“NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT BY ME” JOHN 14:6

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Jesus said to him (Thomas), “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”. John 14:6

“For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:11

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” Colossians 1:16

Only the one “by whom” and “for whom” all things were created could “take away the sin” that destroyed the first creation  and bring in a “New Creation“.

There is only one KEY to open the Kingdom of Heaven for lost humanity. It is found in only four words “JESUS IS THE CHRIST“. He who was “in the beginning with God” and “was God” became a man to take away “the sin” that entered into the world through the first man Adam.

“You know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him keeps on sinning.” 1 John 3:5-6

There are many Scriptures which show that because of the holiness of God there is only one way our Heavenly Father could restore humanity. Moreover, it would reveal the extent of His love for us. He was prepared to ask His only son to become a man, Jesus, to live a sinless life, so He could die in our place and thereby offer us redemption from our sins (our rebellion against God and His ways). Such a sacrifice on our behalf, and all our Heavenly Father requires of us, is to acknowledge and repent of our sins and embrace His son, Jesus, as our Saviour and Lord.

Jesus is the KEY to restore us, and once we repent and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, our Heavenly Father sends the third person of the Trinity, The Holy Spirit to indwell our Spirit. We cannot be holy without the Holy Spirit, our body becomes the temple of the Holy Spirit. Notice that all three persons of the Trinity are involved in our Salvation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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?

IF MY PEOPLE WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY

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JESUS IS OUR EXAMPLE ON HOW TO PRAY AND BE HEARD.

“JESUS, who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His godly fear (reverence).” Hebrews 5:7

Are your prayers being answered? Are you praying with godly fear like Jesus, with vehement cries and tears like Jesus.

“If My people, who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Notice it is only IF we do theses things, and it is only CHRISTIANS – MY PEOPLE who can pray. It is when we HUMBLE ourselves and  TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS & SEEK HIS FACE only then He will hear from heaven and answer our prayers.

We cannot pray righteous prayers if we are committing unrighteous acts.

The process of restoration:

CONVICTION of sin by the Holy Spirit

CONFESSION of sin by us.

FORGIVENESS by God, through Christ’s blood by FAITH.

REPENTANCE is a conscious decision to turn around and sin no more.

RESTORATION of our relationship with God.

In order to be restored we need to move from CONFESSION to REPENTANCE. CONFESSION is not REPENTANCE.

WHY WE SHOULD FEAR GOD: 1. We should fear God because of WHO HE IS – Psalm 89:6-7, Jeremiah 10:6-7.      2. We should fear God for WHAT HE HAS DONE – Psalm 33:6-9. 3. We should fear God because of WHAT HE IS DOING – Psalm 66:5, Psalm 130:3-4, 1 John 1:9, 1 John 4:18

PROMISES FOR THOSE WHO FEAR GOD: 1. The promise of PROVISION – Psalm 34:9-10. 2. The promise of PROTECTION – Psalm 33:18-19. 3. The promise of PURITY – Psalm 103:12-13, 2 Corinthians 7:1. 4. The promise of BLESSING – Psalm 128:1-4. 5. The promise of PROLONGED DAYS – Proverbs 10:27.

Check out all of these Scriptures you will be blessed when you do.

LIVE ETERNAL NOW, you will be blessed when you do.

 

 

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

THE POWER OF PRAYER TO CHANGE NATIONS

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Some prophetic voices believe the United States of America shifted, spiritually, Oct. 21, 2016, on what may go down as one of the most important days in American history. Did this National Day of Prayer for First Nations affect the outcome of the November Presidential election? Does America get another chance to repent and change its course? Yes is does, under Trump. Under Hilary Clinton its course was clear, further moving away from God and increased marginalisation and then persecution of Christians.

Largely unnoticed, 1,000 Native American Indian tribes from the United States and Canada collectively forgave the U.S. government for breaking treaties with their ancestors during a public ceremony on the National Mall.

The National Day of Prayer for First Nations, held near the Washington Monument, included intercessory petitions, proclamations and declarations of forgiveness by leaders from All Tribes D.C., a fellowship of Christians representing 1,000 American Indians from the U.S. and Canada.

all-tribes-met-prayer

A full-blooded Euchee (Yuchi) Indian, Negiel Bigpond coordinated the first-ever national prayer gathering of Native Americans in the nation’s capital.

Like the annual May observance of the National Day of Prayer, signed into law by President Harry S. Truman in 1952, First Nations intercessors will convene again in 2017 during the third week of October.

Dr. Billy Graham, whose son and daughter have served on the National Day of Prayer Task Force, is a prophetic voice who believes that forgiveness by Native Americans might be part of a spiritual awakening within the nation.

“The Native American has been a sleeping giant,” Graham writes. “He is awakening. The original Americans could become the evangelists who will help win America for Christ. Remember the forgotten people.”

Bigpond agrees that Native Americans have taken a good first step toward aiding national awakening by extending forgiveness to the nation.

“We chose to forgive the U.S., whether it asked for it or not,” said Bigpond, a fourth-generation pastor who offered forgiveness and spoke blessings over the nation alongside other tribal prayer warriors.

Bigpond, who has evangelised on 143 reservations, believes the U.S. has suffered spiritual consequences for breaking treaties with Native Americans.

In Scripture, breaking a vow or treaty brings a curse on the land, and the U.S. government broke every treaty it made with the Native American tribes, according to prophetic voice Rick Joyner, who called the prayer event one of the most important in the nation’s history from his ministry headquarters in North and South Carolina.

“This is very real,” Joyner said. “National injustices are a major issue we’re facing now, whether we want to or not, and this is a big one.”

Bigpond is an apostle at Morning Star Evangelistic Center in Oklahoma, which is affiliated with Joyner’s MorningStar Ministries.

The nation’s crises parallel conditions on the reservations, according to Bigpond, a certified drug- and alcohol-abuse counsellor.

“We don’t want the nation or our people to suffer further,” said Bigpond, who holds a doctorate in divinity and is a Euchee tribe chief.

Mary Faus, who represented the Ojibway and Cree tribes at the prayer event, said the unity and power of forgiving a nation that’s never apologised or asked for it was amazing.

“We believe this has shifted the nation and we are already feeling the effects of what was accomplished in D.C.,” said Faus, who is the director of a house of prayer in Pennsylvania and lead intercessor with husband Jon at Hope of Nations Christian Centre.

Joyner agrees that forgiveness and love are major weapons in waging spiritual warfare on behalf of the nation.

“This is one of the most noble acts of true Christian charity I have ever heard of by any people group,” Joyner said. “Very few may even know that anything special happened.

“Some of the greatest things happen that way, and only a very few who have their eyes open looking in the right direction, see them,” Joyner said.

Portions of a proclamation posted on the All Tribes D.C. website were read by tribal leaders gathered on the National Mall.

The proclamation reads in part, “We forgive every atrocity and broken covenant ever designed to destroy us as a race of people. We break every curse and renounce every lie purposed to decimate us as human beings.

“We forgive the government, the church and the educational system for the use of residential schools that attempted to destroy our culture and silence our voice as people by stealing our language.

“We stand in the gap for those who are unable or unwilling to forgive, and call upon the Master of Life, to forgive us for harbouring unforgiveness, resentment, hatred, bitterness and rage.

“We repent of every curse spoken over America by our ancestors and we release the power of forgiveness to bring healing and the peace of Creator God to this land.

“We declare and decree that our voice will no longer be silenced and that this nation and the world will hear our voice as we speak life and blessings over the Americas and the world.

“We stand in faith believing that our citizenship lies in heaven, and we too, all await the return of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Being all of one mind and heart, having compassion for one another, we declare our love as brothers; not returning evil for the evil perpetuated against us, but on the contrary we choose to release a blessing, knowing that the Father of us all has called us as his children to bless and not curse, that we may inherit a blessing. Amen.”

God is doing something in Australia as well, our Christian Aboriginal brothers and sisters are planning a Solemn Assembly Gathering in Canberra, hopefully in 2017, to join with Christians from all denominations to ask repentance from God and to forgive one another for past sins.

A MAN WHO LIVED ETERNAL NOW

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John Wesley statue
Statue of John Wesley outside Wesley Church in Melbourne, Australia.

John Wesley considered every thought word and deed in light of eternity.
Wesley preached with unceasing zeal that complete holiness was the primary fruit of a vibrant faith in Christ and of course the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of every believer. Wesley wrote “until you press believers to expect full salvation from sin, you won’t see revival. Before I preach love and grace I must preach sin, law and judgment.”
Consumed by the thought of the shortness of time, the great work to be done and the need for haste in doing it, on he marched, preaching, pleading, warning and guiding.
Wesley pleaded with men and women to repent and by faith make peace with God or suffer an everlasting hell. He was determined to declare the whole counsel of God in Christ and give warning of the dreadful consequences of rejecting the Gospel.
When he was 83 he made a note in his diary that he was regretful that he could not write more than 15 hours a day without hurting his eyes. He preached almost up to the day he died. truly his vigour and zeal in old age were the reward of his faithful stewardship of time.
He did indeed consider every thought word and deed in light of eternity.