*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

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

What will we be like Lord?

Our bodies are His Temple but they are earthen vessels of clay, they can break or shake, even collapse! Paul called his frame “a body of death” due to its lust for sin, yet The Lord has decreed it Holy. Paul, like many believers longed for his new Spiritual body. The ever present warfare between the flesh and the Holy Spirit is one thing but pain and suffering through persecution and sin is another. Some teach that God never permits sickness in a believer’s life but the Apostle Paul refutes that in the Book of Corinthians, a Christian man in the Church was committing fornication with his Stepmother. Paul had the Church kick him out and Paul gave him into Satan’s hands to kill his body so his Soul would be saved. The man repented, God spared him and Paul had the Church bring him back to fellowship. Willful un- confessed sin can bring weakness sickness and death for the believer. Remember Jesus told a man he had healed to go and sin no more lest something worse happen to you. The man’s sin brought his physical condition upon himself. There are others that are afflicted by Satan, demon possession or a physical problem like the woman Jesus healed, he said it was Satan’s doing and not due to the woman’s sin.

As Paul wrote, we see as in a glass dimly but one day “Face to Face” and we will know as we are known by him. When Jesus comes for us we will see him as he is (The Logos, God the Word) and we shall be like him, the God man. All the fullness of God will shine through us, our minds will be like Christ’s, we, like him will know everything. This will be unlike our current condition where we at times may be filled with the Holy Spirit (Led by him) but many times we are not. This is because of the warfare between the Holy Spirit and our sin loving flesh (Romans 7) but when we receive our new bodies from God the presence and power of sin will be gone forever, replaced with the perfect bliss and peace of God. No more warfare our joy will never end, God our Father will sing over his Sons and Daughters, all being just like his Son Jesus. Even though eye has not seen this, we have the sure word of God that it is so as Jesus said; “In my Father’s house are many mansions” I am coming to receive you unto myself.

* For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. 1-Corinthians 11:29 NLT.

*That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. 1-Corinthians 11:30 NLT.

*But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. 1-corinthians 11:31 NLT.

*Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world. 1-corinthians 11:32 NLT.

*But afterward Jesus found him in the Temple and told him, “Now you are well; so stop sinning, or something even worse may happen to you.” John 5:14 NLT.

*

Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 1-John 3:2 NLT.

Author Ken

August 2013