AMUSING OURSELVES TO DEATH

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Whether it is video gaming, television, Netflix, internet or sports—we  love mindless escape, as we hang out in various worlds of non-reality, as often as possible.

Ratings, views, tweets and sales are the barometer of success in our media crazed-culture. Advertising dollars and high-value sponsorship’s flow toward enterprises that attract the largest audience and demonstrate an upward trend in ratings. Sadly, these influences can also affect how we conduct “business” in the spiritual arena. I am certainly not against the appropriate use of high-tech tools to advance the work of the gospel and the church. God can use various means of delivery via television, radio and internet when these are properly managed and biblically motivated. But we also must be honest in admitting that in many ways the culture has influenced the message more than our message has changed the culture. Yet, the only life-changing and lasting good news in our world today is the true gospel of Jesus Christ. We must take care to broadcast the unchanging New Testament hope of the gospel and guard ourselves from communicating popular notions that feel good but ultimately fail to clarify the truth that sets us free.

The world needs to see the love of God without humanistic filters.

The real news that delivers us into true good news is that we are all under God’s divine judgement because of our sin, rebellion and depravity. God’s solution through the finished work of Jesus on our behalf is ultimate good news. Jesus stated, “I came into this world for judgement, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind” (John 9:39). His bold and consistent message of repentance was rooted in the truth of man’s lost condition and condemnation of sin (Matt. 4:17, Luke 13:5, Luke 24:46-47). The message of the early church was repent and believe, an essential message for those under judgement of sin and in need of the mercy of a holy, loving and forgiving God (Mark 6:12, Act 2:38, 8:22, 20:21, 11:18, 17:30).

The truth of our sin and separation from a holy God is what makes the work of Christ essential, powerful and sufficient. That sinful man can be cleansed, forgiven and transformed is true, Christ-honouring and God-glorifying GOOD news. To declare that we are all “basically good” undermines the wonder of the true gospel.

So, in a world of confusing media and watered-down messaging, may the Holy Spirit give us discernment to test all things (1 Thess. 5:21) and cling to the sound doctrine of the gospel. In this, God is rightly glorified and we are truly edified. In knowing, believing, obeying and defending the gospel, we find true hope and lasting encouragement. Anything less will be superficial and short-lived. Surely, our broken world and our difficult lives require nothing less, nothing else and nothing more than the living and clear gospel of Jesus Christ

GET BACK TO THE GOSPEL – RICKY DOES A GREAT JOB

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Join Ricky in his prayer for you at the end of this powerful sermon, based solely on the Word of God. It is a sound exposition of 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 & 2 entitled “When your actions speak louder than your words”.

You need 45 minutes for this sermon, but it will be worth your time. It is a sermon that needs to be heard in our time.

Sadly, we are in the time that Paul wrote about in 2 Timothy 4:3-4. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

HOW TO BE SALT & LIGHT IN A PERVERSE GENERATION

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FIRST & FOREMOST WE NEED TO HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE OIL IN OUR SPIRIT.

“The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.” Proverbs 20:27

Is this the Christ preached in your church? Listen to John McArthur for the true Gospel.

“Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.” Mark 9:50  “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Matthew 5:9  “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how shall it be made salty? It is from then on good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled under foot by men.” Matthew 5:13

WE NEED TO BE THE SALT AND LIGHT IN THIS INCREASINGLY DARK WORLD. A WORLD THAT NO LONGER BELIEVES IN THE GOD OF THE BIBLE & AN INERRANT BIBLE.

Reflecting on salt and its many uses can help us in carrying out our assignment as “hidden figures” on our spheres of influence today.

THE FIVE USES OF SALT

1. Preservative

Salt has been a food preservative since ancient times. It is extremely effective in destroying microorganisms that cause food spoilage.

Jesus Christ calls us to preserve morality and stop corruption in our culture. Pastors and God’s people cannot be passive. Standing up to opposition, we have an assignment no matter how disrespectful those we face may be.

Salt does irritate wounds. Think of hate spewing celebrities and protesters wounded by sin. At the same time, we need caution so our actions don’t necessarily grate on people because we’re obnoxious.

2. Source of Flavour

Just as salt adds flavour to food, we are called to do likewise in the midst of an insipid world. Following the ways of God enables us to “rejoice with joy unspeakable” (1 Pet.1:8b) as His ambassadors bringing zest to the world.

Scripture speaks of the “pleasures of sin for a time” (Heb. 11:25) but afterward come consequences that weigh people down in discouragement and depression. Don’t let appearances fool you as many defiant demonstrators and detractors are broken and bitter and need to witness another way. We may be the only Bible that onlookers ever read.

3. Makes One Thirsty

Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). He went on to describe the Spirit-filled life wherein obedient followers radiate His love to a darkened world.

It’s not by accident that bars have bowls of pretzels and peanuts in front of customers to create thirst. Our assignment and privilege is to be a literal pretzel for Jesus in our corner of the world.

4. Uplifts

Salt has a unique quality called buoyancy. When something has enough salt, it lifts objects and people up. Think of the Dead Sea phenomenon, where there’s so much salt no one ever sinks or drowns there. The wicked Roman commander Vespacian once tried to execute slaves by dumping them bound into this sea, yet failed because they floated.

Surrounded by people who are living with heavy burdens, what a golden opportunity we have each day to lift people up by expressing love rather than disdain. We saw this in recent demonstrations where Christians didn’t retaliate when spat upon or punched.

5. Permeates

The Bible directs salty saints to seize the opportunity to engage unbelievers wisely and not withdraw into isolation. God directs us, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, wisely using the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you should answer everyone” (Col.4:5-6).

I’m personally committed to authenticity ever since God impressed on my heart 40 years ago, “Let it never be said of me that I presented the world a caricature of Christ.”

In our dealings with lost people, we must be calm and confident. May we be so winsome in our behaviour that even when folks disagree with us, they’re left with “the sweet fragrance of Christ” (2 Cor. 2:15b).

Closing Cultural Challenge

Ten weeks past the election, millions of people are bitter and some, hateful. If ever we needed composure and be the salt of the earth, it’s now. Jesus said,  “Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another” (Mark 9:50).

Humourist Mark Twain once said, “If Christ were here, there is one thing He would not be, a Christian.” Let’s prove him wrong as we behave in the opposite spirit of the world, like the “hidden figures” in the film.

There’s never been a better time for us to be the “salt of the earth.” And remember, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God” (Matt. 5:9).

Extracts from Larry Tomczak book “Bullseye”.

END TIMES – “AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH”

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“Genius” is a new and chilling movie based on the life and tragic murder of John Lennon. The Producer of the Los Angeles-based film company, Ray Comfort, said, “It’s chilling because it reveals what people will do for money. There are ordinary people out there who would kill you. All they need is the right amount of money and the belief that they won’t get caught.”

Just before he was murdered, John Lennon told Playboy magazine that he didn’t want to die at 40. Ironically the famous singer was gunned down at the age of 40 by a man who killed him just because he wanted to become famous.

This movie needs to be distributed widely, not only to the lost, but churches teaching a false gospel.

LIFE’S BIGGEST QUESTION HAS ETERNAL CONSEQUENCES

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In Matthew 16, Jesus is having a conversation about His identity with Simon Peter, and Jesus asked him an all-important question: “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And he got it right.

Getting this question right is both the quintessence of salvation and the starting point for an eternal journey. You are saved when you come to know and believe in Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, but that is only the beginning of your relationship with Him.

When Simon correctly identified who Jesus was, Jesus identified who Simon was.

He said, “I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” From then on, Simon was known as Rock. That’s what petros, or Peter, means in Greek.

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18 ESV

What changed in that moment wasn’t who Peter was but rather his view of who he was. Jesus said he was a rock. Suddenly Peter could see the man he really was. Mind you, when it looked like his world was about to end, he denied Jesus three times just as Jesus said he would. Our journey will be no different. There will be times we need to repent and ask God for His forgiveness, which He freely grants.

Knowing God is paramount to finding out why He made you and who He means for you to be.

So who do you say Jesus is? It’s life’s biggest question.

God wants to give you a revelation of who you are too. He wants to show you your value now, and He wants to open your eyes to who you can become in Him. Jesus made it possible for our heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit to dwell within you to be your Counsellor, Comforter and Teacher. You have all you need to be who God meant you to be.

Stop talking about who you are not and what you cannot do, and start listening to what God says about your life. Stop labelling yourself, and start letting God do whatever He wants in, through, and with you. Dead to self, alive to Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I would like to thank Pastor Steven Furtick for providing much of the content for this post. For more information, please visit:   http://www.iamunqualified.com

The New Reformation in these Last Days

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This documentary is changing the world right now! It shows how life must have been for the first disciples of Jesus who walked around on earth and why the gospel flooded the whole earth. It shows what the life of a Christian should look like – a life where signs and wonders are following us.

SHARE this movie with as many as you can.

Download this movie to show to your church / home group / friends
https://thelastreformationmovie.com/d…

GREAT MESSAGE FOR EASTER – The fourfold GOSPEL

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At the Last Supper Jesus drank from 3 cups of wine as part of the Passover. He didn’t drink the Fourth Cup. How is this related to the Gospel and to prophecy? What do Passover’s four cups teach us?

https://youtu.be/56QKJZZCFfQ

Another great testimony from an indigenous brother and his granddaughter.

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Let us declare with Pastor Anthony: “Today, I stand for righteousness. Righteousness will exalt a nation. We proclaim that this nation will have righteousness. We will go back to the cornerstone, which is the Lord Jesus Christ, and build our foundation on truth (God’s Word). Truth will build our family house. Trust in the word of God will establish and confirm our house.”

Watch Ps Anthony Edwards Snr. and Tilly Fejo’s story below:

GOD AS A TRI-UNITY IS FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HIS UNIVERSE

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God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are each equally and eternally the one true God.

God is Love, is probably the most important claim Christians make about our Creator, and yet, without the Trinity it is incomprehensible. A perfectly loving Being cannot perfectly love if He is not sharing that love with at least one other, since perfect love exists between two distinct entities. Love demands a subject who loves and an object that is loved. Because God is immutable and self sufficient (His aseity) requires that His love is not dependent upon the existence of creatures (anything created).

By observing the Universe God created, we can see this tri-unity expressed in every aspect of that creation.

The Father is the Thought behind it, the Son is the Word calling it forth, and the Spirit is the Deed making it a reality.

We are made in God’s image and in God’s likeness so is it any wonder we are a Trinity – Spirit, Soul and Body. Is it also any wonder, that God established the family, the basic structure for mankind as a Trinity – Husband, Wife and Children.

God’s universe is a Trinity – Matter, Space and Time and each of these is a Trinity: Matter – Solid, Liquid and Gas, Space – width, height and depth and Time – past, present and future.

God has given us so many wonderful examples in His creation of ONE being a TRINITY.

Water is two atoms of Hydrogen and one atom of Oxygen (H2O) and it can be a solid – ice, liquid – water and gas- steam.

Light – white is made up of three primary colours, red, green and blue.
8764-trinity-color

The three Persons of the Trinity appear in a logical, causal order . The Father is the unseen, omnipresent Source of all being, revealed in and by the Son, experienced in and by the Holy Spirit. The Son proceeds from the Father, and the Spirit from the Son.

We “see” God and His great salvation by the Father sending the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, we then “experience” their reality by faith, through the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. 

The truth of God’s tri-unity is ingrained in man’s very nature, but sadly he has often distorted it and substituted a false god or gods in its place.