Ken

Can Christians win souls?

Dec 102013

Can Christians win souls?

How often do we hear about the believer’s responsibility to witness to the world in order to win souls for The Lord? When we read in the Gospel Jesus saying to the disciples to preach the word and make disciples of all Nations what we see is the beginning of The Lord building his Church. When the Epistles of the Apostles were written we learn new things about what God’s will for the Church leaders and administration is. An example is that a Pastor must be the husband of one wife. Other changes were that unlike the disciples who spread the word turning the world upside down, the preaching and teaching was to be done exclusively by the called “Gifted” believers and not the congregation, however, every true believer in the congregation has a least one gift which is to be used for the edification of the Church. One of the gifts that God uses to win souls is the gift of Prophesy. The Apostle Paul wrote that if an unbeliever comes to a Church and there are believers with the gift of Prophesy and they tell the man the secrets of his life, he will believe in God. This is a direct act of the Holy Spirit for God’s knows everything and I believe that man was his elect who he drew to that Church to be saved by God.

It is obvious from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that not all are called to preach/teach or do the work of an Evangelist (Missionary outreach). His questions below require a negative answer.

All are not apostles, are they? All are not prophets, are they? All are not teachers, are they? All are not workers of miracles, are they? 1-Corinthians 12:29 NASB.

Believers are to earnestly seek the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and those who are zealous are to seek all for the Churches edification. God may have called some of you to be a preacher, teacher or an evangelist, he is working in our hearts to will and to do. So if you have a desire for those things, pray that God will open the doors to make it come to pass.

The average Christian who is without those specific gifts are not told in the Epistles to witness or preach the word. Many Churches teach this falsely, it was only told to Timothy to preach the word and be instant in season and out of season doing the work of an EVANGELIST because he WAS! The average Christian today is to be a “Living Bible” read of all men, NOT by preaching or witnessing for the Lord but by being zealous for the “Good Works” that God preordained that they should walk in. When they obey, their light (No words heard but the deeds seen) does shine and God is glorified through them. False teaching on this subject puts believers under bondage and can lead to becoming a fanatic, turning people off. The one who wins souls is our only wise God who saves the lost by his way. He calls us the Light of the world, our good works his way of drawing the unsaved elect. So let those who are gifted preach and teach the word, God will have the elect hear it at his chosen time. If anyone asks you about the hope that is in you, be prepared to share your own testimony about how the Lord saved you, which may be the time to give them the word of God through a tract or Bible. I challenge anyone who will read this blog to reveal in the Epistles of the Apostles where the average Christian is to witness or preach to the world, it’s not there but good works and your lifestyles are! So don’t be misled and turn people off, good works always get their attention, you stop to fix a flat for an old person and it gets printed in the paper. Be the best man/woman on the job or whatever you do because you are doing it for Jesus.
As my brother-in-law in the Lord Gary has said; “Not just words but deeds”, “Be you doers of the word, not just hearers, deceiving yourselves.

I remember years ago at my job, I had been going through many trials and I was feeling down but one afternoon a person who worked with the higher up’s came to me. He said; “I had to tell you that what you do does not go unnoticed, your light is shining and bringing Glory to God”. How my spirit was lifted up, despite all the persecution from many enemies, God used me to his honor and Glory.

Author Ken

December 2013

Do you also wrestle with God?

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Nov 292013

Do you also wrestle with God?

I do a lot, many do not know what it is to wrestle with God as Jacob did and prevailed! Please note, I do not recommend that new believers read this blog. They are to be first obedient to God’s word by studying the milk of the word to show themselves approved by God, when they become mature then they will have the spiritual teeth to eat the strong meat of the word, the “Deeper Things “of God.

Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” Genesis 32:28 NIV.

It is my opinion that the one who wrestled with Jacob was the Logos, God the Son *manifested to Jacob as a man, this I believe also took place in the Garden of Eden when the Lord fellowshipped with Adam and Eve at the end of the day. He manifested himself as a man because they were able to see and speak to him and hear him walking in the Garden, a Spirit could not be heard walking. This may sound strange but God manifested himself as three men (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) and told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a son in their old age.

Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!” Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. Genesis 18:10 NLT.

I encourage you to read Genesis chapter 18 from the beginning and you will discover that the three men are actually God himself, Abraham had food prepared for them and they ate! Is anything too hard for me the Lord says, by appearing as three men God hid his Glory as no man can look at God and live. Remember, our Lord Jesus after rising from the dead was also able to eat some fish and a honeycomb.

Jacob wrestling with God ended in a draw as the Glory in Jacob was equal to God. Today we also can wrestle with God in order for him to reveal his deep things but this comes through the believer’s obedience to God’s will.

God has made promises to his own, we read in his word; “Draw near to me and I will draw near to you” and; “He is a rewarder to those who diligently seek him” Many believers who become saved stay in the crib due to a lack of desire to study and grow, they love the praise and singing to the Lord, which is always good but neglect the growing through studying of the word.

Many come under the deception of Satan through false teachers/preachers who mislead them and stunt their growth in the Lord. This is done mostly by legalism (Law) through the commandments of men. Jesus had strong words of condemnation for such using the term “Woe” unto them who mislead the little ones (Baby Christians) who believe in me.

Did you know that every believer from the beginning to the end was chosen by God before he created the earth? Also God the Son was predestined to be their ransom for them alone as Jesus the Lamb of God. He did not die for the non-elect who will be cast into the Lake of Fire but for HIS people alone. At the Last Supper Jesus confirms this by saying; “All that the Father gives me WILL come to me, thine they WERE and you have given them to me”. No one can come to God on their own and ONLY God’s elect are drawn to Jesus by the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is true that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment but all the non-elect reject it, their “Dead to God spirits” do not have the ability to respond to God as the fall of man separated them from God forever. Neither do they want God because they love their more and because they are prisoners of Satan, bound to do his will only! Deep stuff indeed but true, Jesus came to seek and save the elect also who were bound and in Satan’s Kingdom. He Jesus is the strongman who plunders Satan’s Kingdom setting the prisoners free and translating them to his Kingdom of Heaven. This all is by God and he receives all the Glory for it is by his doing we the believers are “In Christ”, no one can boast that they had a part in it which would be by “Works” What the elect lacked God through the Holy Spirit provided, he was found by those who did not seek him and he gave them what they did not have. It is written that No one seeks after God and no one understands! The elect are sought after and drawn to Jesus by the Holy Spirit who regenerated them. In regeneration the Holy Spirit grants the “Godly Repentance” that God requires along with the Gift of faith that enables the person to believe and then they become a New Creation, their spirits once again alive to God and his fellowship, they are joined in their spirits as one with God, they become Bone of His flesh, the Glory of God that was in the Temple now resides in them, their bodies a Temple not made with hands. Believers doesn’t this cause you to rejoice and praise God, he chose you drew you to Jesus, gave you what you were incapable of doing, the ability to believe, the love of God you didn’t have! By HIS doing you are in Christ, as written, you were granted to believe in him.

To those who read, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ I encourage you seek the **deeper things of God, when you pray fully seek that the Holy Spirit will give you the desires of your heart. He will enlighten you and you will praise and glorify Jesus who is worthy to be praised.

To those who doubt or have never believed in Jesus, you may be his elect and being drawn to him by the Holy Spirit, as his word says; “If you hear his voice, do not harden your heart” His promise is that all who come to him will be accepted and not cast out. Taste and see that the Lord is good!

The moment you believe in Jesus you will know you ARE his elect and he brought you to this place for faith comes by hearing.

So faith comes from hearing that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. Romans 10:17 NLT.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 NLT.

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21 KJB.

*These manifestations are called “Theophanies” translated from the word Theophany; please check out the link below for a more detailed explanation regarding this subject.

http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/theophany.html

**But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets 1-Corinthians 2:10 NLT.

For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, Philippians 1:29 NASB.

Author Ken

November 2013

Why no fish in Noah’s Ark?

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Nov 112013

Why no fish in Noah’s Ark?

As I read again the Bible’s account of Noah and the great worldwide flood I suddenly realized that there were no creatures from the sea in the Ark. It appears that they did not suffer the same fate as did all fowl, cattle, beasts, creeping things and man.

This great Judgment came upon the earth because of man’s sinning, it became so bad that it grieved God’s heart and he decided to destroy all men and every living thing on the face of the earth.

The LORD observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth, and he saw that everything they thought or imagined was consistently and totally evil. Genesis 6:5 NLT.

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, like Enoch he walked with God. Noah entered the Ark with his wife, sons and their wives and God shut the door.

God’s word proves that the only death that came upon all men and the creatures was in the “Dry” land.

Every living thing that moved on land perished–birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind. Genesis 7:21 NIV.

Everything that breathed and lived on dry land died. Genesis 7: 22 NLT.

It is my opinion that God spared the living creatures in the seas. It would seem that they were not under man’s influence as were the creatures that dwelt on the earth; those were totally cleansed as we know God did in the Old Testament.

It is also my opinion that many of Dinosaurs perished in the flood, they are found in diggings on high places along with all kinds of animals in their panic to escape the rising waters. I also believe that when the Lord sent the great wind to recede the waters and he parted them and froze them at both poles. It is said that if they were to thaw, the water would cover everything on the earth.

Don’t worry, the Lord promised he would never again flood the earth again and gave us the Rainbow as a sign.

Noah’s Ark represents Jesus Christ our Lord who delivers us from our sins, being “In Christ” is being in God’s Ark, high above the troubled waters on this earth.

Author Ken

November 2013

Ken

A poem for Dad

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Sep 142013

A poem for Dad

Mankind, the human race, the earth floating in space.

The *Sun God’s shining face, my soul saved by his grace.

Love is the attribute of God, shown through Jesus his son,

and on this earth he did trod.

To his arms I did flee, he opened my eyes and now I do see.

What a beautiful creation, when the Angels saw it they sang with

elation.

What beauty, what wonder I marvel at his bolts of lightning with

it’s awesome thunder.

The rainbow is a sight to behold; the meaning behind it is a story

to be told from the days of old.

He covers the night sky with a blanket of stars the full moon is a delight.

Truly the Heavens declare your glory you are the best Dad this man ever had.

*The Sun reminds me of God, it lights the earth which brings the crops, yet

like God, it cannot be gazed at with our human bodies.

God is our true Father for the whole creation came from him, he is the World’s

Greatest Dad and I am blessed to be able to call him my Father through faith in

Jesus.

Author Ken

September 2013

Do you believe in a Pre-Tribulation, Post-Tribulation or none of the above?

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Sep 092013

Do you believe in a Pre-tribulation, Post-tribulation or none of the above?

What is The Great Tribulation and what is its purpose?

According to the word of God, the Bible, (1) The Great Tribulation is a coming

seven year period when God’s wrath is poured out upon the whole earth, its

effects will only be upon those without faith in Jesus.

Believers will be spared as they were in Egypt where there were no plagues in the land of Goshen where the Jews lived. The blood sprinkled on the door posts symbolized the coming sacrifice Jesus would provide at the cross with the shedding of his own blood. For without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22).

After the Fall of Adam and Eve mankind inherited a “sin” nature a separation from God, their (2) spirits became unable and unwilling to seek God’s fellowship, the heart (spirit) became desperately wicked. “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? Jeremiah 17:9 NLT. Today is a repeat of those days as Jesus said it would be with men being “Lovers of selves” and good being called evil and evil called good.

They began to worship the Creation rather than the Creator, God let them go their own way until the human race only did evil and thought evil continually, this brought God’s first judgment in the form of a worldwide flood. Only Noah, his wife and family along with the animals were spared by God’s grace. When you see a Rainbow it is God’s sign and promise that he will never again flood the earth! So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies Romans 1:24 NLT. Do we not see these things taking place in our day?

(3)Mankind once again through their evil nature and their leader Satan have done much evil. Jesus said they would be like the people of Noah’s day oblivious to God’s anger and hatred of their sinning and his great wrath to be revealed in The Great Tribulation.

Will the Church go through The Great Tribulation and what is the Rapture?

(4)(4A)The Church will not go through The Great Tribulation for they are not appointed to wrath but salvation through Christ.(5) The purpose of this tribulation is to punish the unbelieving wicked for their sins for God is angry with them continually.

Did you know that two of God’s people were raptured in the Old Testament?

They were Enoch and Elijah, Enoch was translated directly to Heaven, Elijah

was taken to Heaven in a Fiery Chariot both never experienced death.

Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. Genesis 5:24 NASB.

As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven. 2-Kings 2:11 NLT. The name Elijah means “My God is Yahweh” both these men pleased God in their devotion to him. This is the case with the Church the Body of Christ, Jesus tells them the Father loves you because you love me. Every Christian is an exact duplicate of Jesus and thus they will be spared from God’s wrath. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is ( 1-John 3:2 NASB).

Those with faith in Jesus are not sinners in God’s sight, the Father (6) punished Jesus instead for their sins.

The Rapture of the Church is shown in Revelation 4:1 when John is shown a door open in Heaven and told to “Come up here”. After this the Church is no longer mentioned in the whole Book of the Revelation, this is because they are in Heaven.

The Rapture of the Church was explained by the Apostle Paul in the Book of 2-Thessalonians; Paul writes that the Holy Spirit who is restraining all the sin that man is capable of doing. When he is taken away all Hell breaks loose, being every Christian is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, when he goes we go to, that’s the Rapture of the Church before The Great Tribulation. During The Great Tribulation there will be Tribulation Saints in place of the Church, these are those saved by the Jewish Evangelists from a converted state of Israel, they will preach the Gospel of Christ to the whole world. Many of those who come to Christ through the preaching of the Evangelists will be martyred, beheaded for their faith in Jesus. In the Book of Revelation they are the souls crying out to God to avenge and punish those who dwell on the earth for their deaths. They are told to rest for a while, God’s punishment was coming, and The Great Tribulation was drawing near. Jesus spoke of it in Matthew 24:22 and said that unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones. This indeed is The Great Tribulation but the Lord limits it to seven years for the sake of his chosen ones.

It will be God’s Angels who will pour out God’s punishment on the earth during The Great Tribulation. (Revelation 8 & 9).

I cannot understand those who believe the Church will go through The Great Tribulation, what would the purpose be? For over 2000 years the Church has suffered persecution, torture and death for their testimony of Jesus, they are his Bride, his Mystical Body and he is coming for them “In the clouds” unseen by those on the earth. They will be “Caught up” to be with the Lord. They will escape from The Great Tribulation. As I have previously written, this moment was pictured in the Book of Revelation as an open door in Heaven with a voice like the sound of a trumpet saying; “Come up here”(Revelation 4:1). It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 1-Corinthians 15:52 NLT.

If anyone believes in a Post-Tribulation please show me any evidence of the Church existing during The Great Tribulation, after Revelation 4:1 they are never mentioned again.

They were caught up to heaven and will return with Christ to deliver Israel from all their enemies. They and all the Saints, Old Testament, the Tribulation Saints will live and Reign with Christ during his 1000 year Kingdom on the earth. To God be the Power and Glory forever, Amen.

(1) For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? Revelation 6:17 KJV.

(2) But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:17 NASB. Note this death had two parts, the first was a spiritual Death, their spirit was alive but lost the ability to fellowship or communicate with God, in this sense it was dead. The second was a literal physical death of the body, without sin they would have never seen death.

(3″And just as it happened in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: Luke 17:26 NASB.

(4 & 4A) “Because you have obeyed my command to persevere, I will protect you from the great time of testing that will come upon the whole world to test those who belong to this world. Revelation 3:10 NLT. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1-Thessalonians 5:9 NASB.

(5) God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. Psalm 7:11 KJV.

(6) Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Romans 4:8 KJV.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life John 5: 24 NLT.

Author Ken

September 2013

Things promised to the meek

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Sep 042013

Things promised to the meek

Those who seek your face Lord are closer to you than many of the human race,

the things they do are a disgrace.

Your Son and thy word they hate, not knowing that this has sealed their fate!

With you Lord I desire to talk, just a closer walk, when I am weak, it is only you

I seek.

Consider Jesus who is meek and mild blessed are all those he knows to be his child.

His sheep are they, those who follow the way, children of the day and light, overcomers through his Spirit, filled with his might.

They are the salt that brings flavor to the world of woe, through their good works

Jesus they do show.

Many promises to them you made, eternal life, love hope and joy, all our needs met, deliverance from the grave.

*Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 NIV.

*Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:29 KJB.

Author Ken

September 2013

To him that has!

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Sep 032013

To him who has!

Have you ever wondered what the following scripture means?

“I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. Luke 19:26 NASB.

Remember when the disciples told Jesus of the need for food for the 5000 men and he replied; “You give them something to eat”. They replied that they only had five loafs of bread and two fishes, they had thought about going into a village to buy food.

But He said to them, “You give them something to eat!” And they said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we go and buy food for all these people.” Luke 9:13 NASB.

Now let’s look at the deeper spiritual meaning of these verses. It was God’s will that the believers would do his preordained works through various ministries and the Good Works that every Christian is zealous for as his peculiar people. The one who has is the believer who is indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit, to them more will be given (New Bodies, eternal life with the Lord) but the one who has not, the unsaved wicked everything he has in this world will be taken away.

Going into a village to buy food would have been the work of man but the Miracle came through God who blessed them because they did have as God’s Elect, therefore more was given.

They had five loafs and two fishes but God gave them more, enough to feed the 5000 with more to spare. They indeed gave the people something to eat but this physical food represented the spiritual food that believers would provide as God directs and blesses. They will bring THE BREAD from Heaven, Jesus to the multitudes for they are the light and salt of the earth!

If you have the Son of God you have life, those who don’t do not have life but the wrath of God is upon them. John 3:36 NASB.

Author Ken

September 2013

Did you judge what you heard?

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Sep 022013

*Did you know that God tells Christians to judge? Today many Christians sit in Churches or watch ministries on TV and are swayed by the messages they hear, the speakers claim that what they preach or teach is from the word of God, the Bible. Is that true of most ministries? I would like to give my own testimony about this according to my own personal experiences in different Churches. I was raised in the Catholic religion, had my Communion and Conformation, and attended Church with my Mom. Many years later I was Born Again at a home Bible Study and attended the Church that held the Bible Study. I was convinced that this Church and the people were straight from God and I embraced their Doctrine even though at that time I did not fully understand everything they believed but I knew I was saved and I loved Jesus and could not get enough of his word. My bubble was burst when someone in that Church told me that it was possible to lose your salvation that was a shock to my system but I asked the Lord to show me the truth by his word and I would hold fast to that my whole life. He showed me over and above that I had eternal life. I found myself examining what this Church believed; soon I became shunned as I refused to follow their Doctrines. I found myself discouraged and down in the dumps as the people I loved in the Church did not fellowship with me, but some did. The Lord did not leave me discouraged but sent “Mature” true Born Again brothers to me in that Church, one brother John taught me the deeper things of God and I was forever changed. John opened my eyes to the Tares in the Church along with their legalism and laws through the commandments of men, as our Lord Jesus said; “Many will come in my name and deceive many”.

Now I want to go back to the judgment by Christians, consider the following scriptures;

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2-Timothy 2:15 NASB.

But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 1-Thessalonians 5:21 NASB. (The word

Examine is to judge, God tells us to judge anyone who preaches or teaches his word to prove if it is correct or in error.

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. Acts 17:11 NLT. (For this same reason Christians are to carefully examine (Judge) when they hear God’s word preached or taught. In that way you will not be deceived or led astray)

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. 1-John 4:1 NLT.

“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves” Matthew 7:15 NLT.

Pray that the Lord will place you where he wants you as his Secret Agent where you can be used to speak the truth in love and expose error. Through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 2-Corinthians 6:8 ESV.

Hold fast to what is good and uplifting but make sure everything they say is true and the Doctrine of Christ. Find out what they believe, then listen to what they say but don’t do what they do! I will give an example, I heard a Sermon two Sundays ago, the Pastor said he rejected legalism and the law and believed only Bible truth. Really I thought, as I know they are a Tithing Church (Law), talk about hypocrisy. Always ask for a Churches “Statement of Faith”, if they don’t have one or they dodge direct questions, be careful how you listen there.

God’s word tells us to contend for the Faith and expose error and falsehood. Most of the Arminian Doctrine Churches don’t believe in Eternal Security, they also teach falsely that when one is Born Again they do not have the Holy Spirit and must seek for a second act of God they call “The Baptism in the Holy Spirit”, this is not to be confused with being Baptized in water. You receive the Holy Spirit the moment you believe, he is the one that gives you faith, and he joins to your spirit to become one Spirit with you, the New Creation. In the Book of Acts the Holy Spirit was delayed in coming upon some in order to prove to the believing Jews that God was saving them as well as the Jews, the speaking in tongues by the Gentiles as the Disciples did on Pentecost convinced the Jews. Thereafter, every new believer would receive the Holy Spirit the moment they believed, without the speaking in tongues.

*We are to judge by what we hear or see, we are not to judge by rumors or gossip and can never judge people’s motives, only God can do that.

Author Ken

September 2013

A donkey was I

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Aug 302013

A donkey was I

Tied to a post, no hope, just pie in the sky.

I belonged to another master, not you Lord and only his will could I do.

My offspring was bound with me, beasts of burden but not for thee.

Did you know that this donkey represents every Born Again believer

who has been freed from Satan’s Kingdom, the great deceiver?

Bound in sin and trespasses were we, no love Lord for thee, your enemies we were born to be.

Then one glorious day the Prince of Peace came my way, beautiful words he did say that day.

*Loose him and bring him to me, now I only serve him for the world to see.

Once a prisoner now free but there was a great cost he bore it all on the cross,

the just dying for the unjust-me.

*Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

I love to look beyond the “Letter” of the word to see the hidden “Deep” things of God revealed by the Holy Spirit. As the word says, “The letter kills, the Spirit gives life”. Great truths are revealed in this actual account of Jesus sending his Servants to bring this donkey and its colt to him and they serve him.

These scriptures reveal the Salvation of every believer; they are bound by Satan and can only do his will.

They are “Loosed” by the Holy Spirit and Satan is powerless to stop this. The colt represents the believers family that will also be saved, there may be contention as Jesus said there would be, saying he would bring a sword into the home of a new believer. But that home is sanctified by the Holy Spirit who will draw them to Jesus-in his time. The believer is encouraged to keep their eyes on Jesus through obedience. My Mom won my Stepfather to the Lord without a word through her obedience love and good works. Believers never hit those family members over the head with the Bible or preach to them, let the Holy Spirit do HIS will.

In the word we read over and over of God saving entire families even the servants as shown in the Book of Acts. He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and your entire household.’ Acts 11:13-14 NASB.

It will be your righteous behavior and good works that will glorify God through you! A light is seen but makes no noise!

** So Pilate released Barabbas to them. He ordered Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip, and then turned him over to the Roman soldiers to be crucified. Matthew 27:26 NLT. (This is another example of the deep things of the word by the Holy Spirit, every believer is a type of Barabbas, we were enemies of God and deserved to die but we were “Loosed” and Jesus paid the penalty in our place. He fulfilled God’s promise that Jesus would die for HIS people to save them from their sins).

***”The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.” Psalm102:19-20 NIV.

****In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, 1-Peter 3:1 NASB.

The next time you read of the Lord Jesus riding to Jerusalem upon a donkey and its colt remember that he saved you and your families who now serve him lifting him up on their backs, carrying their King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Author Ken

August 2013

The work of God

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Aug 292013

The work of God

This is another blog that I only recommend for those believers who have grown through the “Milk” of the word and have moved to seeking the deeper things of God. It was Paul the Apostle who wrote deep things concerning salvation, Peter commented about Paul’s writings in 2-Peter 3:16 As also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Did you know that Salvation is by a work? But it is not a human work as we read; “Not of works lest any man boast” Ephesians 2:8 & 9. I like the next verse which proves that Salvation is God’s work ALONE! Verse 10; “For we are HIS workmanship created in Christ Jesus (Through Faith, a gift of the Holy Spirit so you can believe) for good works which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” They had asked Jesus about doing God’s *work and he replied in John 6:29 telling them that God is working in human hearts by his Holy Spirit to draw them to Jesus. This wonderful work of God is mysterious and supernatural, not seen by human eyes but seen in the Elect by their changed lives and proved by their good works. Ephesians 2:1&2 shows your condition before God’s regeneration, dead in sins and trespasses, bound to Satan to do his will. Paul says in the following verses that he too and the rest of the believers walked the same way, being BY NATURE children of wrath but the difference with them and all the Elect is that God loved us, even when we were his enemies!

In summary, we through the word understand that God seeing man’s wicked sin filled heart (spirit dead to God) decided he would save **many by his own doing, this he planned before he made the world, thus Jesus is the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world. He Elected/Predestined a people for himself who Jesus dies for as it is written; “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21 NASB. The Father gave this number to Jesus, the Lord acknowledged this in John 17:6, the Father through his Holy Spirit draws all the Elect to Jesus (He also ***convicts the wicked but they reject God as their wicked heart dictates). During this work, the Holy Spirit opens the eyes and ears of the Elect, convicts them of their sin, grants them “Godly” repentance, gives the gift of faith and they believe! At this time they receive the Holy Spirit who joins with their spirit and they become a “New Creation”, joined to Christ, one spirit with him. God did it all and deserves all our praise and glory as it all is his work alone. He even predestined our good works which really are his own that he willed that we walk in them. Only his works done through us by his Spirit will survive the Judgment of our works when He returns, things we do in the flesh will be burned up as he has said; “The flesh profits nothing, the Spirit gives life”. This is the way every Christian should strive towards maturity in the faith, then they will always seek to do God’s will and not their own, then they will shine like Jesus who did God’s will and not his own.

*Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.” John 6:29 NASB.

**And He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Mark 14:24 NASB.

***And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. John 16:8 NLT. The non-Elect are not regenerated by the Holy Spirit therefore they cannot repent or believe, their dead spirits are prisoners of Satan. They love their sin and hate God and his people, the believers. Jesus only died for the Elect, the MANY not all, if he did die for all, all would be saved. His will was only to save the Elect and only those he regenerates by the power of the Holy Spirit making them a New Creation. Although the non-elect are not chosen they are responsible before God for their sins. As we wonder about how God makes his choice we are given some insight through his word. The word says; who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands Job 34:19, even though not many rich or wise are chosen, some are! It seems the poor are favored more by our compassionate God who saves them through his mercy and grace. I personally believe every baby that dies goes to be with the Lord, I think there is an age of accountability where the understanding of sin and accountability to God is known. It could be 12 years of age as Jesus went to the Temple at that age; I believe God shows us that for a reason.

Because the non-elect are not chosen, they are” fitted” to destruction as Paul wrote. I highly recommend a book by Arthur Pink called the Sovereignty of God, in his book he goes into depth about the subject regarding the destruction of the wicked. He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Matthew 15:13

I remember a person in Church who was afraid that they were not chosen by God, I told them they were, only a believer would be concerned about that, the wicked couldn’t care less!

Author Ken

August 2013

www.gracefaithgift.com

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