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Fire: Keeping the Flame Ablaze

During this summer, I have spent some time clearing out a worship spot at my house in the back of our woods. I must say, I really enjoyed doing it. I wanted a spot that I could go and spend time with God in solitude. I gathered old down trees to use for seating, found various pieces of old furniture to place back there, and Tiki Torches to help keep away bugs. In the middle I built a good-sized fire pit for bonfires. The other evening I went out to that spot to spend some time with God. My brother was with me and we were trying to light the fire. The pit had quite a bit of wood in it so if we ever got it lit, it would be a very big and nice fire. The problem was we couldn’t get the fire lit.  Granted the top pieces were a little wet, but the rest of the pile was dry, so we didn’t think it would be much of a problem. We had pieces of cardboard to help start the fire, but it didn’t work. We lit some of the dry leaves in the midst of the sticks, but it didn’t work either. We even found some straw to light to help with the process, but all it did was burn. It didn’t stay lit and the fire died quickly. So finally after much frustration, we got the gasoline. Now, I realize this is not the smartest choice nor safest, but I wanted a fire! Luckily nothing bad happened! So we light a few more pieces of cardboard and paper just enough to keep it a flame for a few minutes. Then we doused the places we didn’t have lit with some gasoline so with the fire caught it, it would light up. The finally we applied the gasoline on the flames that were going and instantly, the fire went ablaze. We experienced the thrill of getting our fire lit and the fire was glorious…for about ten minutes. But soon, that gasoline had burnt away, the wood had never really caught a flame, and the fire died out again quickly. Now I realize that there are better ways to light a fire, and if I did some other things I could have probably got that fire going. However, I’m glad I tried to light the fire the way I did because God used it to teach me something.

When the fire began to die out again, I was getting kind of irritated. Then I felt God speak to my heart saying, “I need people who will tend and stir the fire, not just light it.” I immediately knew what God was saying to me. In order to keep a fire going, you have to constantly add fire to the pile, you have to stir the fire to keep the fire going, and you have to watch it. Gasoline is a nice help, but it is only a temporary fix. It only lasts for a moment. It looks glorious and the flames are huge, but they don’t have much life. God doesn’t need followers who will be like the gasoline. Who will become very passionate and devoted to God one day, and have a devotion to Him that dies at the end of the week. He wants followers who will fan the flames. Who will keep the fire going, even if that means taking longer steps in doing so. Followers who will spend the extra time in prayer, reading of His Word, and living out the life He calls His people to.

I think you would be very hard pressed to find a church, if you asked them, would not want to see people come to know Christ. I mean, that’s just a ludicrous thought. The Church may have many different denomination and beliefs of theology, but I don’t really think there are many people in the Church who do not want to see souls saved. In fact if there are any, I really think those people need to evaluate their life and see if the are in step with the Spirit. But all too often the Church tries to witness to the world with gasoline. With big and glorious displays of various ministries, emotional appeals, etc. Those of you who serve the Lord know exactly what I’m talking about. But those things don’t last. People who come to the Lord on those terms won’t last unless that fire is cultivated. Unless their flames are stirred and wood is added to the fire. If the Church and Christians want to set this world on fire, we first have to cultivate the fire in our own hearts, then also be willing to take the time to minister properly and effectively to help keep the fire lit the hearts of others as well. Jesus told His followers that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon them and they will be His witnesses. The Holy Spirit gives Christians the power to witness to others about Jesus powerfully. God is the source of that fire. I pray that believers everywhere will submit to the Holy Spirit and allow God move in their hearts. I also pray that Christians all over the world will fan into flame the gifts of God and take the steps necessary to keep that flame going. When the fire rises true and proud, the world around us will catch fire too. Don’t use the gasoline. Cultivate that fire.

“Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.” ~2 Timothy 1:6

“Fire must be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not go out.” ~Leviticus 6:13

May God be with you.

-Joey


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A Problem in the Church

I was thinking recently. Yeah, I know…amazing right? :)

No, but seriously. I was thinking about how people in the Church today will separate themselves completely from another Christian who commits or is trapped by sin. Or maybe they try to help, but instead just try to find the easy fix. I started thinking, “Well, that can’t be Biblical, can it? Jesus commands us to love one another and be unified in the Body of Christ. And that is true. I started reading Francis Chan’s book, Multiply. In that he said something that I already knew, but it was still just as profound. He said:

“Or when we learn that a friend is struggling with sin, we are quick to explain why that sin is harmful and tell her we will pray for her (whether we follow through or not). But how many of us would take her struggle with sin so seriously that we would walk with her as she works through the issues involved?”

Yes, the Bible is clear that sin needs to be corrected. But it doesn’t end there. We can’t “correct them” and then condemn them. You see, there’s a difference between judgement and correction. Judgment brings condemnation down on the person being judged. Correction is done out of love with the hope of redemption. It’s like a parent. They may spank their son or daughter for hitting someone. A good parent doesn’t spank out of anger. A loving parent will spank (or use other forms of discipline) out of love for the child and to correct a wrong behavior. But the parent continues with loving that child.

It’s the same way with Christians. Yes, we are to correct each other’s sinful behavior. But you had better do it purely out of love and you had better be willing to walk through the issue with them in order to bring them to redemption. I think part of the problem is that many believers don’t want to get “dirty.” They don’t want to be associated with someone who has a sin exposed to the public. It’s the same attitude some have towards non-believers. They don’t want to be seen with the “undesirables.” It might ruin their reputation. Then tell me, how are you supposed to evangelize and disciple them if you don’t associate with them? If they won’t come in to the church, you bring it to them. How can your Christian brother or sister be brought back to the cross if you want to find a quick fix or just blow them off completely? Galatians 6:1-2 says:

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Carry each other’s burdens. That will likely require you to be seen with the “undesirable.” But the attitude I mentioned above is exactly the attitude the Pharisees had. Did you know Jesus had more of problem with the “religious” people than he did with the sinners?

It’s time we get over ourselves and be willing to walk through thick and thin with our fellow believers.

-Austin


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Words Fail

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Photo credit: Creative Commons

I am rarely speechless. When I am, it isn’t usually a good thing. I am finding words hard to come by today.

When tragedy strikes, when things don’t make sense, when the violence or the awesome power of nature or the meanness of the human heart slam into our world with so much force we lose our breath, we become mute with shock. It takes away our ability to communicate intelligently. We sputter and ramble and make little sense to those around us and we sometimes say things that we haven’t thought through, hurting the very ones we want to encourage.

Human nature dictates that our ego must be satisfied. We want to know why, to find a reason that it all went wrong, to devise a plan to be better prepared next time – to control our own destiny. But how do you prepare for such random acts of violence, or control horrific storms or explain the loss of so many children? How do you look around you and blame this or that on upslope and draw and happenstance? How do you make sense of any of it?

You don’t.

Yes, I know that tornados and their formation can be nominally explained. I understand that there are storm chasers and researchers and all manner of highly educated folk that have dedicated their lives to better protecting us from these super-storms. I am thankful for them. But really, there is no preparation for the devastation that has rocked Oklahoma today. Look at any of the stunned, wide eyed faces and you begin to understand the shock is just now lifting for those who survived. Their eyes are beginning to focus again and they are seeing the destruction with a clarity that sucks their breath from their lungs as violently as the storm took their children from them. There are no words to encompass the pain, the fear and the tragic circumstances of this loss.

There is no why, there is no comfort in shelter, there is not one ounce of security when you look up and watch as nature steals the very air from your lungs. As the clouds lift and move on, as the rain starts and washes away so many years of work and accomplishment, as the survivors climb from the rubble and wrap arms around loved ones, there is a realization: There are no words to be said. There is nothing that can be uttered to soothe the hurt, the terror or the loss.

When I cannot find words to encompass the tragic, fallen world we inhabit, I bow my head and open my heart. The Holy Spirit wraps my soul in His arms and speaks quiet, inaudible encouragement and strength into my ears. He picks me up, dusts me off and shows me where to move. He clears my head to survey the land and begin to work. There is comfort in “doing” when there are no answers.

We don’t get to know the purpose of God’s plan. He is guarded with His tapestry design. I have to believe that though I see tragedy and destruction and senseless lives lost that God is not gone from this place. He is still here. But it hurts. The pain is blinding and confusing and explanation meaningless to those who are only beginning to understand what they have lost: Homes, businesses, livestock, children.

I cannot offer words today. I cannot explain or find comfort in knowing more of what happened. I can only say how very sorry I am and offer my hands in prayer, in comfort and in rebuilding. I cannot take away the pain, nor would I dare try. There simply is nothing to say.


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Lessons From the Life Of David: Part I

For verses referenced in this post click here.

The first time we meet David is in 1 Samuel 16. In the previous chapter God had rejected Saul as king because Saul had rejected God (1 Samuel 15:26). So God directs Samuel to anoint a new king.

God directs Samuel to the family of Jesse who was the grandson of Ruth and Boaz, two godly people. After the debacle with Saul, who never showed any interest in walking with the Lord, God was determined that Israel’s next leader be someone who was devoted to him and not make the same mistakes Saul did.

Saul was chosen by the people of Israel to be their king because of his wealth and appearance (1 Samuel 9:1-2). When Samuel comes across Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, he likewise decides, based solely on appearance, that Eliab is the one God has chosen to be Israel’s next king (1 Samuel 16:6). But he was wrong.

God uses different criteria when selecting people to do His work. He does not look at people the way we do (Isaiah 55:8). While we look at outward appearances, God looks at someone’s heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

In fact, none of Jesse’s oldest sons had the heart God was looking for. It was Jesse’s youngest son, David, whom God wanted. Its interesting that even Jesse himself didn’t consider David to have much leadership potential because he (David) wasn’t even invited to the meeting with Samuel. He was still out in the fields tending to the animals (1 Samuel 16:11). He seems to have been an after-thought in the mind of his own father.

Samuel anoints David and the Holy Spirit came “powerfully” upon him from that day on (1 Samuel 16:13) thereby proving that David was God’s choice.

The lesson here is clear. As human beings we only look at the outward appearance of a man or woman: how they dress, how good looking they are, how much money they have. Human superficialities impress us. But these things do not matter to God.

Only someone who is a man (or woman) after God’s own heart, as David was called (Acts 13:22), can appropriately serve God. A person with a lesser heart will seek to be served.

A person with such a heart:

  • is more concerned with God’s will than his own.
  • makes God the true king of her life
  • recognizes his sinfulness and is repentant
  • loves other people more than herself
  • seeks to bring attention to God, not himself

None of us fit this criteria naturally. It is only through prayer, scripture meditation, and sacrificial obedience that our self-serving heart can be replaced with a heart that lives for God. Here are just a few verses that we can pray and meditate on to achieve this goal:

  • Matthew 6:10
  • Philippians 2:3-4
  • Romans 12:1
  • Colossians 3:12
  • Acts 20:35
  • Ephesians 5:21

God isn’t looking for superheros because there are none. He knows that. He is looking for every-day people who are humble and whose first, and only, priority is to serve Him.

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How Can We Escape if We Ignore Such a Great Salvation?

Hebrews 2:2-4: “For since the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. This salvations, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.”

You know, today people are looking for an escape. I have no doubt that many are seeking God out of the deepest and darkest pits of their life. And others are looking for something else. They’re turning to idols and those idols will never satisfy them. They’ll never comfort them. 

I have friends of mine that are in this boat that the verses above mention. They want to serve Jesus. I have no doubt about that. The problem is that they are missing, or rather ignoring the escape or the salvation that Jesus is extending to them. It’s frustrating because they want to do what is right. They want to get rid of their idols and follow Jesus with everything they are, but they just can’t seem to. As soon as something comes along they decided to put God on the back burner. It’s grievous to me. How can they escape if they ignore such a great salvation? They can’t. Jesus is the only Way out. God isn’t something we run to when our boyfriend or girlfriend other cheats on us. He isn’t something we run to when things don’t go our way. And He’s not something we run to when tragedy strikes. He should be our life. We shouldn’t be able to function properly without first seeking the Lord. Yeah, you’ll have to dump some things you might enjoy. But it’s so worth it. 

If you find yourself in this situation, I urge you to come to your senses. God is extending his beautiful grace to you. All you have to do is take it. Surrender your life to Christ completely because he bought you with his life. You will either be a slave to sin or a slave to righteousness. You pick. 

If you will please join me in praying for those friends I mentioned. I pray that anyone who reads this is just solidified in the faith. I pray that if you are going back and forth with God, you stop and surrender to Him. You’re fighting a losing battle if you don’t 

God bless!

-Austin

P.S. Sorry for not being able to post much lately. School is in the process of rapping up (just six days left!) for the summer and I have been busy with other obligations. I’m so grateful God has given you to me as an audience so that I may bring His Word to you. 

 


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Seek Scripture And Pray When You Are Confused

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“For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints.”      1 Corinthians 14:33 (ESV)

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.”    John 16:13 (NIV)

“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”                 Acts 17:11 (NIV)

Confusion has the ability to rob us of the peace freely given by God.  It can rob us of sleep and distract our thoughts.  It causes mental stress and health issues, if a resolution is not established.  Confusion is a tool used by the enemy.  He is a talented deceiver who continuously invents lies, often leading to our bewilderment and disobedience.  The enemy knows the Word of God but misuses it to confound and trip us in our walk. 

God is NOT a God of confusion but of peace.  We have the Holy Spirit living inside us.  He provides understanding and will always guide us to the truth.  However, it takes diligence and effort on our part to seek out God’s truth.  We are responsible for our own walk and need to be like the Berean Jews. They heard what Paul preached, but then daily examined the scriptures to see if what he was speaking was true.  We too must search scripture when trials or events cause confusion.  We should also search the Bible if a Christian leader says something we question to be doctrinal.  We can’t rely solely on others to feed us.  We must go directly to scripture ourselves and study.

We live in difficult times and it will only get more challenging.  The Bible has warned us that false prophets existed in Paul’s time, and do so even now.  They come to tickle our ears and tell us what we want to hear, often mixing truth with lies.  Christians cannot pick and choose parts of the Word to believe, and then create their own truth.  God is love but love also involves truth and discipline. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that, “ALL Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”  We cannot believe every spirit, but must test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1 Jn. 4:1).  They are from the world and speak for the viewpoint of the world, and sadly the world listens to them, thus deceiving themselves (1 Jn. 4:5).  This includes believers living in the world! 

The lies of the enemy are often so subtle and misleading.  It takes maturity in Christ to muddle through the lies he mixes in with the truth.  This includes the lies he whispers in our ears regarding our worth and value to God.  He will try to convince you that you are worthless and unworthy of serving the Father.  He loves to impart guilt, since he wants to cripple your service for God.  The devil wants to beat us down and convince us that God has left us in the desert forever. This is a lie!  The Father brings his children out of their wilderness in His time.  Sorrows are for but a season.

Confusion will discourage the best of us, but the best way to attack it is with scripture and prayer.  Ask God for direction and wisdom.  Request that the Holy Spirit directs you to the truth, and then be prepared to face the facts and reality.  It may cause you to make choices or personal changes.  2 Timothy 2:7 advises us to reflect on scripture and then promises that the Lord will give us insight.

If you are facing trials, struggles, or you simply have questions and concerns, diligently seek the truth.  Like a buried treasure, you will find the answers and cherished prize.  Be a Berean today!  Don’t let confusion rob you of the peace of Christ.  “Seek and you will find.” (Matt. 7:7)

“Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.”                 2 Timothy 2:7 (NIV) 

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.”    2 Peter 2:1-3 (NIV)

“ They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.”  1 John 4:5 (NIV)


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Mysteries; Great and small

WOW! Mysteries – I love em!! – Well sometimes anyway – I must admit that the mysteries of the computer make me frustrated, angry and despairing!!

But other mysteries well that’s another matter; the mystery of creation; the universe; the gobsmacking splendour of the galaxy; the rainbows; the beauty of the sunrise; the stillness of star studded skies in the wilderness, all of these can leave me breathless with heaps of unanswered questions…

There is one mystery though that I will never get my head around – and I reckon it is the GREATEST mystery of all time!!

How God saved me is one HUGE mystery and one which I will eternally grateful for.

The plan of salvation is the mystery of mysteries and shows a love that is beyond our minds to comprehend.

God paid the price for my salvation – He took me to be His prize!! Me! that is a mystery that I cannot understand.

I had nothing; proud; deceitful; jealous; I could sin and feel no compunction; hear of my guilt and remain unhumbled. Then Jesus came!

He changed my life and where I was only ever out to make life better for me, whatever the cost, He made me realise that I was bound to sin; a slave to sin; I was in chains and didn’t realise it.

If we come to Jesus, we need to come bearing no gifts; there is nothing we can bring to Him; we owe everything to Him; how then can we bring anything to Him?

It is only through his grace that we can come anywhere near him at all.

Jesus is the King of the dependent: King of the despised; King of the weak; King of the left-outs and King of the hated!

Hated? – Yes Hated; we will be hated by others if we make a stand for Jesus. Left out? Yes certainly we will be left out; not part of the crowd; even despised.

The world at large will not take too kindly to us telling them about the only way to enrich their lives for eternity is to accept the invitation that Jesus brings; Why?

Because to come to Jesus we have to empty ourselves of all we have; we need to be totally dependent on Him bringing our sins; our past; our everything and laying them at the foot of the cross.

We need to leave behind the things of earth; and not place importance on the things that really don’t matter. That was one BIG lesson I had to learn – Jesus died for us just as we are.

When He died on the cross, He took my sins up there with Him; when He died so did I in a way; died to sin; I became bound to Jesus through His death when I accepted the gift of freedom that He offered me.

The old life I had is gone – Now I have to rely solely on Him.

I don’t know what mysteries lie ahead; have no idea, really what eternity will be like; death doesn’t scare me but it is a mystery – an amazing mystery and one where I can be assured of God’s amazing promises that where He is I will be also.

I have no idea what lies ahead of me; what trials; what tribulations; what joy; what pain – but I do know whatever happens, Jesus goes before me anyway.

There is nothing that I could possibly go through that he hasn’t been there before me; and that He has promised to be with me through everything that happens.

My life is bound up in Jesus – My whole life is in Him.

The very same power that resurrected Jesus; that rolled the stone away; that killed death, is the very same power that saved me and brought me to life with Him.

Jesus paid the price for you and me. His blood bought us life.

When we are weak, then we are strong; God can’t use us when we are proud, haughty and full of our own importance. We need to be totally broken in front of Him; totally dependent on Him; giving Him the glory in everything we do.

Glorifying God is when we see God as more important than anything else we are doing or what or who is in our lives.

It is only when we humble ourselves to the His will and let the Holy Spirit infill us will be be even remotely able to kneel before a Holy God.

We have to come to a point in our lives where we realise that can do nothing on our own; all power comes from God.

We can hold nothing back thinking that God can do so much and we can do the rest; we have nothing with which to come to God save his miraculous grace by which we are saved.

It is only when we come to that realisation that He will lift us up and see us through the sacrifice of Jesus; see us washed and clean; free of sin.


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Way way down deep!

Don’t you just love computer viruses??

A few weeks ago – the old laptop started to do strange and amazing things – like not shutting down – then shutting down 1/2 way through something!

Then it started dropping things off – like the web cam disappearing – the sound disappearing – strange messages appeared telling me that my anti virus was not installed – strange and mysterious are the ways of the computer!!

In desperation I called up my very favourite Daughter-In-Law (must say at this point that she is my ONLY Daughter-In-law, nevertheless) who I trust implicitly as a guru on all things techno!

She denies emphatically that she knows anything about computers but it amazes me (that for one, self-described novice, in all things tech) just how much knowledge her pretty little head can hold.

Anyway, she put me onto a tech minded Computer (and can I use the word) Geek. An amazing young man – quiet, determined, straight shooter, down to business sort of young fellow – who actually came to me without me having to go to him – extraordinary!!

He got straight down to the nitty gritty and YES!! – I had some sort of obscure virus that bi passed my security and anti malware programmes and embedded itself deep deep inside the driver of the Web Cam – making it give up the ghost entirely and taking out with it most of the other drivers as well.

That is about as much knowledge I needed to know and wasn’t at all surprised when he suggested that I needed to ‘wipe the slate clean’ and then re-load the hard drive!!

As I said earlier – don’t you just LOVE computers!!

Long story cut short – the Computer and I are friends again – I no longer threaten to hurl it down the steps onto the road and we have kissed and made up – even after hours of re-loading programmes.

All of that got me thinking long and hard about what actually is going on deep down inside our very souls – like the computer virus so easily stalked my little laptop and zeroed in for the kill so it is with sin.

Sin can get so embedded deep deep down in the very core of our personalities that it becomes so second nature to us that we accept it without question.

We can get used to and ever so comfortable with our sin-lives that we no longer have any consciousness of it there at all. That can be a HUGE problem!!

We can even get to like our sin – we like it so much that we can actually turn off the promptings of our Heavenly Father through His Holy Spirit and immune ourselves to not even thinking about whether it is there or not.

Yes, unlike the computer virus – our sin virus can slowly slowly take over our lives.

But, God will never give up on us – Believe me – He didn’t give up on me – and if He didn’t give up in me then He won’t give up on you.

He keeps wanting to get you back to Him – He wants you to have a full and lasting relationship with Him – How?

Well, the only way to having that sort of lasting relationship with God is to be prepared to hand everything over to Him – not just a little bit – but the whole lot.

So, maybe you are thinking I am just too bad – My sin/virus is embedded so so deep – not even a re-load of the hard drive will remove it – well, I have news for you.

No matter what you have done – no matter what sort of life you have led – Jesus loves you and wants you to come to Him.

Maybe you have wandered away from Him – He wants you back!

Maybe you been so hurt in the past that you have actually got so angry at God and you have vowed never to even think of Him again – guess what – He wants you back!

Maybe you have had a close friend or someone in the family that have been taken ill with a terminal disease or even died and you have blamed God and told Him so – Guess what – He wants you back.

No matter where you are on the “missing in action” list – God wants you back.

None of us are promised an easy ride in this life – We are going to suffer all sorts of stuff – from persecution, disease, grief, doubt, confusion, financial disasters, marital breakdowns – you name it – BUT God says – we are just passing though – this place is not our home – this place is just such a temporary dwelling – our real home is in eternity with Him.

I have heard people say that “there could never be a loving God in Heaven because Look at Bill – great man, gave all he had to the poor and yet God will send him to Hell”.

My answer – How do you know that? – we cannot judge a persons heart – we cannot put our puny minds in the mind of God – Yes – God has said that all sin must be paid for either by accepting what Jesus did on the cross at Calvary or at the throne of God! BUT…

We are not in the ‘judging’ business!! – That is up to a mighty, just and merciful God!

We desperately need to get our own homes in order while we are living here in the days of God’s Grace – while there is still time – we need to come to repentance and kneel at his cross where the burdens of past sins can be chucked into oblivion never to counted against us ever.

Are you one of those people, who think they are just too bad for God? Or are you angry at God for some reason? Or are your sins embedded so deep inside your personal computer ‘drive’ that you feel so comfortable with the whole set-up you just want to leave well enough alone?

God still wants YOU!! – He gave His son for YOU! – Don’t try to put your mind in the mind of God? You will never do it!

Your sin embedded too deep? – God can go deeper!

Too angry with God for perceived injustices? God’s love can overcome anything – even that – Come to Him today!!

Don’t delay – He wants you just the way you are – Angry, hurt, confused, doubting, full of deep sin – just the way you are.

He worked a miracle in my life – he can work one in yours as well.

Oh the Deep Deep Love of Jesus (S. Trevor Francis)

O the deep deep love of Jesus, vast unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!

Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love.
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!

How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!
‘Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!


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No Turning Back- Full Length Sermon

This is the sermon I preached on Sunday night! Hope you enjoy :)

-Austin


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The Real Warfare is Spiritual


Human beings live in an active spiritual war zone. All humans live on enemy held territory. How did this happen?

First, a quick word about “Dualism” so that you do not get confused. Dualism is the view that two equal but opposite intelligent, uncreated powers inhabit our universe and war against one another. In Dualism, one power is good and one equal power is bad. They have been opposed throughout eternity and neither has won. Here and there they have a loss and then a victory over the other. Some people choose the good power and some choose the evil. Though some untaught people believe that this is what Christianity believes, it does not. Dualism is completely foreign and contrary to biblical Christianity.

The biblical Christian knows that the two powers that war against one another are nowhere near equal. One is Creator. That would be God. The other is a created being. That would be satan or the devil (not the cultural devil of red union-suit, pitchfork. horns, and tail fame). Satan was created for a purpose which he chose to abandon. He is far below God in power, authority, and ability. He rebelled against God and drew other angelic powers after himself. They warred in heaven against God’s loyal powers.

The spirit-dimensional beings that fell in rebellion are now demons. Demonic powers are mainly disembodied, though they seek human habitation and animate some humans. Demonized humans are willingly and/or unknowingly used by these powers to wage war both on those who do not serve their cause and on those in fellowship with Christ.

Under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul wrote of these supernatural beings:

Ephesians 6:10–13 (ESV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

We realize that the jihadists are animated by demonic powers. So the real war is against spiritual forces. Only those who are equipped to wage war spiritually will be victorious. The majority of people are clueless. Most of them have allied with Satan. A few serve the true and only King.

This is a great article I came across written by David C Alves from —David’s Place. David writes about the fact that the real battle is not with flesh, but with Satan, not with good verses evil (being two entities) but rather just as the Bible lays it out for us. The good is God, Jesus Christ…the evil is simply a fallen angel, Satan. We have the power to battle the enemy, given us through Jesus!

To finish reading this article, please head over to
http://davidcalves.com/2013/03/02/the-real-warfare-is-spiritual/

While you are there, why not check out the rest of David’s Place and see what he has to offer.

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