Christian Fellowship
“That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving...” Psalm 26:7
Vol. 18, No. 11 November 2009
How do you stop deception? The cross! Deception is all around us because we keep feeding the flesh and doing what we want instead of denying ourselves and taking up our cross and following Him. You cannot follow Christ and be in sin at the same time. That combination is deception. To think that you are better off in sin is deception. To think sin is OK is deception. Paul says it this way: 1Co 6:9 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,” 2Ti 3:1-2 (KJV) “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. (2) For men shall be lovers of their own selves…”
We are in those days and people are caught by the snare of the devil, but it feels so good they are not aware of the fall that is coming.
I find it surprising that so many can see the signs all around us yet continue to feed the flesh instead of the Spirit. I am continually broken before God because of what I see happening, but I must keep my eyes on the Lord to keep my peace and joy. It is only in the Spirit and by the Spirit that we can know God and live in His continual peace. Everything else is futile and a waste that will bring no continual satisfaction. Needless pains and sorrows will be avoided if we walk after the Spirit and not the flesh.
As children of God we know what it means to walk in the Spirit. It means to let God be in control of my every attitude and action and to do what He says. It will be costly and painful, but the reward will more than make up the difference and always it is worth the price to serve God His way.
In Christ,
Pr. Steve
Positive Act of Redemption
Act 3:26 (KJV) “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
The salvation and grace that are in Christ Jesus turn us from our wicked ways. If the Gospel does not turn us from our wicked ways, then we have not received the scriptural Gospel. We hear preaching that tells us if we believe in Christ we will escape hell. But the Lord Jesus Christ told us that we escape hell by ceasing to sin. Satan tells people that grace will cause God to forget about our sin because we are forgiven. But the Bible says we have to turn away from sin.
There are two major parts of our redemption. The first is the forgiveness of sin and removing of the sinful nature. But the second is the forming of Christ in us.
Adam and Eve had no sin nature, no compulsion to sin, until they made a willful choice to disobey God. They had no experience of sin, no training that taught them how to judge between good and evil so they could reject the evil and embrace the good. If Christ had been formed in them, if they had been trained to judge between good and evil and to reject the evil and cling to the good, they would have been able to resist the compulsion to disobey God.
They did not have a Bible to explain to them how to serve the Lord in righteousness. They did not know to be born-again. They did not have a divine nature in them. They had no idea of eternal life.
God created Adam and Eve in a shameful condition (it is a shame to be naked). He knew what He was doing. And God knows what He is doing when He permits us to be born with a sinful nature. IN FACT, GOD KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT HE IS DOING EVEN IN THIS GENERATION.
God sent His Son as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and as an example of how to live a godly life. God does not want puppets. He created us in a shameful condition.(Revelation 3:18). Why? So we could learn to obey Him and deal with shame.
God has deliberately created an arena in which we could sin if we choose to do so. Then He steps back to see what we will do. Why? So He can teach us how to be obedient to Him and to walk in His righteous ways because of His great love for us. The way we live our lives is extremely important to Him. But we have to have the Divine nature operating in us to build immunity, a resistance to sin. IT IS NOT ENOUGH JUST TO HAVE A DESIRE TO PLEASE GOD. WE MUST POSSESS HIS NATURE SO WE ARE EMOTIONALLY AND SPIRITUALLY STRONG ENOUGH TO LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY – this is what pleases God.
Righteousness is not a standard of behavior we finally attain. Righteousness is nothing more or less than obedience to God at any given moment.
If Divine redemption includes forgiveness of sins with deliverance from the sinful nature, as well as the Divine nature of Christ developed in us so we can mature in the knowledge of good and evil (Heb.5:13-14), then we should be able to walk free from guilt condemnation and defeat.
But we will not be free unless there is power in the Holy Spirit to take us from the compulsion of sin to a place of deliverance where we are not pressed down to defeat continually. [It may not seem like it right now while you are being processed by the Holy Spirit.] But let me tell you a little secret of God: He is bringing us to a place where we are going to get the upper hand over all these things that move us.
The Bible tells us that if we continue in sin we will not inherit the Kingdom of God. But it also says we have an advocate with the Father who is Jesus Christ, so if we sin we can seek for deliverance in order to obey the commands of God. As we do so with the proper intent the Holy Spirit will put to death these sinful deeds in us. THIS IS THE NEGATIVE DIMENSION OF SALVATION – the removing of the power of sin in us. It is negative because it is painful, causing us to see another side of God that we have not been used to.
So what is the positive side of redemption? It is when we are changed into the moral image of Christ – when the Father and the Son come to dwell in our transformed nature, and it is when we finally finally begin receiving a glorified body of flesh and bones – a body formed as we allow the Spirit to crucify our adamic nature and raise us up to walk in the resurrection Life of Jesus Christ.
Once again, the negative side of redemption is the removal of sin which restores us to the position of Adam and Eve before the fall. The positive dimension is the development in us of the knowledge of what is good and what is evil, and a tremendous willingness and power in us to embrace the good and totally resist and reject the evil so we can obey God. THIS POSITIVE ACT IS ACCOMPLISHED AS WE ARE FORMED INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. (Rom.8:29 & Jn.14:23)
Are we going to continue to cling to the Gnostic teachings that believe in the name of Jesus we go to heaven to live in a mansion, or will we accept the true Gospel of Jesus Christ that requires us to be changed? This is our redemption.
It is interesting how Jesus spoke to us about sin: (Matthew 5:29). Today’s paraphrase: “If your eye causes you to sin, accept Jesus Christ and be forgiven.”
Mat 5:29 (MSG) "Let's not pretend this is easier than it really is. If you want to live a morally pure life, here's what you have to do: You have to blind your right eye the moment you catch it in a lustful leer. You have to choose to live one-eyed or else be dumped on a moral trash pile.”
Satan wants us to continue to believe we are saved by grace no matter how we live our lives. The truth is that a sinner belongs to hell until through Jesus Christ his desires are transformed and he puts away his sin and serves God with a whole heart:
Act 3:26 “Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
True salvation turns us, from our wicked ways. If it isn’t changing us then we have not received the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
We will not be changed by going to Paradise. It didn’t change Adam and Eve. It didn’t keep them from obeying Satan. Paradise does not change what we are, but it does reveal what we have become, as in the parable of the talents.
Every time we choose to turn away from sin and call upon the Lord for wisdom and power, a part of us dies. In its place comes eternal life. It is called “living off the body and blood of Christ.” We are called to daily sow to the Spirit to make us true disciples of God – that spiritual communion will give us eternal life.
If we choose to yield to the sinful nature, we reap destruction! We reap from our nature the nature we have sown. It may not be revealed in this life, but it will be revealed in the next.
The positive act of redemption includes training us until we understand what is good and what is evil, forming Christ in us, and making a way for the Father and the Son to dwell in us.
We are trained in righteousness by allowing the Spirit to point out to us some aspect of evil within. We then go to prayer, turn from the evil and receive from the spirit realm the body and blood of the Lord. In this manner Christ is formed in us. As we are ministered to and minister, the Word of God is written in our minds and on our hearts, and we recognize what is good and what is evil. We are then given the ability to embrace what is good and totally reject what is evil. This is how we are built into the stature of the fullness of Christ. If we are faithful in this process the day will come when the Father and the Son will make their home in us. Then our WARFARE will be accomplished.
This will be the first generation of its kind to do spiritual warfare without being taught what to do. Today’s religion has thrown out all evidence of true Spiritual Warfare. It is not a boxing match between demons and people in the church. WE CAN NO LONGER BUY OFF GOD TO GET WHAT WE WANT.
We must be warlike in battle concerning sin! Psa 144:1 “Blessed [be] the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, [and] my fingers to fight:”
When we have learned this lesson, we will hesitate no longer when Satan approaches. We will instantly cry out: “GET THEE BEHIND ME, SATAN!” And what will he do, but flee from you.
This day may seem like a downer for many because of what God is doing, but the day is at hand, even before us now, the image of Christ is coming forth. Soon the fiery trials will have been worth it all as the positive act of redemption makes us mighty warriors and deliverers of evil.
-Pr. Steve
. . . My calling as a pastor
Pastor’s Journal 2008
Pastor’s Journal 2008
Nov. 4: “America is about to hemorrhage. She is like a bleeding ulcer. What she eats affects her. If it is good she gets better. When it is bad she gets worse. Little by little it is getting worse, but that time is yet appointed before she fails. I hear the cry of My Beloved and I still long for My church to rise up in her glory and beauty and strength. The enemy will lash out with all his fury and many will fall. The darkness will cover the land and distress of this nation will come to fruition. Continue to stand firm and speak My truth and prepare My people.”
Nov. 8: “Whatever happens, you are to be at peace in Me. When you are not, something else is trying to rule your heart, soul and mind. Always come back to My rest and I will give you peace.”
Nov. 10: “You will inherit all things My Father has given to Me. You will remain steadfast and finish your course. You are in My will and accomplishing My Father’s purpose in you. Carry forth My plans with a glad heart and do not allow heaviness to rule you. I am your strength and salvation through it all.”
Nov. 13: Such a warm embrace from You, my Lord and Savior. How you accept me when I feel down. You are my encouragement. Thank You for the Holy Spirit’s guidance more than anything. May Your people be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Nov. 14: “I have given you a ministry of reconciliation that righteousness will come forth producing the relationship I desire for My people. This is an eternal work. Do it with all diligence, knowing that you are making a difference.”
Nov. 20: “Thank You, Lord, for your words of encouragement. Just to hear Your voice always is a delight. I can’t repeat all that You said, but I am truly blessed. In quietness and trust I obey. You are truly faithful and there is strength.”
Nov. 24: “Allow Me rule in every area of life and you won’t carry unnecessary burdens. Life does not always need to be difficult. There are days, but there is time for great fellowship and rejoicing with what I have done and will do. Even with the darkness closing in, you can enjoy My life in you.”
Nov. 29: “Things are not as they appear to be.”
Secret of Holy Living
Here lies the precious secret of holy living. We are dead to sin; alive to God. The reign of sin is over. What has sin to do with a dead man? Nothing. Well, then, the believer has died with Christ; he was buried with Christ; he is risen with Christ, to walk in newness of life. He lives under the precious reign of grace, and he has his fruit unto holiness. The man who draws a plea from the abundance of divine grace to live in sin, denies the very foundation of Christianity. “How shall we that have died to sin, live any longer therein?” Impossible. It would be denial of the whole Christian standing. To imagine the Christian as one who is to go on, from day to day, week to week, month to month, and year to year, sinning and repenting, is to degrade Christianity and falsify the whole Christian position. To say that a Christian must go on sinning because he has the flesh in him is to ignore the death of Christ in one of its grand aspects, and to give the lie to the whole of the apostle’s teaching in Romans 6 - 8.
C. H. Mackintosh
Kid’s Korner
Three boys are in the school yard bragging about their fathers. The first boy says, “My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a poem, they give him $50.”
The second boy says, “That’s nothing. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a song, they give him $100.”
The third boy says, “I’ve got you both beat. My Dad scribbles a few words on a piece of paper, he calls it a sermon, and it takes eight people to collect all the money!”
Learning Obedience Toward God
People are not born naturally obedient. We cry for self-satisfaction with the first breath we breathe. And, the first decisive word we speak is almost always the word, “no.” So how do we learn to be obedient? First, we must be willing to change. Obedience is built upon two main characteristics: humility and cooperation. Those two major qualities do not come built into the human nature; they must be learned, so to learn obedience we must make the choice to apply humility and cooperation to our decisions when considering God and His Word.
Heb 5:8-12 (KJV) “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (9) And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; (10) Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. (11) Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. (12) For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.”
That scripture is part of a letter sent to the church. The Christians there had not been maturing in the faith of God, and it was evident by the way they were living. They could not endure strong preaching because they were not adhering to the elementary teaching they had heard from the beginning of their Christianity. That same type of immaturity is rampant in the lives of many Christians today. People should not profess to be Christians and continue to live like sinners. Head knowledge alone will not work in Christianity, because Christianity is only evidenced when it is applied to a person’s way of living.
Heb 5:13-14 (KJV) “For every one that useth milk [is] unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. (14) But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”
Now that we recognize the problem, we also need to recognize the solutions. Jesus told His disciples to go and make other disciples; therefore all Christians are supposed to be disciples; or followers of Christ. As followers of Christ we must bear our own crosses daily by dying to the old sin nature, and by putting on the new man which is fashioned after our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. That can only be accomplished by relinquishing our demands for things we desire, and by examining our motivations. We must stop acting like babies. Babies that are growing into small children are known to throw fits, or temper tantrums. They often fall to the floor screaming and crying in efforts to persuade their parents to succumb to their will. Wise parents know that they must teach their children to obey. God is the wisest parent of all, and He is constantly working on our behalf by the leading of His Spirit, to bring us to the fullness of maturity, so we must stop insisting on our way and learn how to be obedient disciples. Discipline must be applied to the life of anyone who is to be a disciple. Others had the responsibility to discipline us when we were children; but now that we are adults by age, it is our responsibility to discipline ourselves, and to do whatever it takes to learn to be obedient to Jesus Christ our Lord.
Joh 15:8-11 (KJV) “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. (9) As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. (10) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. (11) These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full.”
-Kurt Thurston
QUOTES:
All I can say is I look for perpetual conflicts and struggles in this life, and I hope for no other peace, only a cross, while on this side of eternity.
To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.
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