ABSOLUTE TRUTH

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True Christianity is based on the belief that there is absolute truth based on the word of our Creator. The opening words of the Bible are: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” Genesis 1:1. When we look at the Bible, we discover a number of principles about truth:

1. Truth is absolute by the will of God. God not only reveals Himself as the Trinitarian God, but also as the God who determines what is true and false. Jesus says in John 4:23, “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.” If we really want to discover truth, we must be willing to believe that it is the Creator who determines truth from falsehood—not our own emotions or intellectual theories.

2. Evil, or sin, is the enemy of truth. The biblical definition of sin outlines what is false and hurtful to human beings. Truth is an understanding of reality that ultimately determines thoughts, morality and actions.

3. Truth is revealed by God in the life of Christ and in the word of Scripture. In John 17:17 Christ prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

Moral truth is contained, then, in moral teachings, or law, given by God. Since these laws define the reality of life as ordained by the Creator, they exist whether we acknowledge them or not. The consequences of sin are just as inescapable whether committed knowingly or in ignorance.

The foundation of the law is God Himself. By trusting in Him and acting according to what He has commanded, we don’t have to experience the painful effects of sin. Moreover, for Christians who have been born again and have received the Holy Spirit indwelling their own spirit, we have received the power necessary to obey His instructions. “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27 The Holy Spirit is the oil required for our lamp, our spirit to function as God intended.

Jesus said, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” Mark 12:29-31

This simple teaching by Jesus Christ forms the basis of all truth. There is a choice between simply going on the way you have been and turning towards God. It’s up to you.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16

DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT INDWELL YOUR SPIRIT?

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The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts. Proverbs 20:27

This Scripture indicates that spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord. What is missing until we are born again by the Holy Spirit is the oil to fuel the lamp. In fact, our spirit cannot function as God intended without the Holy Spirit. A lamp needs oil to provide light.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Andrew Farley shares New Covenant promises that will assure you of your union with the Spirit and address whether you need to ask for more spiritual blessings. Old Testament references to a double blessing or double anointing of the Holy Spirit might leave you wondering if you have all of the Spirit. Should born-again Christians today ask for more of the Spirit, a fresh anointing, or worry about the Spirit of God coming and going? Andrew provides the answer in this short video.

SUBMISSION TO AUTHORITY

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Submission comes down to a choice. Are we going to recognize the authority of another, or are we going to insist on doing things the way that we want to do them? Above all do we recognise the authority of our Creator God. The following Scripture tells us exactly what our Creator thinks about the importance of us submitting to authority. Moreover, His word tells us exactly the roles and rules He has established for male, females, fathers and mothers, elders and children that enable us to function in His world.

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.” Philippians 2:5-9.

Understanding that submitting to authority does not have anything to do with the value or worth of an individual is fundamental to our ability to accept whatever role God assigns to us.

Submission is defined as, “The action or fact of accepting or yielding to a superior force or to the will or authority of another person.”

People have struggled with the idea of submission forever, usually because of pride, ego, or greed. For organizations to function effectively, there must be order and recognition of authority. In the absence of these two things, we have chaos. Jesus is such a great example for us and yet Jesus asserted His authority over man when He said:

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” – John 14:6. and “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18

Sadly, the roles and rules established by our Creator are no longer considered valid in todays society. We would prefer to make up our own rules so that we can do whatever we desire to do whenever we want to do it. Lawlessness is the result. God’s Word tells us that in the last days before Jesus returns to this earth lawlessness will abound.

“And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:12-14

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him… Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” 2 Thessalonian 1:1,3-4

Jesus second coming is as important as His first coming. It is glorious for those of us that have accepted His offer of eternal life. It was achieved by Jesus sacrifice on The Cross which was necessary to bring us back into a righteous relationship with our Heavenly Father. However, accepting Jesus offer also requires us to submit to His Lordship over our lives. When we do, Jesus makes it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell our Spirit enabling us to live the Christian life. Our Spirit is the lamp of the Lord which requires oil, the Holy Spirit to function, to produce light.

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27

When we say to our Heavenly Father, as Jesus did during His time on this earth, not my will but your will be done, the Holy Spirit will produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness gentleness goodness, kindness and self control. Also all nine gifts of the Spirit will be available for us to achieve God’s purpose for our lives (1 Corinthians 12;4-11).

Sadly, many people who think they are Christians have never truly submitted to the Lordship of Christ and so have never received the Holy Spirit to enable them to live the Christian life. They have never truly died to self to enable them to be born again in Christ. Where do you stand?

ARE WE WORKING OUT OUR SALVATION WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING?

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Paul tells us “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Philippian 12-13

“With fear and trembling” sounds daunting and certainly not pleasurable. In fact, is it even possible?

Working out your salvation is not possible if you have not accepted Christ as your Savior. But once you have, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of you.

With His partnership you can “work out” your salvation. You can experience practically in your everyday life the unlimited resources of peace, joy, and hope that accompany the Holy Spirit’s presence inside of you.

Sadly, you have to question how many people in our churches today are born again and have received the Holy Spirit as their counsellor, teacher and comforter. It is only the Holy Spirit that produces the fruit of the spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace. patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness and self control. It is only the Holy Spirit that provides the gifts of the spirit for ministry: word of knowledge, word of wisdom, prophecy, faith, healing, miracles, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues.

The “fear and trembling” Paul is referring to is the attitude Christians are to have in pursuing this goal. We are to have a healthy fear of offending God through disobedience and an awe and respect for His majesty and holiness.

How we act right now as followers of Jesus will greatly impact our internal peace. Fear and trembling simply means, approach God with humility and ask him for His peace to be increased to a greater measure than the anxiety you are experiencing. Say to Him, “Lord, I humbly ask for your peace to be increased in me. I need it Lord to get through my day. Please help me Lord.”

And guess what? God will. God promises us in Philippians 2:13 that “He is at work in us both to will and to work for his good pleasure“. This is a promise.

Obedience triggers greater peace in our lives and greater peace triggers greater effectiveness for us as witnesses for Christ. Paul tells us in Philippians 2:15 that obedience brings blamelessness into our lives in the midst of a crooked and twisted world and this enables our light for Him to shine brighter.

We have to hold on to God’s Word, be in God’s Word, and apply God’s Word to our lives if we hope to maintain any sense of peace in this world. If we hold fast to God’s Word we are fixing our gaze on God by reading His Word and applying it to our lives regardless of our circumstances.

Much of this article was taken from a post by Pastor Kelly a Guest Contributor to http://www.patheos.com entitled Working Out Peace In Your Life In 2021

BE AN OVERCOMER HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST

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  1. The Holy Spirit gives us access to the mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit disciples us with the mind of Christ and brings us into spiritual maturity. Jesus told us that we would accomplish the impossible because the God of the impossible abides within us. 
  2. The Holy Spirit wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives. He produces the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness and self control. He will also make available the Gifts of the Spirit (all nine) as needed to do whatever task is before us. Gifts of the Spirit are not earned by our merit but are God-given to those who desire them. There is no such thing as a secular job for Christians. With the Holy Spirit resident in our lives, all is sacred. If we ask, He will assign spiritual gifts to a job, regardless of where we work or what realm of society we’ve been given influence over, ministry happens! In other words, when an auto mechanic, architect or housewife becomes spiritually in tune, he/she is in the work of ministry.
  3. You are an overcomer! If you take hold of the truth that Jesus made it possible for your Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to enable you to conquer anything that stands in your way, you’ll begin to harness the power that overcomes crises, transforms lives, and radically shifts culture.

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LIVING ETERNAL NOW AS AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST

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“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16-17

“And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John 5:11-13

There is only one way back into a right relationship with God and that is believing in the atoning work achieved by Jesus on the cross. He died that we might have life. We must repent of our sin (our rebellion against God) accept Him as our Lord and Saviour and submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. By submitting our lives to Jesus Christ, He makes it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell our spirit.

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:5-8

“I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:16-18

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.“ John 14:26

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11

“For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them.” 2 Corinthians 6:16

“For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8:13-17

“And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” Galatians 4:6-7

“Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:20-22

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28:19-20

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

JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

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 Jesus said, ” I came from the Father and have come into the world, and now I am leaving the world and going to the Father.” John.16: 28
Image result for picture of Jesus born in a mangerJesus Christ – the Son of God set aside His heavenly mansion and royal throne for an earthly manger and a crown of thorns. His mission; a once- for- all rescue mission, to provide for us His beloved creation, separated by sin and alienated from Him, a way back into a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. A way out of the trouble initiated by Adam’s sin, and in touch with His grace and mercy.

With you and I weighing heavy on His loving heart, Jesus Christ – the Christ of God crossed over eternity and came down to humanity, calling all to repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. He challenges the hearts of those who will listen and hear His word and changes the lives of those willing to learn and heed His will.

The souls that believe His lips and receive His love will enter into an everlasting relationship with Him and the servants who reach out to the world and preach the gospel will enjoy His eternal rewards.

Those who call upon His name to be saved will be counted righteous and considered justified having their adamic debt and its sinful deed totally cancelled, and completely taken care of.

Offering forgiveness of sin and a home in heaven to whosoever will come, Jesus Christ – the Word of God went forth with love and truth, proclaiming the best good news ever – the gospel of our salvation and of the grace and peace of God.

Once received and believed, sinners are transformed to saints. Taken seriously and trusted sincerely, ordinary lay people are turned into extraordinary leaders. The Lord of glory and the creator of mankind brought with him His kingdom, which knows no end from heaven above to hearts within.  He is the ultimate reality in whom we find true meaning and from whom we draw full comfort.  He will replace your meaningless existence with His meaningful living if you would only let Him.

Ready to shed his blood and willing to sacrifice His life, Jesus Christ – the Lamb of God reached out to you and I – His fallen creation to:

  • redeem our spirit from the penalty of sin.
  • reconcile our relationship with the living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
  • restore our fellowship with the heavenly Father, and reunite us back into His loving arms.
  • resurrection with a new body and eternal life in a new heaven and new earth

 God invites you NOW to take his hand and take a long walk with him from earth to eternity. This lifetime offer is open to all and whosoever will may come and partake of His amazing grace, unconditional love and tender mercy. Do it today.

modified report by Peter Rahme – Grace Through

LAST REFORMATION – TORBEN IN AUSTRALIA

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Torben in Australia in November, baptising them in the name of the FATHER, THE SON and the HOLY SPIRIT.

I believe we are seeing an emergence of the church as it was in the Book of Acts, with the POWER Jesus said, would be evident when the Holy Spirit came UPON the disciples at Pentecost.

The disciples had already received the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them as recorded in John 20;22. The word Jesus used here for breathed is the same word God used when he breathed life INTO Adam. This is when the disciples were born again of the Holy Spirit but after this event Jesus tells them to do nothing until the Holy Spirit comes UPON them at Pentecost in POWER. We all know that when the Holy Spirit came UPON them in power what happened 3,000 were added to the church day one. There are two events here, and God wants you to experience both: 1. Are you born again? and 2. Have you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

ARE YOU LED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT? POWERFUL TESTIMONY BY DR JIM HARRIS.

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God understood that we can’t live the Christian life without the Holy Spirit indwelling us.

Jesus said, “But when the Helper comes whom I shall send from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” John 15:26.

Paul said, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

“Walking in the Spirit is yielding to the Spirit (not my will, but Your will be done). In Ephesians 5:18 we are admonished by God to be filled with the Spirit (means controlled by the Holy Spirit).

Filling does not mean we get more of the Holy Spirit but that He gets more of us.

It is the Holy Spirit that produces good fruit in a person’s life: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, FAITH, PATIENCE, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, KINDNESS & SELF CONTROL

Image result for pictures of holy spirit fire

It is the Holy Spirit that gives the supernatural gifts: WORD OF WISDOM, WORD OF KNOWLEDGE, PROPHECY, FAITH, HEALING, MIRACLES, DISCERNING OF SPIRITS, DIFFERENT KINDS OF TONGUES & INTERPRETATION OF TONGUES.

Is there evidence of good fruit in your life? Is there evidence that the gifts are operating? If not, then you need to question whether you are born again. Find a church that operates in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Sadly, many don’t. Many churches are filled with seekers, not born again believers. They are a mission field that needs our attention.

Not convinced then take a look at these Scriptures.

“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:9-11

Both the apostles and their followers operated in the power of the Holy Spirit:

“And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 4:33

“And Stephen full of faith and power… Acts 6:8

Peter said:

“By what power or by what name have you done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said to them… Acts 4:7

Take a look at the testimony of Dr Jim Harris. He is President of The Jim Harris Group, an international speaking and advising firm dedicated to helping believers in business unleash their unfair advantage in the marketplace. He is the author of Our Unfair Advantage: Unleash the Power of the Holy Spirit in Your Business and numerous other award winning business books.

9/11/01 was the first time in my life I intentionally asked for the power of Holy Spirit in my life. And it not only impacted me, but powerfully impacted over 500 other people.

On 9/10/2001, I connected through Boston Logan airport to catch a flight to Killington, Vermont to keynote a conference the next day.

As the opening speaker of the conference concluded his presentation, the scheduled 15-minute break began before my presentation was to begin at 9:30 AM EST. During the break, we were taken aback as the hotel staff frantically rolled out large TV’s on carts and began to broadcast the terrifying images from Manhattan. By 9:03 AM, both twin towers had been hit by the hijacked aircraft. Just like millions of other Americas, we were shocked, dismayed and very afraid as we watched both towers discharge huge pillars of smoke and fire.

These images profoundly impacted most of this central Vermont audience as many had family members or friends who worked either in the twin towers or in lower Manhattan. The conference committee had to make a quick decision: cancel or continue. They chose to continue. I was the next speaker.

As the attendees regathered, there was a powerfully palpable cloud of fear and uncertainty swirling throughout the room. The conference team exhorted me to find a way settle their minds and hearts away from this surreal disaster. Addressing the audience, the conference organizer quickly reviewed their reasons  to continue and introduced me.

I was speechless. For the first time in my career as a professional speaker, I had no idea what to say or how to overcome such overwhelming emotions and uncertainty.

Also for the first time in life I intentionally asked God, “What do I say? What do I do? Please give me Your words—because I do not have a CLUE!” To this day I do not remember what I said. For it was not me speaking, but Holy spirit speaking through me.

About the only thing I do recall was that I asked the audience to join me NOT in a prayer (remember – this was in the middle of the Bernie Sanders/Ben & Jerry’s ultra-liberal northeast) but to join me in a time of ________ – I do not even remember the words that came out of my mouth. Whatever the words, they were perfect! In less than 90-seconds, what began as an overwhelming spirit of fear was replaced with by a palpable spirit of calm!

Be Led

It took me over a decade to fully realize how Holy Spirit so powerfully led me through this pressure-packed event. I can now say this was the first time in my life I was intentional in desiring to be led by Holy Spirit.

And now, this is the only way I want to live!

Jesus repeatedly said he did not do or say anything on His own, but only what the Father told him to do or say (John 5:19; 5:30; 8:28; 12:49; 14:10).

This too is my quest.

What began for me on 9/11/01 as a foretaste Holy Spirit has transformed into my life’s desire – to teach, write, mentor and shepherd willing saints (particularly in business) on how to always and only #BeLed.

Will you join me?