CHURCH AS JESUS PRAYED FOR IN JOHN 17

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Film “The Last Reformation – The Life”

It is now available for everyone to watch on YouTube for free. You can see the movie with subtitles in around 30 different languages. Since the premiere in Holland, a little more than a month ago, there have been over 1000 screenings all over the world and the response has been amazing. People really loved the movie and after watching the movie many people experienced healing, deliverance, repented, got baptised in water and received the Holy Spirit.

Now it is time to share it with everyone out there, so they can see church  as God intended.

 

ARCHAEOLOGY PROVES EXODUS FROM EGYPYT

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Does what we find on the ground support the biblical narrative of the Jewish exodus from Egypt? There were no historians at the time to record the historical events.

“The only thing we can use to basically verify the biblical narrative is the archaeological record.”

Until now, the Number One attack on the bible, based on archaeology, has been lack of evidence, explains Rabbi Ken Spiro, a licensed Israeli tour guide with a Master’s degree in history.

But the more archaeologists dig, the more they seem to find.

It’s right there. It’s always been there. But until recently, no one has ever seen it.

Watch and be encouraged by historian/author Ken Spiro’s short video Archaeology Proves Exodus from Egypt

DO NOT FEAR SUFFERING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE

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Let Peter reassure you, “But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled…” 1 Peter 3:14 

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified.” 1 Peter 4:13-14

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”  1 Peter 5:10.

Most of us don’t know the kind of death we face but there are many in our generation who are losing their lives because they follow Jesus. How are they are received in heaven?

“These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:14-17

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time.”  Revelation 12:11.

LISTEN TO ALICE COOPER’S TESTIMONY

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Former rock star gives his life to Christ and speaks about his experiences that lead him back to his Christian roots.

Almost four decades ago, Alice Cooper woke up in a terrible state. Vomiting blood and generally emaciated, he knew that something was seriously wrong.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons/Ralph Arvesen

“Everything that could go wrong was shutting down inside of me,” the musician explained to New York Daily News. “I was drinking with Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix and trying to keep up with Keith Moon and they all died at 27.”

Cooper quickly realised that if he failed to stop drinking, he would die. It was happening to other world-famous rock stars that surrounded him; Keith Moon and Jimi Hendrix to name just two. On the edge of despair and having been diagnosed as a “classic alcoholic,” Cooper turned to a steadfast and faithful helper: the Lord God.

READ: Rock star goes undercover to rescue slaves and stop sex traffickers

article by Will Maule/Faith Wire

 

THE ATHEIST DELUSION

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What a great video by Ray Comfort. A must for your unbelieving family and friends.

Having to prove the existence of God to an atheist is like having to prove the existence of the sun, at noon on a clear day. Yet millions are embracing the foolishness of atheism. “The Atheist Delusion” pulls back the curtain and reveals what is going on in the mind of those who deny the obvious. It introduces you to a number of atheists who you will follow as they go where the evidence leads, find a roadblock, and enter into a place of honesty that is rarely seen on film. From Living Waters, creators of the award-winning TV program “The Way of the Master” and the hit movies “180” and “Evolution vs. God,” comes the powerful film “The Atheist Delusion.” Executive produced by TV co-host and best-selling author Ray Comfort (Hell’s Best Kept Secret, Scientific Facts in the Bible). Learn more at http://www.AtheistMovie.com

IRAQ’S CHRISTIANS DON’T LOSE HOPE

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For the first time since ISIS drove all the Christians from Iraq’s Nineveh Plain in 2014, the Christian town of Qaraqosh celebrates Palm Sunday after many of its families have returned. During this week leading up to Easter, Open Doors team on the ground visits Qaraqosh to meet with Christians there.

 

Today, the world can see and hear the powerful truth—Christians have returned to the Nineveh Plain. Thousands of Iraqi Christians walked through the streets of the ancient town, waving palm and olive branches; praying, singing and remembering the triumphant entry of Jesus Christ. Their chorus: “King of kings and Lord of Lords. Glory! Hallelujah!”

We spoke with a 25-year-old teacher named Andraws. His message to Christians around the world was clear: “Please do not lose hope. Two and a half years we were displaced and we almost lost hope to ever return here. But today, we are here again, because of Jesus; because we had hope in Him,” he said.

Standing amidst the thousands of Christians, Andraws adds: “As you can see: the Christians have returned to Qaraqosh!”

Andraws and his family joined the march that ended with an open air service on the square of Qaraqosh’ St. John’s Church. The roof of the church served as a pulpit for the Church leaders, proclaiming the gospel, reading the Bible and leading the crowd gathered in the square into worship and singing Hosanna.

Andraws, an English teacher in Qaraqosh’s recently reopened school, says: “Today is the start of the week of Easter. And we are very excited about it. I’m glad that we can celebrate Palm Sunday again in our city. Thank God for that. Because three years ago, something like that would never happened, when we were displaced.”

Faith strengthened because of ISIS 

The young teacher tells us how his faith changed after ISIS forced him and his family out of their town, leaving almost everything they owned behind because they refused to renounce their faith in Christ. “During the first days we were displaced, I felt like there was no God or Jesus; because of the things that happened to us. But after that, I realised that Jesus does exist and we have to believe in Him.” “And because of Him, we are here today.”

Do Christians in your city celebrate Palm Sunday like these Iraqi Christians?

Report from Open Doors March 25, 2018 by Brian O. in Middle East

 

 

 

 

CHURCH AS GOD INTENDED

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Torben clearly identifies what is wrong with church today. The family is God’s example of church. Church, like family, needs to raise up disciples, to train and mature them to go out and start another family. So many churches are like an orphanage with leaders, the parent model is lost and they don’t raise up disciples who will go out and create new families.

The existing religious institutional model is not God’s model and now it is time, time to set up new fellowships as shown in the Book of Acts. We need to see a reformation of the church that is already there, that they like Francis Chan will see that you can’t raise up disciples in mega churches. This is the first lesson out of a series, where Torben will speak about church and will help to give a clear picture of how a New Testament church can look like. In this lesson “Family or orphanage” you will see the difference between a family (New Testament church) and an orphanage (the religious institution) and that not one model works for every family. This teaching will bless you, challenge you, and create a desire in you to see the church as Jesus wants it to be.

WILL YOU RULE AND REIGN WITH JESUS IN THE MILLENNIUM?

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“Then the kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.”

Daniel 7:27

 

Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.” Revelation 1:7

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” Zechariah 12:10

“For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.” John 19:37

God revealed to Daniel as He did to most of the OT prophets that Jesus, Messiah will return to the Mount of Olives to rescue His people and to rule and reign for one thousand years in a fully restored Jerusalem. Israel will be brought into divine favour by grace on that day.

Jerusalem will be the metropolitan city of the millennial earth: the centre of light, the focus of all that is beautiful.

In this passage, God gives Isaiah such a future vision for Jerusalem and his people that one would think that it would awaken such a thirsting as only its fulfilment would satisfy them. What about us who have the presence of the Holy Spirit indwelling our spirits, what do we do with this Scripture?

“And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
Until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
And her salvation as a lamp that burns.
The Gentiles shall see your righteousness,
And all kings your glory.
You shall be called by a new name,
Which the mouth of the Lord will name.
You shall also be a crown of glory
In the hand of the Lord,
And a royal diadem
In the hand of your God.
You shall no longer be termed Forsaken,
Nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate;
But you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah;
For the Lord delights in you,
And your land shall be married.
For as a young man marries a virgin,
So shall your sons marry you;
And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
So shall your God rejoice over you.
I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or night.
You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
The Lord has sworn by His right hand
And by the arm of His strength:”

Isaiah 62:1-8

 

 

PEOPLE WHO MAKE A LASTING DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD PRAY

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Image result for picture of Jesus christ praying in the garden

Prayer needs to be the first thing we think of, for things to succeed, not the last thing we do when all else fails. The people who make a real and lasting difference in this world are people who first and foremost pray. They pray because they understand who God is and His capabilities (omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent). He is our creator, He loves us and made us in His image to be in communion with Him. Many will choose to trust God more when they realise that not to trust God is to distrust Him. To distrust God is to distress yourself and disconnect from others.

“And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39 

Timing of this event: 11 pm-2 am – Jesus leaves the disciples and goes to pray for three hours. Goes back to the disciples twice, wakes them, calling them to prayer. During the third hour, the sweat was pouring out of him “like blood”. The angels come to his aid, and Jesus is in charge of his body once more, despising the coming shame and trauma he is about to endure (“like a sheep before the shearers is dumb, he does not open his mouth”).

The objective of prayer is not to inform our Saviour and Lord of our needs (God knows everything), but to transform our situations and lives in our time of need (God knows we need it).

God designed prayer to be an effective spiritual muscle that we can freely exercise, in Jesus name, anytime, anywhere and for anything.  The Bible tells us how that “….the effective, heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man – a believer, can accomplish much when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and has tremendous power. 

EASTER: JESUS AS OUR PASSOVER LAMB

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According to the annual pattern that God gave Israel, the day we call ‘Palm Sunday’ was Lamb Selection Day! They were to choose an unblemished male lamb and keep it until the fourteenth day of the month when it would be killed at twilight for Passover. Exodus 12:2-6

Jesus entered Jerusalem at the same time the Passover lambs were being selected. He withstood days of interrogation, just as the lambs, too, were being thoroughly inspected for any faults. Then at the same time the Passover lambs were being sacrificed, Jesus was being nailed to a cross, the final sacrifice for all mankind. He was truly the ‘Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.’ John 1:19

Pause to revere Jesus: “…you were…redeemed with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.” 1 Peter 1:18-19

The Passover Lamb

“God commanded the priests of Israel to sacrifice two offerings daily, one in the morning, at the 3rd hour which was 9:00 am and one at the ninth hour of the day which was 3:00 pm. Jesus was hung on the cross at the exact time the priests were sacrificing the morning burnt offering. At 3:00 pm the Passover Lamb, the Lord Jesus was slain, as Jesus breathed his last! On Day of Atonement, the high priest would declare after the evening sacrifice, “It is finished!” Jesus our High Priest, cried out with every ounce left in his physical being, “It is finished!” This statement literally meant, “Paid in full!” Jesus purchased us and brought us into his glorious inheritance!” (Dr Jason Hubbard, Lamb’s Reformation, 2017, p.43)

Jesus’ exemplified a ‘heart of humility’, the sweet and lowly gentleness recognised as the mark of the Lamb of God.”  Jesus, the Lord of all, became the servant of all.

As we approach the end of the age, we must see and encounter the face of Jesus as the Lamb! Twenty-eight times in the book of revelation, Jesus is revealed as the Worthy Lamb! Do we really comprehend what Jesus did for us when He became a man on His earth? The extent of His love for us. How do we respond to such love?

“God the Father took His eternal wrath, condensed it, and emptied it into His cup. He distilled eternal judgement, the very lake of fire, hell’s blazing fury and then asked His Son to drink the cup of wrath on our behalf.” Dr Jason Hubbard, Lamb’s Reformation, 2017, pp. 29

“My soul is deeply grieved and overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” After going a little farther, He fell to the ground [distressed by the weight of His spiritual burden] and began to pray that if it were possible [in the Father’s will], the hour [of suffering and death for the sins of mankind] might pass from Him. He was saying, ‘Abba, Father! All things are possible for You; take this cup [of judgement] away from Me; but not what I will, but what You will.” Mark 14:33-36 AMP