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Kimgdom, Cross, Church by Simon Ponsonby 

03 Tuesday Dec 2019

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 “And the Lamb Wins: Why the End of the World Is Really Good News” by Simon Ponsonby –

“KINGDOM, CROSS, CHURCH The kingdom arriving with Christ creates the church. The church is the community of those who have entered the kingdom by repenting and receiving the gospel (Mark 1:15) and been reborn by the Spirit (John 3:3, 5). The Holy Spirit applies the redemption and forgiveness purchased by Christ’s blood, transferring them from the rule of Satan to the rule of God (Col. 1:12–14). This church, living in obedience and holiness (Matt. 5—7) under the kingship of Christ as the outpost of heaven, is a kingdom of kindness, happiness, and righteousness (Rom. 14:17) where, through the presence of the Spirit and the power of the gospel, lives are restored into the image of God in Christ. Armed by the power of the Holy Spirit and the gospel of Christ, the church of God’s kingdom continually clashes with the kingdom of Satan, rescuing lives from his grip (Matt. 9:2; Luke 11:19) and advancing heaven’s rule on earth, even to the center of the Enemy’s kingdom (Acts 28:31). Wherever and whenever individuals or communities live under the royal rule, doing the will of that King, the kingdom is come. The true church, the elect body of Christ, preaches, practices, prophesies, and prepares for the kingdom, which will come in all its fullness when Christ returns and joins his bride the church (Acts 1:7). When he comes, the Lamb’s scepter will stretch over every person who has ever drawn breath, over every animal or angelic being ever created, over every place in every space, every star, galaxy, and universe—that is kingdom rule.”

Start reading this book for free: http://a.co/4xDjzhy

The Prophet by Leonard Ravenhill

05 Saturday Oct 2019

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“The prophet is violated during his ministry, but he is vindicated by history. He is the villain of today and the hero of tomorrow. He is excommunicated while alive and exalted when dead! He is dishonored with epithets when breathing and honored with epitaphs when dead. He is friendless while living and famous when dead. He is against the establishment in ministry; then he is established as a saint by posterity. “

Practicing Ressurection: Eugene Peterson

21 Sunday Apr 2019

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“Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ (Eugene Peterson’s Five “Conversations” in Spiritual Theology)” by Eugene H. Peterson –

“Following Jesus’ resurrection, his followers had forty days to be present with him and listen to his voice, listen to him “speaking about the kingdom of God.” They needed every single day they had with him in order to thoroughly assimilate the here-and-now, flesh-and-blood, body-and-soul, on-the-ground details and implications of resurrection, not only for Jesus but for themselves – resurrection not only as a promise of life beyond death but as a presence now. Hallucinations can’t be maintained for forty days. Dreams don’t last forty days. Religious hysteria cannot be sustained for forty days. Those forty days grounded Jesus’ resurrection as a life to be lived on streets, in homes, with families and neighbors – a life they, his followers, will live. And not as a private “spiritual” experience, but historically in the company of all of Jesus’ followers in workplace and politics, in the carnage of war and the quietness of worship.”

Start reading this book for free: http://a.co/5QjRstz

The Blood: Andrew Murray 

12 Tuesday Feb 2019

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“God Has No Other Way of Dealing with Sin or the Sinner Except Through the Blood For victory over sin and the deliverance of the sinner, God has provided no other means or thought than the blood of Christ. Yes, it is indeed something that surpasses all understanding.

All the wonders of grace are focused in the blood: The incarnation, by which He took upon Himself our flesh and blood (John 1:14)

The love that spared not itself but surrendered itself to death (Romans 5:8)

The righteousness, the forgiveness by redemption through his blood (Ephesians 1:7)

The substitution, the righteous One atoned for the unrighteous (2 Corinthians 5:21)

The atonement for sin (Hebrews 2:17)

The justification made possible renewed fellowship with God (2 Corinthians 5:18)

The cleansing and sanctification to fit us for that fellowship (Ephesians 5:25-27)

The true oneness in life with the Lord Jesus, as He gives His life (John 17:11, 21) T

he eternal joy of the hymn of praise, Thou . . . hast redeemed us unto God (Revelation 5:9)

All these are but rays of the wondrous light, which are reflected upon us from the precious blood of Jesus. “

Don’t Compromise With The Spirit Of Antichrist

14 Saturday Apr 2018

Posted by in Apologetics, Spiritual Warfare, Uncategorized

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“Bloved do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” – (I John 4:1-3 ESV)

God has called his children to be salt and light in the earth. We are to love those who disagree with us and who do not follow Jesus. But we are also called, as followers of Jesus Christ, to defend the teaching of the New Testament as taught by Jesus and his Apostles. Jesus is our King and we are subjects of his kingdom. As loyal subjects we cannot compromise with the spirit of the antichrist that would cast doubt on the person and teaching of Christ.

An alarming number of individual Christians and movements have aliened themselves with this antichrist spirit. They teach universalism (that you can be saved without trusting in Jesus). Many religions acknowledge Jesus as a great prophet, but unless they confess him as the Christ, the anointed and only begotten Son of God, they cannot enter into his eternal kingdom. This teaching is basic Christianity.

Jesus is God. And trusting Him is the only way to Heaven. For me to teach anything else would be to give into the spirit of the antichrist, which is the prevailing spirit of the age we live in. As Christians we must see this as spiritual warfare. This warfare will be waged by those who proclaim the truth of the Gospel, without fear of  those who oppose the Gospel message.

If you are a Christian, don’t allow yourself to fall under the spell of  religious pluralism (all sincere people of other religions will go to Heaven)  that is growing stronger in our culture. Spending time in prayer and deep meditation on the Scripture is the way to strengthen our relationship with God. We must seek to live in the presence of the Holy Spirit, or we will begin to comprise the truth and be lead astray. We must remain spiritually diligent and stay alert.

Musings From Germany: A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

29 Tuesday Aug 2017

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I took the picture above in Oppenheim, Germany. Tradition says the protestant reformer Martin Luther wrote the famous hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, there. And it was probable that he was looking at this fortress on a hill, in the small town, during his stay there. It was said that Luther was staying in an Inn in the village, and was invited to the fortress to talk with a Catholic official. Luther was suspicious about the meeting and refused to attend.

Before I visited Oppenheim, I was able to visit the town of Worms where Luther took his famous stand against oppressive spiritual darkness in the Church. He stayed in Worms for ten days and that visit has impacted the world, to this day. The stand he took for the truth of God’s word, was an act of spiritual warfare of cosmic proportions. He felt as if he was battling Satan himself, and I’m sure he was. While I certainly wouldn’t agree on everything Luther taught, I’ve often wondered, where are the Luther’s today? Are we willing to take a stand for the truth against overwhelming opposition?

 

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(A bust of Martin Luther in Worms, Germany.)

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and pow’r are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing,
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us;
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly pow’rs, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth;
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

God Still Speaks: Part One

14 Tuesday Feb 2017

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“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” – John 10:27 (ESV)

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” – I Corinthians 14:1 (ESV)

“But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you. – I Corinthians 14:24 – 25 (ESV)

I believe every Christian has heard the voice of God, even if they didn’t recognize it, at the time. Those fleeting thoughts, mental pictures, the still small voice, the feeling of being prompted to speak a word of encouragement, to call someone that’s been on your mind, dreams that strongly impact you, or the times while meditating upon the Scriptures, they just come alive to us. The Holy Spirit also gives supernatural direction on how to pray for others, during intercessory prayer.

I really believe the lack of balanced teaching on the gift of prophecy, and on the supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit, has hurt the  effectiveness of the Church, in advancing the Kingdom.  I have seen the abuse of prophetic ministry, but I have never stopped believing that God  still speaks today. Why? Because the Bible teaches it, and I, and others that I trust, have experienced some of the unique ways that he communicates to believers. The Scripture discourages the practice of speaking in tongues in the congregation, if there is no one to interpret the message. And that’s  because of the presence of unbelievers, but prophesy is always encouraged.

Dr. Wayne Grudem says: “Mature thinking about prophecy would see it as something to be encouraged in the congregation, even when unbelievers are present. If prophesy is encouraged and allowed to function, it will convict both unbelievers and believers of sin, and will bring to the congregation a much more vivid sense that God is truly among them. It will be a “sign” of God’s approval, of his presence, of his blessing on his people. We ought to see it as this and give thanks for it.”1

I might add that the gift of prophecy is normally easier to facilitate in a small group setting.

Source:

(1) Wayne Grudem, The Gift Of Prophecy, page 154.

Drifting Away From Jesus

01 Wednesday Feb 2017

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Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.  (Hebrews 2:1-2 ESV)

I once thought that unbelievers really liked Jesus but disliked Christians. But I no longer believe that. I really think that many only like a Jesus of their own imaginations not the Jesus of the Bible.

The preaching of a self-centered and non-Lordship ‘gospel’ in American churches has been devastating to the spiritual life of Christians in our country. Many have drifted so far away from the teachings of Jesus and the New Testament, that this new version of Christianity barely resembles biblical Christianity.  The teaching of Jesus seems harsh and almost foreign to many in our culture. Also a tolerance of living a life contrary to what Jesus taught is falsely mistaken for compassion in our day. But, it’s because of the compassion of Jesus, that he sets up boundaries for our own good.

The real Jesus demands repentance from the morally upright religious person that lives a self-righteous life, as well as the social activist who denies Jesus’ authority over their own moral lives. Maybe it’s time we all take a closer look at the teachings of Jesus, and the New Testament epistles. Jesus makes hard demands on our lives, but offers those that surrender to his agenda, peace and help to live the life that he requires. And when we fail – and we will – God’s amazing grace covers our sin.

Jesus doesn’t expect perfection, but he does demand repentance (turning from our own way of life and agreeing with His way of living). As we embrace Jesus’ way of life (Kingdom Life) he gives us the grace to overcome sin in our personal lives, if we acknowledge our failures. He does not condemn us when we sin – he helps us to recognize our absolute dependence upon his divine power. Let us return to Jesus and acknowledge our sin. We must also fix our hearts on the real Jesus of the Bible. As we focus on His teaching we must pray for help to live the Kingdom life he presents to us. And we get help in our fight against sin as we pursue the Kingdom of God with a community of believers.

Life With Jesus: A Counter -cultural Thought

27 Friday Jan 2017

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“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. (Matthew 7:13-14, ESV)

“The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” (John 6:52-58, ESV)

When Jesus says, “Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood” it’s clear that he is using metaphoric language. He uses this language to call for total commitment. Jesus did not come to the earth and die to make us successful and to leave us in our sins. He was resurrected from the dead for us so that we could live a resurrected life, now, abiding in his presence. This brief moment we call life is merely preparation for eternity with God. Jesus is not a part time savior, he requires total commitment to himself and his Kingdom. In John chapter 6 we see the narrow path of discipleship that Jesus teaches his students. And at that point many walk away from the Teacher.

This path to God is only through his unique and only Son, Jesus. Radical commitment to the Son of God isn’t a life of sinless perfection, but it will lead to that on the day we see him and are glorified in his presence, in Heaven. But as we journey on the narrow road with Him we are being changed from one degree of glory to another. All of us on this journey are called to hold on to the things of this world loosely and to focus on God’s kingdom agenda.

As we begin to comprehend this call and walk this path, we must not be like those that followed Jesus for material things he could give them. Yes, He gives us what we need, but what we need the most is his character and life transforming presence. It’s a counter- cultural thought but we must consume him if we expect to live eternally with him.

The Weakness Of A Cross – Driven Life

15 Sunday Jan 2017

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Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called.Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:26 -31 NIV)

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.( John 15:15 NIV)

Real, Holy Spirit, Christian power is found and experienced in weakness. Followers of Jesus are called to embrace the weakness that he himself walked in while on the earth. While the world values charismatic personalities, money and prestige, God values humility. Charismatic personalities and materialism can actually be a hindrance to real spiritual power in the Church. God doesn’t use many of the rich and powerful of this world. He is most glorified when he takes the lowly, and uses them as his instruments of salvation, and to bring healing to the broken. The power to restore humanity can only be found in embracing the One who died in weakness, but was raised in power. And we can partake of that power.

To follow Jesus is to embrace a life of humility. Jesus did not come to start a political movement or to use an army to advance his kingdom. Christians should influence governments and society in a positive way, but real change in behavior can only come from changed hearts. And hearts are changed by believing the gospel and following Jesus. While earthly rulers stay in power by military force. Jesus depended on his Father, and was empowered by the Spirit, to fulfill his calling and ministry. As followers of “the Jesus way” we aren’t called to die for the sins of the world, but we are called to embrace the cross, and die to our own selfish way of life. This cross driven life helps others to see Jesus in us, and to bring others into his Kingdom. This is a life that has been filled by the Holy Spirit, and outwardly appears foolish to those who are perishing.

We must die to our selfish way of life to experience true power. The power that comes from above, is demonstrated by the love of God and neighbor. The power that comes from below is earthly natural and demonic and is built on pride and self-centeredness. The Holy Spirit enables us to reject illegitimate sinful ways of living, so that we can testify to the overcoming power of the living God. We can only overcome our sinful tendencies and do the work of God by acknowledging our total inability, and lack of power within ourselves. When sinful hindrances are removed, we can be used more effectively by God. Our appetite for sin decreases as we experience the unhindered presence of the Spirit, in our lives. When we fall short of God’s best for us (and we do) we confess and turn from our sins, and pursue Christ as our supreme treasure. A cross empower life is the key to the transformative power of God.