that brings salvation to a person in a way that he/she will be forever transformed.

That is the gospel we need to proclaim. Let us join together and affirm that, by God's grace, we will never again declare a potential gospel but instead we will proclaim the finished work of Jesus Christ for every person. There is power in the preaching of the gospel. When unbelievers hear the truth about the cross, God's Holy Spirit will bring many to faith in Christ.

Do We Proclaim A Potential Gospel or a Finished Gospel? by Steve McVey

2010-08-25T13:05:00.000-04:00

For many years I proclaimed what I now believe was only a "potential gospel." I taught that if a person believed on Jesus Christ, then God would forgive his sin and reconcile that person to Himself. Studying the Scripture over the past few years, I've come to see how misguided, albeit sincere, my approach to the gospel was. I didn't preach a finished gospel. The word "gospel" means good news and the good news of the work of Christ is that it is a finished work. Jesus said from the cross, "It is finished" and He meant it. In fact, when our High Priest ascended back to His Father He did something no other priest of God had ever done in the Holy of Holies. He sat down.

Jesus didn't sit down by the right hand of the Father because He was tired. He sat down because He was finished. All that the Father, Son and Spirit had planned to do for mankind had been accomplished at the cross. The first Adam had brought humanity down into the darkness of sin, but the Last Adam remedied what the first Adam had done. He gathered us all up into Himself, took us to the cross with Him, and then and there the Adamic race died. Out from the tomb walked a new humanity - one reconciled to God because in Jesus we were forgiven and justified.

The gospel is the fantastic news that because of what Jesus has done, we can now live in freedom. Freedom from our religious attempts to justify ourselves before God. Freedom from guilt and condemnation. Freedom from fearing God. Freedom to be who we are - a new creation in Christ Jesus.

What Jesus has done, He has done and nobody's unbelief is big enough to negate it. Unbelief simply causes a person to continue to stand in his own personal darkness, with all of its implications and subjective consequences, despite the fact that the Light of the World has come and taken care of the need of every one us without asking so much as an opinion on the matter from us. Our faith doesn't make it true. Faith simply allows us to walk in what was already true before there was an inkling of belief stirring inside us. God showed mankind just how much He loved in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (See Romans 5:8)

The Bible doesn't present a potential gospel - what can happen. It presents a complete gospel of what has happened in Jesus Christ. Theologian Thomas Torrance summarized the gospel well:

God loves you so utterly and completely that he has given himself for you in Jesus Christ his beloved Son, and has thereby pledged his very being as God for your salvation. In Jesus Christ God has actualised his unconditional love for you in your human nature in such a once for all way, that he cannot go back upon it without undoing the Incarnation and the Cross and thereby denying himself. Jesus Christ died for you precisely because you are sinful and utterly unworthy of him, and has thereby already made you his own before and apart from your ever believing in him. He has bound you to himself by his love in a way that he will never let you go, for even if you refuse him and damn yourself in hell his love will never cease. Therefore, repent and believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. (T. F. Torrance, “The Mediation of Christ,” 94)

Let's make sure when we share the gospel that we offer the finished work of Christ as the answer. Anything less is a watered down version of the gospel and a watered down gospel is no gospel at all.

Retroactive Salvation? by Steve McVey

2010-08-25T13:03:00.001-04:00

There’s an amazing story in the book of Joshua about the children of Israel that I believe may point us toward a wonderful truth about the work of Jesus at the cross. It’s the story of the crossing of the Jordan River. God had told Joshua to lead the people across the Jordan into Canaan, the land of abundant living.

For 40 years the people had wandered in the wilderness. God had given them Canaan many years earlier. That was an objective reality. However, their unbelief kept it from being their subjective experience. Hebrews 3:19 says that “they were not able to enter in because of unbelief.” It was theirs but little good it did them because they didn’t believe.

Finally, they were going to cross over under the leadership of Joshua. His name is the Old Testament Hebrew name equivalent to the New Testament name, “Jesus.” Joshua would do something that Moses, the one who had brought them the Law could never do. He would lead them out of the barren wilderness and into the land of life – abundant life. (Those bringing Law can never lead anybody into abundant living.)

The Bible tells how it happened in Joshua 3:

15 . . . when those who carried the ark came into the Jordan, and the feet of the priests carrying the ark were dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks all the days of harvest ), 16 the waters which were flowing down from above stood and rose up in one heap, a great distance away at Adam, the city that is beside Zarethan ; and those which were flowing down toward the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, were completely cut off. So the people crossed opposite Jericho. 17 And the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel crossed on dry ground, until all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan.

Throughout the Old Testament, the Ark of the Covenant was a tangible manifestation of the presence of Yahweh. The story here recounts that the Jordan River was flooded. The Jordan isn’t a deep river, but it is a downhill river that has a swift current under normal conditions. With flooding conditions, it would be impossible to cross over it without being swept all the way to the Dead Sea by its raging current.

God had told Joshua to have the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant to step in the water first. Let God lead the way. The instant their feet touched the water, the Bible says the Jordan River backed up all the way to the city of Adam.

There is an interesting meaning in the names in this text. Do you think it’s coincidental that the city's name was Adam? I don’t. Beside the city of Adam was Zarethan. There is some discrepancy about the meaning of that name, but Strong’s Concordance (Word #6868) says the Hebrew name “Zarethan” comes from a root word meaning, “to pierce, to puncture.” Other commentaries suggest that the name means, “the great or lofty rock,” referring to the conspicuous peak of Kurn Surtabheh, which projects sharply upward from the mountains of Ephraim. Either definition suggests strong overtones of a typology pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ. The One who was pierced is also a Great Rock. In fact, He’s the Rock of Ages.

When the water backed up to the city of Adam, the flow of destruction that would have swept everybody into the Dead Sea (another name for the Salt Sea) not only stopped, but also was reversed all the way back to Adam. The people walked across into the land of abundant life on dry land because the High Priest, acting in the power of Yahweh stepped into the flow of death Himself.

The comparison is profound. Our High Priest, Jesus, wasn’t caught off guard when Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden. Just as Zarethan was beside the city of Adam, so was the Son of God standing by with full awareness when the first Adam started the raging torrent of sin that, left unhindered, would have swept us all into eternal death. He was there. He knew in advance what would happen. He already had a plan in place to deal with Adam’s fallen race before Adam even touched the fruit on the forbidden tree.

When Jesus (the high priest) stepped into the torrential flow of sin (the current of the Jordan) that would have swept us all into eternal death (the Dead Sea), He caused the water’s flow (sin’s effect) to back up all the way to the man, Adam, in the Garden of Eden (the city of Adam).

Here’s the beauty of the cross. Not only did what Jesus do affect those who would live after His death, the cross also impacted those who lived before His crucifixion – all the way back to Adam.

Contemporary Christians often point out that we look backward to the cross for the source of our salvation, but what about those who lived before then? There’s an interesting passage in Ephesians 4 that may shed light on that issue.

7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says, "WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." 9 (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.)

What does it mean when the Bible says that He led a host of captives when He ascended on high? Could this verse describe Jesus preaching to those who had lived prior to His coming? The Old Testament uses the Hebrew word sheol to describe the abode of the dead. The Jewish people believed that sheol was divided into two parts – one for the wicked and the other for the righteous (Abraham’s bosom).

Is it possible that the captives Jesus led out of the lower parts of the earth were those in Sheol? Is it possible that our Lord Himself preached the good news to those held captive there, awaiting the Hope that was to come? Even the Apostle Peter talked about Jesus preaching to those who had lived in Noah’s day during the time between His crucifixion and resurrection. Peter wrote:

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison” (1 Peter 3:18-19).
The word “now” in this verse is not in the original Greek but was added by editors because they thought it would help clarify the verses meaning, although it doesn’t. You can see this for yourself at: http://www.biblestudytools.com/interlinear-bible/passage.aspx?q=1%20Peter+3:18-20&t=nas where the Greek words are links and those added to the text by editors are in normal black font.

So the Apostle Paul said that Jesus led captives out of captivity when He descended to the lower parts. The Apostle Peter said He preached to imprisoned spirits. You can draw your own conclusions, but I don’t think it stretches biblical hermeneutics too far to conclude that what Jesus did at the cross embraced humanity – all of humanity – retroactively all the way back to Adam. If He did indeed preach the gospel to those who had lived before, they had the same opportunity to hear the message that all are included in His finished work, just as you have had the opportunity.

The objective reality is that the work of Christ includes every man, woman, boy and girl who has ever lived. The subjective benefits of that reality becomes experiential to all who believe. I can’t prove it but I don’t think anybody will be left without that opportunity to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Our God is a mystery. His ways defy our limited and finite understanding, but I don’t think we can overestimate His loving grace.

This gospel we declare is big! Our Triune God has wrapped His arms around the universe and He invites us to simply believe that we are loved; that we share in His divine life; that we are all included in what He has done and, in so doing, we will glorify His work for all humanity accomplished on the cross and will live in the land of abundant living that our Joshua, our Last Adam came to provide for us all.

A Great Illustration of the Difference Between The Objective & Subjective Work of the Cross by Steve McVey

2010-08-25T13:01:00.002-04:00

Recently I wrote a blog about how the objective work of Christ on the cross is efficacious whether we believe it or not. We proclaim a finished gospel not a potential gospel that tells people they can be made right with God if they will do something like say a prayer or have faith or anything else. We have been reconciled and nobody's unbelief is big enough to negate that reality. However, I also wrote about how that we must believe in order for the objective reality of the cross to become our subjective experience. What Christ did, He did for every single person but not every person is a Christian. This story illustrates my point well:

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States .

Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course their freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.

"How many push-ups can you do?"
Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
"200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?"
Steve replied, "I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time"
"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson.
"Well, I can try," said Steve.
"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor.
Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it."
Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday.. Let me explain what I have in mind."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?" Cynthia said, "Yes."

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?"

"Sure!" Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?"

Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship..

When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?" Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"

Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them." Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then."

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?"

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!"

Dr.. Christianson said, "Look! This is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?"

Sternly, Jenny said, "No."

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?"

Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say, "No!" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row.. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"

Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come."

Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?"

Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut."

Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?"

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut."

"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?"

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room..

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"

Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."

Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?"

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?"

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"

Dr Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone; I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not.. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."

"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?"

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'Into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten. "

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

"Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."

Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not His Only Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."

"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"

(Thanks to Lynn Alford for sending this story to me.)

The Subjective Experiene of An Objective Reality by Steve McVey

2010-08-25T12:59:00.000-04:00

For many years, I didn't truly see the finished work of Christ as the gospel. I certainly said I saw it that way but, in reality, I saw the work of the cross more as a potential gospel. My view was that if people would ask God to forgive their sin, He would. If a person would pray to get right with God, He would answer that prayer. If somebody would come to God in faith, the great gulf of sin that separated her from God would be bridged.

It all depended on the person - his faith - her decision. I don't see the gospel of Jesus Christ that way anymore. The gospel isn't a sales pitch in which we tell people that if they'll do this, then God will do that. The gospel is an announcement of good news. When Jesus said, "It is finished," He really meant it.

We have been justified and reconciled to God by the finished work of Christ, not by a decision that we may or may not make. The good news of the gospel isn't that God won't count our trespasses against us if we come to Him. The gospel is the news that He doesn't count our sin against us because He has come to us! As the One who came to take away the sins of the world, He has dealt with the matter of sin once for all.

Does that mean that everybody is automatically a Christian? No, not at all. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ; one who trusts Him and is depending on nothing or nobody else as the source of his right standing with God. I have often said that salvation is the subjective experience of an objective reality.

God has done what He has done, whether we believe it or not. We have been reconciled to Him but it is in the believing that we begin to experience the personal benefit of what He has done. Our sin has already been forgiven, but that objective reality has no personal value to us until we believe it. The Father has accepted us. That's real. It's when accept Him that we see the beauty of His acceptance and are transformed. We love Him because He first loved us.

The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, setting all slaves in the United States free. That was an objective reality. However, that didn’t mean they all experientially benefited from it. Shelby Foote, in his three-volume work on the Civil War recorded the response of one slave that revealed the mindset of many. This slave said, “I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout Abraham Lincoln, ‘cept he set us free. And I don’t know nothing ‘bout that neither.”

That man's experience mirrors that of many people today. Jesus Christ has dealt with the sin of mankind. Jesus Christ has set us free from sin's tyranny over us. That's an objective fact, but that doesn't mean everybody is living out of that reality.

One theologian was asked, "When were you saved?" "Well, I suppose it was 2000 years ago," he answered. What did he mean? He meant that the objective reality of salvation took place at the cross. Trusting Christ now doesn't bring something into existence. Instead, trusting Him now is simply a response predicated on the fact that we, at last, see what He has already accomplished for us and we now believe it! We begin to live in the reality that was brought into existence at the cross. We begin to enjoy today the subjective experience of an objective reality that was settled long ago.

Remember that faith doesn't make anything happen. Faith is the evidence of things not seen. Those things are there already. They're just not seen. Through faith, the invisible reality that already exists becomes our visible experience. Through faith, the objective become subjective.

There's nothing left for God to do for mankind. He has already done it all. To proclaim the gospel is to tell people that it really is finished. To experience salvation firsthand is to believe it and live from the reality of His work on our behalf.

I had my earlobes pierced

2010-08-24T16:36:00.000-04:00

But if your servant says to you, "I do not want to leave you," because he loves you and your family and is well off with you, then take an awl and push it through his ear lobe into the door, and he will become your servant for life. Do the same for your maidservant. (Deut 15:17,18)

In the old testament days, after having served for six years, a servant had to be freed in the seventh year. But the servant had the choice to stay with his master for life and not leave. The motivating factor for the servant to stay. was that he loved his master and his family and was blessed by them. If the sevant decided to stay, then the master would take an awl and push it through the servant's ear lobe into the door, thus putting a physical sign that that person belonged to him forever.

The apostles Peter, James and Paul counted themselves as servants/slaves/bond-servants (greek: doulos) of Jesus Christ. It does not mean that these apostles were under forced servitude or slavery. On the other hand, the love of Christ had so captivated their hearts that they could not but offer themselves as a doulos. Paul says that the love of Christ constrains or compels Him.At another place he says that Christ had apprehended him.

When I got apprehended and arrested by God's love and His grace, I gave up all resistance and surrendered myself as a prisoner of Christ. I gave up my rights & privileges and abandoned myself completely to His grace and love. I love Him and His family because He first loved me, even when I was a servant of the enemy(Sin). I have found out how blessed I am in Him. He purchased me by His blood and has pierced my earlobe. I am His forever by His doing. How can I resist His love?

A DIFFERENT GOSPEL by Charles Swindoll

2010-08-24T12:32:00.002-04:00

Galatians 1:6

By: Charles Swindoll

It is a "different gospel" that says, "salvation is not by faith alone it requires works. Human achievement must accompany sincere faith before you can be certain of your salvation". We continue to hear that "different gospel" to this day and it is a lie. A theology that rests its salvation on one ounce of human performance is not good news; it is bad information. It is heresy.

A salvation that begins with God's love reaching down to lost humanity and is carried out by Christ's death and resurrection results in all the praise going to God. But a salvation that includes human achievement, hard work, personal effort, even religious deeds distorts the good news because man gets the glory, not God. The problem is, it appeals to the flesh. Paul's twice-repeated reaction to the one who introduced that doctrinal heresy is "Let him be accursed!" The original word is anathema! It is the strongest single Greek term for condemnation.

Nevertheless, the heresy goes on. Most every cult you could name is a cult of salvation by works. It appeals to the flesh. It tells you, if you will stand so long on a street corner, if you will distribute so much literature, if you will sacrifice so much of life, if you will be baptized, if you will contribute your money, if you will pray or attend numerous meetings, then your good works and hard effort will cause God to smile on you. Ultimately when the good is weighed against the bad on the Day of Judgement, you will finally earn His favor. The result in that, I say again, is man's glory, because you added to your salvation.

Grace says you have nothing to give, nothing to earn, nothing to pay. You couldn't if you tried! Salvation is a free gift. You simply lay hold of what Christ has provided. Period. And yet the heretical doctrine of works goes on all around the world and always will. It is effective because the pride of men and women is so strong. We simply have to do something in order to feel right about it. It just doesn't make good humanistic sense to get something valuable for nothing.

Please allow me to be absolutely straight with you: Stop tolerating the heretical gospel of works! It is legalism. Wake up to the fact that it will put you into a bondage syndrome that won't end. The true gospel of grace, however, will set you free. Free forever.

From: The Grace Awakening

THE FREEDOM OF GRACE by Charles Swindoll

2010-08-24T12:31:00.001-04:00

Won't some people take it to an extreme? Doesn't a minister run the risk that some in his flock may take unfair liberties if he presents the message of grace. Couldn't an awakening of grace lead to an abusing of grace? Martyn Lloyd-Jones states that preaching grace is not only risky, but the fact that some take it to an unwise extreme is proof that a minister is indeed preaching the true grace of God. Some people will take advantage of it. They will misrepresent it. They will go to such an extreme that they will promote the erroneous idea that you can go on sinning as much as you like. If you claim to be a messenger of grace, if you think you are really preaching grace, yet no one is taking advantage of it, maybe you haven't preached it hard enough or strong enough. I can assure you of this: Grace killing ministers will never have that charge brought against them. They make sure of that! This issue of grace is indeed controversial. It brings grace abusers as well as grace killers out from under the rocks!

All who embrace grace become "free indeed." Free from what? Free from oneself. Free from guilt and shame. Free from the tyranny of others' opinions, expectations, and demands. Free to obey. Free to love. Free to forgive others as well as myself. Free to allow others to be who they are different from me! Free to live beyond the limitations of human effort. Free to serve and glorify Christ.

Because of grace we have been freed from sin, from its slavery, its bondage in our attitude, in our urges, and in our actions. But having been freed and now living by grace, we can actually go too far, set aside all self-control, and take our liberty to such an extreme that we again serve sin. But that isn't liberty at all, that's license. And knowing of that possibility, many opt for legalism lest they be tempted to live irresponsibly. Bad choice!

Freedom is frightening. There are people who want to be told what to do and when how to believe and why. And the result is tragic perpetual adolescence.

You can't be afraid of the heights if you're going to walk on the tightrope of grace. But at the same time you have to watch out for the strong gusts of wind that will occasionally blow like mad.

Are you siding with the accuser or the Advocate?

2010-08-24T12:04:00.002-04:00

Freedom from sin consciousness

2010-08-24T12:03:00.002-04:00

God is Satisfied with the Blood of Jesus

2010-08-24T12:00:00.000-04:00

Divine Amnesia??

2010-08-24T11:58:00.001-04:00

The Bride - Chaste? (Inspired by a vision a young girl had)

2010-08-16T08:13:00.003-04:00

A king once wanted to find a bride for his son, the prince. The prince set out on a journey to find a bride for himself. On knowing of the impending visit of the prince, the aspiring brides went to great lengths to make themselves presentable. They put on their best attire, adorned themselves with the best jewelry, and hoped to qualify to be the royal bride. As the prince was walking past these beautiful young women, his eyes fell on a not so pretty woman who was shabbily dressed. Moreover, this woman was known for her promiscuous lifestyle. She was least qualified to be the royal bride. But the prince walked over to her, took her by his hand and put his ring on her finger. He had her washed clean and purified according to the royal rites and dressed her in royal clothes. It felt like her slate was wiped clean of all guilt, condemnation and social stigma. The prince promised to return and take her home to be his bride in a few months.

Soon after the prince left, this young woman started thinking about everything that had happened. She thought about how unqualified and unworthy she was to be the bride, considering her ugly past. She thought that perhaps the prince did not know her past and she should confess to him every rotten thing she had done. She looked at herself in the mirror and thought that she should perhaps make herself more presentable to the prince. She hired a beauty professional and got cosmetic surgery to correct her flaws and enhance her beauty. She hired another professional to train her how to walk like a princess, dress like a princess and talk like a princess. She hired a fashion designer to clothe herself with expensive clothing and jewelry. She hired a life coach to teach her how to have an intimate relationship. She was busy with the 'WORKS'.

At the appointed time the prince came back to take her home to be the bride. To his utter astonishment and disappointment, what he saw was a totally different person than the simple girl to whom he was engaged. She had taken off her royal garment that he had given her and was instead dressed in designer clothing. She was arrayed in purple and scarlet color and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls (Rev 17:4).

With a sad countenance the prince said, "I loved you despite your past; I chose you to be my bride, I washed you, made you clean -- without spot or wrinkle. Wasn't my cleansing and beautifying work enough to make you beautiful? I put my ring on your finger and accepted you to be my bride when you were least qualified. Why did you have to go out and do all these things to make yourself qualified and acceptable to me? I had already accepted you the way you were. Wasn't my acceptance of you enough? Weren't you satisfied with the royal garments of righteousness that I had clothed you with? Why did you have to put on these other garments of your self-righteousness? They are disgusting like menstrual pads (Isaiah 64:6). Why did you have to fornicate with the world (law system) and it's consultants to become something that I have already made you to be? Your error is the same as that of the other women who thought they could be my bride by their own works and virtues. I say to you REPENT from your dead works"

HE THAT HATH AN EAR LET HIM HEAR!

Organizational v Organic Church

2010-08-14T09:34:00.000-04:00

Organizational v Organic Church

Eden's Religion ~ Steve McVey

2010-08-09T17:30:00.000-04:00

Like many Christians are, I was a religious person for many years. I'm not anymore. It shocked me years ago when, for the first time, I saw plainly from the Bible that neither was Jesus. In fact, it was religious people who were His strongest opponents.

The word "religion" finds its origin in the Latin word, religare. It means "to bind" as in the sense of placing an obligation on somebody. (World Book Dictionary) That's exactly what religion always does. It focuses on behavioral mandates that are supposedly necessary to satisfy what God expects from us, but nothing could be further from the truth.

The roots of religion go all the way back to the Garden of Eden. There were two trees in the Garden of Eden that were right in the center. One was the Tree of Life and the other was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The latter was "the religion tree." Why would I suggest that? It's because it provided knowledge about what is good and what is evil - the cornerstone of all religion. Eating from that tree brings a person into the religious world of discerning right from wrong in an attempt to do the first and avoid the latter. Isn't that what religion still does today? It tells us the things we ought to be doing and the things we ought to be avoiding? There's just one problem with the religious approach. God told us to avoid it altogether.

Note carefully in the Genesis narrative that our Creator didn't say eat from the good fruit on the tree but avoid the evil. He said not to eat from that tree at all - ever. His desire for you is that you live in union with Him, not out of religion. Morality isn't an issue at all when our actions flow from His indwelling Life. At that point, our behavior transcends morality. In fact, it is miraculous.

The sad reality in the modern church world is that the religious world of "Christianity" is unwittingly promoting the fruit of the forbidden tree as though it were the answer to our needs. We may say that we are defenders and proclaimers of the gospel, but in reality we are often peddling the poisonous, albeit good fruit the Serpent himself deceived Eve into eating.

The answer for us all isn't to improve out behavior. It's not to stop doing bad things and start doing good things. The fact is that even if we could eliminate all evil behavior and replace it with nothing but good behavior, we'd still have the same problem. We would still be up the wrong tree. Our Father is calling us to abandon the fruit from the poisonous tree of religious behavioral modification. He is inviting us to partake from the Fruit of the Tree of Life every day. He invites us to find our Sustenance in the living Christ, who said, "Take, eat. This is my body which is broken for you." Because of His grace we are able to freely eat from the finished work on another tree that stood on Golgotha two thousand years ago. Eating from that tree, we will never hunger again.

http://www.gracewalk.org/

Losing Track of Jesus -- Just as Mary and Joseph did, it’s easy for us to lose sight of Jesus.

2010-07-28T23:01:00.000-04:00

by Frank Viola

The story of Mary and Joseph losing Jesus in the temple is a unique, intriguing gospel account that contains a surprisingly appropriate message for believers today. According to Luke 2:42-50, the 12-year-old Jesus went up to Jerusalem with His family to celebrate the Passover feast, as was the Jewish custom of the day. After a day had passed on their journey home, the Lord’s parents suddenly realized that Jesus was missing. They searched for Him among the caravan of relatives and friends, but He was nowhere to be found.

Frantically worried, Mary and Joseph headed back to Jerusalem to search for Jesus. After three days of searching, they finally found Jesus in the temple courts. They were astonished and asked Him why He didn’t return with them. In answer, Jesus essentially said: “You should have known where I was.”

I believe this story offers a piercing lesson for the body of Christ in this hour. The lesson is simply this: It’s all too easy to lose sight of Jesus Christ, even while one is engaged in good, religious, spiritual undertakings. It’s possible to perform acts of worship and yet miss Christ in the process.

In the story, the Lord’s parents were doing something good, something noble, even something spiritual. They made the hike from Nazareth to Jerusalem to worship God for the religious festival of Passover. Their return home was also a positive act. But they got distracted and unknowingly lost Christ.

So many things are vying for the attention of God’s people today. I’m not speaking of the “cares of this life” or the “deceitfulness of riches” which choke the Word (Matt. 13:22). Those are obvious. I’m speaking of good, religious, spiritual things.

Let me offer an example. Over the years, I’ve been to countless Christian conferences and seminars. It never ceases to astound me how little Jesus Christ gets mentioned by the speakers. Ministers will wax eloquent for an hour on such themes as church multiplication, the gifts of the Spirit, God’s mission, etc. and the Lord Jesus will not be mentioned even once! The Lord said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (see Luke 6:45). What we talk about most is a good index of what we are consumed with. Just count how many times Paul refers to Jesus in his letters—it’s arresting.

In Philippians 3:8, he says, “I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” It’s possible to be occupied with the things of God and yet lose God.
by Frank Viola

It’s possible to put something else on the throne—whether it be church multiplication, evangelism, discipleship, spiritual warfare, mission or even the mighty gifts of the Holy Spirit—and lose Christ in the temple. It’s one thing to preach holiness; it’s another to present Christ as our holiness (see 1 Cor. 1:30). It’s one thing to discuss redemption; it’s another to present Christ as redemption. One is a religious thing; the other is the Lord Himself. Jesus should never be replaced by things about Him.

May the Spirit of God give us eyes to see that the Father’s chief passion and pleasure is Jesus (see Matt. 3:17); that the light of the Holy Spirit exclusively shines on the face of Christ, revealing and glorifying Him (see John 15:26); and that the testimony of holy Scripture always points to Christ
(see John 5:39). If we will put the Lord Jesus in His rightful place, then we’ll never suffer the peril of missing the main point of our faith, which is Christ alone.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FRANK VIOLA is the co-author of the book Jesus Manifesto: Restoring the Supremacy and Sovereignty of Jesus Christ.

A Lonely Road....

2010-07-28T22:57:00.004-04:00

Sometimes the grace walk seems to be a lonely journey. There's 2 kind of responses that I get. Disinterested people or the casual Christian thinks that I am 'super religious/spiritual', so they stay away from me. On the other hand religious Christians think that I am a heretic and avoid me like the plague.

I am neither"super" religious/spiritual nor a heretic. I am one who has found out that I cannot live the Christian life and so I have given up trying, acting and faking. The only person capable of living the Christian life is none other than Christ Himself. So I have given up all attempts to become like Him or to act like Him. I have discovered that because He is the only person who is able to live this life, He has come inside of me to live this life out, through me. It is no longer I who lives, but Christ lives in me, through me and as me.

I have discovered that He loves me beyond my wildest imagination or comprehension, regardless of my actions, whether good or bad. I have found out that He has forgiven all my sins by His one sacrifice 2000 years ago, and I mean all my sins - past, present and future sins. He has injected His righteousness inside me in exchange for my sin that was laid on Him. So I have given up trying to become righteous when I found that I am already made righteous, holy and acceptable to Him. So where is the room for any boasting on my part?

My only desire is that my fellow brethren and friends know that these truths apply to them as well. There is no need to struggle anymore. Just quit working to earn His blessings and simply enter into His rest and enjoy everything He has already freely provided by His finished work.

Updated: I have identified another group of people who say, "You are not an ordained minister, why should we listen to what you have to say? We will get our information from the pulpit on Sunday and that is enough for us".

Does One Who Is Born Of God Sin?

2010-07-28T22:50:00.000-04:00

Where there is no law, sin is not imputed (Rom 5:13). Sin is only sin when defined by a law. That is the purpose of the law. For by the law is the knowledge of sin (Rom 3:20). Since Jesus fulfilled the law and nailed its ordinances to the cross thereby canceling it, there is no law left to define our sin before God.

The Seed living in us is Jesus Himself and since Jesus can't sin, by association, we can't either. (Those who are joined to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord 1 Cor 6:17)

Does that mean we can no longer do bad things or are no longer able to do them? No. Of course we are still able to do wrong bad things. They are just no longer held against us as sin. Obviously we don't want to do them, but we are no longer sinners saved by grace, we are saints perpetually justified by grace.

*******
So What About Sin?
*******

Someone asked, “what about sin?”

Answer:

“Look, I really don’t know all about the mechanics of sin. I know people who can chart it out and demonstrate how sin happens and why, but I don’t know any of that. We aren’t about sin anymore, why bother with it? We’re righteousness people. The sin issue is for babies and for people who want to argue about it. Get off it! It isn’t our subject anymore. We’re about love now. We’re about others now. Sin doesn’t enter that picture, because love doesn’t allow it. When I was 18 or so and full of oats, I used to call my job and make up some excuse after partying all night why I couldn’t be at work the next day. But when I got a little older and I had kids with mouths to feed, because I LOVED them I didn’t have the luxury anymore of ditching work. Love compelled me to get out there and earn a living and take care of my family. Now that’s who we are now. We’re lovers, not sinners, and it is no longer our issue once we realize we’re He and we live for others. Give it up! Get off it! Sin has no more to do with us!”

The above note is a compilation from two different sources:

The first part was a response posted by a friend Cornel Marais. A more detailed take on this can be found at http://www.newcovenantgrace.com/misunderstood-bible-terminology-pt1/

The second part 'So What About Sin' was taken from http://thesingleeye.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/what-about-sin/.

Confessions of My Addiction

2010-07-24T12:59:00.002-04:00

I was born and raised in a traditional pentecostal charismatic family. I was taught the christian values and principles at home. I went to Sunday School and learned everything from Bible stories to the 'deep' doctrines of the church. I memorized hundreds of scriptures, participated in all kinds of church activities, and spent countless hours in the church working for the Lord. I had listened to hundreds of thousands of sermons day in and out. When I reached that age, when all of my friends were being water baptized, I submitted myself to the same.

I used to attend every youth camp, every church convention and every special meeting that was there. Every time I attended one of those meetings I would feel 'super spiritual' and very close to God. However, soon after I would come back home to the 'real world' those feelings would fade away quickly. Gradually I would feel like a million miles away from God. I would then look for the next youth camp or special meeting to 'recharge my spiritual batteries'.

I was like a junkie who was addicted and looking for a 'spiritual high'. I was hopping from one joint to the other looking to satisfy my craving. As soon as the effects of this 'drug' would wear out, I would feel high and dry. I was fighting a losing battle against sin. Every time there was an altar call I would be up there rededicating my life and making new decisions to try harder and be better. I would act and talk Christianese on Sundays and then have nothing to do with that on the other days. I would put on my Christian mask on Sundays and take them off for the rest of the week.

Eventually, I became a Sunday School teacher and taught the same stories and doctrines to other kids. But my life was still the same. I was on a religious treadmill, trying very hard, but going nowhere. I used to show up at church almost every time the doors were open. I was trying harder and rededicating my life at every given opportunity and looking for the next spiritual 'high'. All this time, I looked like a very 'spiritual' guy outwardly. But deep down in my heart, I knew that this is not how the christian life as described in the Bible, was supposed to look like. This religious 'roller coaster ride' went on until I was 33 years old (just a few years ago).

One day, at a youth retreat, as I was crying out to the Lord, He graciously opened my eyes to see what I was missing in my life. Instantly, as in a flash, the Lord gave me a glimpse of His love for me. Over the next few days, weeks, months and years the Lord took me on a wonderful journey of His grace and unconditional love. He showed me that He is SO holy and righteous that I could NEVER by my efforts attain to that level of righteousness. He started showing me how by His one sacrifice He had forgiven all my sins : past, present and future. I learned that the righteousness and holiness that I was so desperately trying to attain, was given FREELY as a gift to me. It could never be earned by my holy living or religious works. All the bible scriptures started coming to life now. I learned that by my works such as prayer, bible reading, tithing & witnessing, I could never EARN any of His blessings. Rather, I was already pleasing to Him because of what Christ had done on my behalf and He has already blessed me with every blessing in Christ. A great sense of peace and rest came into my heart, knowing that I am secure in Him.

Looking back, I can say that, although I knew 'about' Christ until I was 33 years old, I never 'knew Him personally'. I thought I knew His love, but boy, was I wrong. Although I knew all the doctrines and had memorized scriptures, I never knew Him. Now I know Christ as my life. It's no longer I living, but Christ lives in me. What I was lacking was a revelation of Christ. Now I have a such a passion in my heart that I cannot stop talking about Him, regardless of what day of the week it is. Now I 'like' to communicate with Him, read His word, be a witness for Him and be His carrier -- all without any pressure from religion. What religion could not do, Christ made it a reality in my life. Now I have found the 'REAL DEAL' so I don't go looking for a 'spiritual high' anymore. He has given me waters that will never make me thirsty and bread that will never make me hungry.

Dear friend, if you can relate to my testimony, I encourage you to be honest with yourselves and accept that it is not working for you. It doesn't make sense to do the same things over and over again and expect a different result. Don't make yourselves believe that as long as you play church and do all the right things and put the right mask on, you will be fine. Jesus longs to have a relationship with you. He is not interested in your service and what you can do for Him, He is interested in you. He loves you. I would love to hear from you.

P.S. I have to thank God for a dear friend, Jitu Galani, who introduced me to Andrew Wommack, who laid the foundation of grace, so to speak. Later on the Lord led me to Joseph Prince, Bertie Brits, Steve McVey, Peter Youngren and now hundreds of friends on 'gracebook'

The Elijah Syndrome

2010-07-23T15:36:00.000-04:00

Modern day Christianity seems to be suffering from, what I call, the Elijah Syndrome. We sing songs like, “These are the days of Elijah” and “God of Elijah, send the fire”. We pray for a double portion of the anointing that was upon Elijah, just like Elisha asked.

You may say, “What is wrong with singing such songs and praying such prayers?” I don’t mean to sound critical or sarcastic, but the truth needs to be pointed out that, unfortunately, much of Christianity is still living in the old covenant. We still have an old covenant mindset. It is as if the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus had no effect on our lives.

Dear brethren, someone greater than Elijah has already come and ushered in a new covenant!! These are not the days of Elijah, but these are the days of Jesus Christ. We don’t need a double portion of Elijah’s anointing; rather, the anointed one – Christ – is living inside of us and therefore we have the anointing (I John 2:20). Why ask for something less, when we have the anointed one ‘Himself’ living inside of us. The old covenant saints longed to see the day that we are in and yet we are praying for experiences they had.

Peter suffered from this syndrome on the Mount of Transfiguration. When he saw Elijah and Moses along with Jesus, he got excited and wanted to make a tent for all three of them. I believe that God must have rebuked Peter when He told him (and I paraphrase), “Forget Moses (Law) and Elijah (Prophets), listen to my Son Jesus” (Matt 17:5). It is His time now. The old is gone and the new has come.

Saints, the truth of the new covenant is that we have been given ‘Christ ‘ who is the power of God, inside of us, through the Holy Spirit of God (I Cor 1:24). In Him dwells all the fullness of the God (Col 2:9). Out of His fullness and power we have received everything needed for life and godliness (John 1:16; 2 Peter 1:3). The power that we have received in Christ through the Holy Spirit cannot even be compared to what Elijah and the Old Testament prophets had. The apostle Paul did not pray that the people should have more power or a double portion, but rather he prayed that their eyes would be opened to see the ‘exceeding greatness’ of this power that was in them and available for them. This power that is in us, is the same power of the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead (Eph 1:19,20).

Beloved, it is time that we do not pitch any more tents for Elijah or pray for old covenant experiences. A greater and more powerful reality of Christ –the Anointed One – living in you by the Holy Spirit has been ushered in.

House of God??

2010-07-22T16:31:00.010-04:00

Have you ever heard the phrase "the house of God"? I bet you've heard it a million times, like, "thank God for bringing us to the 'house of God' this morning" or "Let us go to the 'house of God'" or "don't neglect coming to the 'house of God'". We welcome the Holy Spirit into the 'house of God' and so on and so forth.

Let us think about it for a moment. Are we saying that God lives in "buildings" that we call 'church'? Acts 17:24-25 and Acts 7:48 says that God does not dwell in temples made with hands. So how can we call 'buildings' the 'house of God'?

So where is the house of God? Today, we are the house of God. He has taken up residence inside our hearts. 1 Cor 3:16 says "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? 1 Cor 6:19 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?"

The kingdom of God is within us today. His throne is in our hearts. After our church services, God does not stay back in the building that we call "church". He does not go out and come into the building every time we "welcome" Him.

And guess what, He plans on staying in your heart; He has no plans to move out. His name is Emmanuel - God with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. He's not the kind that packs up His bag and leaves at the slightest offense.

So, you are the 'house of God'. Where ever you go, you take the 'house of God' with you. You take Him, the resident in you, with you all the time - to your place of work, school, market, ballgame, you name it. We are ONE with Him. The next time you hear the phrase, 'the house of God', bells should go off in your mind saying 'I am the house of God'.

If We Don't, He Won't?......by Christina Wing

2010-07-13T21:56:00.000-04:00

Growing up and even recently I was being tossed in the ocean of uncertainty of the Character of God. Thinking somehow instead of trusting Him I could control Him with what I did or didn't do. If I wanted my "vats overflowing" then I would make sure my offering was sacrificial. If I wanted His wisdom then Bible study would increase daily. If I wanted my marriage to be successful then we'd better repent if we fornicated before the rings and the cake! If I wanted to hear "well done faithful servant" then my "holy check list" better be being checked off daily. If I wanted His protection then I'd better be towing the line of spiritual "goodness"...You know what I mean..Make sure He's #1 in the morning, don't make your prayers short, rather long and "holy like". Better not "rush into His presence" with crying out to Him. Acknowledge His greatness before making your supplications known. If I wanted forgiveness and mercy I better be sure I was forgiving others. If I wanted Him to acknowledge my prayers then my sins were being confessed and the slate was clean between us. (to be really honest with you guys I would fall asleep confessing all my daily know and unknown sin before I even begun with anything else). Bottom line if I wasn't doing this "walk with God" program correctly then I wouldn't be blessed and even more frightening I would be cursed by Him..something bad would happen. You guys have been there "oh my car broke down, this is because _____"." My marriage is in shambles because our family hasn't been participating in regular worship at our church." My children have walked away from God because we did this or didn't do that with the youth group."... This may seem like a horribly scary relationship and that we are slaves to our ever increasing desire to "control the way things go in our lives"..It's really draining and sad. There is no "joy in Lord"..Consequently our other relationships in our lives begins to be dictated in like manner. Full of expectations and requirements in order for us to respond with acceptance and rewards also punishment and painful withdraw.

The good news!! Your blessings and love from the God of love is not based on what you do or don't!! When you get this it's freeing and your heart is filled with this new wonder and love relationship with the Father. Then reality hits "Oh no, I am no longer pulling the strings on God's favor in my life. I have to trust this love now, what if something bad happens, what will He do when I give my marriage and my children and finances to Him to do with what He will"? Will He "Job" me! LOL...He say's those in fear have not been perfected in His love. I speak to myself here. If we spend less time trying to impress Him or get His blessings and more time just resting in His love, unconditional love, then I believe Him that He will perfect His love in me. He doesn't intimidate us into loving Him, He doesn't force us into "perfect Christians". There is no fear in love. The age old saying "go with the flow" is true..His flow, His perfect, loving flow. Jeremiah 29:11 comes to mind a lot for me. He knows the plans He has for us, and TRUST it's the perfect one for you!

The author Christina Wing is a free believer in Christ and a beloved sister. Visit her on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000193752597&v=info&ref=ts#!/profile.php?id=100000193752597&ref=ts

It Is Time To Expose My Father Publicly......

2010-07-12T13:52:00.000-04:00

It is time to expose my father publicly, for who he really is. This is my father, who gave life to me.

As far as my memory goes back, my father was always interested in changing my behavior. He would always nitpick on every little thing I would do. He would constantly ‘convict’ me of everything that I did wrong. He would always keep nagging at me to do the things that he thought I should be doing. He used to have a big rod, just itching to use it, every time I fell out of line. At other times, he would hang over my head, the fear of throwing me into the ‘fire’ in bonfire pit in our backyard. Thus he would scare me into obeying his rules and commands.

As the years went by, the constant threatening and terror of my father kept me in line. This had such an effect on me that before I did anything ‘fun’ in life, I would consider how far I could go without crossing the line drawn by my father. I would indulge in those things to the point that I would be very close to violating his rules, yet not violating them. Once in a while he used to remind me that it was all out of love for me. Fear and torment kept me obeying his rules.

After my father had given me his list of rules, he would often test me by orchestrating some circumstances or situations (he called them “trials”), to display my ‘true nature’ and to see ‘what was in my heart’. He said that these “trials” were to ‘humble’ me or in other words ‘humiliate’ me. At other times, when he saw that there were ‘unsanctified natures’ in me, and despite his repeated admonishments there was no change in me, he would go to the extreme of inflicting severe physical pain. Once he broke my bones by throwing me in front of a speeding car. At another time he brought an illness on me by poisoning my food. At other times he would break things that were dear to me like my bicycle. To make it worse, he often used my idol worshipper neighbor (agent of satan) as his accomplice or agent to bring these ‘trials’ and ‘temptations’ to prove me and build my character.

Talking about gifts, on the very rare occasions that I got something from him, they were not really gifts, because I had to ‘earn’ them. In the midst of my ‘wilderness’ like life, some of these so called ‘gifts’ were like ‘salvation’ for me. But such ‘salvation’ like gifts were given to me on the condition that I behave and keep his rules, if not, he would take these saving gifts from me. I would lose them for eternity. Vacations brought me rapturous joy and it was like heaven for me. But he also threatened me that if I did not live up to his rules and measured up to his standards, I would be ‘left behind’ home alone on our next vacation trip to suffer torture from our demon-possessed neighbor.

This was my greatest fear of all. I couldn’t even imagine being ‘left behind’ in a house haunted by my demonic neighbor. So I would try my best to keep all the “I’s” dotted and the “t’s” crossed. If I messed up, I had to keep an account of those things and at the end of the day with great guilt and shame I approached my father with the list. I had to beg, wail and plead with him to forgive all my misdeeds. Sometimes he would tell me that I had to forgo my meals, in other words ‘fast’, and do a thorough job of searching my life for every rotten thing I had done and every command that I had disobeyed. I had to make a commitment that I would turn from my ways or ‘repent’ and after much begging and pleading I was allowed to sup at the table.

This was the same modus operandi for even getting him to provide for me, protect me and getting my needs met. I used to wake up in the middle of the nights and cry out to him in my heart to grant my requests. I made sure that I had done everything I could have possibly done to obtain his favor. I used to have set appointed times in the day, usually once in the morning and once before going to bed, to make my requests known to him. I would butter him up by heaping praises on him. I would say such things to him that I thought would press his right buttons. Sometimes he would act deaf, so I had to raise my voice and cry out to him. I had to use the right salutations when I addressed him like, “loving, most adorable, precious, your majesty, and highly exalted father.” At other times, I had to get 50 other people to join me and convince him to grant my request.

Such was my relationship with my father, or lack of thereof. Can you imagine having such a life? Everything that I have described above is pure fiction. But yet, this is exactly how religion has portrayed and misrepresented our loving heavenly father to be. We attribute to Him, characteristics that match that of an evil, proud, impatient, angry, rude, narcissistic, masochistic person, which is nothing but the nature of the devil. Some people attribute a split personality or schizophrenia to Him. That is not how my heavenly papa is!

Our heavenly father is love. He is primarily interested in having a relationship with you, not how he can change you or not even in what you can do for Him. He is after your heart, not after your service. Once that connection happens between His heart and your heart, the Christian life will flow effortlessly. Everything you do will be the fruit of a loving relationship with him, not because of fear of going to hell or not making it in the rapture. It won’t be about mindless religious duties and following rules out of fear, but out of love for our daddy. Religion will use fear to control and manipulate you. I challenge you to meditate on these things and be honest with yourselves – is it a religion that you are following or is it a relationship based on love with our heavenly father?

How Do You See God? - Steve McVey

2010-07-12T10:27:00.000-04:00

One of the greatest effects of sin's curse when Adam fell in the Garden of Eden was the way it tainted humanity's view of God. Until he sinned, Adam had walked through the garden with God every evening. What a time of intimacy that must have been!

But everything changed when sin entered in. Immediately Adam was filled with fear of God and hid himself. He imagined that God would come storming down upon him in anger and judgment because of His sin. He couldn't have been more wrong. God came that evening for His daily walk. There is no evidence that He came in anger with intentions to condemn Adam. He came for His walk! I wonder what would have happened if Adam had come running out to God from his hiding place and have cried out, "Father, I've done a terrible thing! Help me!" I can only imagine. However, that was not to be. From this moment onward, Adam wouldn't see God clearly again, but would only see a distorted caricature of the true God.

From this day forward, he would smear his own sense of guilt and self-condemnation on the face of God. Adam's sin didn't change God at all, but it radically changed Adam. From now on, He would see God as a Punitive Judge who is first and foremost interested in how we behave. He lost the awareness of the reality that our God is not a harsh Judge but a loving Father whose interest and concern is our welfare. He doesn't hate sin because of its moral implications. He hates it because of what it does to those He loves.

The whole Adamic race would, from that day forward, show all the signs of sin's infection. They would no longer see God as Love but rather would see Him as a Legalist who scrutinizes their behavior for infractions that needed to be judged.

God isn't into punishment. Is there a punishment for sin? Of course, but sin brings its own punishment. The wages (punishment/penalty) of sin is death but be sure that it is sin that punishes, not our Father. (Discipline is another subject. That has to do with being "discipled" when our Father allows us to experience sin's consequence for the purpose of lovingly teaching us its dangers.) Our Father's heart is to pour out His love on us. After all, God is love and Love can do nothing that is unloving or He would contradict His own nature.

Legalism would have us believe that in a world where God isn't out to punish us for our sins, people will go crazy sinning. They think that the only thing that regulates our behavior is Marshall Law imposed on us by heaven. Behave or else. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Paul wrote, "The love of God compels me." It isn't punishment but Agape that motivates us toward godly lifestyles. The need of mankind today is to understand the love of God. When we understand that His interest in us is that we fully live the life He intends, which can never be motivated by fear, we will begin to find the rest that Adam knew before He sinned.

(This blog is excerpted from this week's Sunday Preaching broadcast now online at www.gracewalk.org.)

What Is The Bible Basically About?

2010-07-07T12:57:00.001-04:00

He Removed The Price Tag

2010-07-06T09:54:00.004-04:00

Growing up, I've always been asked, "What have you done for the Lord in return for what He has done for you?" This question has always brought guilt and condemnation in my life. I was always unsure of if I had done enough, if there was something more that I could have done? I always felt short of God's expectations. Have you ever felt like that? Well, don't let anyone take you on a guilt trip anymore.

Author Darin Hufford, in his book, 'The Misunderstood God' puts it so beautifully. He says, "Don't ever feel that you have to repay God for the suffering He went through for you. This was a gift to you! Anytime we attempt to repay someone for a gift they gave us, we are diminishing that gift. An attempt to repay someone for a gift is really a rejection of that gift. You'll never know how much it cost to see your sin upon the cross because God removed the price tag from the gift before He gave it to you. Just receive it and go on. It's free. Boasters always expect repayment, and they make sure everyone knows what their gifts cost them. God is not this way. He never boasts!

The Misunderstood God - The lies religion tells about God

2010-07-05T10:25:00.002-04:00

"Could you imagine me holding my nine-month-old-son, Jude, in my arms and telling him that under no circumstances would I share my glory with him? What if I lovingly told him that if he disobeyed me again and again I would pour gasoline on him and light him on fire? What kind of father would I be if I explained to him that he needed to give me 10 percent of everything he had or I would withdraw my hand of protection from his life and allow the fires of hello to swallow him? What if I told one of my daughters that she was put here on this earth to be a servant and a slave to me? Could you picture me telling my children that I've written everything about me down in a book and unless they read it every day of their lives, they'll never know me? What parent would purposely inject their child with a terrible disease as a punishment for disobedience? What father would turn his head away from his son or daughter the moment the child made a mistake?"

Can you imagine this about an earthly father? Yet we have attributed these things to our heavenly father whose love knows no bound and no conditions.

Every bad thing that happens in this world gets blamed upon God. If we lose our jobs, we think God is a the root of it. If we have heart attacks, God gave them to us. If we lose loved ones, it's because God killed them. If our businesses fail, we immediately suspect that God is punishing us for something we did. Every terrible thing that happened is charged to God's account. We truly believe that God has the character and personality of the devil.

The Glorious Mystery: God Within Us by Clair Collinger

2010-06-18T21:19:00.000-04:00

Colossians 1:27

Jesus desires to be even closer to us than a brother or a friend. He is not only the God who is above us and the God who has come among us; he is also the God who desires to dwell within us. This is the fact that the apostle Paul described in Colossians 1:27 as “the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” It is the wonder he describes in Galatians 2:20 when he says, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”

This is the mystery we were made to contain: the very life of Jesus. He means to live out the reality of who he is right here within the reality of who we are. He means to be our lives – the breath in our lungs, the thoughts in our heads, the energy and creativity in our jobs, the love in our hearts. He means to take on the stress and unravel the inner complications so that we can move through our lives just as he did, in gentleness and simplicity and harmony.

We were never intended to be more than containers: temples to contain his glory (1Corinthians 3:16-17), branches to contain the sap of his life (John 15:1-8), vessels to contain the new wine of his Spirit (Romans 9:20-21). We are the glove; he is the hand. We are the cup; he is the coffee. We are the lamp; he is the light.

This is what we were made for. This is the intended purpose of the human person and personality; not to be gods, but to contain God. This is the kind of unity that was present in the garden but that is sadly missing in this world. It is the sheer simplicity of God’s design that was shattered by humanity’s sin. And it is the reason that Jesus came and cared and was tortured and killed and laid in a tomb and raised to life again …… so that he could give us another shot at being what we were intended to be. christasus.com

Part A - 'A biblical defense of the gospel of grace - Rob Rufus

2010-06-17T17:22:00.000-04:00

9 May 2010, Part A - 'A biblical defense of the gospel of grace', Rob Rufus from City Church on Vimeo.

What Do You Mean by ' Christ IN You'? by Nancy Gilmore

2010-06-15T18:17:00.000-04:00

What Do You Mean. Christ IN You? by Nancy Gilmore

Paul made an astounding statement when he said that "he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit ". This union of our spirit with the Spirit of God is the fulfillment of Jesus' prayer in John 17, "that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity."
The great secret of living that was given to Paul by special revelation is the fact of "Christ in you, the hope of glory". This was his special emphasis. But what does it mean for Christ to be in us?
Most of us start out by conceiving of God as an old patriarch who lives way off in the skies. Later, when we come into a personal relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ, we learn that instead of living a long distance from us, God lives in us through His Son. Yet we still tend to think of Him as separate from us, even though "in" us.

Paul, however, came to see the glorious truth that for Christ to be in us is for us to be joined as one with Him. There is no separation between us: we have become one spirit, just as He and His Father were one when He walked this earth as Jesus of Nasareth.

Continually Paul spoke of believers as being in Christ. He was referring to this spiritual union. To be "in" Christ is to be joined as one with Him, so that His life is our life.
Using the example of a sponge filled with water to the point that it can absorb nothing else aids me in understanding how two are one. You don't necessarily see the water, but it's there. Yet if the sponge is squeezed, the water appears. The water and the sponge are one, but the one does not dissipate the other. And through our life's experience, as we are "squeezed", the Holy Spirit flows out. From our innermost being, our spirit, come rivers of living water.

An illustration I like even better is to think of our human spirit as jello in powdered form. The Spirit of God is the hot water that is added to the jello to make it what it is intended to be. The jello is of no real value until the water is joined to it. The powdered jello absorbs the water to the extent that it becomes so much a part of it that you can't tell one from the other. The water is the "fulfillment" of the jello, enabling it to be what it was meant to be. So too with our union with Christ. It looks like me, but it is really Him; even as the jello looks like jello but is really water expressed as jello.

The flavors of the jello might represent our individuality. Grape is Nancy, peach is Marj, cherry is Jody, orange is Jenny, and strawberry is Mary Ann. We're all the same, and yet we're all different. Many flavors, but the same filling. Each of us is one spirit with the Lord, yet expressed in different ways. And of course we're all in different molds, different bodies, with our various shapes and sizes and unique characteristics.

When Paul spoke of Christ as being "in" us, he meant that when we live it is really Christ living. For Him to live was Christ! He was simply the particular flavor of jello in which Christ chose to express Himself - Christ in Paul form.

Jesus was a unique expression of the Father. And He prayed that we might be unique expressions of Him! "That they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity." His name was Immanuel, "God with us." For Him to live was God; so too for us to live is Christ. He lives as us, expressing Himself through us just as the Father expressed Himself through Him. This is the meaning of "Christ in you, the hope of glory."

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The Illusion of Separation - Peter Youngren

2010-05-23T02:03:00.002-04:00

The God kind of Faith - Part 1

2010-05-03T09:58:00.000-04:00

Rom 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

What is Faith? Is it difficult to have faith? Is it something that we need to muster up on our own? It has been a subject on which there has been a lot of teachings and sometimes to the extent of producing guilt and condemnation for not having enough faith. Strong’s concordance says that the meaning of the greek word ‘pistis’ for faith is persuasion or conviction.

So how do you get faith (persuasion or conviction) about someone or something? It is by getting information about that person or thing. For example, if you let a salesman at the door talk to you long enough about how good his product is, chances are that you will be persuaded about that product. The longer you listen to him, the more the persuasion arises in you. You then become so persuaded that you buy that thing (faith in action – persuaded to such an extent that there will be a corresponding action). But that kind of faith or persuasion is about something or someone that you can see or pertaining to the physical realm.

What about faith for the things of God that we cannot see. For example, we haven’t seen sin, God, Satan, nor can we see in the physical that our sins were taken away. We cannot have faith in such things by our natural faith. We need God’s supernatural faith! So how do we get God’s supernatural faith? In the same way that you get persuaded by getting information about something in the natural, we get supernatural faith or persuasion about spiritual things by hearing the word of God (Rom 10:17). Moreover, this kind of faith is a gift from God (Eph 2:8). So the way it works is that, when you are presented with the good news of the word of God, that word brings the supernatural faith or persuasion in you. As a human being you have the choice to respond to that persuasion.

So then the God kind of faith is something that you do not have to work up on your own, it is a gift of God (lest any man should boast), which comes by hearing the word of God. But the question is have you heard the word of God that produces His faith in you or have you heard the word that produces fear, guilt and condemnation? What is the word of God? What is the faith of God? To be contd………

How Important Is Persistence In Praying About A Matter? - Steve McVey

2010-04-28T20:00:00.000-04:00

I used to believe that it increased the likelihood of having my prayers answered if I prayed constantly about the thing that concerned me. I thought the longer I stayed on my knees about it the better off the outcome would be. I don't believe that anymore. God doesn't need me to convince Him to act on my behalf. Jesus once told a story that illustrates the heart of the Father toward us:

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ For a while he was unwilling, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly (Luke 18:1-8).

Isn’t Jesus telling us all that we need to keep praying and praying and praying without giving up on the Father answering our prayer? I think this view misses the point. Jesus is using an unrighteous man as His example in this story. Jesus stresses twice that this judge “did not fear God nor respect man.” He wasn’t a loving, caring man at all. He was indifferent to the needs of the supplicant and had to be worn down by persistent begging.

The truth Jesus wants us to see is that we are not to think of God that way! In this story Jesus was doing what He did so many other times, and that is to make an argument through contrast. We are missing the point if we think God is like that judge, unconcerned with people’s needs and only responding if we badger Him into it. No, Jesus’ point is, “If even an unrighteous, uncaring judge can be persuaded to act for you, how much more will the perfectly loving and good God respond to our heartfelt cries!” He isn’t telling us that we have to pray tremendous lengths of time to persuade our Father. What He is saying is that anytime and every time you pray, you can have confidence that He hears and will answer. All the time you can pray knowing that He loves you and isn’t holding out on you until you prove your sincerity by time and effort in prayer. God isn’t a Judge who needs to be persuaded. He is a Father is eager to answer you and to show you His love!

We reverse it in our minds sometimes, and believe that God doesn’t care. We think, “If we can just get enough people praying, and can log enough time in prayer, then maybe we can cause God to do something He really isn’t interested in doing. If He’s not now on our side, maybe we can win Him over through sheer effort and persistence.”

But the truth of grace is just the opposite. We don’t have to persuade a reluctant, unconcerned God. It’s the other way around. God is the seeker. He is the primary lover. God is always the initiator, so in reality the way it works is this: When the Lord gets ready to do something, He often moves the hearts of His people to pray. He moves us to pray, and we might be moved to invite others to join us in prayer. Then they can share in the process and become a part of the answer as well. When we become involved in prayer, God allows us to participate in what He’s doing in this world.

Back to the story Jesus told of the unrighteous judge: It’s important to note that in the story he told, Jesus had the supplicant appealing to a judge for help. He wanted us to see that our Father isn’t like the person depicted in this story. The judge was reluctant to answer, but our Father isn’t.

How we view God has everything to do with what expectations (faith) we have when we come to Him in prayer. I’ve already said that Jesus was using contrast to show the difference between our situation when we ask God for something and the situation of the widow in His story. There can be a difference in our expectation and approach when we come to Him because of the difference in the identities of the one the widow was beseeching and the One we are asking for help.

She was talking to a Judge. You aren’t. You are talking to your Father. That difference cannot be overstated. God isn’t a Judge who is sitting in heaven with a judicial mindset toward you that causes you to have to appeal to Him as you would ask a human judge to show you mercy and to grant your petition to the court.

Our God’s relationship to you isn’t judicial. It is relational. He is your Father and He delights in responding to our heartfelt requests. You can approach Him with the full knowledge that He doesn’t have to be persuaded to act in your best interest. His role in your life is based on His loving character. That fact gives you reason to know that you don’t have to beg Him. You don’t have to get enough people to convince Him the way somebody might show up in court with a petition signed by a multitude of people to convince the judge to rule in their behalf. Your Father is already on your side and is eager to bless you in every way. The story of the widow and the judge doesn't teach the lesson many of us have been told. In fact, it teaches just the opposite.

ASHAMED OF WHICH GOSPEL? - Jim Richards

2010-04-26T15:13:00.002-04:00

Most Christians live a mixture of law and grace without even realizing it. That is why so many struggle with the Faith Righteousness teaching of Paul. We claim to be fully righteous, yet still hold on to things of the law....self-effort, works to earn approval and salvation. That is not what Paul taught. He taught a complete righteousness in the "FINISHED" WORK OF THE CROSS....AND TAUGHT THAT OUR LABOR NOW IS TO "JUST REST."
Below is a great article on the message of "Faith Righteousness," the gospel that should be preached by every believer. Paul preached it and so should we! )

Faith righteousness, according to the apostle Paul, is the stumbling stone of the Gospel. In other words, more people stumble over this issue than any other doctrinal point, (Rom. 9:30-33) and nothing has changed since Paul wrote those words.

Paul's message of faith righteousness caused him to suffer persecution by nearly every religious faction, but those who fought him most fervently were Jews and Judaizers who insisted that the message of faith righteousness and grace promoted sin. As pious and noble as their claim for righteousness seemed, it was faulty at two very key levels: it overlooked the finished work of Jesus and it robbed believers of the power to live in righteousness.

Paul's argument for faith righteousness was fairly straight-forward. It was prophesied in the Old Covenant. The law never worked, no one ever measured up. This is the rest that God had promised. But the heart of the issue is explained in Romans 14:1, those who think performance makes them righteous are weak in the faith! As admirable and logical as their arguments may seem, they don't fully trust what Jesus accomplished through His death, burial, and resurrection!

The opposition that Paul faced for preaching the Gospel may be different than what we suppose. In a polytheistic, Roman world there was no major issue with preaching a new god. There were, however, two very contentious issues: The first issue was the Lordship of Jesus. The idea of absolute loyalty and trust to Jesus as Lord flew in the face of everything the religious and political world was willing to tolerate; but the issue that caused more persecution than any other was the doctrine of faith righteousness.

In his letter to the Galatians Paul declared that he would not have been persecuted if he had simply gone along with the legalistic, religious world. It would have been alright to preach Jesus as Savior as long as he made righteousness a matter of works. Faith righteousness flew in the face of Gnosticism, Asceticism, Judaism, and every other form of religious belief; it was the stumbling stone and the point of contention for nearly every religious dogma.

In Romans 1:16-17 when Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, he didn't stop there. We lift this verse out of context and attempt to apply it in a very general sense. We make this about whether or not we will testify for Jesus or forward a "Christian" email. While there is no harm in that application, lifting it out of context robs it of the deepest truths held therein.

In verse 17 Paul explains, For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." The thing he is not ashamed of is the Gospel of Jesus that reveals faith righteousness from faith to faith, i.e., beginning to end. This was the source of his incredible opposition and persecution. He didn't preach a gospel that started with faith and ended in works. It was faith for everything - especially righteousness!

When he wrote to the Galatians he challenged the fact that someone had bewitched (Gal. 3:1) them by preaching another gospel, (the Greek says another of a different kind) which he said is not a gospel at all. (Gal. 1:6) It had components of the Gospel he preached but it abandoned the one thing that would give them the power to live in God's righteousness and escape the dead works and legalism wherein they had labored for so long. After getting saved the gospel they turned to was: get saved by faith in Jesus but be made righteous by your works.

It was here that Paul presented the question that the church today must answer, Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? (Gal. 3:3) Faith righteousness doesn't fit the doctrinal reasoning of the carnal mind; it's just too good to be true; but that's why it's called Gospel: good news!

This Gospel, the one that reveals faith righteousness from beginning to end, is, according to Paul, the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. The impotence in the church today is the result of a watered-down gospel that starts by faith but drags man into a never-ending pursuit of performance and dead works. Few Christians really know, believe, and base every aspect of their faith on the finished work of Jesus.

As we turn our back on the grace of God, (His supernatural ability given freely) we are saved but left to survive in our own power. The more we fail, the more we turn to law, rules, and regulations to protect us, totally ignoring the warning that Paul gives: the strength of sin is the law. (1 Cor. 15:56) Law can be the Old Testament, our denominational creed, or any performance we trust to make us righteous and qualified before God.

When people attempt to live by the law they always find themselves failing. According to God's Word no one has been made righteous by the works of the law. (Gal. 2:16) When our rules are disobeyed we add more rules. At every failure we look to a new rule only to find there is no power in rules. Eventually it just becomes more than we can hope to do so we give up or become deceitful, self-righteous legalists who capitalize on self-justification! Law doesn't work because law always causes sin to grow!

Law is the strength of sin on many levels. Paul taught us that what is not of faith is sin. (Rom. 14:23) In Hebrews he warns that continuing in the willful sin of trusting in the law is like doing spite to the Spirit of Grace, treading underfoot the Son of God, and treating the Blood as a common or unholy thing. (Heb. 10: 2-29) It's a rejection of all that Jesus is and all He did. Trusting in the law alienates us from grace (God's ability) and neutralizes the power of righteousness working in our life. Christians who trust in their works for righteousness are as powerless as they were before coming to Jesus.

The greatest struggle of faith is to believe we are righteous through Jesus' finished work instead of our own works. Each time you pray or face a challenge you should remind yourself: "God answers my prayers because I am in Jesus. I am qualified for all the promises because I am in Jesus. I am free from the curse because I am in Jesus." If you started this journey by trusting Him, finish this journey by trusting Him!

As it turns out, when we ask ourselves if we are ashamed of the Gospel we should clarify the question. Am I ashamed to stand up and acknowledge that in me, in my flesh, in my ability dwells nothing that could make me righteous before God? Christ alone is my righteousness, qualification, and security before God. All that God offers me is because I am in Him. This is what I mean when I declare: Jesus is my Lord!

When You Come Together - How is it Supposed to Be?

2010-04-13T18:05:00.003-04:00

When you come together, how is it supposed to be like? Are we functioning like the church Christ intended? Or are we like unused parts of the body that have atrophied and died? Watch all 3 parts of this powerful video (Videos loop one after another).

A Brand New Creation

2010-03-29T13:29:00.001-04:00

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

As we are approaching Good Friday and Easter, the whole world remembers the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While that is very important, most Christians fail to see the complete picture that WE TOO were crucified with Him, buried and raised to a new life with Him. Let me remind you once again that when Christ was nailed to the cross 2000 years ago, you and I were crucified with him too. (Gal 2:20; Rom 6:6; Col 3:3; 2 Cor 5:14). But you say, “How can I believe that?” I say, “How do you know that Christ died for your sins? Were you physically there when He died? Did you see it with your eyes?” You accept it as truth by faith and receive the forgiveness of sins. In the same way, by faith, see yourselves hanging on the same cross, inside Jesus. He took you and me into Him when He died. 2 Cor 5:14 says, “If one died for all, therefore all died”.

The good news doesn’t end there. Not only did you die, but you were buried and raised with Him with a New life. You receive this New life when you are born again from your dead spiritual state. This New life is nothing other than the very life of Jesus. To explain this in simple terms, there are 3 things that happen at new birth. 1) You appropriate the forgiveness of sins provided 2000 years – you are washed clean. 2) You are given a ‘brand New spirit’. A divine surgery takes place inside you. God takes out your dead spirit and transplants a brand new spirit or a brand new “you” inside of you. Read 2 Cor 5:17 – It says you are a brand ‘new creation ‘– which means one that never existed before. The old you is gone forever, never to come back again. 3) The spirit of Jesus or the Holy Spirit comes inside of you and becomes one with your new spirit. I Cor 6:17 says, “he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit”. Your spirit and His spirit join to become one spirit. That is why Paul could say that even though he (Paul) is living, yet it is no longer Paul living, but Christ living in Him. Same is the case with all of us.

Dear friends, this is absolute good news! Christ Jesus came inside you to live in you, and to live through you, and guess what, to live AS you! You don’t have to struggle anymore, let Him do His work in you and through you. Christian (Christ-in) life is not about YOU anymore, it is about Christ in you. Christian life is not about ‘you doing’ something for God; rather it is Christ working through you. So what is your role then? – Just be available for Him. Christ needs a body to work in this earth, and He uses your body and personality to do that work. Not only that, His life is dispensed and manifested through your life, to the extent you let Him do so. This is one of the original purposes for which man was created, to be the image or representation of God on this earth. Adam, by not eating from the tree of life, could never accomplish that purpose. Today you and I have the life of Jesus (the tree of Life) which Adam chose not to have. Hallelujah!! There is a world around you waiting to be ministered to, by the Jesus inside you. Will you stop working out of your own flesh and let Him work through you? REST IN HIM! It’s better to do ONE thing which Jesus does through you, than 100 things you do on your own FOR Him.

YOU ARE DEAD!

2010-03-25T19:55:00.000-04:00

Let me tell you a secret - The Christian life is not only hard, but is impossible to live. So quit trying to live it. There is only one person who can live it and that is none other than Christ!

He wants to live His life through you. Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” If you have been struggling to live your Christian life, Jesus is asking you to STOP all your religious acrobatics and self-efforts and simply be joined to Him and rest in Him. Let Him live His life through you. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (I Thess 5:24). For it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. (Phil 2:14). He is the author and finisher of your faith; He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. Many people think that He is the author but they have to be the finisher, He is the alpha and they are the omega. NO! He began a good work in you and He will perform it until the day of Christ (Phil 1: 6). If we are unfaithful, He still remains faithful (2 Tim 2:13). Verse after verse, do you see that you are not the one supposed to be doing the work, rather it is He who is working in you. Do you see that the Christian life is no longer “I”, but Christ who lives in me? (Gal 2:20)

Gal 2:20 should go deep down in our hearts. It is worth quoting that verse. ‘I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.’

Dear friends, 2000 years ago, when Christ hung on that cross, you were also crucified with Him. You are dead! It is no longer you that is living, but Christ is alive and well and living in you. Christianity is not a behavior modification program or trying to live a holy life. Rather, God took your life and nailed it to the cross with Christ and in exchange He gave His life freely to you! He couldn’t do anything with your life. It had to be put to death on the cross. Yet many people are rededicating their lives to God and trying to do something with their lives for God. Young brother, dear sister, you cannot do it, which is why Christ laid down His life for us, so that He could give His life to us, so that He could live His life through us! As long as we are trying and trying and trying, He cannot live His life through you. When you rest from your works that is when you will see His life manifest through you. This is the secret of victorious Christian living. It is no longer I but Christ who lives in me! You step back and trust Him to live His life through you moment by moment.

Quit trying to please Him with your works, quit trying to score brownie points with Him. The one thing that pleases Him is faith, for without faith it is impossible to please Him – Faith in what Jesus has done and has given us freely, independent of our works! He is already pleased with you! He Loves You! Enter into His Rest!

Have You Heard the True Gospel?

2010-03-24T18:18:00.001-04:00

(Please read this article and answer ONE question at the end)

"If God has already forgiven all our sins by His grace through Jesus Christ, and we are made righteous apart from our works, wouldn’t that cause people to go out and sin with impunity? Doesn’t this give people a license to sin?" - This is a very common question and objection to the pure unadulterated gospel of grace. Perhaps, after reading my articles, this question must have crossed your mind too. Did you know that Paul, in his presentation of the gospel, had to stop and interject this question, ‘Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace’ at least three times (Rom 6:1, 15 and 3:8) so as to make sure that people weren’t getting the wrong idea?

What Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones of the Westminster Chapel, London, had to say about this question is very PROFOUND. He said, “The true preaching of the gospel of salvation by grace alone ALWAYS leads to the possibility of this charge being brought against it. There is no better test as to whether a man is really preaching the New Testament gospel of salvation than this, that some people might misunderstand it and misinterpret it to mean that, because you are saved by grace alone it does not matter at all what you do; you can go on sinning as much as you like because it will redound all the more to the glory of grace. If my preaching and presentation of the gospel of salvation does not expose it to that misunderstanding, then it is not the gospel. Let me show you what I mean.

If a man preaches justification by works, no one would ever raise this question. If a man’s preaching is, ‘If you want to be Christians, and if you want to go to heaven, you must stop committing sins, you must take up good works, and if you do so regularly and constantly, and do not fail to keep on at it, you will make yourselves Christians, you will reconcile yourselves to God and you will go to heaven’. Obviously a man who preaches in that strain would never be liable to this misunderstanding. Nobody would say to such a man, ‘Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?’, because the man’s whole emphasis is just this, that if you go on sinning you are certain to be damned, and only if you stop sinning can you save yourselves. So that misunderstanding could never arise.

I would say to all preachers: If your preaching of salvation has not been misunderstood in that way, then you had better examine your sermons again, and you had better make sure that you are really preaching the salvation that is offered in the New Testament to the ungodly, the sinner, to those who are dead in trespasses and sins, to those who are enemies of God. There is this kind of dangerous element about the true presentation of the doctrine of salvation.”

So, if you will be honest with yourselves, please answer this one question - In all your years of sitting in the pews and listening to sermons, has any sermon ever provoked you to think – ‘preacher, are you saying that we can sin now since we are under grace’? If no preaching has ever raised this question in your mind, then perhaps, you have never heard the true New Testament Gospel.

Canning Peaches!

2010-03-23T19:28:00.003-04:00

Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

The gospel has 2 parts to it: 1) forgiveness of sins and 2) restoration of Life to dead men. Forgiveness of sins is provided by the death of Jesus on the cross, whereas His Life is given by His resurrection. When were we reconciled to God, according to Rom 5:10? – When we were His enemies? Why were we reconciled? – So that we could experience His life. Without understanding and experiencing complete forgiveness (not momentary forgiveness) provided by the cross, one can NEVER experience the reality of His Life.

To understand why Christ had to deal with the sin issue (forgiveness) once and for all, the process of canning is an excellent illustration. Imagine that you are going to preserve some peaches. The first thing that needs to be done is to sterilize the jars. Why the sterilization of the jars? – So that the peaches will be preserved from spoiling. So when the sterilization of the jars is done, do we stop with the process? No, the reason we sterilize the jars is so that we can fill them with something.

God’s sterilization process is the cross whereby we are forgiven. His filling process is Christ coming to live in us through His resurrection. Unfortunately, many of us have only heard one half of the gospel – which is the sterilization process or forgiveness of sins. Worse yet, many are not even convinced that the jars are clean once and for all by His sterilization process. They think that His sterilization has an expiration date, which is when they mess up.

But by focusing only on the sterilization process or forgiveness of sins, not only have we missed out on experiencing the Life, but we have missed the purpose of forgiveness in the first place. The reason that God had to deal with the sin issue once and for all was so that we could be filled with Christ “without spoiling.”

Actually, that’s not the end of the canning process. After sterilizing the jars and filling them with the peaches, the jars are sealed. Sealing keeps the good things inside and the bad things that would spoil the contents outside. Eph 1:13 says that, “after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise”.

Cleansing, filling, and sealing: a wonderful picture of salvation! Once we see that the goal of salvation is the raising of dead men to life; it is easy to see why Christ had to deal with the sin issue once and for all.

(Adapted from Bob George’s “Classic Christianity – Life’s Too Short to Miss the Real Thing”)

Yakoub's Confusion!

2010-03-22T20:49:00.000-04:00

Heb 10:2 ..because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

Heb 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Let’s imagine that Yakoub is an Israelite from the days of the Old Covenant. On the Day of Atonement, Yakoub is participating in and watching the rituals being performed at the temple. The High priest kills a bull and a goat and enters the Holy of Holies and sprinkles blood for the covering of sins. Then he takes another goat and transfers the sins of the entire nation to that goat by laying his hands on it. They confess their sins and this goat is driven away to the wilderness never to come back again. Now Yakoub has been fasting for this event. He goes away happy that his sins have been taken care of. But this forgiveness that he received lasts only for a year. The next year on the same day, he has to participate in this annual fasting prayer, where he has to confess his sins again, the substitutionary sacrificial animals are slain and the scapegoat is driven away.

The reason this had to be done over and over and over again was because the blood of bulls and goats could only "cover" sins and not take them away completely (Heb 10:4). Yakoub thought to himself, "If there was a perfect sacrifice that would completely take away all the sins that I would commit in my lifetime, then there would be no need for this annual sacrifice year after year. One sacrifice would take away all my sins and make me clean and perfect before God forever. I would never have to think about sins ever again and walk with a guilty conscience."(Heb 10:1-4)

Fast forward to the days of John the Baptist. Beholding Jesus he says, "Behold the lamb of God that “takes away” the sins of the world." Seems like Yakoub's dream is about to become a reality. The writer of Hebrews hammers away at the truth that Jesus offered Himself as "ONE sacrifice for all time". Why not over and over again like the old covenant sacrifices? Because by ONE sacrifice He completely took away our lifetime of sins, removed guilt and gave us a pure conscience, and made us clean and perfect in the sight of God. This is what Yakoub has been longing for. He is now happy that the perfect sacrifice has been made once and for all.

Now let’s fast forward to the modern church. Imagine Yakoub attends one of our services. He watches people fasting and moaning and groaning and confessing their sins. He begins to scratch his head. The scene reminds him of his old days when he used to do the same thing pondering over all his rotten sins while waiting for the animal to be slain on his behalf. He says, "Something is wrong with the picture here. Jesus' sacrifice was supposed to deal with the sin issue once and for all. People were supposed to be forgiven once forever by His ONE time sacrifice. People were never supposed to be conscious of sins anymore. People were supposed to be made clean and perfect. I guess the sacrifice of Jesus only “covered sins” and did not “take them away” completely. I guess the sacrifice of Jesus did not do its job. If the sacrifice of Jesus was 100% effective then the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins!(Heb 10:2) I used to only have an annual reminder of sins; these people seem to be having a monthly, weekly and, in most cases, a daily reminder of sins. My forgiveness by the blood of bulls and goats lasted for one full year; these people's forgiveness seems to last only till the next time they mess up. I guess the blood of bulls and goats was superior than that of Jesus. What's wrong with this picture?"

Forgiveness Q & A

2010-03-17T14:15:00.003-04:00

Col 2: 13,14 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

I want you to answer some questions about forgiveness of sins. If you put away your religious or denominational cap for a few minutes and think honestly, the answers you arrive at may shock you and may be the most wonderful discovery you've ever made.

1. Did Jesus die for your sins?
2. Did Jesus experience the righteous wrath and fury of God against sin? If so whose sin was it – Jesus or your sin?
3. If Jesus bore your punishment and died on your behalf, what does that make you - GUILTY or FREE & FORGIVEN (cleared of all charges against you)?
4. If you were (FORGIVEN) cleared of all charges, would it be fair for you to be judged and punished again?
5. Did Jesus die for ALL your sins?
6. If so how many of your sins were forgiven?
7. When Jesus died more than 2000 years ago, how many sins had you committed?
8. Does that mean when Jesus died, ALL your sins were future sins (not yet committed)?
9. If, when Jesus died, all your sins were future sins, can you say today (March 15, 2010) that Jesus died for and forgave ALL your sins (past, present and EVEN the future ones)?
10. Can we say that God stands in eternity outside “time” and can see the end from the beginning and he paid for and forgave ALL your sins even when they were future sins?
11. Was His cruel death on the cross and your forgiveness dependent on your choice to participate in it?

Heb 9:26 says that Jesus appeared to put away or “obliterate” sin by His own sacrifice. Did He do a good job at obliterating your sin? God has blotted or erased your sins from his memory (Heb 8:12; 10:17; Isaiah 43:25) by the sacrifice of Jesus. Why remind Him what He has chosen to forget? Jesus said, “IT IS FINISHED”. The issue of sin has been taken care once and for all by the perfect sacrifice of Jesus. He removed your sin and declared you innocent. Do you believe this too good to be true good news (gospel)?

Do We Become Progressively Righteous? - Steve McVey

2010-02-17T13:03:00.000-05:00

The Bible teaches that we are righteous people but many of us struggle with that reality. There are also many common misunderstandings about this concept. Those who fail to understand that righteousness is received entirely as a gift (see Romans 5:17) often wrongly think that it can be achieved through various things we do.

If you think that you can become righteous by your own efforts, I remind you that self-effort produces only one kind of righteousness — self-righteousness. The righteousness which is of God comes by faith and it is a gift to us in the person of Jesus Christ. Self righteousness will prevent us from ever experiencing the grace walk.

The biggest misunderstanding about our righteousness is that it's a progressive growth into righteousness Some people believe that we become more and more righteous as we walk with the Lord. But, it’s not by what we do that we become righteous. The Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:30 that Jesus is your righteousness. “But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, ‘Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" So, how righteous are you? Look at it this way: on a scale of 1 to 100, how righteous is Jesus Christ? One hundred.

Now, using that same scale, what was the level of righteousness possessed by the Apostle Paul? How about you? How righteous would you say you are? The answer is 100%. You are as righteous as Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ is our righteousness. We may not always act righteous, but that fact doesn’t change the reality of who we are. Don’t allow your feelings to dictate what you believe about this matter. Let what God has said have the final say about it. That is our ultimate authority, right?

Let me illustrate the point this way: Imagine if I found a ring at church and brought the ring in and showed it to everybody and asked whose it was, but no one claimed it. Someone might say, “You found the ring. No one has claimed it, so it’s yours to keep.” I look at the ring and it looks like about a one carat diamond. Immediately I think, “I wonder what that’s worth.”

So I take it to a friend and I ask him what he thinks the diamond is worth and he tells me it’s worth about six or seven thousand dollars. Then I take it to another friend and he says, “No, that’s not a real diamond. That is cubic zirconia. I think it is only worth about three hundred dollars.” I then take it to yet another friend who looks at it and says, “That came out of a toy machine. That’s just plastic. Why, that’s not worth more than about three dollars.”

At this point I have opinions that range from three dollars to seven thousand dollars. How do I know the value of the ring? I take the ring to an appraiser and he would set a value on it based on the price that someone was willing to pay for it. So if someone was willing to pay five thousand dollars for the ring, then the value of the ring is five thousand dollars. I could look at the ring and say, “This ring equals five thousand dollars.” The ring and the five thousand dollars have the same value.
When you and I came into the world, we were born with a big question mark over our heads. The question was, “What is my value? What am I worth?” Unless you know your identity in Christ, you are always asking one way or another, “What is my value? What am I worth?” We try to establish in our own minds what our value is based on what other people tell us (We will probably get varying appraisals, depending on whether we ask our mother or our employer).

But there is a way that you can know your value. Bring yourself before the expert. Come to God and say, “Can you tell me my value?” God will answer, “Yes, I can.” He will determine your value the same way the appraiser determines the value of the ring. It hinges on what price is someone willing to pay for you.

God could say, “You have been bought with a price. And I am the One who bought you. What I paid for you is Jesus.” Isn’t that response biblical? Then would it be accurate to say that to God, you are of equal value to Jesus. It almost sounds blasphemous, doesn’t it? But I want to assure you that your heavenly Father treasures you like He treasures His own Son because Christ is your life. You are now one with Him. You are 100% righteous because He is 100% righteous.

In fact, you will be no more righteous in heaven than you are right now. I’m not talking about your behavior. I’m talking about your nature. I’m talking about who you are. Righteousness by progression is a legalistic lie that implies you make your own way toward greater righteousness by doing the right things.

Jesus - The Only Point of Reference

2010-02-15T12:17:00.001-05:00

Do your possessions, health, size of your ministry etc. define you and your worth? Jesus is the only definition of your value and worth.

The Stumbling Block and the Foolishness - Paul White

2010-01-22T20:09:00.001-05:00

1 Corinthians 1:23 we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness

It seems that the world has nothing but good things to say about the life and statements of Jesus. They frequently quote Him in everything from motivational books to Hollywood movies. His birth is celebrated the world over, and His life is viewed as a model of virtue and peace. The cross of Christ, however, has never enjoyed the universal appeal that is so often associated with the man, Christ Jesus. The finished work, where Jesus paid the sin debt for the world, is not only ignored, but is often in dispute as to whether or not it even happened.

Paul was unashamed to declare that he preached Christ as crucified. The emphasis placed on “crucified” shows us that there are more ways to preach Jesus. There is certainly nothing wrong with preaching of the birth, life or principles of Jesus, but it is His death that changed the world. His finished work brought peace between God and men, ending the war against sin that had waged for nearly four thousand years.

To the Jew, Paul called the cross a “stumbling block”; to the Gentile, “foolishness”. The Jews had received the Law at the hands of Moses and they felt that the keeping of that Law entitled them to eternal life. The Law demanded works, and the cross declared that the work was finished. Many Jews “stumbled” at the prospect of righteousness apart from works.

Gentiles then and now, often view that finished work as foolish. While the Jew stumbles at the cross because they feel righteous through the Law, the Gentile feels that they need no redeemer. Thus, the prospect of someone dying for them is a foolish one. I have actually had some say to me that they didn’t see the need for Jesus to die for them. Well, I’m glad He died for me!

Both Jew and Gentile share a common problem; both trust in their ability to save them. The Jew trusts the Law while the Gentile trusts their wisdom and intellect. Only when one comes to the saving knowledge of Christ do they see that the cross is the apex of power and wisdom. Paul says that, “the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25).

When you hear the cross of Christ preached, you are hearing the power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18). It is power to us, because we have had its effects at work in our heart. We know what we used to be, but the death of Christ brought death to our old nature, and a new start to our lives. Thanks be to God for that Old Rugged Cross!

See His finished work today as having been done on your behalf. He was cursed so that you could be blessed. He was rejected so that you would always be accepted. He finished it all, so that you could have it all. God bless

What Is Better About the Better Covenant

2010-01-19T19:13:00.002-05:00

Offending Weaker Brothers - Steve McVey

2010-01-19T12:16:00.003-05:00

I've often heard the teaching that, as Christians, we shouldn’t do anything that might offend somebody. While there is a biblical truth about being an offense that we need to understand, it's also the case that many Christians have been put into bondage by faulty teaching about the passage in the New Testament which speaks about not being a stumbling block for weaker brothers. Some have misrepresented that text and suggested that if anything that you might do could potentially be offensive to somebody else, then you ought not to do it. That’s not at all what the Bible teaches.

The Scripture does teach that we are to relate to each other on the basis of love. Loving people in the most effective way - that is the key. There is no disputing the fact that the Scripture says that if we have a weaker brother in our lives, who does not understand our freedom in Christ, then because of our love for that brother, we might be wise to be cautious and careful in our behaviors, so as not to offend the person. That’s an act of love, it’s an act of grace toward a weaker brother - someone who’s not strong in grace.

On the other hand, I think the verse has sometimes been taken to the extreme and taught to mean that if somebody is not going to like something that you do, then you ought not do it. The truth is, to approach the Scripture from that viewpoint, will cause you to go into bondage, because there will be many things in your life that somebody believes you shouldn’t do.

If you look across the body of Christ, there’s a diverse body of opinion about different things within the church world. Christians differ about music, movies, dress, alcohol, women in ministry, styles of worship . . . the list goes on and on. Some parts of the Body of Christ get into issues like where we should shop. For instance, I spoke to somebody the other day, who said that they believe that Christians ought not shop at WalMart, because this Christian believed they practice unfair labor practices. That is a conviction that they have. Well, does that mean that I should never shop at WalMart, for fear of offending that person?

The bottom line is this: To say that you shouldn’t do anything that might offend someone isn't true. You need to relate to every person in love, but recognize that Jesus Himself sometimes offended religious people by the things he chose to do. He healed on the Sabbath. In fact, He said and did many things they didn’t like. So we relate to people from a heart of love, but we don’t allow ourselves to be controlled by public opinion. The Holy Spirit will show us the balance between the two if we truly love people and ask Him to guide us.

Should We Really Do Everything Jesus Said? - Steve McVey

2010-01-19T12:12:00.001-05:00

Is it really true that we should do everything Jesus said? I've provoked criticism of my teaching at times when I've said that the answer to that question is, "no." There is a new movement of those who call themselves “red letter Christians”, who say: “I’m living by the red letters in the New Testament.” That refers to the Bibles that have the words of Jesus written in red. “I’m doing what Jesus said.” Well, the truth is, we need to consider how to rightly divide the Word. Jesus Christ said a lot of things at times, when He was not speaking to us. Remember that Jesus lived under the Old Covenant. The New Covenant didn't become effective until His own death.

I’m not minimizing the words of Jesus, His words are very important. In fact, His words are so important that we need to properly understand them. And we do that by examining to whom He was speaking, when He was speaking, and what He was saying.

I'll say it again a second time for emphasis: Jesus ministered under the Old Covenant, so he said a lot of things to those people, that once He had died on the cross and been raised from the dead, what He told them became obsolete in terms of your life. "Now," you might say: “wait a minute, you've gone too far! You are saying we don’t have to do everything Jesus said!" Well, do you really believe you should do everything Jesus said?

What about in Matthew 5 when Jesus said that if you look upon a person with lust in your heart, you should pluck your eye out? Any man reading this, if you really believe you should do everything Jesus said, you better get busy and start digging at your sockets right now. What about when Jesus said, “if you are tempted to steal, chop your hand off”? What about when he told the rich young ruler, to sell everything that he had and give it to the poor?

Somebody will protest, "Don't be ridiculous! Of course, He didn't mean that we take that literally!" My response would be, "Okay, then we are in agreement that we aren't to do everything Jesus said. It's just a question now of what words he spoke apply to us and which don't."

Those who say you should do everything that Jesus said, conveniently pick and choose the things they want to do, while ignoring and explaining other things away. How about when Jesus washed his disciples’ feet, and said: “as I have done this to you, so you should do this to each other”. Have you washed other Christians’ feet? If we are going to stand doggedly and determinedly on a certain point like this, then let’s practice it, let’s be consistent about it.

For instance, take the words of Jesus in what is commonly known as "the Lord's prayer." He said to pray, saying "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." He goes on to say a few verses later that you won't be forgiven by God unless you forgive others. Now, wait a minute. Was He talking to you at that moment? He was not. That was spoken before the cross -- before the New Covenant began.

Every passage that deals with forgiveness after the cross teaches that we forgive others, but not so that we will get forgiveness. We forgive others because we have been forgiven and it's now our nature to forgive. For instance, Ephesians 4:32 say, "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." Under the Old Covenant, people forgave or else. Now, under the New Covenant, we forgive because we have been forgiven.

It is a misunderstanding to suggest that we should do everything that Jesus said. What we should do is understand what Jesus said and what it meant, when it was said, and take his words seriously enough to rightly divide the word of truth and to apply his words in the way they were intended to be applied. If you believe that you should do everything that Jesus said, you are going to experience a lot of self condemnation in your life because I know you are not going to do everything he said, like plucking out your eye, selling all you have and giving it to the poor, or washing other Christian’s feet. So let’s rightly divide the Word and take the words of Jesus seriously enough that we examine them in light of the New Covenant.

Does Teaching Grace Lead To a Careless Lifestyle? - Steve McVey

2010-01-14T18:13:00.001-05:00

I do grow weary at times of having to answer the paranoid legalists who are so afraid that teaching pure and undiluted grace may lead people to think it's okay to sin. The strange thing is that when I ask them if that's what the teaching causes them to want to do, they always say it doesn't. It's not themselves they're worried about. It's these other pitiful, weak Christians who might misunderstand and be led astray. After all, they don't have the maturity to know how to handle the truth so we'd better keep our teaching about grace in balance with a generous serving of warnings about the dangers and evils of sinning.

It’s the old give-‘em-an-inch-and-they’ll-take-a-mile syndrome. Some are afraid that if you truly embrace the grace of God, it’s going to cause you to go out and live a lifestyle of sin. Their reasoning is that if you tell people that their sins are all forgiven and that they’re under God’s grace, they won’t be motivated to live a godly lifestyle. They question what will prevent them from going out and misbehaving. They completely underestimate the presence of the indwelling Christ who is in us! They miss the point that it is the Holy Spirit who has taken up residence in us. He can be trusted! He is quite capable of leading people into righteous behavior without all our warnings to them.

God’s grace is not a license to sin. Those who say that the teaching of pure grace sounds that way reveal their weak understanding of the topic. That's what they said about Paul too. In fact, that's what they say about anybody and everybody who has the gall to preach grace without watering it down with a little legalism.

God’s grace is the divine enablement by the life of Christ in us, for us to be all that we’ve been called to be and all that we’ve been called to do. Grace won’t cause you to go out and sin. To the contrary, it will empower, enable, and motivate you to live a godly lifestyle. Titus 2: 11–12 explains, “For the grace of God appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age.”

The Bible says that the grace of God teaches us; it instructs us. What is the focus of that instruction? It instructs us in denying ungodliness, and it teaches us how to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age. Apparently, Paul wasn’t afraid that grace was going to cause people’s lives to run amuck. He saw grace as the antidote to ungodly behavior.

Let’s ground our thinking in what the Bible says and not in irrational fears that somebody might abuse grace if that is what they are taught. Rest assured – the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will not become a motivator for sin. His grace will inspire, instruct and invigorate you to walk in a way that is fitting with who you are in Him! In an effort to calm the nerves of jittery legalists, I'm not going to water down the gospel by warning people about how they better avoid sinning. The gospel is good news and nothing but good news. When people get that, behavior will take care of itself.

Stop Trying To Stop Sinning - Steve McVey

2010-01-12T18:59:00.001-05:00

Building on yesterday's blog topic about sin consciousness, let's consider this whole issue of how we are to relate to sins. The primary project for most Christians in the modern church is to reduce the number or frequency of sins in their lives. It's a sin management program that they devote themselves to with great zeal and sincere commitment.

It all sounds so good on the surface. That's the subtlety with legalism. It sounds right to the religious ear despite the fact that it contradicts and ignores what the Bible teaches. It sounds so right to some that to become Godly requires that we work hard to change our bad behaviors and replace them with good ones. To them it's all about diminishing the number of sins that we commit and increasing the number of good things that we do. But Godliness doesn’t come from that. Godliness is not the absence of sin.

The truth is this, the reason you’re godly is because the Spirit of God lives in you. The Holy Spirit came into you. Jesus said, "it’s necessary for me to go away, so that the Holy Spirit can come." And when the Holy Spirit came into you, He said: “I’ll never leave you, or forsake you.” Since the Holy Spirit came into your spirit, and your spirit is the core of your identity (and it is), then you are holy, you are Godly, because God’s Spirit is inside you. It doesn’t have to do with resisting sin, or giving into sin. The truth is, you’re just as Godly whether you sin, or don’t sin. Your identity isn't established by what you do. It is established by what He has done!

That fact scares the legalists, because it causes them to think “If you tell people that, they’ll go out and sin!” No,to the contrary. When we understand who we are, and we know that we’ve been made godly through Jesus Christ, that activates – becomes a catalyst within us - to not want to go out and live a sinful lifestyle. Religious rules are to sins what gasoline is to a fire. (See Romans 7:5) Jesus, on the other hand, is our Fire Extinguisher.

The idea that if we resist sin, we become more Godly, that is a lie that will cause you to take your eyes off of Jesus Christ, and put them on your temptation. Remember, the Scripture says if you set your mind on the things of the flesh you’ll reap the things of the flesh.

The truth is, we need to put our eyes on Jesus Christ, and know that we are already Godly in Him, and when we understand that, and we rest in Him and in the reality of our own righteousness in Him, then the godliness which is ours in Christ, will be reflected through our lifestyle and our actions, and the sins of our life will simply fall away because we’re so consumed and obsessed with Jesus. Stop trying to stop sinning and start trusting in the One who has dealt with your sins in totality! You're not evil. You are holy. Deal with it :)

Sin Consciousness - Steve McVey

2010-01-11T17:50:00.002-05:00

There is an obsession with sin management in the modern church world that I think may fit under the category of "Idolatry." Some Christians talk and think more about sins than they do Jesus Christ Himself. "But don't we need to focus on overcoming our sins?" some may ask.

The Bible says that Jesus came to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. That's the reality we need to lock in on in life! Sin doesn't intimidate God. He defeated it, once and for all, on the cross. So why should we spend our time making sin the object of our attention? When He took all of our sin into Himself and said “it is finished”, that’s exactly what he meant. Now we are to focus on Jesus Christ, not ourselves, not our sins. We’re to focus on Jesus Christ. The Bible says if you set your mind on the things of the flesh, you will reap the things of the flesh. So if we want to walk in victory over sins, we don’t do that by focusing on the temptation to sin, we focus instead on Jesus.

In Colossians 3, Paul said “If you are risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

As we focus upon Jesus Christ, we will find that the attraction toward that temptation that has us in its grip, will become weaker and weaker. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is our strength. I think of the old song that I sang growing up as a teenager that said “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”

The perfect sacrifice for sin has been given and the Bible says that because of that we can now live without sin-consciousness. (See Hebrews 10:1-2) Now we live with the consciousness of Christ, our Righteousness!

Super Abounding Grace!

2010-01-07T17:34:00.002-05:00

Super Abounding Grace!

[Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more].

This verse is not referring to a particular sin because then we’d never be able to tell exactly which sin Paul was referring to. Instead it refers to the inherent tendency to sin that entered the human heart, which turned Adam into a sinner by nature. Adam then passed this inherent sinful nature on to all his offspring. Yes it was only a single act of disobedience, but it opened his heart to the entrance of the sinful condition.

Every human being has inherited this sinful nature from Adam, and the reason why the Law was given was to stimulate our sinful nature so that we became more aware of our sinful condition.

[Rom 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come]. Because of Adam’s sin, the whole world became guilty. If anybody were to end up in hell, it would not have been because of their own sins but because they inherited Adam’s sinful nature at birth. In the same way, nobody will go to heaven because of their own goodness or level of obedience, but only because of their faith in Jesus’ perfect obedience.

[Rom 5:15 But the free gift is not like the offence. For if by the one man’s offence many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many]. Because of Jesus’ obedience, those who believe in Him are justified by faith.

Now when God gave the Law it was meant to come in beside sinners to show how huge our lack of holiness really was. It wasn’t given to turn mankind into sinners, because sin existed even before the law was given (see Rom 5:14 again). The purpose of the Law was to show us the depth of our depravity. God didn’t introduce the Law because He wanted to make us sin more, but He wanted us to be more conscious of our sins and the fact that we had an utterly sinful nature. Notice in Rom 5:15 that Paul does not say “offences” (plural) but “offence” (singular), which is a reference to the sin (sinful state) of Adam. A few of the heroes of the faith made the following comments:

Charles Spurgeon: “A stick is crooked, but you do not notice how crooked it is until you place a straight rule by the side of it. You have a handkerchief, and it seems to be quite white. You could hardly wish it to be whiter. But you lay it down on the newly fallen snow, and you wonder how you could ever have thought it to be white at all. So the pure and holy law of God, when our eyes are opened to see its purity, shows up our sin in its true blackness, and in that way it makes sin to abound. But this is for our good, for that sight of our sin awakens us to a sense of our true condition, leads us to repentance, drives us by faith to the precious blood of Jesus, and no longer permits us to rest in our self-righteousness. It was the practical result of the giving of the law that men became greater sinners than they were before, and it was the design of the law that they should see themselves to be greater sinners than before. The law is the looking-glass in which we see our spots, but it is not the basin in which we wash them away. The law has a provoking power, for such is the perversity of our (old) nature that, no sooner do we hear the command, “You shall not do so-and-so,” than at once we want to do it”.

Dave Guzik: “The flaws in a precious stone abound when contrasted with a perfect stone, or when put against a contrasting backdrop. God’s perfect law exposes our flaws, and makes our sin abound. There is another way that the law makes sin abound. Because of the sinfulness of my heart, when I see a line drawn I want to cross over it. In this sense, the law makes sin abound because it draws many clear lines between right and wrong that my sinful heart wants to break. Therefore, the law makes me sin more – but not because there is anything wrong in the law, only because there is something deeply wrong in the human condition”.

John Piper: “I take it to mean that one crucial function of the law is to turn our original sin into actual transgressions of specific commandments. First, we are guilty in Adam and sinful by nature, and then the Law confronts us with the specific will of God: “Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t covet.” And the effect is that it turns sinful nature into specific sinful acts of transgression. One writer said it well: the Law makes little Adams out of us all”. (”The law has the function of turning those it addresses into ‘their own Adam.”)

So we see the Law was given so that sin might abound. Our key verse however says that where sin abounded, Grace abounded much more! [Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more]. Let’s look at some quotes on Grace that abounds:

Wayne Barber: “Now there are two words used in that verse for abound or increase. The first one is pleonazo (used with “sin”), which means “is more than enough” or “to have enough.” The other word (used with Grace), perisseuo, is actually a synonym, but when they are used together, they are saying different things. Pleonazo means to abound, but perisseuo means to go even beyond that (and) takes it to a greater extreme. Not only that, but Paul put a preposition, huper, in front of the word perisseuo (huperperisseuo). So what he is saying is that not only does Grace extend beyond where sin increased, but Grace goes WAY beyond”.

In his book, “What’s So Amazing About Grace,” Phillip Yancey points out that part of our problem is in the nature of Grace itself. Grace is scandalous. It’s hard to accept, hard to believe, and hard to receive. Grace shocks us in what it offers. It is truly not of this world. It frightens us with what it does for sinners. Grace teaches us that God does for others what we would never do for them. We would save the “not-so-bad”. God starts with prostitutes and then works downward from there. Grace is a gift that costs everything to the giver and nothing to the receiver. It is given to those who don’t deserve it, barely recognize it, and hardly appreciate it. That’s why God alone gets the glory in your salvation. Jesus did all the work when he died on the cross.

Law added transgressions, showing even more clearly the super-abounding (huperperisseuo) Grace of God. Grace did not set aside the Law, but rather completely satisfied it. As deep as sin goes, God’s Grace goes deeper. As wide as sin is, God’s Grace is wider. When sin abounded, Grace super-abounded. God’s Grace is greater than all our sin.

Barnhouse also comments on Paul’s use of “abounds” and “super-abounds”: “In the Greek, these are two different words. “Where sin overflowed, grace flooded in.” Where sin measurably increased, grace immeasurably increased. Where sin abounded – pleonazo – grace did much more abound – huper-perisseuo. The prefix huper is like the Latin “super”. The movie ads have taught us what “super” does to a word. Instead of being colossal, something is super-colossal. So, where sin could be measured by multiplying the number of commands of the law by the number of human beings in the world, Grace could never be measured because it would require the multiplication of the number of acts of God’s Grace by the infinity of His being. Our text might well read: “Where sin was finite, Grace was infinite.”

In Grace
Andre van der Merwe

Joel Brueseke - NEW Covenant! (Get out of the shadows)

2010-01-07T17:08:00.000-05:00

Heb 10:9 "He takes away the first that He may establish the second."

About this New Covenant: This is not "Old Covenant, Part 2." This is not a continuation of the Old Covenant. This is not a mixture of two Covenants. This is not a "new" way to do the same old thing. This is not an amendment to the Old Covenant. This is not "picking up where the old left off." This is a completely different covenant. This is "a better covenant, which was established on better promises." (Heb 8:6).

The old system of a priesthood of mortal men (see Heb 7:23-25 "prevented by death from continuing"), and everything that went along with it, served a purpose under that old covenant, but it is now done away with. The old tithing system that was set in place to provide for the Levites, widows, orphans and strangers, served its purpose under that old covenant, but it is now done away with. All of the sacrifices, which had a purpose under that old covenant, have now been done away with.

The curse of the law has been done away with. In fact, the Law has been "wiped out," "taken out of the way," "nailed to the cross." (Col 2:14). Did Paul really say that? YES HE DID! Trying to be obedient to God's Law has been done away with. Man's relationship with the law altogether has been done away with! One has to be dead to the law in order to be married to a completely different spouse, Jesus Christ. (Rom 7:1-6, Gal 2:19-20). They are not the same, and you cannot be married/joined to both.

God's law was "a shadow of of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things" (Heb 10:1). It, along with the sacrifices, could never make anything perfect and could never take away sins, but really only brought about a reminder of sins! (Heb 10:2-4).

However...

JESUS HIMSELF - the PERSON - is the reality, is the substance (Col 2:17). The reality/substance is not a system of rules and laws and sacrifices, but is a Person. Jesus' one-time, once-for-all sacrifice did away with ALL of that! With one sacrifice, the system of laws and ordinances was done away with, as was the entire priestly system and the entire OLD COVENANT. "What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh..." (Rom 8:3). Jesus Himself became a curse for us (Gal 3:13) and became sin for us (2 Cor 5:21). With one sacrifice, Jesus TOOK AWAY the sin of the world! "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). "But now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Heb 9:26).

If we want to live in the fullness of the reality of Jesus Christ, we need to get out of the shadows and instead focus on the substance - the Person of Jesus Christ who IS our life and who is our light. He Himself IS the reality of the abundant life.

Joel Brueseke - Ten specific examples of what was against us and contrary to us...

2010-01-07T17:05:00.001-05:00

If the last post didn't step on any toes, I'm sure this one will. But let's at least look at what the Scriptures say. "Let us reason together." :)

First, a summary:
Scripture tells us that something was against us and contrary to us. It tells us that we were in bondage to something. It tells us that in Christ, this has now been taken out of the way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete. Isn't it quite astounding for God to go to such great lengths to take something out of the way, nail it to the cross and make it obsolete! So what is it that was against us, and contrary to us, and put us into bondage... and God then took out of the way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete?

Gal 4:24 "For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage..."

Col 2:13-14 "And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross."

Heb 8:13 In that He says, 'A new covenant,' He has made the first obsolete. Now what is obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."
What came from Mount Sinai? God's LAW. What is the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us? God's LAW. What has been taken out of the way, nailed to the cross? God's LAW. What has been made obsolete? The Old Covenant, which was based upon man keeping God's LAW.

Brace yourself, I'm here to lay it down.

----------------------------------------

The following was against us, contrary to us, a source of bondage to us, and is now taken out of our way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete:

"You shall have no other gods before Me."
The following was against us, contrary to us, a source of bondage to us, and is now taken out of our way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete:

"You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."
The following was against us, contrary to us, a source of bondage to us, and is now taken out of our way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete:

"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."
The following was against us, contrary to us, a source of bondage to us, and is now taken out of our way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete:

"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."
The following was against us, contrary to us, a source of bondage to us, and is now taken out of our way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete:

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you."
The following was against us, contrary to us, a source of bondage to us, and is now taken out of our way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete:

"You shall not murder."
The following was against us, contrary to us, a source of bondage to us, and is now taken out of our way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete:

"You shall not commit adultery."
The following was against us, contrary to us, a source of bondage to us, and is now taken out of our way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete:

"You shall not steal."
The following was against us, contrary to us, a source of bondage to us, and is now taken out of our way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete:

"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
The following was against us, contrary to us, a source of bondage to us, and is now taken out of our way, nailed to the cross and made obsolete:

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's."
(All of the above: "The Ten Commandments," taken from Exodus 20:3-17)

We now have something so much better than all of this! All of the above is good and holy, but it was weak in that it could never do a thing to make us good and holy. All it did was to make us guilty before God. It was against us, contrary to us, and put us into nothing but bondage. But what the Law could not do, God did by sending His Son. We have now died to the above so that we could be joined with Christ, whose life in us will always lead us into what is good, holy and righteous. We are now free to serve righteousness, which is something we could never, ever find in the Law!

Joel Brueseke - What was against us and contrary to us has been wiped out and made obsolete!

2010-01-07T17:03:00.002-05:00

This post, and the post to follow, are not posts that are meant to turn your head a little. They're not simply "double-take" posts. These are absolute all-out in-your-face posts! I might even make some enemies with these posts, and I'm willing to take that risk. But my ultimate hope is that the words in these posts will be used to set people free.

For too long the Church of Jesus Christ has been involved in an atrocious, yet all too widely accepted, form of Christianity that continues to include within it various forms of the very thing that Christ came to set us free from! Actually, this has been going on for 2,000 years. Certain early Christians, such as the people in the churches of Galatia, were so involved in this atrocity that the Apostle Paul, in a strong rebuke, called them foolish and he asked them who had bewitched them that they would turn back to such things!

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free," Paul said (Galatians 5:1), but yet there are still many Christians living today who are in bondage to the very thing that Christ set us free from! It should not be this way! So what is this terrible, heinous form of slavery that Christians are involved in, through the preaching and teaching of it, and through the daily yoking of themselves together with it?

The LAW. God's Law. God's holy Law. I'll be specific: The Ten Commandments (and any and all other of God's 600+ laws and ordinances in the Bible). This is what Christians, to their detriment, are misguidedly teaching and preaching as the way of the Christian life. The paradox here is that God's good, holy law... is not good for us! It was against us and contrary to us (Colossians 2:14). It was bondage to us (Galatians 4:24). See, God's good and holy Law has this itsy bitsy little shortcoming when it comes to sinful man: It can make no one perfect or holy or good! (See Hebrews 7:18-19 and Romans 8:3). So what God did through Christ was not to enable us to live according to the standards of His Law, but rather He took the Law out of the way by nailing it to the cross with Christ! (See again Colossians 2:14). And so with the Law nailed to the cross and our sin taken away, we were freed from our bondage and made close to God by His grace. We now live, not by God's Law, but by the Life of Christ that has come to indwell us.

So why the obsession with the Law in Christianity??? Do we not get that it was against us and that we had to die to it in order to belong to Christ? (Galatians 2:19-20, Romans 7:4). Jesus
said He didn't come to destroy the Law. He came to fullfil it. And guess what? At the cross, all was fulfilled!!! When Jesus died, God's Last Will and Testament (the New Covenant) was executed. When all was fullfilled, and the New Covenant came to be, God made the first covenant "obsolete" (Hebrews 8:13)! We can't miss the fact that Jesus, "after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God" (Hebrews 10:12). Jesus sat down, signifying that the work was complete and sufficient and finished forever!!! What the Law could never have done, Christ did once and for all.

Thank GOD that what was against us and contrary to us (God's Law) has been wiped out and nailed to the cross and made obsolete! Because of this, we are truly FREE!

Joseph Prince - The Gospel Saves In Every Situation

2010-01-07T16:59:00.001-05:00

Romans 1:16
16For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…

Each time you hear the gospel of Christ, you are hearing God’s good news for you. And the Bible tells us that the gospel of Christ — the good news that God wants all men to hear — is the very power of God for your salvation, not just from hell, but also from illnesses, financial lack, harm, a failing marriage — every aspect of your life that needs saving!

You may say, “Pastor Prince, I’ve heard the gospel of Christ, but it seems like I am one of those whom the power of God has missed.” My friend, when you hear the gospel of Christ, do you really believe it? You cannot just understand it in your mind. You must know and believe the good news in your heart, and then you will see that it is the power of God for your salvation.

But what is the good news that God wants you to know in your heart, which will release the power and salvation of God into your situation?

“For in it [the good news] the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith…” (Romans 1:17) The good news is that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, which you receive from faith to faith.

This means that this righteousness comes because you have faith in His blood, not your good behavior, to make you righteous. It is from faith to faith, not faith to works, or works to works.

The good news is not preached to show you what is wrong with you. It is preached to show you what is right with you because of Jesus’ work at Calvary, in spite of what is wrong with you!

There is nothing left for you to do to earn God’s blessings for your life. You only need to hear and believe the all-encompassing saving power of the gospel of Christ to heal you of diseases, preserve you from danger, prosper your finances and bring well-being to your family.

The world may say that the good news is too good to be true. But for those of us who are the righteousness of God in Christ, the good news is so good because it is indeed true!

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Joseph Prince - You Have First-Class Righteousness

2010-01-07T16:57:00.002-05:00

2 Corinthians 5:21
21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Some Christians believe that they have to work at becoming more righteous. And they kick themselves when they do wrong. They don’t realize that by doing these things, they are not seeking God’s righteousness, but are trying to establish their own righteousness by their law-keeping and right conduct.

Righteousness is not about right conduct. It is a gift from God to us through Jesus. And since it is a gift, we cannot earn it by our law-keeping and right conduct. We can only receive it!

How do we receive this gift? We receive it through the cross. God made Jesus “who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”. So today, we are the righteousness of God in Christ. We are as righteous as Jesus is!

But some of us think that in the body of Christ, there are different classes of righteousness, like the seating classes in an airplane. They think that some of us have economy-class righteousness, others have business-class righteousness and a select few have first-class righteousness.

That is nonsense! When God gave us Jesus, He became our righteousness. So we have His righteousness. This means that we are 100 per cent righteous in God’s eyes! We cannot but have first-class righteousness!

You might say, “Pastor Prince, I don’t understand. How can I be righteous when I have done wrong?” Think about this: Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us. Jesus knew no sin, did no sin and in Him was no sin. But at the cross, He received our sin and became sin for us.

Likewise, we, who were sinners, knew no righteousness, did no righteousness and in us was no righteousness. But at the cross, we received His righteousness and became the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.

At the cross, the divine exchange took place. Jesus took our place so that we might take His place. He did not deserve to be made sin, but He was made sin in our place. We did not deserve to be made righteous, but we were made righteous because we received His righteousness. What good news! What amazing grace!

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Right Doing or Right Being - Joseph Prince

2010-01-05T06:33:00.001-05:00

What do you think righteousness is about? Something you do or something you are? Right doing or right being?

The Bible tells us that after Jesus’ sacrifice at the cross, God imputes righteousness not to those who strive to obey the law (Galatians 2:16), but to anyone who believes in His Son. Because Christ took our sins and gave us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21), the moment we believe in Him, God treats us as righteous apart from our works or obedience. (Romans 4:5–8) This is new covenant righteousness — a righteousness that comes by faith and not works.

You are not righteous because of how morally upright you are. You are not righteous because you exercise self-control. You are not righteous because you read 10 chapters of the Bible daily. You are not righteous because you feel righteous. But you are the very righteousness of God in Christ solely because the sacrifice of Jesus made you so. When you believe this, your faith is accounted for righteousness.

And this is what God wants you to use your faith for. If you are righteous by your deeds, you don’t need faith. You also don’t need faith to know that you are sinful. But you need faith to believe and declare that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, in the midst of your struggles with temptation and sin.

For example, when you feel lousy because you have just shouted at your wife, God wants you to exercise your faith to see yourself as still righteous in the midst of that failure. This living revelation that you are still righteous will give you the strength to love your wife and reconcile things with her.

The devil may remind you of your foul temper and question your integrity: “How dare you call yourself righteous when you just did that!” Just ignore his lies and boldly declare, “I am not righteous because of what I have done or not done. I am righteous only because of the blood and finished work of Jesus at the cross!”

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Fortune Cookies

2010-01-04T16:52:00.006-05:00

I was introduced to fortune cookies when I migrated to the United States. For those not familiar with a fortune cookie, it is a crisp hollow cookie with a fortune paper wrapped inside of it. These cookies are served mainly at Chinese restaurants as a dessert. The fortune paper has words of prophecies, lucky numbers, and such items that promise luck and fortune to you. Most people are excited to see what the future holds for them in those cookies.

Today, I was reminded of a tradition, which, I grew up practicing in church and is still being done today. Every New Years day, after the church service, people are handed out little bookmarks with prophetic scripture verses called "promise cards", mainly from the Old Testament and some from the New. Everyone is excited to find out, what specific promise God has for them for the new year. The excitement and curiosity is very similar to that of opening a fortune cookie. Someone called me today and asked if I had received the promise card. She proceeded on to mention that while her husband received a great promise, she received a "not so great" promise.

Not too long ago, while the revelation of the grace of God hadn't dawned on me yet, I was very much excited and even involved in the making and distribution of these cards. I have sat through the long hours of night to handcraft these cards along with the other youths from the church. After all we were making a great sacrifice in working for the Lord.

So, when this person mentioned about these cards with great excitement in her voice, I found myself not too enthusiastic about it. I just told her, that all the promises of God in His word are for me. Later, I was reminded of the verse which says, "All the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ Jesus" (2 Cor 1:20). I am not looking for a special promise in a way that resembles a fortune cookie. I am in Christ and Christ is in me. By His grace (not by my works) He has blessed me with everything needed for life and godliness already. He has given me exceeding great and precious promises whereby I have been made a partaker of His very divine nature (2 Peter 1:2-4). He has blessed me with every blessing in Christ Jesus(Eph 1:3). What else could I ask for other than the greatest promise and gift of the very life of Jesus inside of me. I am an heir and joint-heir with Christ. He became a curse so that all the blessings might come upon me. He fulfilled every condition so that I might be blessed by His obedience to the law. Thank you Jesus!

Thank God for his promises are yes and Amen in Christ Jesus!

The Ultimate Sacrifice Sermon Jam

2009-12-29T18:03:00.005-05:00

Future Sins Are Already Forgiven - Steve McVey
from Gracewalk.org

“It can’t be true that my future sins are already forgiven!” This was the protest I heard one day after somebody heard me teach that all of our sins are forgiven. I read her the passage from Colossians 2:13-14. Then I asked her these questions, which I encourage you to answer as you read them.

1. How many of your sins did God know about before you were born? (All of them.)
2. How many of them did He record on your certificate of debt mentioned in the passage in Colossians referenced above? (All of them.)
3. How many of your sins did Jesus pay for on the cross? (All of them.)
4. How many of them were future at that time? (All of them.)
5. How many sins was He referring to when He said, “If is finished”? (All of them.)
6. At the time you were saved, how many of your sins did God forgive?

If you didn’t answer number six by saying, “All of them,” I encourage you to ask yourself if you’re being intellectually honest. Would it make sense that God would see and note all of our sins; that Jesus Christ would bear all of them upon Himself; that He would declare from the cross that payment had been made for all of them and then, after all that, God would only forgive you for some of your sins — namely the ones you had committed up to the point in time at which you were saved? Don’t make the mistake of trying to put God in the “time box.” He won’t fit. He has forgiven you for every sin you will ever commit, past, present and future. The verse clearly says that He has “forgiven us all our transgressions,” not just our past ones.

For many years I believed that in order to stay in a state of forgiveness before God, it was necessary that I ask Him to forgive me for each sin which I committed. This kind of faulty theology raises some serious questions. What happens if I don’t ask Him to forgive me for a specific sin? Does it remain unforgiven until the day I die? What happens then, when I go into eternity with an unforgiven sin? Nobody can go into heaven with unforgiven sin (Imagine being eternally separated from God for calling somebody an idiot in another car on the interstate and forgetting to ask God for forgiveness.).

On the other side of the issue, consider this question: Is there anything that you know is the right thing to do that you aren’t doing? James said, “Therefore, to the one who knows the right thing to do, and does not do it, it is sin” (James 4:17). Do you see the dilemma? If all our sins aren’t forgiven, then we had better make sure we are living a perfect life because not only do we have to deal with sins which occur when we do wrong things, but we also have to be worried about the right things we haven’t done. This would be enough to give the Christian a nervous breakdown!

"Then, are you saying that since His grace has covered our sin, we can go out and do anything we want?" I hope somebody is asking that because, if so, it shows I've made grace clear here. You're not the first one to ask that question. Read Romans 6:1-4 to see how Paul answered the question when it was asked of him.

Are We Literally Righteous Or Positionally Righteous? - Steve McVey

2009-12-26T17:16:00.009-05:00

This is taken from Steve McVey's blog. Scroll down to watch a related video.

For years I couldn’t reconcile what I saw taught in the Bible. I read verses that clearly say we are righteous (Romans 5:17, Ephesians 4:24, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, etc.), but struggled with my own inconsistent behavior. So I took this aspect of truth to be only a positional truth. My argument went like this: “We aren’t literally righteous. God only sees us that way. Our position is one of righteousness, but our condition is that we are unrighteous.”

Let’s dissect that argument for a moment. We’ll get rid of the glaring error first — the idea that God only sees us as righteous. Exactly what could this mean? Would one suggest that God sees something that isn’t really there? It reminds me of the arrogant professor who saw the unlearned custodian reading his Bible and sneered, “Do you believe that book as it is?” Without hesitation, the custodian replied, “Do you believe it as it ain’t?” That’s a good question for this matter. Does God see something as it is or as it ain’t?

When we consider the argument that the righteousness of the Christian is positional, but not literal we must be intellectually honest. Romans 5:19 corrects the error of believing that we are only positionally righteous.

For as through the one man’s disobedience, the many were made sinners,even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

This verse very simply presents the truth of our present righteousness in Christ. Paul reminds us that in Adam we were made to be sinners. In the same way, he says, we are now made righteous in Christ. According to principles of biblical hermeneutics, we must be consistent in interpreting scripture. If the last half of this verse means that we are only positionally righteous in Christ, then the first part of the verse must be interpreted to say that we were only positionally sinners in Adam. Were we literally a sinner in Adam or was it only positional? If we were literally sinners then, we are literally righteous now.

Some say that the verse teaches that we will be made righteous when we get to heaven. Does that mean that a person doesn’t become a sinner until he gets to hell? We were sinners for one simple reason — we were in Adam. Now are righteous because we have been placed into Christ.

Let’s don’t resist the truth! God says we are righteous because we are in Christ. It is a literal truth. That doesn’t mean we always act that way. How we act and who we are may not always coincide. Sometimes I act like a child even though I was born in 1954. Identity isn’t determined by our behavior, but by our birth. Occasionally my wife, Melanie, has even called me a big baby. But I know it’s not true! I have my birth certificate to prove it!

Watch short video by Joshua Tongol -- www.JoshuaTongol.com

The “Anointing”

2009-12-24T10:16:00.001-05:00

Anointing is one of those buzz words doing the rounds in today’s church circles. This person is an “anointed” psalmist, that one is an “anointed” speaker, that one carries a prophetic “anointing” and that one a healing “anointing”. Every time somebody starts doing something better than somebody else, suddenly that person has to be anointed, specially called and gifted to do that certain thing. That is such nonsense and also an old covenant mindset. The Hebrew and Greek words for anoint, anointing or anointed all refer to two basic things. To physically smear or rub with oil and the appointment of a person to a specific office or service. In other words to anoint or to receive and anointing is to be bestowed with the legitimate authority to fulfill the duties of a certain position, be it king or priest or prophet. Kings, prophets and priests were the people who mainly got anointed into an office of service.

1 Sam 10:1 Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head, and kissed him and said: “Is it not because the Lord has anointed you commander over His inheritance? (NKJV)

Here we read about Samuel anointing Saul to be king. He physically poured oil out over Saul’s head and said, “Is it not BECAUSE the Lord HAS anointed you commander…” Samuel is saying God anointed / appointed Saul to be king already, and the physical oil being poured out is just to symbolize in the natural what has already taken place in the spiritual. The spiritual anointing is the one that really matters. The anointing that God gives is more important and significant than oil on your forehead. God’s anointing carries heaven’s power. But when did God anoint Saul?

1 Sam 9:15-16 Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying, 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.” (NKJV)

God made the choice to appoint / anoint Saul as king and rescue God’s people. He told Samuel to go anoint him in the natural, but the spiritual has already been established. Now remember that Saul got anointed to be king, but look what the anointing enabled him to do:

1 Sam 10:6-7 Then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man. 7 And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you. (NKJV)

Here Samuel says the Spirit of God will come upon you (after being anointed already) and then he will prophesy. Wait a minute!? Saul wasn’t anointed as a prophet, how come he can prophesy? Because we place the limitations on the anointing, not God. The anointing brings the Spirit of God and He has all the power needed to enable us to do what the occasion demands. Look at verse 7, “Do as the occasion demands; for God is with you.” If the occasion demands a prophetic word, the anointing ensures that God is with you and you will be able to bring that word. If the occasion demands healing, the anointing will enable you to heal because God is with you.

How long was Saul king for? Until he died, right. The anointing never left him. He remained a king until the day he died, even after his life went downhill and he got into major sin. The anointing was not given based on Saul’s good or bad behavior. It was given to provide the power to bring salvation to people. The gifts (spiritual endowments or miraculous faculty / office) and callings of God are irrevocable. (Rom 11:29) THE ANOINTING DOES NOT LIFT. Now let’s jump ahead to Jesus and pick it up where He just came back from the wilderness.

Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (NKJV)

Look at Jesus’ words: “The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, BECAUSE He HAS ANOINTED Me to preach…heal…proclaim liberty…recover sight…set at liberty… proclaim God’s acceptable year. The Spirit came upon Jesus because He was anointed. The anointing didn’t come because of the Spirit. The anointing or appointment always comes first. The appointment to an office of service always precedes the outworking of the office. In other words I can’t just walk into any school and go sit behind the principle’s desk and run the school if I was not appointed to serve in that office. If I get appointed by the school board, then I can go sit there and run the school. Anointing always precedes the power to fulfill the duties of the office. Jesus didn’t do any miracles until the power came through the Spirit. What was Jesus’ anointing? He was called Christ which as you hopefully know was not His surname. Christ means the Anointed. Its Hebrew equivalent is Messiah. He was anointed to save. Interestingly, so was Saul and all the other Judges. They were anointed to save or set free. Power was always given to save. That is the nature of God’s Power.

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation (NKJV)

The Gospel is the POWER unto SALVATION (Greek = soteria = save, heal, deliver, protect, make whole) The nature of the God’s Power is to save. Back to Jesus. He is called a high priest in the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:10 & 6:20) who was a king, making Jesus a king, a priest and a prophet. This means Jesus was given the power and authority (king) to be the final mediator (priest) between God and man (prophet). Jesus’ anointing was the highest possible office of service before God and therefore He also had the most power to fulfill the duties of that office. The higher up you are in a company, the more authority and executive power you are entrusted with. As a New Covenant believer, reborn by the Spirit of God, the ‘anointing’ you received at the new birth is the same one Jesus had since we are now called sons of God. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Eph 2:6) and we have been blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing (Eph 1:3). Since the anointing is a spiritual blessing, Ephesians 1:3 confirms that there is not some other anointing we didn’t receive. We are co-heirs with Christ (Rom 8:17) meaning everything Jesus inherited we also inherited.

1 John 4:17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. (NKJV)

As He (Jesus) IS, so ARE we in THIS WORLD. That means the same righteousness, the same holiness, the same favour, the same anointing and the same authority. We are one spirit with the Lord! (1 Cor 6:17) We have received everything that pertains to life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3). We have been anointed (1 John 2:20) and this anointing abides (1 John 2:27), it doesn’t lift or leave, come and go. You have everything you need to be what God destined you to be. Our only problem is we either don’t know it or we think if we deny what we have that it will remove the responsibility to step out do something for God. To make your faith effective, acknowledge every good thing that is IN YOU in Christ Jesus.

Philem 1:6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. (NKJV)

Effective faith starts with the acknowledgement of what you have been given. So instead of saying I need more anointing, I need more power, I need more authority, acknowledge that you have received every spiritual blessing and that you have the anointing and the indwelling Spirit of God Himself and as His son you can do all things through Christ (the anointing) who strengthens you. The devil wants you to believe you don’t have everything you need because then you will be looking for more and more instead of just being who God created you to be!

Be, know, do!

Cornel Marais
Read some excellent follow-up comments here -
The “Anointing”

IT’S TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK!

2009-12-20T12:04:00.002-05:00

IT’S TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK!

Gal 1:8,9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

This passage of the bible is often used to threaten and scare people to only listen to the truth or gospel as preached in their denomination or church. But it begs the question, “What is this gospel that Paul preached?” Paul says in verses 11 and 12 that he did not receive this gospel from “man”. He says that, “neither was he taught this gospel by any man” and that includes the elders and leaders of the church in Jerusalem. So then how did he receive this gospel? He says he received it “by revelation” directly from Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the “Word of God” personified. John says that this Word became flesh and was full of “grace” and “truth”. Jesus revealed this word of grace and truth to the apostle Paul. Jesus said that He is the truth. So what is the truth? What is the true gospel? It is time that all Christians and churches do a reality check to see if the gospel they are hearing and preaching is the same gospel that Jesus Christ revealed to Paul.

So what is the gospel that Paul preached? Paul preached the good news of the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ Acts 13:38. He preached that:

• the punishment for the sins of the whole humanity came upon Jesus, so that we should not be judged for our sins anymore.
• Jesus was made sin, so that we might be “made” the righteousness of God in Christ. (Note that we are not becoming progressively righteous by our works, but He has already “made” us righteous).
• the very righteousness of God has been given to us as a FREE gift, free from our works or performance.
• the blood of Jesus has obtained “eternal” (not partial or temporary) redemption, which is the eternal forgiveness of sins.
• not only are we saved by grace, but our salvation is kept by His grace, not by our works.
• Christ has fulfilled the law and has removed the law as a means of our justification, since we could never keep the law.
• Christ has delivered us from the ministration of death and condemnation, which is the law written and graven on stones, by nailing it to the cross.
• Christ has set us free from religious laws and regulations and has given us the perfect law of liberty (freedom) in Christ Jesus.
• we are no longer led by the law, but by the very life of Christ in us.
• Christ also nailed our old self, the old man to the cross with Him. After nailing the old man, He then raised us up a new man, a brand new creation, who has the very life of God in us.
• we are saints, sanctified, made holy, righteous and perfected.
• there is no condemnation to those in Christ.
• we are already accepted and blessed with EVERY blessing in Christ Jesus, not based on our performance. He preached that we are complete in Christ, lacking nothing.
• we are God’s workmanship; it is He who is working in and through us.

He preached ALL about what God has done through the finished work on the cross in our lives. He preached the message of God’s grace and truth!!

Is this the good news that is being preached today? If anyone is preaching a mixture of law and grace, or the message of condemnation, or a message of “Jesus plus your holy works to stay saved”, or a message of perfection by the flesh, he is preaching another gospel. Please check your gospel and see if you are putting yourself under a curse!

Grace by Faith

2009-12-19T10:38:00.004-05:00

How do we access the things that God has given us Freely by His grace. It is through Faith (Rom 5:2). Is faith something that we have to work up? No! Rather, this Faith comes by hearing the word of God (logos- reasoning of God). Jesus himself is the logos of God and His word is full of grace and truth. What is the truth? Listen to this powerful message to hear what is the Truth from God's perspective or reasoning (logos). Once you know that, you can align your reasoning with God's reasoning and this will manifest success in your christian life.

Grace vs Law

2009-12-17T16:57:00.002-05:00