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In this episode, we seek to show how as beautiful as general revelation truly is, it was never going to be enough. We needed God to specially reveal himself, and now that he has revealed himself primarily in Christ, we look to Christ and his word to define all things for us in thought and life.ResourcesThe Wonderful Works of God By Herman BavinckQuotes“When therefore, we review the whole terrain of general revelation, we discover, on the one hand, that it has been of great value and that it has borne rich fruits, and, on the other hand, that mankind has not found God by its light.”“In general revelation such objective teaching is adequate to its purpose. What God intends by it is to provoke man to seek Him, to feel Him out and find Him (Acts 17:27), and, not finding Him, yet be without excuse (Romans 1:20). But in His special revelation God has compassion upon man who strays about and cannot find Him. In it, God seeks man out and Himself tells man who and what He is.” p50“The central content of the special revelation is the person and work of Christ.” p50“Thus the whole revelation of the Old Testament converges upon Christ, not upon a new law, or doctrine, or institution, but upon the person of Christ. A person is the completed revelation of God.”  p77274 - The Beauty of General RevelationConnect With Usprovidenceomaha.orgInstagramFacebookEmail Usformation@providenceomaha.org

Evangelism Right mouse click or tap here to save/download this as a MP3 audio file What is evangelism? Evangelism is telling & showing others of God’s message of reconciliation to all people of all time. Down through the ages, the church has made two mistakes when it comes to evangelism. Firstly, it is not forcing people to adopt Church standards (1 Corinthians 5v12) and nor is it simply a message of join the church as a symbol of good works (Ephesians 2vv8-10). God has a message for all people. This message from God says that everybody has sinned against God (Isaiah 53v6; Romans 3vv10-11); nobody can earn their reconciliation with God (Ephesians 2v9); that God sent His Son Jesus to be born, crucified and resurrected so that salvation can be had by all people of all time (John 3v16; 1 Timothy 1v15); Because of that, it is only by acquiescing to God, by faith in Jesus alone that people are saved (John 5v24; Acts 16v31). That is the message of evangelism. Finally, evangelism is also lifestyle! Jesus Christ is to permeate every area of your life! You are a messenger of Jesus Christ, and a message from Jesus Christ, whether you want to be or not! The way you conduct yourself, both in public and in private, shows Jesus Christ to people. Why evangelize? The prime motivation for evangelism is out of gratitude for what God has done for you, in that the you love God because He loved you first (1 John 4vv10-12, 14,19). It was this sentiment Paul refers to when he writes, “For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.” (2 Corinthians 5v14). When you evangelise, you reflect something of the character of God, because God Himself is a missionary God. Jesus was sent to save the lost and redeem mankind! The Holy Spirit was sent from the Father and the Son! You are called to go! While you may not be called to be an evangelist (Ephesians 4v11), you are called to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4v5). In Jesus’ last words on earth, His church was commanded to be witnesses for Him (Acts 1v8). You are a member of that church, and as a part of the Church, you are included in the way God has chosen to spread His message of reconciliation (Acts 4v12; 2 Peter 3v9). Remember Paul’s words from Romans 10v14-15: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"” Right mouse click or tap here to save/download this as a MP3 audio file

Divine Election Dr. Steven R. Cook (https://thinkingonscripture.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Divine-Election.pdf) Introduction      Election is a biblical teaching that every serious student of the Bible must consider at some point. It addresses issues related to God's sovereignty and human volition, sin and salvation, justice and mercy, love and faith. Given that election touches upon the infinite and eternal nature of God, it's not surprising that certain aspects of this doctrine transcend human understanding, similar to the biblical doctrines of the Trinity and the Hypostatic Union.[1] God's revelation must be our guide. Though we reason through Scripture, our reasoning ability is limited, and we must learn to live with certain unresolvable theological tensions. According to Norman Geisler, “The mystery of the relationship between divine sovereignty and human free will has challenged the greatest Christian thinkers down through the centuries.”[2] Lewis Chafer states, “The doctrine of Election is a cardinal teaching of the Scriptures. Doubtless, it is attended with difficulties which are a burden upon all systems of theology alike.”[3] Warren Wiersbe states, “The mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility will never be solved in this life. Both are taught in the Bible (John 6:37). Both are true, and both are essential.”[4] Charles Ryrie adds, “No human mind will ever harmonize sovereignty and free will, but ignoring or downplaying one or the other in the interests of a supposed harmony will solve nothing.”[5] When discussing election with others, it's always best to maintain an attitude of love and grace, as this will generate more light than heat. Major Views on Election      Regarding election and salvation, there are varying perspectives on the roles of divine intervention and human responsibility in the process of being saved. The major views are as follows: Strict Calvinism adheres closely to the five points of Calvinism summarized by the acronym TULIP. Total depravity means people are completely unable to save themselves or even to seek God on their own due to their sinful nature. Unconditional election refers to God's choice of certain individuals for salvation, not based on any foreseen merit or action on their part but purely on His sovereign will. Limited atonement means Christ's death was intended to save only the elect, not all of humanity. Irresistible grace means that when God calls the elect to salvation, they cannot resist His will. Perseverance of the saints means that those whom God has elected and saved will persevere in faith and will not ultimately fall away. Moderate Calvinism adheres to the basic tenets of Calvinism but with some modifications or a softer interpretation. These often hold to a form of unlimited atonement that suggests Christ's atonement is sufficient for all but effective only for the elect. They're also more open to dialogue with other theological perspectives, and tend to avoid the more deterministic implications of strict Calvinism. Calminianism blends elements of Calvinism and Arminianism, seeking a middle ground concerning God's sovereignty and human volition. Calminians tend to lean toward unlimited atonement, resistible grace, God's election based on foreknowledge of who would believe, and the belief that saints can turn to a prolonged sinful lifestyle without losing their salvation. Arminianism is a theological system that emphasizes God's conditional election based on foreknowledge. Arminians see people as corrupted by sin, but able to respond to God's call to salvation. They also adhere to unlimited atonement, resistible grace, and believe Christians are able to forfeit their salvation, which means good works are necessary to retain salvation. Catholicism teaches that salvation is open to all and involves both God's grace and human cooperation. In the Catholic view, both faith and works are essential for salvation. Faith is the foundational response to God's grace, but it must be accompanied by works of love and obedience. In Catholicism, the sacraments are seen as vital means of grace. For instance, baptism is considered necessary for salvation as it washes away original sin and incorporates a person into the body of Christ. The Eucharist, penance, and other sacraments further sustain and deepen a believer's relationship with God. Pelagianism is a theological perspective considered heretical by most Christian traditions. It emphasizes human free will and denies original sin, teaching people are born morally neutral, and each person can choose to do good or evil without the necessity of divine grace. Pelagians emphasize that salvation can be achieved through human effort and moral striving, and they see God's grace is seen as helpful but not necessary for living a righteous life or achieving salvation.      The above categories are simplified presentations with detailed nuances others might seek to expand and clarify. My purpose in presenting them is to provide a basic construct of the major views. What follows is my understanding of the doctrine of election as it is taught in the Word of God. God is Sovereign      The Bible reveals God is sovereign over His creation, declaring “The LORD is King forever and ever” (Psa 10:16), and “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Psa 135:6), and “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?'” (Dan 4:35). God Himself declares, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (Isa 46:10b; cf. Psa 33:11), and this because He is the “only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim 6:15), Who “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11b). All this is true; however, the Bible also reveals God sovereignly created both angels and people with intellect and volition, and has granted them a modicum of freedom to act as free moral agents. According to McChesney, God's sovereignty “is not to be viewed in any such way as to abridge the reality of the moral freedom of God's responsible creatures or to make men anything else than the arbiters of their own eternal destinies. God has seen fit to create beings with the power of choice between good and evil. He rules over them in justice and wisdom and grace.”[6]      At all times, and without external restraint, God remains in constant sovereign control, guiding His creation through history. He interferes in the affairs of mankind, and His unseen hand works behind all their activities, controlling and directing history as He wills. We know from Scripture that God possesses certain immutable attributes and that He never acts inconsistently with His nature. For example, because God is righteous, all His actions and commands are just. Because God is immutable, His moral perfections never change. Because God is eternal, He is righteous forever. Because God is omniscient, His righteous acts are always predicated on perfect knowledge. Because God is omnipotent, He is always able to execute His righteous will. And because God is love, His judgments can be merciful toward the undeserving and humble. The Bible Affirms God's Sovereignty and Human Volition      Shortly after God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1), He sovereignly chose to create mankind in His image (Gen 1:26) as finite analogues to Himself, endowed with intellectual and volitional capabilities. God's intention was that they would function as theocratic administrators to “rule” over His creation (Gen 1:26-28). When God made His decision to create people in His image, He willingly limited Himself to allow them the freedom to operate as responsible moral creatures and not mere automatons. This self-imposed restraint by God is not unusual, for He has restrained Himself in other ways. For example, every time God made a promise or covenant, He bound Himself to His Word such that He cannot do otherwise. Scripture reveals that “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind; has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num 23:19). This is why, even though “we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim 2:13), and “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb 6:18; cf., Tit 1:2).      God has given people volition and freedom to act, and He holds them accountable for their actions. As the Sovereign of the universe, God will judge everyone fairly, for “there is no partiality with God” (Rom 2:11). Peter said, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). And Paul wrote, “For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality” (Col 3:25).      Though all mankind is fallen, being corrupted because of their sinful flesh (Rom 5:12, 6:6; 7:19-23; Gal 5:17, 19; Col 3:9), they still retain the image of God and the ability to function intellectually and volitionally (Gen 9:6; 1 Cor 11:7; Jam 3:9). This means that mankind is able, in a limited way, to understand God's general and special revelation, and to respond volitionally if they choose (Psa 19:1-2; Rom 1:18-32). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] For example, the doctrine of the Hypostatic Union teaches that God the Son added to Himself humanity, forever uniting His divine nature with a perfect sinless human nature, becoming the God-Man (John 1:1, 14, 18; 20:28; Col 2:9; Heb 1:8). He is eternal God (Isa 9:6; John 8:56-58; 17:5), yet He was born of a woman in time and space (Isa 7:14; Luke 1:30-35; Gal 4:4). As God, He is omniscient (Psa 139:1-6), but as a boy, He grew in knowledge (Luke 2:52). As God, He created the universe (Gen 1:1; John 1:3; Col 1:15-16), but as man, He was subject to weakness (Matt 4:2; John 4:6; 19:28). God is immortal and cannot die (1 Tim 1:17; 6:16), but as a human, Jesus could die (Matt 16:21; Rom 5:8). There were times that Jesus operated from His divine nature (Mark 2:5-12; John 8:56-58; 10:30-33), and other times from His human nature (Matt 4:2; Luke 8:22-23; John 19:28). These two natures seem incompatible, yet they cohere within Jesus. [2] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Three: Sin, Salvation (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2004), 137. [3] Lewis S. Chafer, “Biblical Theism Divine Decrees” Bibliotheca Sacra, 96 (1939): 268. [4] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 11. [5] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 359. [6] E. McChesney, “Sovereignty of God,” ed. Merrill F. Unger and R.K. Harrison, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).

Someone who had died on a cross would not have been buried in a rich man's tomb but would rather have had a relative come and take their body, have their lifeless body eaten by birds, or thrown into the garbage heap to burn and be eaten by worms. When Jesus declared “it is finished” He meant that all that the Father had sent Him to accomplish was complete. It also meant that His humiliation was finished, and it was now time for His exaltation to begin which would begin in His burial. The spices and the anointing of His body would not be needed as His body would not see decay (Acts 2:22-36). His body was placed in the tomb, but it was impossible for death to hold Him (Acts 2:24). As He had promised His disciples earlier:” A little while, and you will no longer see Me; an again a little while, and you will see me (John 16:16).

Bible Study Don't just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon: 1 Corinthians 1.26-31; Matthew 4.18-22 God chooses and uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. The major qualification for accomplishing great things for the Lord is spending time with Him (Acts 4:13). And the requirement for this work is our availability. Leaving behind those things that will hinder our effectiveness in the Lord's service. If Christ can accomplish His purpose through the lives of the apostles and other people, could we imagine what He has in store for us? How could God use you (personally)? God has placed you in your school (especially young people), your job, family and neighborhood to do something special for the Lord. He is calling you at this very moment, all you have to do is say, yes Lord! Will you make yourself available to Him today? Jesus has a plan, a work to do, a purpose to achieve in history and beyond. He invites us to join Him. Are we available? What are the obstacles that are holding us back? Do you have a question about today's sermon? Email Anthony Kowbeidu (AKowbeidu@StAndrews.Church).

The Ethiopian started following Jesus because Philip invited him to. There is a general rule we can pull from this scripture; People follow Jesus because someone invited them to Him (Acts 8:26-29).Support the show

1. Becoming a Christian is about life transformation • • •Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. • • •Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— • • •Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. • • •2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. • • •2. It's not about me... it's about Him • • •Acts of the Apostles 17:24-25 NLT24 “He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't live in man-made temples, 25 and human hands can't serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. • • •2 Timothy 2:20-21 NLT20 In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. 21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work. • • •3. Be actively involved in God's story

God Comes To Town! Ezekiel 1:1-4, 24-28 to 2:2 Introduction I wonder if there anybody here that is 25 years old? Anybody turning 25 this year? How about those who wished they were turning 25 this year? Imagine you are a 25 year old and being trained for the family business. Then suddenly your enemies invade your city and take you away to a foreign land. That's what happened to Ezekiel 5 years before this passage of Scripture, when the Babylonians, led by Nebuchadnezzar in 597BC took 3000 Jews back to Babylon. This was the first deportation. 1. Ezekiel - who was he and how did he get there? His name means "God is strong" He was training to be a priest Now 30 years of age, if he had been in Jerusalem, he would have been ministering in the Temple. He was married to the woman who is described as the "delight of his eyes". The reason that God had allowed His people to be taken into exile was because of their wickedness, utter disobedience and the dishonouring of His holy name. We know from other Old Testament passages that the people of Israel at the time, reacted in four different ways: There were those blaming the sins of their parents for their predicament and were totally pessimistic about life and everything. Others had abandoned their God, and given over to worshipping the Babylonian gods Some were false optimists saying, be happy it will be fine. We will soon be back in Jerusalem and God will be nice to us again. So just continue living as you are! Finally some were truly repentant of their own sins and yet had abandoned hope that God would rescue them. This is the first of five visions that Ezekiel has. This vision is similar to that found in Revelation 1 where John writes while in exile on Patmos. It is also similar to that portrayed by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4v16 when God will return again, Jesus will come to judge the antichrist and his followers (Revelation 16v12-16, 19v11-16), bind Satan (Revelation 20v1-3) and judge the nations (Matthew 25v31-46; Joel 3v11-17). When people find out that I am a Christian, some say "Oh I don't believe in a God or Gods". I generally ask them "What kind of God don't you believe in?" They then go on to describe what sort of God they don't believe in and they are generally surprised when I agree with them that I don't believe in the kind of God who they describe as being remote, impersonal, judgemental and delighting in the suffering He or she has probably caused. And I think Ezekiel at this time was out having his picnic at the river and maybe starting to think through all the things that had occurred leaving him in exile. Possibly he was starting to question God and then he sees what appears to be a storm approaching at speed. He just stands there, looking at it approach him. I don't know about you, but if that had been me, I would have run in the opposite direction as fast as I could! But he just stands there and looks. Amazing. So what was this vision and what does it tell us today, some 2500 years later! It is very easy with this passage to just concentrate on the cherubim angels, which is what the strange creatures are that Ezekiel describes in v4 to v24. You only have to go to your local bookstore and find a plethora of books on angels and so called angel worship. But that would be stop at verse 24 and not proceed further. We would then miss out on the God these angels are worshipping and obeying. However in order to satisfy any curiosity you may have about these cherubim, for that is what these creatures are, let me explain what the faces mean: . They each have four faces and each face is symbolic of a characteristic of a cherubim.. The human face is to the front. This is to show that mankind is the pinnacle of creation. This shows the cherubim as being intelligent. The lion face is to the right and this reflects that the lion is the king of the wild animals. This shows the cherubim as being they are very strong and powerful. The ox face is to the left and this shows that the ox is the best of the animals that farmers keep. This shows the cherubim as being strong and patient. The eagle face is at the back for the eagle is the leader among the birds of the air. This shows the cherubim as being extremely quick. 2. How does Ezekiel describe this vision of God? Ezekiel's first impression is the hearing of a voice from above the expanse over their heads. This voice came from a figure on the throne (v26). This figure was like that of a man. This should come as no surprise because mankind is made in the image of God. In the Old Testament, whenever God wanted to talk to man He took on the shape of a man such as when He appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 3). This is what is called a theophany, which is an appearance of God in visible form, temporary and not necessarily material. Ezekiel describes what he saw as "the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord" (v28). For he knew that nobody could actually see God and live, such is the nature of God's holiness and glory. Sometimes, even in the evangelical church, we like to put God in a box. God must act only in this way or in this manner. Perhaps Ezekiel was thinking like that. Thinking that God is far away in the Temple of Jerusalem and has abandoned his chosen people. We can see from this passage that God is holy, universal, mission-minded and personal. 3. Holy God This is seen in the fire, light and radiance described in v27. Because God is Holy, He is full of glory and majesty. However, it is not without some difficulty that we try to define what holiness is. Here are some of the things holiness is: Holiness is what separates God from all His creation. For God alone is holy and full of glory. Exodus 15v2 "Who is like you, O God, glorious in holiness!" Or Isaiah 60v25 "To whom will you liken me, or shall I be equal?" says the Holy One. Holiness is also a moral attribute of God, of purity and freedom from the stain of sin. Habakkuk 1v13 "of purer eyes than to behold evil and cannot look upon sin. Holiness is still more than that! It is in fact the sum of all His attributes! Perfect holiness, while to us is inconceivable, has been revealed. Revealed in the sinless man, Jesus Christ. 4. Universal God He is universal, not just in presence but in absolute sovereign power and knowledge. In this vision of Ezekiel's, you can feel the power and presence of God. It must have been quite a sight! God's presence and power are seen in the throne! This is the climax of the vision and it seems it is only now that Ezekiel realizes what he is looking at! He collapses face down! Omnipresent - God is wholly present everywhere. God fills the universe in all it's parts without division Psalm 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:23-24. God was not only in the Temple in Jerusalem, but God was also in Babylon! Omnipotent - God has power to do all things that are the object of power. With God all things are possible Luke 1:37. He is El Shaddai or God Almighty. Jerermiah 32:17-18 Nothing is too hard for you. Omnipotence is an essential to God. If God were not all-powerful then He would not be God and not be worthy of worship. This is the God who created the universe with His eternal and infinite power! This God bids his angels to obey and they do! Just as he is fully present everywhere, He is also all powerful and unlimited in power. This is the God who parted the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to escape the Egyptians army. This is the God who stopped the sun during Joshua's time. This is the God who made iron to swim by Elisha's hands. His power is evident in that the visible works of creation are His handiwork. He made everything around us, out of nothing! That is power. He not only created it, but He sustains it and gives it life! All things are possible with God and nothing impossible. But there are of course things God cannot do. He cannot do anything contrary to His own nature. He cannot for instance declare something infinite if it is finite. Omniscient - God has perfect knowledge of all things - actual, past, present, future and possible. O Lord, you have searched me and you know me, You know when I sit and when I rise...You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways (Ps. 139:1-2a & 3). He knows all things, past, present, and future, and therefore he knows all that we do (which includes the remembrance of all that we have done), all that we think (and the record of those thoughts), and all that we say. The Baptist Confession of 1689, describes God as: "The Lord our God is but one only living and true God; whose subsistence is in and of himself, infinite in being and perfection...", that God is in "every way infinite" and that His knowledge is "infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to him contingent or uncertain." God knows all things, and is able to accomplish all of his most holy will. Israel had forgotten these things about their God: He is not confined to just the Temple in Jerusalem. He is all-powerful and able to do all things according to His will. He is all knowing and can see even the hidden sins of His people. That is why they were in exile in Babylon, because they had not given God the honour due His name. They had sinned and actively disobeyed Him and the following chapters, God reveals through the visions, words and actions of Ezekiel, just how wicked Israel had become! Mission minded God He is on a mission. He came to Ezekiel to call him and use him as His spokesperson or prophet to those who were in exile. Ever since Genesis 3 and the fall of man, God has been on a mission to bring and call people back to Himself. That was the purpose of the nation of Israel, to be a light to all nations of the goodness and glory of God! That was purpose when God, who is outside of time and space, entered human history taking on human flesh and restricted Himself in a human body as the man we know as Jesus Christ. Jesus whole mission was one of calling people back to life in God. Personal God. God is personal! He speaks and commands with authority (2v1)! So often in the church today, God is seen as a father figure or as wanting to be friends. These things are true, yet of themselves, they are not a full picture and sometimes the stress laid on this approach tends to bring God as a person down to the same level we are - weak, feeble and pitiable. As we have seen here, God is full of divine majesty and wonder. Yes God is personal, but He is also great. Remember that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom! Jimmy Bakker, the disgraced US televangelists was interviewed in jail, and was asked the question "When did you stop loving the Lord?" To which he replied, "I never stopped loving him. But I did stop fearing him!" 5. What does all this mean? We have seen through the vision of Ezekiel that God is holy, all-powerful, mission-minded and personal. Israel had forgotten these things and was now in exile because of it. What does this mean for us, as God's people today, some 2,500 years after Ezekiel? When you go back to work or to college or where ever you interact with others, what does all this mean? We are to actively worship our God. By worship I mean living a life worthy of God 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Worship is not just singing songs on a Sunday but is a whole life devoted in obedience to the God we serve. Borne out of this worship and obedience, we also are on a mission. We are to honour the name of this all powerful God by living entirely for Him. That is what evangelism is, and we are all called to do the work of an evangelist, just as Ezekiel was called to speak God's word to people. What is evangelism? Evangelism is showing and telling others of God's message of reconciliation to all people of all time. It is not forcing people to adopt Church standards (1 Corinthians 5v12) and nor is it simply a message of join the church as a symbol of good works (Ephesians 2vv8-10). This gospel says that everybody has sinned against God (Isaiah 53v6; Romans 3vv10-11); nobody can earn their reconciliation with God (Ephesians 2v9); that God sent His Son Jesus to be born, crucified and resurrected so that salvation can be had for all people of all time (John 3v16; 1 Timothy 1v15); and that it is by acquiescing to God by faith in Jesus alone that people are saved (John 5v24; Acts 16v31). Why evangelize? The prime motivation for evangelism is out of gratitude for what God has done, in that we love because He loved us first. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5v14, "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." As His servants we are to tell and live of God's reconciling message As I said before, we are all to do the work of an evangelist, following the example of Timothy (2 Timothy 4v5). Scripture dictates several reasons for members of His church to share their faith. Jesus commands us to tell others of God's reconciling message. In the last words of Jesus' earthly ministry, His church was commanded to be witnesses for Him (Acts 1v8). Evangelism is an expression of love for God, through obeying His commands (John 14v15). So we worship with a life of obedience, which is an act of witness to the Great God we serve and live for, telling others about Him. We also teach and speak His word. The authority of the Bible is what we read and teach. 6. We speak God's word. The Bible is the Word of God, and is the instrument of the Holy Spirit to bring people to faith (Ephesians 1v13) and ongoing sanctification (Ephesians 5v26). Paul writes that all of it is "God Breathed" (2 Timothy 3v16), in that it is inspired by God and has its origins in God. It is not just the ideas, but also the words that are inspired by God (1 Corinthians 2v13). The Bible is capable of being understood by all God's people. God the Holy Spirit enlightens Christians minds, so that they can understand spiritual truths (1 Corinthians 2vv10-16). Through interacting with the Bible, the church teaches, rebukes, corrects and trains people for the purpose of righteousness (2 Timothy 3v16). By interacting with the Bible, Christians keep from sinning (Psalm 119v11), are comforted (Psalm 119v52), have their minds focused on God (Psalm 43v3) and are sustained in a daily spiritual life (Deuteronomy 8v3). The church also interacts with Bible, as the Bible is a link to the apostles and prophets, who are the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2v20). There are five main ways in which members of the Church can interact with the Bible. Public reading of Scripture was regular in Israel and in the early church (Nehemiah 8v3). Presently due to high literacy, Scripture can easily be read in private as well as corporately. Memorization of the Bible was commended to "lay up His words in your heart" (Job 22v22). By reading and memorizing the Bible, meditating on it helps understand the implications of life's occurrences and God's blessings (Joshua 1v8). These three interactions lead to a fourth, obedience. By obeying the Bible, the Christian learns to obey God, because it is His authoritative word (Deuteronomy 31v12) The teaching of the Bible receives the main emphasis in the New Testament, such as at the Church's birth and Peter's address to the crowd (Acts 2). After they were dispersed due to persecution, the Apostles continued preaching and teaching (Acts 8v4). Luke gives thirteen different words for preaching, and over thirty are used in the entire New Testament. Conclusion I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel like I am in exile. I don't mean as an Australian living in England, the mother country! Although sometimes it does feel like I am in exile! We are living in a country, which despite its Christian heritage, evangelical non-compromising Christians are being increasingly marginalized by a society, which decrees that, all religions or none are equal, and that to declare otherwise is simply arrogance and divisive. How are we to react? When you are faced with a crisis or some trouble, how do you react? Are you like the ancient Israelites that Ezekiel was sent to? Do you trust in the holy, all-powerful, all knowing, personal God or do you trust in other things? God is coming again! Be Holy and be obedient! Live a life worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Trust fully in the God of your salvation Go tell somebody! Finally, if you need prayer for something related to what I have said today, then find somebody to pray for you. And if you cant find somebody to pray for you, then come and find me. Right mouse click or tap here to download the MP3 of this sermon

Part 36 | Paul Restores a Young Man's Life to Him | Acts 20:1-16 Pastor Lance’s Notes

welcome back! i'm so happy to be sharing this reflections episode with you. today it is a classic reflections ep where i share what is on my heart right now! i hope that you are enjoying autumn and are having an amazing season. Know that God is with you, God loves you and He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you to show this love. Not only that, but to be the access-way to know Him and to offer forgiveness for your sins. Jesus is alive and ready to accept you as His friend

God's BLESSING is the impartation of His SPIRIT, giving life; God's life working within and upon us. We were made to live by His blessing, empowering us to live, thrive and be fruitful. The opposite is curse (absence of life, death). Righteousness brings blessing, but sin brings curse. In Adam, all were under sin's curse, but Christ gave us His righteousness, so we can receive His blessing. When we received Christ, His blessing came into us, recreated our spirit and His Spirit now lives in us. There is also a 2nd Blessing (the Baptism in the Spirit), the Spirit upon, empowering us to multiply ourselves and be fruitful. In Scripture, His Blessing is always 2-fold: (1) for our own life, and (2) to empower us to reproduce ourselves in others. There is a vital connection between Blessing and Seed. Blessing works through seed to produce multiplication (Genesis 1:11-12). It is spiritual power. The seed is the natural thing it acts on to produce new life. The blessing is released through sowing seed, and seed is ineffective if not empowered by the blessing. God released His blessing on all His creatures by sowing His seed (speaking His Word): “God BLESSED them, SAYING.." (v22). He blessed them (1) to thrive (v20-21), and then (2) multiply (v22). His blessing is released and goes forth through His words. His Spirit works with His Word. This is the key to release His Blessing. God is BLESSED, and releases His BLESSING by SOWING SEED. Likewise, He made each animal multiply according to its kind or seed (v24-25). When He created man, He imparted the same 2-fold Blessing: (1) WITHIN and (2) UPON. (1) First, He created man, blessing him with life (v26-27), by imparting His Spirit WITHIN (2:7). (2) Then God blessed man a 2nd time, empowering him to be fruitful and multiply - imparting life to others (v28). God's 2-fold Blessing through Adam at Creation is parallel to His 2-fold Blessing through Christ (the 2nd Adam) in the New Creation. (1) At our New Birth, He breathed His Spirit WITHIN, through the sown seed of the Gospel. (2) At our Baptism in the Spirit, He put the Blessing of His Spirit UPON, empowering us to impart life to others, by sowing the words of the Gospel. In both cases, He released His blessing by His words (blessing is voice activated). We are God's image, and so release His blessing the same way: (1) We must be BLESSED with the Spirit upon, and (2) have SEED to sow. Then as we sow it, we release the blessing of life. The WORD and SPIRIT work together unto fruitfulness. Abram received the Promise of this 2-fold Blessing (Genesis 12:2,3), to be transmitted through His Seed (Genesis 22:17-18). This was fulfilled by Christ, who received the full Blessing, within and upon, on our behalf, to freely give us. The New Covenant Blessing is called the BLESSING of ABRAHAM and PROMISE of the SPIRIT (Galatians 3:13-14). It is 2-fold: (1) blessing for our own life, by the Spirit WITHIN, and (2) blessed to be a blessing to others by the Spirit UPON. This 2-fold Ministry of the Spirit was prophesied in Ezekiel 36:26-27 and Joel 2:28-29. Isaiah 59:20-21 describes how this Covenant Blessing is transmitted, by (1) the Spirit UPON, (2) released by speaking God's WORDS. Jesus received and operated in the full 2-fold Promise of the Spirit: (1) born of the Spirit, with the Spirit within, and then (2) baptised in the Spirit, when He received the Spirit upon empowering Him to bless others (Luke 3:21-22, Luke 4:18-19). He is our example, for He said: “As the Father has sent Me, so I send you” (John 20:21). He gives us the same mission to bless others through the Gospel, and so anoints us with the same Spirit upon, and like Him, we release this power by sowing His words (Acts 1:4,5,8). The purpose of the Spirit upon is to give us power to witness, released through our words (Romans 1:16), which transmit the power into men's hearts. This power upon is potential (Acts 1:8), which we activate and release, by speaking His words. It goes forth with our words, making them effectual. We need both the Word in our heart and the Spirit upon to empower our spoken words, so they enter men's hearts with power to illuminate, convict and save. The Parable of the Sower describes how God's Kingdom works. The sower sows God's Word in men's hearts. If received, the seed produces new life in them (1Peter 1:23,25). After Jesus was baptised in the Spirit, He became the first Sower, speaking God's Word, releasing the Spirit's power, giving life to men (John 6:63). He then told us all to continue His mission by sowing His Word in the same power of His Spirit. The earth (man's heart) needs 2 things to bring forth fruit: (1) SEED (the Word) and (2) WATER (the Spirit). So, we need to sow the Word and release the Spirit to minister life to men (John 7:37-39). The Baptism in the Spirit empowers us to speak for Him (Acts 1:8), so His Spirit flows forth with the spoken word, causing it to be effectual in producing fruit in people's hearts.

Transcript:Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective. What does the Bible say about racism and ethnocentrism? A whole lot! The Bible tells us that we all have a shared origin and identity. God made each of us in the image of God. The Apostle Paul explains it this way: God “made from one man [i.e., Adam] every nation” and He did so…that they should seek God and perhaps find Him” (Acts 17:26-27). And so, there is no such thing as a superior race or people group. Even when God chose Abraham to create the nation of Israel, He explicitly says He did so that all the people groups on the earth might be blessed. Ultimately, this is fulfilled in the Jesus, who died to secure the promise of Abraham to all the nations (Galatians 3:6-16). God is no respecter of persons. This brings us to our second point. The Bible tells us that Christ will redeem people from every nationality, people group and language—a multitude so vast that no one will be able to number them! On that final day, there will be “full representation” of all humanity at God's table. Heaven will be a multiethnic and multicultural place—a diversity of humanity like the world has never seen, all unified in the worship of the one true God who died to save us. Those that refuse to embrace this, and certainly those that oppose it in their racism and ethnocentrism, are not fit for heaven. They must be transformed, for they are at best tacit enemies of God's grace.  Are you growing in your love of the diversity of God's people? That's something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective. The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.” While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?” Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.  “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.~Acts 10:23-48 (NIV)

From Come Follow Me:Among the Lord's final words to His Apostles was the commandment “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). While the Apostles didn't quite make it to all nations, Acts 16–21 does show that Paul and his companions did make remarkable progress in establishing the Church. They taught, baptized, and conferred the gift of the Holy Ghost. They performed miracles, even raising a man from the dead, and foretold the Great Apostasy (Acts 20:7–12, 28–31). And the work they started continues with living Apostles today, along with devoted disciples like you, who are helping fulfill the Savior's commission in ways Paul never could have imagined. Perhaps you are aware of people who do not know their Heavenly Father or His gospel. Perhaps you have felt that your “spirit was stirred in [you]” to share with them what you know about Him (Acts 17:16). If you follow Paul's example of humility and boldness in sharing the gospel, you may find someone “whose heart the Lord [has] opened” (Acts 16:14).******The thoughts, ideas, and beliefs we express on this channel do not officially represent The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  For additional information or official statements, please visit the website below.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/?lang=eng#biblestudy #oldtestament #religion #churchofjesuschrist #ldspodcast #christianpodcast #missionary #lds #biblestories #christ #faith #faithinchrist #scriptures #bookofmormon #doctrineandcovenants #pearlofgreatprice #temples #houseofthelord #mormon #mormonbeliefs #chritiansandmormons #god #endure #ironrod #faithineveryfootstep #generalconference #prophets #followtheprophet #commandments #love #service #charity #keepstriving #keeponstriving #gospelgrowthandgoodtimes #become #newtestamentSupport the show

The Obsession with God's Presence Once upon a time, in a bustling city, there lived a young woman named Sarah. She was a devout Christian, striving to live a life that pleased God. However, Sarah found herself caught in the grip of an obsession—obsession with her own Christian experience. Every waking moment, she would ponder her actions, her thoughts, and her spiritual growth. While her intentions were noble, she had lost sight of what it truly meant to fear the Lord. One day, as Sarah sat in her quiet room, reflecting on her journey, she stumbled upon a verse from the Psalms: "Who is the man that fears the Lord?" (Psalm 25:12). Intrigued, she pondered the meaning behind those words. It was then that she realized her obsession with herself had hindered her from truly experiencing the presence of God. Determined to change her perspective, Sarah embarked on a spiritual quest—to become obsessed with God. She yearned for her entire being to be consumed by His presence, not merely her thoughts about Him. She longed for the abiding awareness of the Christian life to be rooted in God Himself. Like a child completely absorbed in the presence of their mother, Sarah desired to be so immersed in God's presence that everything in her life would be viewed through the lens of their relationship. She wanted to live, move, and have her being in Him (Acts 17:28). With this newfound revelation, Sarah understood why worrying was a sin. How could she be unbelieving when God was constantly surrounding her? As Sarah's obsession with God grew, she discovered that nothing else could penetrate her life. Concerns, tribulations, and worries were no match for the barricade she had built through her obsession with God. It was as if she dwelled in prosperity, even amidst the storms of life. The promise from the Psalms rang true: "He himself shall dwell in prosperity..." (Psalm 25:13). In the midst of tribulations, misunderstandings, and slander, Sarah found solace in her hidden life with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). She realized that she had been robbing herself of the miraculous truth of abiding companionship with God. He became her refuge, a shelter of protection that nothing could break through (Psalm 46:1). Word of Sarah's transformed life began to spread throughout the city. People marveled at the peace and joy radiating from her. Intrigued, they approached her, eager to understand the secret behind her transformation. Sarah would simply smile and share the story of her obsession with God's presence. Inspired by Sarah's example, many in the city started reevaluating their own lives. They too desired to be consumed by God's presence, to experience the fullness of His love and protection. Sarah's story became a timeless reminder of the power of obsession—when it is directed towards the divine. And so, the city began to witness a revival, as people traded their self-obsessions for an obsession with God. Lives were changed, families were restored, and the city became a beacon of light in a dark world. All because one young woman dared to let go of herself and become completely obsessed with the Creator. From that day forward, Sarah's story was told and retold, reminding generations to come of the transformative power of being obsessed with God's presence. It served as a testament that when one's entire being is consumed by God, miracles happen, and lives are forever changed. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestforhimtoday/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mybestforhimtoday/support

1) He is GOD - we don't define Him   Acts 17:22-28   Acts 5: 4,9,11,12   The FEAR of God makes room for the MOVE of God    2) I owe Him my life   I owe Him my life - and I exchange it for His    Acts 17:28 Gal 2:20   1) Where does this belief come from?  2) Who is benefiting? 3) Who does it harm?    Mark 7:6-8   Acts 9:1-6    How we treat God's people is how we are treating God    Acts 9:15-16   Acts 9:20   Mt 22:37-39

“The God who … gives to all mankind life and breath and everything” (Acts 17:24–25) wants all people to seek Him that they might “feel their way toward Him and find Him” (Acts 17:27). But in our sinful ignorance, we humans turn instead to idols “formed by the art and imagination of man” (Acts 17:29). Therefore, God appointed the Man of Righteousness, Jesus Christ, and “has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31). Because He lives, we also live (John 14:19) in His forgiveness, and thus we love Him and keep His commandments (John 14:15). While the risen Lord prepares us for His ascension, He will not leave us “as orphans” (John 14:18), but He gives “another Helper,” the Holy Spirit, to be with us forever (John 14:16) through the preaching of “Jesus and the Resurrection” (Acts 17:18). Because He “suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous” (1 Peter 3:18), we “honor Christ the Lord as Holy” and are always “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks” for the reason for our hope (1 Peter 3:15). Our Baptism “now saves” us “as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21)

The commitment of Jesus to pay the cost required to save us, calls for commitment from us to live for Him.-1. The impact of Jesus on His disciples already. -v.32--2. The awareness of Jesus about His coming suffering. -v.33- -3. The unwavering commitment of Jesus to the will of His Father. -v.34--How do we respond to such serious love and high cost---What does the title 'Son of Man' mean-- Daniel 7-13-What was expected for the 'Suffering Servant'-- Isaiah 50-5-10-Who had both titles- what did that require of Him-- Acts 3-13

Sunday, February 12, 2023 Seeking Shalom Together: “We are Christ-Centered”  Speaker: Dr. Brian Bennett   Notes: We are Christ-Centered: shalom _________ becomes shalom _________ through Jesus [Jeremiah 29:7; John 14:26-27]   We are Christ-Centered: _________ with Jesus and living out of the _________of Him [Acts 3:6-10; 4:1-4] • Wherever Jesus is _________there is power ready to be _________   We are Christ-Centered: _________ Jesus work to _________ _________as we walk by faith [Acts 4:5-13] • Jesus' people are _________, not just _________ • We must _________Jesus before _________for Jesus   We are Christ-centered: _________ the name of Jesus over _________name [Acts 4:14-22; John 16:33]   We are Christ-Centered: _________ for _________ and giving generously   [Acts 4:29-37] • How they prayed:  oGod see our _________ oGive us _________ in it o_________ out your hand to help   Next Step Questions: - Have you received Jesus and centered your life on Him? - Are you living out of the overflow of a Christ-centered walk? - Will you ask for boldness to live the life He has for you?

Leviticus 19:2 reads that Yahweh told Moses to tell the children of Israel, to “be set-apart for I, Yahweh your Elohim, am set-apart.” Yahweh considers His people, His chosen people, to be something of amazing beauty, great value and rareness. His desire is to show the whole world this set-apart nation–the ones whom He has redeemed and made as a shining city on a hill.Doing a deep-dive into the letter to the Ephesians, Rabbi Berkson unpacks verse by verse this Pauline epistle so that we can try to understand why Paul was continuously bringing in the concept of being set-apart into his letter.As he continues on the topic of the armor of Elohim, Rabbi Steve Berkson focuses our attention on the concept of the Good News.• Review• Moving into Acts and the apostles' understanding of the Good News• Acts 5:16-28 – You'll recognize the authority• Acts 5:33 – Reacting to what you don't want to hear• This is about you transforming into Him• Acts 5:40-41 – Are you counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name?• Acts 5:42 – The Good News: according to the Apostles• Acts 8:27-38 – A guide is needed for the Word / Baptism is about covenanting• Acts 14:1-18 – Turn away from worthless matters• Acts 15:1-11 – Commanded to be circumcised and keep Torah?• Acts 15:20-35 – Do these and then learn about the other things• Revelation 14:6-7 – The everlasting Good News - fear and worship Elohim!Don't miss out on new teachings every week. Please click on the "LIKE" button if this podcast has been a blessing to you.For more information about MTOI (Messianic Torah Observant Israel), visit our website, https://mtoi.org.Join us on Social media!  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwideFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwideFollow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtoiworldwideWe are located in Cleveland TN. If you would like to know more about us, we would love to hear from you! Feel free to visit us on our website, https://mtoi.org, email us at admin@mtoi.org or call us at 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services & Torah Study LIVE Streamed on our Main YouTube Channel every Saturday at 1:15 pm (Eastern) and every Friday for Torah Study Live Stream at 7:30 pm (Eastern).

Bible Study with Jairus - Leviticus 10 God Protects His Glory In Leviticus 10, Aaron's sons were put to death because they presented to God a careless, irreverent offering. This short chapter brings up some startling questions. Why were Aaron's sons killed for such a small misdeed? Why did the Lord discipline them so severely? Although this question is difficult to answer, I believe that Aaron's sons were not the only ones who sinned. Aaron also had problems he needed to deal with. To back up this claim, I want to mention another Old Testament story. In the time of the judges, we see an example of a father being judged for his son's sins. Eli died because his sons were committing sexual immorality with the women in the tent of meeting and stealing the sacrificial meat. Eli was lenient with his sons and did not restrain their wickedness. The Bible says Eli honored his sons more than God. As a result, God sent great disaster to the Israelites. As the Chinese say, parents are to blame for their children's behavior. In the same way, Aaron likely failed to train his sons correctly. His sons' carelessness shows that Aaron himself had not set a good example for them. God was not only dealing with Aaron's sons but was also judging Aaron's uncleanness through the death of his sons. The Lord clearly stated his standards: “Among those who are near me I will be sanctified” (ESV, Leviticus 10:3).[1] God's holiness is a theme throughout the Bible. Hebrews 12:14 says that without holiness, “no one will see the Lord." The Lord also says, “I will be glorified before all the people.” In Genesis 3, after Adam and Eve sinned, God sent cherubim and a flaming sword to block the way to the tree of life. Anyone who violated God's holiness, glory, and righteousness would be killed if they tried to come near the tree of life. God's standard of holiness is high, and his judgment purified Aaron the priest and made him holy. Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu were burned by God as a representation of sacrifice (see Leviticus 9:23), and God's holiness and glory were manifested. The Responsibilities of Aaron and His Sons Although Aaron failed to set an example for his sons, Nadab and Abihu were also responsible for their behavior. Aaron's sons should not have offered strange fire, nor should they have entered the sanctuary without permission. Though they were responsible for their choice, they made these choices under the sinister influence of Satan himself. The disciple Peter made a similar mistake. At one point during Jesus' ministry, Peter made an extraordinary confession that Jesus was the Son of the living God. But later he relied on his flesh and rebuked Jesus for his self-sacrificial intention to go to the cross. As a result, the Lord bluntly rebuked him and called Peter, “Satan.” In the same way, Satan was trying to destroy God's work in the lives of Aaron's sons. Just like Satan influenced Peter, tempted Eve, and hardened Cain's heart, Satan influenced Aaron's sons' choices. There is a spiritual battle behind Nadab and Abihu's choices. God's discipline for Nadab and Abihu is not the only aspect of this story. During a shadow play, we should not focus only on what's going on in front of the stage, but also understand the story going on behind it. In the same way, we shouldn't just focus on Nadab and Abihu. We must see the reality of this spiritual battle behind their external conflict. Every human conflict is just a reflection of the cosmic battle between God and Satan. We should find out who's behind each struggle. It's Satan and his deception. Satan wanted Nadab and Abihu to challenge God and defile the holiest place on earth. This story took place near the golden altar of incense, near the entrance to the Holy of Holies. The golden altar of incense stood right in front of the veil that separated the sanctuary from the Holy of Holies. The two men were getting dangerously close to entering the Holy of Holies. If God hadn't stopped them, perhaps they would have been even more daring next time, going straight into the Holy of Holies. As we see the essence behind the external story, we see that Aaron's lack of teaching and example gave Satan an opportunity to use Aaron's sons. God sent severe discipline because this incident severely provoked him to anger. The same is true for us today. If our mind is set on the Spirit, we experience life and peace. But when our mind is set on the flesh, it brings death (Romans 8:6). When thinking about things that dishonor God, we allow Satan to use us as pawns in the cosmic battle against God, just as he did with Peter, Eve, Nadab, and Abihu.   How did the men's death glorify God? So the second troubling question we see in this passage is, “Why did God say that killing Nadab and Abihu would glorify his name among the Israelites?” I believe that Nadab and Abihu experienced judgment in place of Aaron. Although their sacrifice was unwilling, they died in their father's place. This reminds us of Jesus, the only Son of God, who willingly went to the cross to be judged for our sins. Therefore, this action sanctified God's name among those who were near to Him. Those whom God calls to serve Him often pay a special price for that service. However, we cannot ultimately compare these men's death with the death of God's Beloved Son for our sins. Christian history often talks about the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross, but it rarely talks about the pain of the Father, who gave up His beloved Son. This needs to be addressed. No father can give up his son without suffering. Any time a father sees his son suffering, the father's pain is often even greater than the son's. The father yearns to suffer in place of his son. In the same way, the pain God the Father experienced may have been even greater than the pain experienced by his son. The Father must have yearned to be able to die in his son's place. As Jesus Christ bore our sins on the cross, the Father grieved for His Son. But because God loved us, his children, he was pleased to bruise Jesus Christ (Isaiah 53:10). In this passage, Aaron must have had similar feelings. On the one hand, he mourned the death of his own sons. On the other hand, because of God's judgment, Aaron knew that God's name was being sanctified among those who were near Him, so he was content. The fire of the Lord came down to kill Nadab and Abihu. God said that he sent fire so that His name might be sanctified among those who were near Him and so he would be glorified among the people of Israel. Fire from heaven is often related to God's glory. Leviticus 9 says that when the Israelites offered sacrifices, fire from heaven came down and consumed the sacrifices. In this way, God's glory was revealed (9:22-24). The willing, obedient offerings of the people were consumed by the fire of God's glory. But how can God's fire reveal God's glory when Nadab and Abihu were not willing, obedient, innocent offerings? The sacrifices in the Old Testament had to be without blemish, but Nadab and Abihu's sacrifices were imperfect. Even though the analogy is imperfect, Nadab and Abihu's death can still remind us of Christ's death. David, Solomon, and others prefigured Christ, but they were imperfect people. In the same way, these imperfect men can remind us of the perfect Christ. Jesus Christ went to the cross to save us. Did his death glorify God? Yes, Jesus Christ went to the cross to glorify God's name. So I believe that the death of Aaron's two sons glorified God by prefiguring Jesus' death on the cross in the future. Even though God has disciplined Nadab and Abihu with physical death, this does not necessarily mean that they will face eternal death. I believe that Nadab and Abihu will not necessarily perish eternally. Maybe they are already with God. Their death was unfortunate, but it provided a good life lesson for Aaron. Numbers 18:1 says, "The Lord said to Aaron, ‘You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity connected with your priesthood.'” Aaron and his sons bore the sins that the people committed against the sanctuary. Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu committed sins against the sanctuary, so Aaron had to take full responsibility for their sins. Their judgment taught Aaron a serious lesson. It also served as a stern warning to future generations. Does God sacrifice others to train us? An older brother in Christ once told me, “God sometimes sacrifices one person's life in order to teach someone else a lesson.” “I accept what you are saying,” I replied, “but I don't understand what you mean.” “Let me give you an example,” he said. “When we first started preaching the gospel as young Christians, we made many mistakes. We often did not speak well, and the people we were witnessing to often resented our attempts. Not only did we fail to convert those who were listening to us, but our ignorance may have pushed our listeners even farther from God. God temporarily sacrificed these people's souls in order to train us.” His explanation made sense to me. When we first learn to preach the gospel, we are often overzealous and unwise, leading others to become disgusted with Christianity. However, we need these experiences to help us learn how to preach the gospel. God loves these people and wants them to be saved. But God sees our eagerness to serve him, and he uses these circumstances to train us to preach the gospel.   Similarly, God often allows one person to suffer while another person is learning how to balance church life and family life. A zealous wife who goes to church every day may shortchange her home responsibilities. The resentful husband may oppose and persecute the zealous wife. The less-fervent spouse is sacrificed to the other spouse's learning curve. This exact situation played out in a family I know. Both spouses are Christian, but the wife was overly zealous about serving in the church. She called other Christians every day to remind them to read the Bible. She also attended so many church services that her husband was often at home alone, with no food to eat and no one to keep him company. Understandably, problems arose in their marriage. Eventually, this woman learned to balance church and home commitments. She began to spend more time with her husband and serve him at home, and sacrificed some of her favorite church activities. Slowly, her husband noticed her transformation. He praised her for her growth and balance. Their marital relationship improved greatly. At first, the wife thought that she was being persecuted because she loved the Lord. But in reality, she was causing her husband's suffering. His needs were being sacrificed to her own learning curve. God set up a learning environment in which the wife would grow in obedience and balance. As she changed her perspective, she learned the true essence of spirituality. On the contrary, I have also seen negative examples. These wives ignored their husband's needs and continued to prioritize church activities that they enjoyed. They ultimately did not manifest the Lord's character to their family. When we truly live for the Lord, we obey Him in all things, even when we have to give up activities that we enjoy. From these stories, we can see that God sacrificed Nadab and Abihu in order to teach Aaron a lesson of obedience and holiness. There must have been some areas in Aaron's life where he had disobeyed God and was not holy enough, so Nadab and Abihu paid the price to help Aaron learn these lessons. Why didn't Aaron eat the sin offering? After Nadab and Abihu were consumed by fire, Moses commanded Aaron and his two other sons to offer sacrifices and eat them, but Aaron did not do so. Moses couldn't find the goat for the sin offering. When he found out that it had been burned, he got angry and rebuked Aaron's other sons. He reprimanded them for not eating the sin offering. He said, "Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most holy and has been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord? Behold, its blood was not brought into the inner part of the sanctuary. You certainly ought to have eaten it in the sanctuary, as I commanded.” (Leviticus 10:17-18). Leviticus 6:30 reveals the reason for Moses' anger. The verse says, “No sin offering shall be eaten from which any blood is brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place; it shall be burned up with fire." Leviticus 6:24-26 says, "The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the Lord; it is most holy. The priest who offers it for sin shall eat it. In a holy place it shall be eaten, in the court of the tent of meeting.” This is what God commanded Moses. When Moses commanded them to eat the sacrifices in this chapter, he specifically stated, "for so I am commanded." (Leviticus 10:13). The only reason not to eat a sin offering was if its blood had been brought into the sanctuary. In that case, the animal was brought into the sanctuary to be burned up. Otherwise, the sin offering should be eaten. Since this goat's blood had not been sprinkled in the sanctuary, it should have been eaten. But Aaron and his remaining sons had burned up the sacrifice (Leviticus 10:16). This was the reason for Moses' anger. Aaron and his two living sons had not obeyed the law that the Lord had commanded Moses. In response to Moses' anger, Aaron said, "Today they have offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the Lord, and yet such things as these have happened to me! If I had eaten the sin offering today, would the Lord have approved?" After Aaron said this, Moses was no longer angry, and he gave his approval (Leviticus 10:20). Why did Moses approve? We can speculate that although the goat's blood was not brought into the sanctuary, some other blood equivalent had been offered. Perhaps the blood of Nadab and Abihu was symbolically offered in the sanctuary. Of course, the two men did not actually bleed, because they were consumed by fire. But Aaron may have regarded his two sons' death as a sacrifice that had entered the sanctuary. As previously stated, these men's death may remind us of the sacrifice of God's only son, Jesus Christ. What was Aaron feeling here? Yes, he was feeling sadness, pain, and self-reproach. Was he also angry and hateful at God? He seemed to be complaining against God himself. People often mistakenly think that Aaron was dissatisfied with God. But this is not necessarily true. As any normal father would, Aaron felt pain, sadness, and self-reproach. That's why he could not eat the sacrifice at that time. His sons had been sacrificed, and he had lost his appetite. If he ate the sacrifice, it would be kind of like eating his son. He just couldn't do it. He chose not to eat. Instead, he burned up the goat of the sin offering. The Bible does not tell us who gave the command to burn the goat of the sin offering. But my guess is that it was Aaron's decision. Although the blood of the goat of the sin offering was not brought into the sanctuary, Aaron probably felt that the death of his sons served as a sin offering; therefore, he could not eat the goat. Moses, who represented God, was pleased with Aaron's explanation. We believe that Aaron's feelings here were not necessarily anger towards God, but rather sadness and pain for losing his sons. His feelings may be a representation of the pain that God the Father would one day experience after giving up His Son on the cross. This may be the reason why Moses approved of his explanation. Conclusion When our uncleanness is judged by God, He is sanctified. When our sacrifices and offerings are accepted by God, His glory is manifested in us. Nadab and Abihu were forced to represent these sacrifices. Aaron burned the goat of the sin offering, even though its blood had not been brought into the sanctuary. This small act showed Aaron's obedience before God. He offered Nadab and Abihu as sacrifices to God and was then approved by Moses, who represented God. When we are disciplined by God, we can choose to respond in rebellious hate or in obedient faith. When we choose to obey, the glory of God is revealed to us. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him (Acts 5:32). Aaron's obedience to God brought glory to God by ushering in a greater filling of the Holy Spirit. Dear friend, are you willing to give up the unholy things you love? You may love pornography, greed, or other fleshly desires. Are you willing to give these things up if the Lord removes them from your life? When God disciplines us, we can either choose to learn the lesson of obedience or become more rebellious. Nadab and Abihu's choices represent those unclean things in our lives. When I say they are the representations of offerings, I am speaking more about our responses to them. Aaron set a good example of obedience to the Lord. His obedience, contrite heart, and lowly spirit were the true sacrifices that God valued the most (Psalm 51). Let me end with a quote from the famous Chinese Christian Watchman Nee: It is important for us to receive God's arrangement in the circumstances. This arrangement is the discipline of the Holy Spirit. To escape God's arrangement just one time is to lose an opportunity to have our capacity enlarged. This will prolong the time required for life to mature in us and will even require us to make up this lesson in order to reach maturity. A believer can never be the same after passing through suffering. Either he will have his capacity enlarged or he will become more hardened. For this reason, when believers are passing through suffering, they must pay attention and they must realize that maturity in life is the sum total of receiving the discipline of the Holy Spirit. People may see a person who has matured in life, but they cannot see the accumulated discipline of the Holy Spirit which that person has received secretly day by day throughout the years.[2]   [1] All Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.   [2]Witnee Lee,  Watchman Nee, A Seer of the Divine Revelation in the Present Age, (Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministries), 1991, .

We revisit the conditional aspect of many verses in the Bible, and repeat the importance as well as some of the benefits of dwelling in the Lord (Psalm 91:1). We pray for the listeners to be able to acknowledge the Lord (Proverbs 3:6), to spend time with Him in the secret place (Psalm 91:1), to go about doing good with Him (Acts 10:38).Being anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6; and also Matthew Chapter 6) allows us not to invite or entice evil upon our lives (Proverbs 15:15). What we say and what we believe have an impact, positive or negative in our circumstances and in our day.This program covers the following scriptures from the Amplified Classic version (AMPC): Psalm 91 verses 1 and 8; Job 22:21-23; Proverbs 15:15.Support the show

What is PRAYER - Prayer is a two-way conversation with God. This involves directing our prayer to God, speaking out loud, listening and responding to Him (Ps. 5:3). There are corporate prayers, where we pray together for a certain outcome (Matt. 18:19; Acts 14:23), and where we are assembled together but we commune individually with Him (Acts 12:12; 20:36; 21:5). There are prayers we pray on our own, not to be seen by men, but pray in secret (Matt. 6:5-8).   Ladies 4 Jesus.org

Sunday, 26 December 2021   Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, Acts 3:19   The words of verse 17 just said, “I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.” It is based on those words that we next read of Peter saying, “Repent therefore.” The Greek word is metanoeó. It means “to change one's mind or purpose,” “to think differently after,” and so on. It does not mean actually doing any work at all. It is simply a changing of the heart (the heart signifying the reasoning process of a person in the Bible).   Just as in Acts 2:38, Peter is telling the people (it is second person plural, and thus he is speaking to each person as much as to all of the people gathered before him) to change their minds. The question is, “About what?” The answer is, “About Jesus, the Messiah, and their rejection of Him.” Though they did it in ignorance, they had rejected and killed Him. As such, they had to repent of this. Their mind was, “Crucify Him. He is not our King.” Their change in mind must correspond to that: “We believe! He is our Messiah!”   The word “repent” is prescriptive for Israel who had crucified Jesus. It is not prescriptive for anyone else who has not first rejected Jesus. In other words, the same two examples that were used in Acts 2:38 will help remind what the intent here is –   John walks up to Tom and tells him about Jesus. Tom had never heard of Jesus. Tom does not need to repent of anything. He needs to simply believe the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4) and he will be sealed with the Holy Spirit, and he will be saved (Ephesians 1:13, 14). Tom has heard the gospel. Tom has rejected the gospel. Tom must “repent” of his former rejection (change his mind), believe the gospel, and Tom will be saved.   This is the context of Peter's words. The men of Israel, and Israel collectively, must repent of what they had previously thought concerning Jesus. For those who will do so, Peter then says, “and be converted.” The Greek word is epistrephó. It signifies to turn or return. It corresponds to the Hebrew word shuv, which bears basically the same meaning, and which is used in the same manner time and again towards Israel –   “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the Lord will answer him by Myself. 8 I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 14:6-8   In essence, Peter's words say, “Change your mind and turn back.” Israel had denied Christ, they had asked for a murderer in His place, and they had then killed Him (Acts 3:14, 15). Peter is asking them to “undeny” the Lord and to return to right thinking concerning Him, turning back to the path that God had purposed in Christ Jesus. Peter then says, “that your sins may be blotted out.”   The guilt of the sin was carefully laid out by Peter. The guilt remained unatoned for and was clearly written upon them for God to see. But Peter says that those sins could be “blotted out.” It is a new word in Scripture, exaleiphó. It signifies complete removal, as in wiping away or being erased. This word will be found in Colossians 2:14 concerning the ending of the Law of Moses because of Christ's work –   And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:13-15   In Christ, the law is fulfilled and ended. But without Christ, the guilt of the law stands against those who will be judged by it. In coming to Christ, the sin is atoned for and there is no longer the imputation of future sin.   This is exactly what Peter is referring to. The sin of those who had crucified Christ will be atoned for by simply changing their mind and turning back to the proper path. Ezekiel spoke of the “idols of the heart,” and law observance had become exactly that to the people. Instead of coming to Christ, the embodiment of the law, they wanted Him crucified and thought to do things their own way. No atonement, apart from Christ, could cover such a sin (see Hebrews 6:4). But in returning to Christ, the sins could be blotted out “so that times of refreshing may come.”   The word translated as “times” signifies a season or a fitting moment, such as the timing of the harvest. The right times for “refreshing” would come upon the turning of the people. This word, translated as “refreshing,” is found only here in Scripture. It signifies “to breath easily.” As such, it is the state of being revived with fresh air. One can think of stagnation and oppression until that time. But when the time comes, there will be deep breaths of cooling. And Peter finishes up noting that these will be “from the presence of the Lord.”   The Greek word is prosópon. It comes from two words signifying “towards the eye.” Thus, it refers to the face or the countenance, corresponding to the Hebrew word panim, or face. The idea then is the favorable countenance of the Lord looking toward people.   In Leviticus 26, the Lord told the people that if they were not obedient that His face would be against them –   I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Leviticus 26:17   In their rejection of Christ, the Lord had set His face against the people He would pursue them and destroy them. Only in calling out to Christ will this time end and will the times of the Lord turning His face to them in favor come to pass.   Life application: What Peter says to Israel now is never used by those who insist on baptism as a necessary part of being saved. Instead, they cite Acts 2:38 and leave it at that. But look at the two verses side by side –   “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38   “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” Acts 3:19   What happened in Acts 2? The believers were baptized into the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2, the people were told to repent and be baptized (most assuredly speaking of the baptism of the Spirit – one being the result of the other). What happened in Acts 3? A man was healed of his infirmity. The people are told to repent and be converted (the changing of the mind results in the action of turning back to the Lord). In both, the sins are forgiven (remission/blotting out). In one, the gift of the Holy Spirit is promised. In the other refreshing from the favorable face of the Lord, instead of oppression which comes from the face of the Lord being turned against them, is the result.   The man is being used as an object lesson (a sign) concerning the state of Israel, just as the event of speaking in tongues was used as a sign to Israel. It is as clear as the nose on one's face that the ONLY thing that Israel is being instructed to do in order to be forgiven is to “repent,” or “change the mind.” This is perfectly in accord with all other instances of salvation in Scripture.   If one has been given the gospel and rejected it, he must – by default – repent of that state of mind. If a person has never been given the gospel and he then accepts it, only his faith – and nothing more – saves him. At that moment, he is sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13, 14), and he is saved.   Doctrine falls into individual categories. When the categories are mixed, faulty theology is the result. If anyone ever tells you that you must be baptized (water baptism) in order to be saved, be sure to explain to him what is actually being conveyed in Acts 2:38 and Acts 3:19. If he continues in his faulty theology, separate yourself from him. He is teaching a false gospel.   And remember, Acts is a descriptive account of what is happening. Read it, understand what the purpose of each event is given for, and then consider it as a historical record of what happened. But to obtain right doctrine, go to the epistles and study them, applying their precepts to your walk before the Lord.   Lord God, thank you for the consistent message of Scripture. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone. Anything else is a false gospel. May we proclaim the simple path to salvation that came at the high cost of Christ's work on our behalf. Amen.

History is full of examples of how the life of one person changed the course of nations and generations. It was Moses who led the Israelites to freedom, Joseph who preserved his people and many others from dying in a famine, and Esther who saved her nation from a Holocaust. As we continue our studies in the book of Acts, we come across one young person who made a big difference, by saving the apostle Paul from imminent death. We see from Acts 23:12-35 how the plot to kill Paul unfolded: forty Torah-zealous Jews who had sworn a solemn oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul would have him brought back to the Sanhedrin and assassinate him in transit. It was at this point where things seemed really desperate for Paul, that God was at work and specifically was working through one person. We see some important lessons about how God wants to use each one of us from this. 1. Know that He has put you in the right place at the right time (Acts 23:16)2. Move out of your comfort zone (Acts 23:16)3. You have to speak out (Acts 23:17-20; Jeremiah 1:7-8)4. Be an obedient person (Acts 23:22; John 8:31 (AMP); Matthew 28:20)5. Be confident that God will work when you have surrendered everything to Him (Acts 23:23)ApplyDo you trust that God will put you in the right place at the right time to make a difference? A member of Paul's own family, his nephew, overhears this top-secret plot (Acts 23:16). Just at the moment Paul's assassination was being carefully orchestrated and about to be actioned, God was orchestrating things, bringing about change, turning things in Paul's favour. We must learn to trust in God's timing. He will place you in the right place at the right time. Just like Mordecai said to Esther, ‘Who knows but that you have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this?' So trust that God will put you in the right place at the right time to make a difference.Are you willing to move out of your comfort zone? Paul's nephew needed to act and go to the barracks where Paul was to tell him about the plot to kill him (Acts 23:16). He would have been risking his own life by being the informant to this murder plan by a group of terrorists. He had to move out of his comfort zone and risk his own future for the sake of Paul. He had to be courageous and push through his own fear to see Paul saved. To make a difference we cannot stay where we are. We must keep moving forward, keep being uncomfortable, keep embracing change because if you settle you can't conquer. To see change, we have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone, to speak out even when it seems unpopular, to act even if it's different to the crowd. Will you speak out for righteousness and tell people the good news about Jesus? There's a time that you must speak out (Acts 23:17-20). You can't keep quiet in the face of evil, even when there are risks involved. You must speak out what you know. We all have a choice to respond to God's call and to speak out and act at the right moment. Like Queen Esther we must speak up even if we are nervous. Today there are so many situations in education, in the workplace, in the media and in our culture where Christians must speak out for righteousness and tell people the good news about Jesus. God used this young man to share what he had heard, and you also must be confident that God wants to use you, even if you too are young (Jeremiah 1:7-8). So remember God uses ordinary people to do extra-ordinary things. Are you a person who tries to control things or are you obedient to whatever God says? This young man was obedient to the commander's instruction (Acts 23:22). If he hadn't been, he could have leaked things and Paul's life could have been in danger. One of the secrets of success in life is to be an obedient person. One of the keys to being a real disciple is that you obey. Jesus said that a true disciple is one who obeys my word (John 8:31 AMP). Jesus also told his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:20 adds: ‘teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.' Obedience is not just about resentfully doing what we are told because we have to. It's about having have a heart of obedience and not independence or rebellion. The world and so many homes and churches would be much better places if there was much more obedience to government, to parents, to pastors, and others that God has placed in positions of authority. We need to leave things in God's hands and not try and control situations. His ways are higher than our ways. Don't try to figure it all out. Don't interfere with what God is doing. Watch and pray and obey. Do you have confidence that God will work when you have surrendered everything to him? Because of what the young man said, 200 soldiers, seventy horsemen and 200 spearmen accompanied Paul out of town to save him from the group about to ambush him. God delivered him and took him to a place called Caesarea. When we surrender everything, God will move on your behalf. He is God of the turnaround. He is a miracle-working God. He will do what we can't do. He was with Paul in the prison, He was with the young man, and He is with you. Live close to Him and be sure that God can use you to make a big difference: in your family, in your work, in your church, in your community and even in your nation.

History is full of examples of how the life of one person changed the course of nations and generations. It was Moses who led the Israelites to freedom, Joseph who preserved his people and many others from dying in a famine, and Esther who saved her nation from a Holocaust. As we continue our studies in the book of Acts, we come across one young person who made a big difference, by saving the apostle Paul from imminent death. We see from Acts 23:12-35 how the plot to kill Paul unfolded: forty Torah-zealous Jews who had sworn a solemn oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul would have him brought back to the Sanhedrin and assassinate him in transit. It was at this point where things seemed really desperate for Paul, that God was at work and specifically was working through one person. We see some important lessons about how God wants to use each one of us from this. 1. Know that He has put you in the right place at the right time (Acts 23:16) 2. Move out of your comfort zone (Acts 23:16) 3. You have to speak out (Acts 23:17-20; Jeremiah 1:7-8) 4. Be an obedient person (Acts 23:22; John 8:31 (AMP); Matthew 28:20) 5. Be confident that God will work when you have surrendered everything to Him (Acts 23:23) Apply Do you trust that God will put you in the right place at the right time to make a difference? A member of Paul's own family, his nephew, overhears this top-secret plot (Acts 23:16). Just at the moment Paul's assassination was being carefully orchestrated and about to be actioned, God was orchestrating things, bringing about change, turning things in Paul's favour. We must learn to trust in God's timing. He will place you in the right place at the right time. Just like Mordecai said to Esther, ‘Who knows but that you have come to the Kingdom for such a time as this?' So trust that God will put you in the right place at the right time to make a difference. Are you willing to move out of your comfort zone? Paul's nephew needed to act and go to the barracks where Paul was to tell him about the plot to kill him (Acts 23:16). He would have been risking his own life by being the informant to this murder plan by a group of terrorists. He had to move out of his comfort zone and risk his own future for the sake of Paul. He had to be courageous and push through his own fear to see Paul saved. To make a difference we cannot stay where we are. We must keep moving forward, keep being uncomfortable, keep embracing change because if you settle you can't conquer. To see change, we have to be willing to step out of our comfort zone, to speak out even when it seems unpopular, to act even if it's different to the crowd. Will you speak out for righteousness and tell people the good news about Jesus? There's a time that you must speak out (Acts 23:17-20). You can't keep quiet in the face of evil, even when there are risks involved. You must speak out what you know. We all have a choice to respond to God's call and to speak out and act at the right moment. Like Queen Esther we must speak up even if we are nervous. Today there are so many situations in education, in the workplace, in the media and in our culture where Christians must speak out for righteousness and tell people the good news about Jesus. God used this young man to share what he had heard, and you also must be confident that God wants to use you, even if you too are young (Jeremiah 1:7-8). So remember God uses ordinary people to do extra-ordinary things. Are you a person who tries to control things or are you obedient to whatever God says? This young man was obedient to the commander's instruction (Acts 23:22). If he hadn't been, he could have leaked things and Paul's life could have been in danger. One of the secrets of success in life is to be an obedient person. One of the keys to being a real disciple is that you obey. Jesus said that a true disciple is one who obeys my word (John 8:31 AMP). Jesus also told his disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. Matthew 28:20 adds: ‘teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.' Obedience is not just about resentfully doing what we are told because we have to. It's about having have a heart of obedience and not independence or rebellion. The world and so many homes and churches would be much better places if there was much more obedience to government, to parents, to pastors, and others that God has placed in positions of authority. We need to leave things in God's hands and not try and control situations. His ways are higher than our ways. Don't try to figure it all out. Don't interfere with what God is doing. Watch and pray and obey. Do you have confidence that God will work when you have surrendered everything to him? Because of what the young man said, 200 soldiers, seventy horsemen and 200 spearmen accompanied Paul out of town to save him from the group about to ambush him. God delivered him and took him to a place called Caesarea. When we surrender everything, God will move on your behalf. He is God of the turnaround. He is a miracle-working God. He will do what we can't do. He was with Paul in the prison, He was with the young man, and He is with you. Live close to Him and be sure that God can use you to make a big difference: in your family, in your work, in your church, in your community and even in your nation.

Partakers Bible Thought 14 July 2021 “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make Disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new Disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20) “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14-15) Evangelism is telling & showing others of God's message of reconciliation to all people of all time. While you may not be called to be an evangelist (Ephesians 4:11), you are called to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5). In Jesus' last words on earth, His church was commanded to be witnesses for Him (Acts 1:8). You are a member of that church, and as a part of the Church, you are included in the way God has chosen to spread His message of reconciliation (Acts 4:12; 2 Peter 3:9). Come and explore what the Bible has to say about the Christian and the Christian evangelism. Discover more about what evangelism is, why we are to evangelise as well as learning from some of the mistakes the Church has made concerning this essential of the Christian faith. Evangelism is part of following Jesus Christ, so come and explore by downloading and listening to the podcast! Click or Tap here to listen to or save this as an audio mp3 file ~ You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site! Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!

Sermon Manuscript IntroductionOne of my college math professors was an expert in fractals. Fractals are these geometric patterns that are really amazing. If you do an internet image search on fractals, you will see several examples - some look like snowflakes, some like paisley patters, others like the stars in the galaxy – each intermixing patterns in a magnificent array of colors. The beauty of fractals is in their simplicity – You take a simple formula and keep re-applying the results to the same simple formula. When you do that over and over and over again, you are creating a fractal – an exquisite, almost mesmerizing pattern.Fractals came to mind as I was studying this passage.The beauty here is the pattern that God is developing – a pattern for the church. And it's a pattern, that has been applied over and over and over. Not just in the book of Acts, but throughout the centuries as Jesus has furthered his church. And the simple formula here in these verse… when they've been worked out in the church, through out the ages… has created an amazing fractal-like design to behold. And we don't even know the half of it! Actually, we don't even know a fraction of a percent, but what we do see is breathtaking! God's glory, worked out in his church with his priorities… over and over and over. Perhaps in eternity, God will show us just how magnificent his work has been through his church.And this pattern for the church – this simple formula… it began here in these verses we read. Up to this point, God has been laying the foundations for the church:• Many many people had come to faith in Christ and these believers in Christ were scattered – Luke, the author, reminds us of that in verse 19 of chapter 11• Furthermore, God has established several leaders in the church – and through them, He's clarified what the Gospel is – the good news of salvation in Christ alone, and who it's for - everyoneAnd now, God is beginning to develop roots for his church in Christ – he's showing us the broader categories upon which to focus. As we move on in Acts, we'll see more details worked out.To give a little background, It's been about 10-12 years now since Jesus ascension. The Holy Spirit has been at work all over the eastern Mediterranean region… Jerusalem was initially the center hub, but as the Gospel went out, that would shift to the city of Antioch. If you can picture in your mind the southern coast of modern-day Turkey… just south of Turkey on the Mediterranean Sea is the island of Cyprus. And from Cyprus if you travel northeast on the sea, you would run in to Syria. Well, Antioch is a few miles inland in Syria. It's about 300 miles north from Joppa and Cesarea. And Antioch was very influential. It was the third largest city in the Roman empire and on the trade route between Asia and Egypt. They called Antioch “the queen of the east” Her population at the time is estimated in the hundreds of thousands… and Antioch was very diverse… with large populations of Jews, and Greeks and Romans and Persians and northern Africans.And do you know what was happening in Antioch? God was at work! We read that the scattered church was preaching Christ to the Jews first, and then the Hellenists – which were the Greeks. The hand of the Lord was with them and they were growing.Well, word came back to the church in Jerusalem – and given the prominence of Antioch, they wanted to check things out. Verse 21. So they sent Barnabas. We met Barnabas back in chapters 4 and 9 – He was a faithful Godly man, full of joy and encouragement. And when Barnabas arrived at Antioch, he was greatly encouraged! In verse 23, he exhorted them – which means he encouraged them in Christ “to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose.” Those words are at the end of 23. And they really encapsulates our Scripture text this morning. Barnabas was affirming their faithfulness in what they were believing and doing! And so he tells them to remain faithful to Christ in this steadfast purpose. In other words, keep doing what you are doing, and believing what you are believing, don't waver, for this is the purpose to which you are called.And that's our focus this morning. Considering their faithfulness because it's an example and pattern for the church. It's the same faithfulness and purpose to which we are called.If you look on the back of your bulletin at the top, you'll read the summary sentence… the pattern… and where each statement comes from in the text.Here it is:A church faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose and a Christ-centered identity (Acts 11:23,26) teaches and preaches Christ and His Word (Acts 11:20,26,27; 13:1,5,7,10,12); dedicates itself to worship and prayer (Acts 11:24; Acts 13:2); supports the ‘ends of the earth' ministry of Christ (Acts 11:29-30; Acts 13:2,4); sends out committed witnesses for Christ (Acts 11:20,22,25,26;Acts 13:3,4); defends true faith in Christ (Acts 13:6-11); and experiences the grace of God (Acts 11:21-22) through the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:24; 13:2,4,9) and growth in Him (Acts 11:21,24; 13:12).That last part highlights the blessing in Christ that we receive when we are being a faithful church.And so, let's walk through this… and as we do, let's ask the question – are we individually and corporately being faithful to God's call?A church faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose and a Christ-centered identity (Acts 11:23,26)And let me note, besides verse 23 about their faithfulness to the Lord … They also had a clear identity in Christ. Jump down to verse 26 and look at the very last sentence. “In Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians.” We use that word, Christian, all the time today, but in the new Testament, there are only 3 places where the word Christian is used. This is the first. Christians had been called “believers,” “disciples,” “brothers,” “saints,” and “those according to the way.” But now they've been given this new label. It's most likely, in fast, the word “Christian” was given them by outsiders in a derogatory way. “Who are those people?” “Oh, they're Jesus freaks, you know, Christ followers – Christians.” Well, that's exactly who they were. At the very core of their identity was their faith in Christ.That's what we need to have. The word Christian today is so watered down. It doesn't mean a faithful obedience, a hoping in Christ alone for Salvation, no, if you believe in God, that will do. Or if you are in the Middle East and you're not Muslim, you're identified as a Christian. So being labelled a Christian today doesn't mean you believe in Jesus as your savior.But the true meaning of being a Christian and what it showed here, is fully embracing Christ. The believers in Antioch were all about Jesus. He was their Savior. Their identity was in Christ - his forgiveness, salvation in him, his Word, his mission. And for us, the center of our identity as individuals and a church needs to be in Christ alone.That's who they were – faithful and steadfast believers in Christ – and they are a model for us.(1) teaches and preaches Christ and His Word (Acts 11:20,26,27; 13:1,5,7,10,12);Ok, let's now get to the things that they were faithful in…. First they taught and preached Christ and his Word. You can see the various verses referenced. All throughout this text Christ and the Gospel is being taught and preached. When the believers first arrived in Antioch and when other Christians came, it says in verse 21, they preached the Lord Jesus Christ. Barnabas witnessed that. And after seeing what was happening, he went to Tarsus to find the apostle Paul – Saul, as he was known. And they both came back to Antioch – and for a whole year, verse 25, they “taught a great many people.”And the fruit of their teaching ministry was evident. If you jump ahead to chapter 13 verse 1 – you'll see a list of prophets and teachers. Besides Saul and Barnabas there's Simeon - many believe that Simeon was from north Africa who likely had dark skin. Then Lucious of Cyrene – he was from Syria. And then Manaen – likely a Roman – he held high status in the Roman system…. having been close friends with Herod. They were all teaching or prophesying. Prophesying could mean God giving them specifics words or visions for the church, or it could mean here more of what we would call preaching today. Either way, the church in Antioch had a strong foundation of preaching and teaching.Now, it's easy for a church to over-emphasize any one of these areas. In our circles – we tend to overemphasize teaching. What I mean is this - we are limited as individuals and as a specific church. And if we dedicate all our time to teaching and studying, then we can miss the other areas of focus. It can turn into a legalism – or a religion without a heart devotion to Christ and mission for the lost. Those things should all be connected.(2) dedicates itself to worship and prayer (Acts 11:24; Acts 13:2);Which brings us to the next area of faithfulness. A dedication to worship and prayer. Notice that in the church in Antioch, they weren't just teaching. No, they had a deep sense of dedication to Christ. First of all, Barnabas modelled a life of faith. It says, “he was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.”Have you every met a Barnabas? When you're in that person's presence, you can sense the depth of their devotion to God in Christ… their prayer and piety. And when they speak, there's this humble faith that is infectious. They don't just know the Word, they live the Word – they are filled with the Holy Spirit.And besides Barnabas, in chapter 13 verse 2 – we're given insight into the devotional life of the church in Antioch. It says, “while they were worshipping the Lord and fasting” It's like this little parenthetical comment, but it speaks volumes to the depth of faith. It doesn't say “One time they fasted” rather “they were worshipping and fasting” They were worshipping – of course - praising the Lord. Exalting His name, together. And they were fasting. Fasting means you take a pre-determined break from meals – and instead of eating, you pray. This was part of their identity. Verse 3 repeats their dedication to prayer and fasting. Part of what Barnabas was encouraging them in… was to remain faithful in their worship and prayer. We worship and we pray – both are areas that we can and should grow in. But one area that is weak or non-existent in our lives and church is fasting. Would you consider taking 1 day between now and Easter to fast? Commit… that from the time you wake up until sundown, just drink water. Dedicate the times when you would usually eat to prayer. When you feel the hunger pains, don't get hangry – you know hungry and therefore angry, instead, pray. Do that by yourself, or if you're part of a family, maybe fast together.(3) supports the ‘ends of the earth' ministry of Christ (Acts 11:29-30; Acts 13:2,4); (4) sends out committed witnesses for Christ (Acts 11:20,22,25,26;Acts 13:3,4);Ok, let's take these next two together because they are related. A faithful church supports the ‘ends of the earth' ministry of Christ… and sends out committed witnesses for Christ. We're talking outward ministry and mission - Supporting the broader ministry of the church and sending workers into the harvest.This sending and supporting is the greatest emphasis in this text. It's all over the place.In chapter 11, it's the Christians from Jerusalem who came to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch. Then even within those areas, believers were sent back and forth, preaching the Lord Jesus. Barnabas was sent to Antioch. He found and brought Paul. So, it starts out and Antioch is at first the receiver of the sending and supporting by believers from Jerusalem and surrounding areas.But then, the church in Antioch begins to itself send and support. First, Agabus, the prophet, came from Jerusalem to Antioch. He told of a great famine that would arise. And so what did the church in Antioch do? They sent relief to the believers in Judea.And next we get to the beginning of chapter 13… The Holy Spirit was at work in Antioch! He led them to send off Paul and Barnabas to the mission of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth. By the way, this is the beginning of Paul's first missionary journey – and it's the church in Antioch that commissioned Paul and Barnabas.It's easy for an individual church to act as islands unto itself. But this is not God's will for His church – rather, His call is for his church to be working together with other churches, caring for their needs as God has enabled, bearing one another's burdens, and sending out – to either support the work of Christ or to plant new churches in Christ.Earlier this week I was reading Jim Boice's commentary on Acts. Boice was the pastor of Tenth Pres in Philadelphia for many years. He put it this way and I think it's helpful:“A church that is floundering is inadequate even for it's own needs, and it certainly is not alert to the needs of others. A church that does not know where it is coming from, why it is here, or where it is going is not likely to be of use in the missionary enterprise. [Antioch] was a church that in a very short time had become very sound indeed.” And the Lord used that soundnessYou see, the church in Antioch had a clear steadfast purpose… they had a heart for Christ, which was displayed in their worship and devotion… and they had a passion to teach and preach the Word of God - clearly proclaiming the Gospel. And out of that heart for God and mind for truth, God gave them the vision and ability to send and support the work of Christ outside of their city. I know we're only a few months into our ministry here in Tucker, but I have been praying that we would be like the church Antioch – supporting the work of Christ here in Tucker… and sending our own out for the work of Christ to the ends of the earth.(5) defends true faith in Christ (Acts 13:6-11); Before we jump to the blessings that a faithful church receives, there's one final characteristic. A faithful church defends true faith in Christ.In chapter 13 starting in verse 4, Paul and Barnabas had just been sent out by Antioch, in the power of the Holy Spirit. They didn't get far before they were confronted by a false prophet.This man, Elymas, was vehemently opposed the Gospel. His own influence and power was on the line. He had the ear of the proconsul of the region – the proconsul was a governor of sorts. And when Barnabas and Paul arrived, their very presence threatened Elymas. Elymas did whatever he could to dissuade the proconsul – but Paul and Barnabas would have none of it. And look how Paul responded. Verse 10: “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” Elymas was also known by the name bar-Jesus – or son of Jesus – but he was not follower of Christ. No, Paul called him son of the devil! He called him out for his deceit. And Paul, through the work of Jesus and the Holy Spirit – blinded the man. And this testimony… this display of the work of God led the proconsul to believe.There are so many false truths… and false Gospels… and false prophecy out there. And our call – the call of the church is to stand firm – to defend true faith in Christ. It's tempting to not want to offend anyone… or to try to be so relevant that we lose the clarity of the Gospel. Friends, the Gospel itself is offensive. 1 Corinthians 1:23 – “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles.”May we stand firm as Paul and Barnabas did in the face of opposition… defending true faith in Christ.and experiences the grace of God (Acts 11:21-22) through the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:24; 13:2,4,9) and growth in Him (Acts 11:21,24; 13:12).Ok, here's where we are: A church faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose and a Christ-centered identity (1) teaches and preaches Christ and His Word; (2) dedicates itself to worship and prayer; (3) supports the ‘ends of the earth' ministry of Christ; (4) sends out committed witnesses for Christ; and (5) defends true faith in Christ…And what did their faithful steadfastness in Christ lead to? Well, God's grace abounded in them – his sustaining grace. Going back to chapter 11 verses 21-22. There it says, “the hand of the Lord was with them” and then Barnabas witnessed “the grace of God.” And all throughout, it's the Holy Spirit that has been working in them and through them. So part of the grace of God is the Holy Spirit at work. He draws people closer to Jesus. He calls people to faith, and he gives confidence and help to teach and preach the Word.In Antioch, they were growing• verse 21, again – a great number turned to the Lord. • Verse 24 – a great many people were added to the Lord. • And in chapter 13 – the proconsul himself came to faith in Christ.Let me say it this way – growth is something we should expect – Gospel growth. It's not always necessarily numbers – some contexts and situations are harder than others. But we should be striving for Gospel conversion growth – testifying to and being witnesses for Christ. When that's not happening, we need to be evaluating our faithfulness to God's call… but trusting in the Holy Spirit to be working in His timing, not ours. However, one thing we can certainly expect is growth in righteousness and grace and wisdom. When we are faithful as a church in all of these areas – he will bless us in maturity and deeper faith and obedience to His Word.ConclusionOne of the most remarkable things about fractals is that their beauty comes out of their details. Fractals are not formed from the top-down. No, rather, their very elegant patterns are formed one point at a time – from the bottom up. Each point building on the one before – and working together to form the wonder of each design.In the same way, starting with the church in Jerusalem and Antioch – God has been forming an amazing array and network of his church and his people throughout the world. And God's design continues that with you, with me, with all the believers in Christ throughout history. What God has been doing through His Holy Spirit is first applying His salvation in each of our lives. Applying the work of Christ on the cross and the hope of the resurrection to each of us. And he's using each believer to build his church – using the gifts He's given us. And each step of the way is like a beautiful fractal coming together as his church is formed through us… each one of us contributing to the overall display of splendor and wonder.And when we as individuals and a church seek to be faithful, embracing our identity in Christ, it's then that we will begin to see and realize the amazing work that God is accomplishing to the ends of the earth.May we at Tucker Pres be a church faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose and a Christ-centered identity that teaches and preaches Christ and His Word; that dedicates ourselves to worship and prayer; that supports the ‘ends of the earth' ministry of Christ; that sends out committed witnesses for Christ; and that defends true faith in Christ… so that we may experience the grace of God through His Spirit and grow in HimAmen.

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He told His disciples that He would send one who would teach and guide all those who believe in Him (Acts 1:5; John 14:26; 16:7). Jesus' promise was fulfilled less than two weeks later when the Holy Spirit came in power on the believers at Pentecost (Acts 2). Now, when a person believes in Christ, the Holy Spirit immediately becomes a permanent part of his life (Romans 8:14; 1 Corinthians 12:13). The Holy Spirit has many functions. Not only does He distribute spiritual gifts according to His will (1 Corinthians 12:7–11), but He also comforts us (John 14:16, KJV), teaches us (John 14:26), and remains in us as a seal of promise upon our hearts until the day of Jesus' return (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). The Holy Spirit also takes on the role of Guide and Counselor, leading us in the way we should go and revealing God's truth (Luke 12:12; 1 Corinthians 2:6–10).

Jason shares from Acts 2, the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, challenging our understanding of the Holy Spirit in our lives, and encouraging us to trust Him - Acts 2:1-14

When I was a boy, I would eagerly count off the days until my birthday. This wasn’t because I was in a hurry to be one year older; it was because I wanted presents. It is customary for people to receive gifts on their birthday, and the church was no different. The day of Pentecost marked the beginning of the church, the day Jesus fulfilled His promise to send the one He called the “Advocate” (sometimes translated counselor or comforter) and “the Spirit of truth” (John 15:26). People witnessed the descent of the Spirit upon the assembled church through audible and visible signs. There was a sound like that of a violent wind and what looked like tongues of flame that separated and rested upon each of the disciples. They began to speak about God in foreign languages (vv. 1–4). The sound attracted the attention of those who were visiting Jerusalem “from every nation under heaven” (v. 5). They were amazed to hear the disciples speaking their native languages (vv. 6–12). Jesus promised that the coming of the Spirit would empower the disciples to tell others about Him (Acts 1:8). The effect upon Peter was evident as he stood boldly and explained that what these visitors were seeing had been predicted by the prophet Joel (vv. 14–16). Peter preached the gospel, emphasized the resurrection, and called them to turn to Christ. “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins” (v. 38). He promised that all who did so would also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. >> The first church exhibited outward signs of their inner transformation as believers. Describe the characteristics of the early church included in the closing verses of this chapter, verses 42–47. Do you think today’s church reflects the passion and dedication of those early believers?

What is Faith? In what way do we make acts of faith everyday? What is the first requirement to please God? How are we certain the Catholic faith is the only true religion? Will God answer our prayers for grace and truth if we ask Him? In the second episode of This is Catholicism, His Excellency, Bishop Donald Sanborn, guides us through “On Faith in General” in A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion by Father Joseph Deharbe, S.J. Deharbe’s Catechism was originally written in German, was very popular in the 19th century, and was translated into English. His Excellency finds the Deharbe Catechism to be the most complete to convert and instruct people in the Catholic Faith. Follow along with us as His Excellency, Bishop Donald Sanborn, rector of Most Holy Trinity Seminary, and host Jason Guardiano cover “On Faith in General: The Nature and Necessity of Faith and the Object and Rule of Faith.” Part I On Faith Chapter I. Faith in General 1. Nature and Necessity of Faith (Questions 1-9) 1. What is Faith? 2. Why do we say that faith is infused by God into our souls? 3. Why must grace not only enlighten our understanding, but also move our will? 4. Why must we believe all that God has revealed? 5. Is faith necessary to salvation? 6. Will any faith save us? 7. Why will that faith only which Christ has taught save us? 8. Is it, then, a sin to say that it does not matter what faith we profess? 9. But is it not written: ‘He that feareth God, and worketh justice, is acceptable to Him’? (Acts x. 35). 2. Object and Rule of Faith (Questions 10-18) 10. What means, ‘all that God has revealed’? 11. Was it necessary that God should have revealed to us the truths of salvation, in order that we might know them? 12. How do we know the truths which God has revealed? 13. Are we certain of the truths which the Church teaches? 14. Have not the Protestant sects also received their doctrine from Christ Himself, and preserved it uncorrupted? 15. What, therefore, must the Catholic believe? 16. By what sinful act is faith lost? 17. How is faith regained if it has been lost? 18. If, then, the true faith is essentially necessary to salvation, and the Catholic faith is the only true one, is it not a great grace to be a Catholic Christian? Act of Faith O my God, I firmly believe that Thou art one God in three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. I believe that Thy Divine Son became man and died for our sins, and that He will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the Holy Catholic Church teaches, because Thou hast revealed them, Who canst neither deceive nor be deceived. Episode Notes: The text is available in the public domain for free online as a PDF. Used copies and reprint versions can still be found and purchased. “A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion” by Father Joseph Deharbe SJ. on Archive.org https://archive.org/details/completecatechis00deharich Show Sponsor: The Australian Catholic Mission Original Air Date: February 10, 2015 Show Run Time: 1 hour 8 minutes Show Guest(s): Bishop Donald Sanborn Show Host(s): Jason Guardiano Season 4 Sponsor: Novus Ordo Watch http://novusordowatch.org/ Episode: https://www.truerestoration.org/season-4-this-is-catholicism-episode-2-on-faith/ This is Catholicism: https://www.truerestoration.org/category/radio/this-is-catholicism/ Subscribe: https://www.truerestoration.org/member-signup/ This is Catholicism℗ is a production of the Restoration Radio Network. Copyright 2015. All Rights are Reserved.

We revisit the conditional aspect of many verses in the Bible, and repeat the importance as well as some of the benefits of dwelling in the Lord (Psalm 91:1). We pray for the listeners to be able to acknowledge the Lord (Proverbs 3:6), to spend time with Him in the secret place (Psalm 91:1), to go about doing good with Him (Acts 10:38). Being anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6; and also Matthew Chapter 6) allows us not to invite or entice evil upon our lives (Proverbs 15:15). What we say and what we believe have an impact, positive or negative in our circumstances and in our day. This program covers the following scriptures from the Amplified Classic version (AMPC): Psalm 91 verses 1 and 8; Job 22:21-23; Proverbs 15:15.

Based on Matthew 24:27 - this episode reflects on the Second Coming of Jesus and what it means to Be ReaDY to receive Him (Acts 1: 10-11, Mark 8:28, Luke 18:8, Revelation 22:20, John 5:27, Matthew 25:13, Revelation 1:7, Matthew 24:44)

God is generous and He wants His people to be like Him: Acts 4:32-37 summarises the early church’s response. As we look to be generous every day, Luke gives us 14 biblical motivations.

Title: The Passionate Pursuit of Every Sincere ChristianDate: 6-7-2020Text: Philippians 3:10-16I want to know Him! (v 10,11)How do I come to know Him?A. You must believe in Him (Acts 16:31, John 3:16)B. You must follow Him (Mt. 4:19)C. You must listen and obey Him (John 14:23,24)D. You must talk to Him (John 15:7)E. You must love God and other people (John 15:12-17, 1 John 3:21-24)F. You must suffer with Him (Phil 3:10, Luke 9:23)G. You must be raised with Him (Gal 2:20)I want to be like Him! (v 12)A. A holy dissatisfactionB. A strenuous commitment (v 12, Rom 8:29)C. A refusal to live in the past (v 13)I want to be with Him! (v 14)A. The callB. The locationC. The prize(1 John 2:28-3:3)

Satan's use of persecution in the arrest of Peter and James by the High Court of Israel had not worked to silence either the Apostles or the Church!  The threats of the religious rulers only succeeded in empowering and emboldening all the early believers even more than before they were persecuted!  Thus, the Evil One tried-on another disguise.  He went from being the roaring lion to the deceiving serpent when he attempted to destroy the unity of purity of the Church from with (the sin of Ananias and Sapphira - see previous lesson). However, the persecution of the Church by Satan was mightily used by the Lord for her overall good; she was now in possession of great power, great grace, and great fear [of Him] (Acts 4:33, 5:5, 11).  The great fear of the Lord, due to the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, caused the Early Church to be even more effective for Christ!  The result was that multitudes both of men and women were being added to the Lord!  In other words, there was an "Evangelism Explosion"! In this lesson, all the Apostles are arrested for disobeying the Council's threat not to preach Jesus!  They are liberated from prison by an angel.  What did they do upon being so miraculously released?  Did they run for cover in the Upper Room?  No!  They went straight back to the Temple where they were arrested, and stood up and preached Jesus!

SERVE LIKE JESUS The Church Defined Peter Young ~ Pastor at Hope Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God…made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! – Philippians 2:5-8 NIV You can do acts of service and still not be a servant if your motivation is rooted in selfish ambition, if your intended outcome is recognition, and if your ultimate purpose is to benefit yourself in some way…true servanthood begins with selflessness.   To be LIKE Jesus...We must SERVE like Jesus   How did Jesus serve? 1. With compassion – Serving stirred Jesus’ emotions “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” - Matthew 9:35-36 2. With consistency – Jesus took EVERY opportunity “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him” – Acts 10:38 3. With creativity – Jesus used what was at hand   When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. – John 9:6   4. Without reservation – Jesus didn’t discriminate   “Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” – John 4:9   5. With humility and love – Jesus took up the towel   “Jesus rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5 After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6 Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” – John 13:4-6   “For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you." – John 13:15   “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” – John 13:34   True servanthood begins with selflessness, maintains humility throughout, and ultimately seeks the good of others which requires the right heart attitude and sacrifice!

Speaker or Performer: Bob Petersen Date of Delivery: August 11, 2019 Scriptures1 Timothy 1:18-19This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.2 Corinthians 11:22-26 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.2 Corinthians 12:10Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.Matthew 8:23-27 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, Save us, Lord; we are perishing! He said to them, Why are you afraid, you men of little faith? Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?Acts 16:22-30- Paul and Silas ImprisonedThe crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. When the jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, Do not harm yourself, for we are all here! And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, and after he brought them out, he said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?ArticlesQuotes“I will not be changed by the violations meant to harm me. I will be changed by positive activity I encounter that will prosper me.”Tip to get past the trauma:ForgiveChose not to be a victimAsk and receive healing for the traumaDo not seek an explanation of the eventTake control of the fear-based thoughts

In order to proceed in a systematic way, we need to distinguish the natural knowledge which comes from the creation and the conscience, from the revealed knowledge of God's Holy Word.  God writes the law upon the heart of all men as a curb to control gross outbursts of sin (1 Tim 1:8-10, Romans 2:14-15).  God also uses the natural knowledge of creation(Ps 19:1, Rom 1:19-20) to incite men to seek Him (Acts 14:15-17, Acts 17:26-27).  By means of natural knowledge, man knows that there is a God and knows that He demands certain things and prohibits other things, but he doesn't know the identity of that God, nor does He know how to find a gracious God.  Natural knowledge creates the need in the hope that through the revealed knowledge of God in Holy Scripture, man would come to know the Triune God and come to believe in the will of God to save man through the suffering and death of His Son, Jesus Christ. Handout 1: Gospel-Reset-Class-Six-April-28-2019.pdf

Jesus. He changed everything about everything (Week 46) In today’s message, we discuss the significance and magnitude of communion. When we come to the communion table, we are making a declaration of faith, worship and surrender. He welcomes all to the table, but are we surrendering everything to Him? (Acts 2, Luke 22:7-20)

Acts 18:1-8 1. God brings together believers from different places to serve Him (Acts 18:1-3). 2. Find people who will listen and tell them that Jesus is the Christ (Acts 18:4-5). 3. Effective witnessing occurs in places other than regularly-scheduled religious meetings (Acts 18:6-8). Our response to the truth of the word of God: Use your home to serve God, bring glory to Him, and spread the gospel.

Acts 17:22-34 1. God can be known (Acts 17:22-23). 2. God is the Creator and does not need anything from anyone (Acts 17:24-25). 3. All people are related in the sight of God, who sovereignly rules over all (Acts 17:26). 4. God is near to everyone and wants them to seek Him (Acts 17:27-28). 5. God is not like anything we can make (Acts 17:29). 6. God is patient, but He commands everyone to repent (Acts 17:30). 7. God will judge all people, and His judgment is righteous (Acts 17:31). 8. People are individually responsible for how they respond to truth about God and the gospel message (Acts 17:32-34).

What is Prayer - Prayer is a two-way conversation with God. This involves directing our prayer to God, speaking out loud, listening and responding to Him (Ps. 5:3). There are corporate prayers, where we pray together for a certain outcome (Matt. 18:19; Acts 14:23), and where we are assembled together but we commune individually with Him (Acts 12:12; 20:36; 21:5). There are prayers we pray on our own, not to be seen by men, but pray in secret (Matt. 6:5-8).   Why pray – God told us to (Luke 18:1; Phm. 1:4). Prayer releases our authority He has given us through our mouth (Rom. 10:10). It enables God to work through us, to meet His will on earth for us and others (Ezek. 22:29-31; John 15:7; Matt. 7:7-11; Ps. 91) e.g. prayer for salvation (Rom. 10:9-10; Matt. 9:38), empowerment of Holy Spirit (Acts 8:15; 19:6; Luke 11:13), protecting us against temptation (Matt. 26:41), giving us supernatural wisdom (James 1:6), healing (James 5:15-16), physical needs (Phil. 4:19), and much more…   Who do we pray to – To God our Father who is in Heaven (Matt. 6:9; 23:9; John 8:42). Jesus Christ’s sacrifice made it possible to have direct access to God as our Father (Heb. 4:16; John 1:12) and it is Holy Spirit who actually helps us (Rom. 8:14-15, 26). Can we pray with Jesus and Holy Spirit? Yes, Paul prayed to the Lord Jesus when he was being persecuted (2 Cor. 12:8-9) and so did Stephen (Acts 7:59). The early church communed with Holy Spirit regarding interpretation of scripture for He is our Teacher (Acts 10:19-20; 13:2; 15:28; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 2:26-27; John 14:16).   How to pray - The key to prayer is to know God’s love has been provided in and through Jesus Christ and to respond accordingly (John 17:23; Acts 17:28; Rom. 5:10; 8:38-39). Know that He hears and responds. The pattern of prayer is to honor God as our Heavenly Father, seek His Will to be done, talk about expanding His Kingdom, forgive others, repent and depend upon Him (Luke 11:2-4; Matt. 6:9-15; John 17; Acts 4:24-30).   Few Types of prayer: Prayer - to commune with a heart of worship/ obedience to Him (Matt. 6:8-12, 33). Supplication - to request/ urge God’s blessing for self or others (Rom. 10:2; Luke 1:13). Confession – to confess our need for Him and His promises (Rom. 10:10), including repenting for our sin (1 John 1:9; Rev. 3:19). Intercessory – to commune with God on behalf of someone else (2 Cor. 1:11; Ezek. 22:29-31). Thanks giving and praise – to express gratitude to Him (1 Tim. 2:1; Heb. 13:15).   These types of Prayer are mostly spoken out loud (Luke 11:2; John 17:1; 18:1), either in our natural language or in our spiritual language(s) called tongues. We pray in our understanding and sometimes not (1 Cor. 14:14-15).   Tongues - Everyone who believes and is baptized in Holy Spirit can speak in tongues (Mark 16:17; Acts 2:4; 8:17-19; 11:15). Being baptized in Holy Spirit can be at the same time as conversion (Acts 10:44-46) or after (Acts 19:5-6; John 20:22 & Acts 1:8). Generally the person speaking in tongues doesn’t know what they are saying; they are speaking mysteries (1 Cor. 14:2), the wonderful works of God (Acts 2:11), and/or giving of thanks to God (1 Cor. 14:16). In the process they are edifying themselves (1 Cor. 14:2, 4; Jude 1:20).   How to Hear Him – It is rare, but He does speak audibly. Most times His voice speaks to our conscience, our spirit. It is Holy Spirit who bears witness with our spirit (Rom. 9:1; 8:16). His voice gives us an answer of inner peace (2 Tim. 1:7). An inner peace that isn’t based on logic, tradition or emotion but on an inner knowing it is right or no peace telling us it is wrong (Gen. 41:16, Ps. 85:8; Phil. 4:6-8; Col. 3:15, 1 John 2:27). His peace validates the word He speaks. Many times the Lord will answer the root of the question, the motivation for the request, not necessarily what is being asked (1 Chr. 28:9; Luke 1:18-20, 34-35). So check the motive.   Some ways He speaks - He reminds us of a specific Bible passage and it brings clarity to that exact area of need (2 Peter 1:19; Ps. 119:105,130; John 14:26; Matt. 4:4). A dream or vision burnt into our heart and we have difficulty shaking it (Job 33:15-16; Acts 10:17). Someone is sent to answer, or ask a question that inspires the answer (Acts 3:18-22; 1 Cor. 12:28; Num. 22:28-33). It confirms what we already know within (Acts 21:10-14). An impossible idea accompanied by His faith and favour to do it (Num. 14:6-9; Matt. 14:29). A thought reveals the answer as you step out and answer (Matt. 10:20; 1 Cor. 2:10; Jer. 1:11-12). A similar scenario is played out, exposing the answer (Acts 10:10-17; 2 Sam. 12:1-12). As we write to Him, He responds through the flow of the words (e.g. Ps. 3; 4; 5 etc.).   If unable to clearly hear Him then suppress the flesh with a fast! (Luke 5:35; Gal. 6:7-8; Acts 13:2; 14:23).  Barriers to Prayer - Not surrendering to Him as the source (Heb. 11:6; Ex. 3:14; James 4:7-8; Prov. 28:9; 2 Chr. 7:14-16); Being worldly and not God’s Kingdom focused (James 4:3; Matt. 6:20-33); Having an un-repentant heart (1 John 1:7-9; Ps. 66:18); Not praying from a transparent believing heart (Jer. 29:11-14; Is. 29:13; Mark 11:22-23); Having un-forgiveness towards others (Mark 11:25-26; Matt. 6:15); Not loving those in the Lord (John 15:7-12; 1 John 3:20-24; Matt. 5:23-24); Abstaining from good; not seeking justice, not rebuking those who oppress those who are suffering; not defending the fatherless, not pleading on behalf of the widow (Is. 1:15-19). Shutting our eyes and ears to helping the poor (Prov. 21:13). Ignoring the needs of our family (1 Tim. 5:8); Husband dishonouring their wife (1 Peter 3:7); wife not submitting to her husband as to the Lord (1 Cor. 11:10; Eph. 5:22).

Consequence 02 Holy Spirit Comes! ~ ~Acts 2:1-4 When the day of Pentecost had come, the disciples were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. ~ As we saw last time, Jesus has ascended back to the right hand of the Father. The 12 apostles are now back in Jerusalem and waiting. Waiting for the Holy Spirit to come and baptize, fill, empower, indwell and transform. Before Jesus went to the cross, He told his disciples a number of times that He was going back to the Father, that He would not leave them alone and powerless because the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would be sent. The Holy Spirit would live in, empower and motivate the disciples. He would also remind them of all Jesus had taught them. ~ Throughout the Book of Acts and in the other New Testament writings we discover more about the Holy Spirit. We see that His prime role is to see Jesus Christ the Son of God praised and glorified (John 16:13-14) by testifying for Jesus Christ (John 15:26) and witnessing for Him (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit is involved with ministering to members of the church. The Holy Spirit declares God’s Word, interpreting and illuminating it. He convicts of sin, transforms, indwells, fills, baptizes and seals the believer. With all this, the Holy Spirit also equips for service. God is at work in His body the church, to will and to act accordingly to his purpose (Phil. 2:13), to be my witnesses (Acts 1:8). ~ Let’s look at the Holy Spirit at work, concentrating on His work in the life of Peter! Remember how Peter had rejected Jesus Christ and openly defied Him by trying to stop Jesus going to the cross. That Peter was a dejected and defeated man. There is now a new Peter! A new Peter, transformed by the Holy Spirit! A Peter who speaks with the authority Jesus gave all the disciples. This Peter, given impetus by the Holy Spirit, preaches a sermon and 3000 people are added to the church in one day (Acts 2:41). This Peter, who when passing by a man who couldn’t walk, told him to get up and walk – and the man did (Acts 3:1-11)! Peter was allowing himself to be guided and controlled by the Holy Spirit. The difference between this Peter and the dejected Peter before Jesus’ resurrection is due only to the Holy Spirit making a difference to Peter. Peter, by submitting himself to the authority and power of the Holy Spirit, was allowing the Holy Spirit to control him and guide him. The greatest evidence of the Holy Spirit living inside any of us, is the transformation of the individual into the image of Jesus – as demonstrated here in Peter. ~ This Peter who under the influence of Holy Spirit’s power, administered church discipline as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:10). But it wasn’t just Peter who was empowered. As Acts 5:12-16 shows us, all the disciples, not just the twelve apostles, were able to do all manner of things for the glory of Jesus Christ because they were baptized and controlled by the Holy Spirit. ~ The Holy Spirit empowers and delivers the disciples passion for making Jesus Christ known. The early church was dynamic and seen to be exercising the authority of Jesus Christ. This was done by preaching the good news about Jesus being the long waited for Messiah. The Disciples exercised Jesus’ authority by submitting themselves to and relying upon the Holy Spirit. Would that be for the church of the 21st century! The Holy Spirit, lives inside and empowering all believers for the service and glory of Jesus Christ! Not just the 12 apostles for the service of Jesus Christ. Next time in this series Consequences we will look at where the early disciples were told to go and teach! ~ Right Mouse click or tap here to listen/save this as an audio mp3 file You can now purchase our Partakers books! Please do click or tap here to visit our Amazon site! Click or tap on the appropriate link below to subscribe, share or download our iPhone App!

“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” —Acts 4:13. Main Points: 1. What a Christian should be – 3:44 2. When should Christians be this? – 21:54 3. Why […] The post 21. Christ’s People – Imitators of Him — Acts 4:13 appeared first on Hear Spurgeon.

"His Spirit Was Stirred in Him" Acts 17:16-23 1) The ignorance of the intellectuals.       - The Greeks were educated, but they were ignorant concerning the most                                                important things.       - God uses the weak.       - God works through us.  2) The error of their religion       - Religion does not save people. 3) The emptiness in their lives.       - Jesus will satisfy.       - Being in God's will satisfies.  

Listen @ http://www.brendanflannagan.com/so-what-is-faith/ All aspects of life require a degree of faith. We have faith our car will start every morning. We believe in gravity. We trust our doctors. But, when something moves from the observable to the unobservable, from the known to the unknown, then faith kicks into high gear. Now, we must truly have faith in things unseen. We often hear, “I took a leap of faith,” “I stepped out in faith,” or “I went on blind faith.” But, what is faith? While our modern sayings possess a degree of truth, if we turn to the Bible we will find the most systematic and satisfying answers. According to the writer of Hebrews, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb. 11:1).” This verse best encapsulates a precise definition of faith. Faith is a belief or trust in something unseen. But, faith is not blind. Faith depends on two elements: the knowledge of a future reality and the present assurance that this future unseen reality is actually true. First, God’s assurance provides the knowledge of a future reality with Him. He ratifies this reality and assures the us by His word. The Scriptures demonstrate God’s fulfillment of His past promises and assure us of His future covenant faithfulness. Assurance literally means “standing-under”. In faith, we stand under God’s word and legitimately claim our future right from His guarantee. God speaks in truth and in faith we trust His word. Then, conviction emboldens the believer. Despite the abstract, intangibility of the future fulfillment of God's promises, God presently convicts the believer with a tangible and real boldness by the His Holy Spirit (John 16:8). This conviction serves as God’s present proof and serves as a confirmation for the future completion of His promises. So, a biblical “leap of faith” involves both the edifying power of God’s word and a present conviction by His spirit. The groundwork of the Christian faith rests, not on convincing scientific theories, but on the power of God (1 Cor 2:5) found in His provable word (Prov 30:5; Ps 12:6) and the certain conviction of His spirit (John 16:8). In Romans 10:17, we read, “for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ.” The word of Christ allows man to tangibly listen to God. But, true faith depends upon more than listening, but hearing. Hearing entails both comprehension and compliance. Only God’s power allows spiritually dead men to hear (Col 2:13). His Holy Spirit convicts men and women of their unrighteousness and sin (John 16:8), softens their hearts and allows the word of Christ to penetrate into a their very soul (Heb 4:12). The word of Christ and the Holy Spirit work in conjunction to bear the fruit of faith (Acts 2:37). We must accept Christ as the center of our faith and all our resulting actions (Rom 10:9). Under the weight of His word and conviction of His Spirt, we repent and trust in Him (Acts 2:37-38). In Him, we possess a faith in God. Yet, Christ's work continues, He initiates (Acts 3:16) and perfects our faith (Heb 12:2). His word plants the seed and His spirit harvests the produce. We may strive in personal piety, but apart from Christ our faith is meaningless (1 Cor 15:14). Good works never produce faith. His power ensures that our faith produces good works (James 2:22-26). Only Christ may produce, ensure, and perfect the Christian faith. Listen @ http://www.brendanflannagan.com/so-what-is-faith/

Listen @ http://www.brendanflannagan.com/so-what-is-the-gospel/ Let's begin with the backstory. God is infinitely good (Ps 136:1), holy (Isa 6:3), and perfect (Ps 18:30). On the other hand, Man draws a stark contrast to God’s purity. We are born in iniquity (Ps 51:5), and continue in unrighteous (Rom 3:10), completely dead in our sins (Eph 2:1). Now, for the “bad news”: We are judged as guilty (Rom 6:23) according to God's righteous judgement (Ps 7:11). Since, God is a perfect judge- the very definition of righteousness- He cannot merely look over our sins and infractions of His law. Nor, can we hope for a clerical error for He sees and knows everything (Heb 4:13)! He must judge sin as sin and punish sin with death to uphold His righteousness. Moreover, we cannot plead ignorance for He revealed His law through our conscience (Rom 2:14-16). “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:23) Jesus Christ saves from the "bad news". All the good of the Gospel is found in Jesus Christ. Only He can restore man’s relationship with God (2 Cor 5:18), a restoration dependent on His humanity and divinity: His sinless life (2 Cor 5:21), His death on the cross (Heb 9:22), and His resurrection from the dead (2 Tim 1:10). All drawn to Christ by God will be saved (John 6:37). Furthermore, once received into God’s kingdom; none can lose, nor build upon the saving grace of Jesus (John 10:28). In order for us to participate in the saving work of Christ, we must receive the call of God’s irresistible grace. Life in God begins, not in our birth, works, or religion, but in God’s will (John 1:13). He selects us and bears us into His kingdom by the power of His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sins (John 16:8) and leads us to repentance. We repent of our sins (Acts 2:38) and turn to Christ, declaring His Lordship with our lips and believing in His divine power with our hearts (Rom 10:9). So, God plants faith in the heart of man by His spirit and word (Rom 10:17), and man responds in faith considering God’s righteousness (Rom 3:22). But, this is not a mere lip service (Isa 29:13; Matt 15:7-9). God’s spirit empowers the believer in continual devotion to Him (Acts 2:42) and enables a tireless meditation upon the words of Christ (John 8:31). God transforms the heart of dead men with a living spirit (Ps 51:10; Rom 12:2) and allows us to enjoy the fruits of His spirit: patience, love, mercy, and grace (Gal 5:22). This is the new birth into the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ (John 3:5-8). While we continue to fight our lusts (1 John 8), God credits Jesus’s perfection to us (Rom 4:24-25) and by the power of His Holy Spirit continues to purify us on earth until He perfects us in heaven (Heb 6:1; 1 Peter 5:10). Listen @ http://www.brendanflannagan.com/so-what-is-the-gospel/

God has not only made every person from Adam and Eve, but He has also determined when and where they will live (Acts 17:26). The reason? That they might find Him (Acts 17:27). 232 million people live outside of their countries of birth. While many of these people are followers of Jesus, many are from […]

Consider the basic classic Arminian approach for double predestination. It can be described by five objections to the Augustinian Reformed view. First, in Prevenient Grace we suffer due to Adam’s sin but grace goes before us and restores us to a freed will. Second, Conditional Election is that in eternity past, God foresees those who will use their free will to trust God. Third, in Universal Atonement, the death of Christ is a death for all. Fourth, in Resistible Grace, the Spirit can be resisted by the free will and cannot force belief. Lastly, there is always the possibility we can lose our salvation. The standard view was the Augustinian-Reformed approach. What is going on in double predestination? Basically, people are saved in Christ by faith and all of that is by God’s sovereign grace. As John 6:44 tells us, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day." And John 6:65 says, "And He was saying, “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father." In and of ourselves we are incapable of trusting God. We have an inability -we do not seek our rest in God naturally. How does God grant people to come to Him? Acts 11:18 tells us, "When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life." And Philippians 1:29 says, "For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake..." God is the one who gives us the ability of faith.

Part 1 of a series: Discovering how God uses Great People to build with Him (Acts 2)