Spirit, soul and body
Posted: September 17, 2011 Filed under: Bible Teaching, Christianity, Church Leave a comment »Spirit, Soul and Body:
“And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
Human beings are spirits, who possess a soul and live in a physical body.
| The spirit, soul, and body make up the whole of a person, they are inter-dependant on each other, feeding and directing all three according to Biblical truths will result in experiencing the abundant life that Jesus Christ promised. “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” {John 10:10}. |
| The prosperity of your soul: |
| The soul is the intellect, the mind, the part of a person that assesses information and knowledge. “ And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”{Romans 12:2}.We get a transformation of mind through reading, listening and acting on the word of God. When our minds are renewed we grow more positive, more faithful, more expectant, if you begin to train your mind and discipline it to read ‘The Word’ and live according to its precepts, you’ll experience great benefits that will prosper you in all areas of life. For example your business interests can flourish as your mind is transformed, you’ll see things more clearly, and you’ll adopt a more believing and positive attitude; “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he….” {Proverbs 23:7}. |
| The prosperity of your body: |
| When the spirit and soul are well and living in the new covenant life, the body will prosper. Your work for example will be blessed because you’ll be in a spiritual mindset, able to make wise decisions, you’ll be led by the Holy Ghost, and He’ll lead you the right way, God’s way: “…He leadeth me beside the still waters… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever” {Psalm 23: v2, 6}. |
| The prosperity of your spirit: |
| We prosper spiritually when we’re born again, the spirit person on the inside is eternal, that’s the real you, in the words of Jesus, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” {John 3:6}. To be born again is the foundation of spiritual prosperity. |
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Posted: August 2, 2011 Filed under: Bible Teaching, Christianity, Church, People | Tags: Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones Leave a comment »
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“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. 20But ye have not so learned Christ; 21If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:17-24).
We come, then, to this extraordinary, dramatic, vivid, almost, abrupt statement which the Apostle makes here. And it is obvious that he put it in this form quite deliberately, in order to call attention to it and to shock them, and in order to bring out the tremendous contrast that he has in mind between the true believer and the rest of society.
We have followed the Apostle’s masterly analysis of the life of the unbeliever, the pagan, the man who is not a Christian, and we see how it goes from bad to worse because his mind is wrong. He is in a state of darkness, the heart is affected, and he is alienated from God. We have seen men giving themselves over, in their foulness and lasciviousness, to work all kinds of iniquity and uncleanness with greediness. However, often there are people who attend church, even so called preachers who seem unable to distinguish between right and wrong, light and darkness, good and bad. Off course these are like the religious hypocrites of old who have all the respectability on the outside but inside are caverns of deceit and error. If you’ve been reading the newspapers this week perhaps you might have spotted such religious folk advocating that which is clearly unchristian. Dear friends there are many Jesus’ preached today, take care to follow the true Biblical Christ.
ILL: But you think you’re right, they think they’re right, who do we believe some might say? I would welcome this enquiry and suggest that we are to examine the position by the Bible’s light. Truth isn’t relative that’s intellectual suicide (Explain). For example, one popular preacher on the television today who has many bible colleges around the world and describes himself as an international bible teacher believes that “God hasn’t had anyone qualified working for him yet”, he teaches that we will never be qualified. However, the bible clearly teaches us that“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others” 2 Timothy 2:2. So are we qualified? Well, if we are reliable we will be qualified and qualified to the degree that we teach others. In other words we need to assess and discern the Gospel truth and that is what we teach others. As far as this so called bible teacher is concerned this error is only the tip of the iceberg and yet many people are led astray. I’m convinced people prefer to be spoon fed these days rather than taking the time to study the bible to show themselves approved. So the Apostle paints a picture of the vanity of mind, understanding darkened, ignorance that is in them, blindness of their heart, lasciviousness, uncleanness with greediness.
But this is not the way for the Christian obviously, so going back to our text from Ephesians Paul says, “But you” in verse 20. And at once we say, Well, thank God! We are no longer there, that is not our position, our understanding isn’t darkened. We must feel a sense of relief and profound gratitude to God that we are covered by this But, that Paul is here turning from sin to salvation, and that we have experienced the change of which he is now going on to speak.
I emphasize this point because it seems that there is no better test of our Christian profession than our reaction to these words “But you“. If we merely hold the truth theoretically in our minds this will not move us at all. If we have looked on at the description of sin merely in a kind of detached, scientific manner, or as the sociologist might do; if we have put down groups and categories of people, and have done it all in an utterly detached way, then we will have no sense of relief and of thanksgiving as we come to these words. But if we realise that all that was true of us; if we realise that we were in the grip and under the dominion of sin; if we realise that we still have to fight against it, then, I say, these words at once give us a sense of marvellous and wonderful relief. It is not the whole truth, of course, there is more to be said. But as we respond to these words, in our feelings, in our sensibilities, as well as with our minds, we are proclaiming whether we are truly Christian or not. We read these words of Paul, and then we read our newspapers, and as we look at what is going on all around us, we say, Yes, it is absolutely right and true, that is life in this world. And just as feelings of despair might arise we suddenly stop and say, Ah! but wait a minute, there is something else - there is the Christian, there is the Christian Church, there is this new humanity that is in Christ! The other seems to be true of almost everybody in the world, but it is not, for “there is yet a remnant according to the election of grace”! Those who have been transformed, who identify with the salvation they have received. Thank God! In the midst of all the darkness there is a glimmer of light.
Kingdom Investments
Posted: August 1, 2011 Filed under: Bible Teaching, Christianity, Church, Television, Uncategorized | Tags: Domestic worker, Fear, Five Talents, God, Jesus, Kingdom of God, Lord, Parable of the talents or minas Leave a comment »
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For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave 5 talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ He who had received two talents came and said, ‘lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents beside them.’ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.
Then he who had received the one talent came and said, lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
But his lord answered and said to him, ‘you wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.’
‘For everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have ABUNDANCE; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.’
I shall never forget on first reading this account as a teenager, I thought the conclusion would be different. I thought that the person with one talent was the most respectful, I thought he revered his lord so much that he didn’t dare risk loosing any of the talents he’d been given. He was wise to play it safe. However, I made a fundamental mistake, at that time I didn’t realize that he was the wicked servant because acted out of fear he was afraid, and God never rewards fear, God rewards faith.
If you want an abundant rich life, fear is your arch enemy and the only way to defeat fear is with faith! Now faith has substance and it will work for anyone that decides to employ it. This scripture gives us a great lesson and principle to live by; very simply it’s essential to exercise faith and invest in your talents if you want a rich abundant life. The opportunity is not just to create wealth and success for yourself and your family it’s also that you stretch yourself into living the faith life, living with Kingdom principals, you grow, expand, become all that you could possibly be, live the life you have to the fullest.
However, be careful to avoid materialism, Jesus taught that “a man’s life does not consist of the abundance of his possessions”. Invest and see a return but don’t think that the return is your reward, the lasting reward comes from God and He will consider what we’ve done with all our returns.
Following Jesus
Posted: July 22, 2011 Filed under: Bible Teaching, Christianity Leave a comment »John 15:13,14 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you”.
John Bunyan claimed to have heard a voice which asked: “Wilt thou leave thy sins and go to heaven or have thy sins and go to hell?”
Answering the call to Christ requires a willingness to lay aside the sin in our lives in order to make way for a thriving relationship with the Lord. Many times Christians try to hold onto areas of their lives they know God wants them to be done with because they enjoy the pleasure of sin. However, refusing to get the sin out of our lives blocks the flow of God’s blessing and gives the enemy free reign in our circumstances. We cannot operate in our true authority when we’re in sin, nor can we please God. For this reason, we must make a quality decision to choose to obey God rather than indulge our flesh.We can stand successfully against the devil’s strategies but before we do, we’re going to have to make three quality decisions that will help us not leave room for a foothold for the devil, give no opportunity to him. Ephesians 4:27 “Neither give place to the devil”.
First, we must make the Word of God the final authority in our life. Line up your thinking with whatever the Word says. Remember those who follow Jesus submit to the word:”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
“And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes”. (Mark 1:22).
“If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
Secondly, we must decide to live our life by faith in what God has said. The Bible says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17).
Thirdly, we must decide to live by the love of God because faith works by love.
“For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Galatians 5:6). Without love, our faith won’t function. Without the Word, we can’t have faith. So we ought not to try to make one of these decisions without the other two. We need to make all three of them. This lifestyle of the Word, faith, and love, keeps you in a place of resistance to the devil!
Christians are gods?
Posted: July 14, 2011 Filed under: Bible Teaching, Christianity, People Leave a comment »
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Sounds interesting and very controversial, what nonsense, gods, how dare someone suggest this? However, Jesus said it, therefore, we who follow Him need to consider what He meant. The truth isn’t as offensive as the title might initially appear.
We Christians are the super-human species, a new species the Greek suggests. What Does the prefix ”Super” Mean? The root word super- means “above”, higher-up in authority or power.
“3 ….as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter1:3,4)
Can we take this into our understanding, can we carry this revelation deep into our inner man, so deep that we never forget it. Also, remember Jesus’ words in John 10 “Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’?” (John 10:34-36)
Jesus meant this. He said, “the Scripture cannot be broken.” This passage affirms Genesis 1:26 about mankind being made in God‘s image endued with dominion. Jesus was simply comparing His status as the ‘Son of God’ with fallen creatures’ status as ‘gods’. He is saying that if God exalted fallen men by calling them gods, then why are you upset with Him, who is without sin, if He should call Himself the Son of God. Christian theologians have used the term ‘gods’ for thousands of years to explain how close mankind is in God’s image.
Athanasius, for example (Athanasius of Alexandria (Greek: Ἀθανάσιος, Athanásios) [b. ca. (296-298) – d. 2 May 373] is also given the titles St. Athanasius the Great, Pope St. Athanasius I of Alexandria, St Athanasius the Confessor and (in the Coptic Orthodox Church, mainly) St Athanasius the Apostolic. He was the 20th bishop of Alexandria.[1] His long episcopate lasted 45 years (c. 8 June 328 – 2 May 373), of which over 17 years were spent in five exiles ordered by four different Roman emperors. He is considered to be a renowned Christian theologian, a Church Father, the chief defender of Orthodoxy against Arianism, and a noted Egyptian leader of the fourth century.)
In his famous work, On the Incarnation of the Word of God, wrote, “The Word was made man in order that we might be made gods.” Clear words from the defender of orthodoxy.
Even fairly recently, the great Baptist preacher, Charles Spurgeon, commented on this passage: “The greatest honour was thus put upon them: they were delegated gods, clothed for a while with a little of that authority by which the Lord judges among the sons of men.” [The Treasury of David: An Expository and Devotional Commentary on the Psalms, 7 vols, vol. 4, page 41]
Don’t reject Godly prosperity
Posted: June 6, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment »Prosperity can fuel greed but with balance it’s a blessing of God
“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 2)
Prosper = euodoō (yoo-od-o’-o)
to grant a prosperous and expeditious journey, to lead by a direct and easy way
to grant a successful issue, to cause to prosper
to prosper, be successful
Even if we take the expeditious journey definition, that journey needs money, hitchhiking isn’t a good way to travel, no, it takes money to travel a good journey, money to book a ticket.
When we speak God’s Word, we are agreeing with what He has said about us. We do not have to tolerate lack in any area of our lives. After all, if prosperity is evil, why would God want us to prosper? The truth is that there is nothing wrong with prosperity in itself, and regarding financial prosperity money is not the root of all evil, the love of money is the root of all evil “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). Some people committing this sin who don’t have money! I want us to realize however, that prosperity covers much more than finances
When John said we should prosper and be in health, he added the phrase, “Even as thy soul prospereth.” Man is a spirit he has a soul consisting of the mind, the will and the emotions, and he lives in a body. There is spiritual prosperity; there is mental prosperity; and there is physical prosperity.
To prosper: Spiritually, you must be born again.
Soul, have mind transformed to and by the word of God.
Physically, healthy.
What a Day!
Posted: May 25, 2011 Filed under: Bible Teaching, Christianity, Church, People, Television Leave a comment »Started the day early with all sorts of church stuff to do, writing letters, telephone calls and general work. Then we left for the airport in Liverpool at 11.30am, we arrived in Geneva for the conference this weekend at 2.00pm. It was warm as we left the aircraft, that familiar warm foreign feeling hit me like a relaxing massage. Then I met up with Pastor Jon Fiddy who was waiting for me and we were driven to France for an interview with Radio 74 regarding the conference and the controversial aspects currently surrounding anything to do with the end times. After all someone claimed the world was ending yesterday and many people actually listened to him?
We drove back to Geneva for excellent hospitality and fellowship with the folk from Church of the Living Saviour. It’s been a long and interesting day, Im so glad to be spending my time preaching the good news about Jesus Christ. On the airwaves of France and Switzerland I spoke today about the reality of a relationship with God rather than dead religion, I had the utter privilege of testifying about Jesus Christ. He loves us and He’s the wonderful Saviour, thank you Lord Jesus, I love you.
The Love Life
Posted: May 25, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized 7 Comments »Ephesians 4:32
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” Sometimes I think people interpret this verse by saying that we are to forgive people only when they are kind to us. But that’s not what the Bible says.
This scripture also doesn’t say, “Forgive one another when the offense doesn’t amount too much. But if people have done a lot against you, then it’s okay to not forgive them.” The verse doesn’t read that way, but too many times that is the way people practice it. Too many Christians allow their flesh to rule them, and then wonder why they aren’t receiving God’s best in their lives. But it’s impossible to walk in the God-kind of love while allowing the flesh to rule. If we’re going to obey the Bible, we have to let the inward man rule us so we can be “kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another.” It’s only as we “put on” Christ and make no provision for the flesh (Rom. 13:14) that we will be able to forgive one another, even as God for Christ’s sake forgave us.
How can we forgive the way God forgives? Well, the Bible says that God is love. And the same kind of love that God is has been shed abroad in our heart, or spirit, by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). What kind of love is it? Is it natural, human love? No, it is divine love. It is the God-kind of love. And one characteristic of the God-kind of love is that it forgives. Another thing about divine love-when God forgives, He forgets!
Isaiah 43:25
“I, even I, am he that BLOTTETH OUT THY TRANSGRESSIONS for mine own sake, and WILL NOT REMEMBER thy sins.” Hebrews 8:12 says, “For I will BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”
These scriptures tell us that once we ask forgiveness, God doesn’t remember our sins anymore. God doesn’t say, “I’m going to hold against you everything you’ve ever done, and I’m going to remind you of your sins every time I think of them.” Thank God, this verse says that when we ask forgiveness, God will remember our sins no more! Sometimes husbands and wives can be prone to remind each other of past mistakes every time a disagreement arises. There’s no way they can develop a good relationship if they keep doing that. Also, if spouses constantly remind each other of past mistakes and failures, it will ruin their prayer lives and will make their faith inoperative
Darwinism (The mire of folly)
Posted: May 24, 2011 Filed under: Bible Teaching, Christianity, People | Tags: Adolf Hitler, Arthur Keith, Charles Darwin, Darwinism, Evolution, Mein Kampf, On the Origin of Species, Richard Dawkins Leave a comment »
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Darwinian theories of evolution have led to some dangerous sociological and scientific trends being adopted. From Darwin’s ‘Preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life’ (Darwin’s subtitle to Origin of Species) some have made the relatively short journey to the preservation of favoured individuals. One of the people to make this journey was Adolf Hitler and of particular concern has been the study and practice of selective breeding of people known as eugenics which was popularized by the Nazis.
In Mein Kampf, Hitler’s famous book, he embraced a Darwinian view of the evolution of humanity. The book contains many references to evolution and as Sir Arthur Keith the Scottish anthropologist wrote: “The leader of Germany is an evolutionist, not only in theory, but, as millions know to their cost, in the rigor of its practice.”
In Darwinism people are de-spiritualized and it becomes easier to view people as merely physical bodies, not made in the image of their Heavenly Father as living spirits, but formed through mere flesh by a series of impossible accidents. This was one of the critiques given to Darwin by Geologist Adam Sedgwick who was a mentor of Darwin’s at Cambridge University. His words have proved to be prophetic, it’s a pity his former student and the millions of subsequent Darwinian Theory followers haven’t been wise enough to listen: ‘There is a moral or metaphysical part of nature as well as a physical. A man who denies this is deep in the mire of folly. Tis the crown and glory of organic science that it does thro’ final cause, link material to moral;.. You have ignored this link; and, if I do not mistake your meaning, you have done your best in one or two pregnant cases to break it. Were it possible (which thank God it is not) to break it, humanity, in my mind, would suffer a damage that might brutalize it-and sink the human race into a lower grade of degradation than any into which it has fallen since its written records tell us of its history.’”1
It seems hardly credible that Darwinian theories have been preached as truth rather than theory in a modern scientific world. I’m told that the latest research into the binary coding of DNA for example brings Darwinism into serious doubt (For more details on the extent of the current biases in the scientific party line watch the film ‘Intelligence Expelled’). After all even a child questions Darwinian folly through the obvious fact, that we have apes today, we have humans today, but we don’t have any of the Darwinian in-between stages! No in-between stages, hey there’s a great big fat clue into what happened, God obviously created us, we are the product of an intelligent design and our maker ought to be worshiped, so let’s humble ourselves and worship Him. It is right to give our worship and praise.
Real redemption!
Posted: May 23, 2011 Filed under: Bible Teaching, Christianity, Church | Tags: Christ, Devil, God, Israel, Jesus, living faith church, New Testament, Palestine, redemption, Salvation, Satan, Steven Lyn Evans 3 Comments »
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Colossians 1:13,14,“Who delivered us out of the authority of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love; in Whom we have our Redemption; the remission of our sins.”
We, have been delivered out of the authority of Satan, he has no dominion over us. Don’t let the opinion of theologians, friends, religious folk, your past, or anything else, take away the reality of this fact. You are redeemed and Satan has no more right to control or reign over you than the Pharaoh of Egypt had to control or reign over delivered Israel living in Palestine. We used to live in the kingdom of darkness, defeat, and doubt, but now through Jesus as our Lord, we live in the kingdom of light, we have victory, faith and abundant life.
We have been delivered out of Satan’s authority, and we have been translated over into the kingdom of the Son of His love. Our all is now in Christ, the Son of His love, in Whom we have our redemption. Redemption from Satan is a present-tense fact, we have this redemption now, so lets determine to walk in it and transform this world.
