A friend after reading my article about Sin offering said;
Hasn’t Jesus already died for our sins and hasn’t the Lord forgiven us
for all past present and future because of what Jesus has done? How
do we win his favor? I thought God loves everyone.
What I am now going to say about all of this is not going to make me
very popular with the main stream Christians but it IS the truth.
When Jesus came and established His church He said; Now I say to you
that you are Peter (which means 'rock'), and upon this rock I will
build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.
Matthew 16:18 (NLT)
It is at this time that Jesus told Peter that he will be the head of
His church, later He asked Peter; After breakfast Jesus asked Simon
Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these? "Yes,
Lord," Peter replied, "you know I love you." "Then feed my lambs,"
Jesus told him. John 21:15 (NTL) Jesus asked him this question three
times because he wanted Peter to understand the enormity of this
question and soon-to-be task.
Then a short time later the Holy Spirit was sent; Then, what looked
like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.
And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began
speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this
ability. ACTS 2:22-23 (NTL) And the Apostle ministry was established!
In this current time we live in there are many churches out there that
say “BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST AND YOU ARE SAVED” “HE FOREGIVES ALL OF
YOUR SINS WHEN YOU JUST ASK HIM” I’m sorry but it is not that easy and
I will pose this question; Where do all of these other churches and
ministers get their power and authority from? Jesus established ONE
WAY through the Apostles ministry and that has never changed.
Jesus replied, "I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God
without being born of water and the Spirit. Baptism does not make you
a child of God, it makes you His friend, Holy sealing is a separate
act from baptism, and they are not one in the same. Last time I check
Jesus was baptized. Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River
to be baptized by John. MATTHEW 3:13 (NTL) And after that He was
sealed; After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the
heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
dove and settling on him. MATTHEW 3:16 (NTL)
So if the Son of God had two separate acts performed on him then why
do others think it’s all inclusive?
If you are in prison you can “believe” you are free. But until
someone who has been given the power and authority to set you free
does so you will still remain bound.
Jesus gave the “keys” to the Chief Apostle Peter; And I will give you
the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will
be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in
heaven." MATTHEW 16:19 (NKJV)
Forgiveness of your sins takes much effort on our part. We are not
forgiven automatically because Jesus died for us. I can’t say I have
a four year degree in college never having gone to a college ever, but
say my Dad went to college! You can’t just say to Him in a blanket
statement; “FORGIVE ME LORD” and then you are done with it. You need
to ponder over what you have done wrong, why you did it, how you are
going to make an effort to stop doing it again and then spelling it
all out to Him. You also need to ask Him to forgive you for the
things you are not even aware that you did wrong and really repent and
then ask to truly be forgiven.
I have gone to many churches and when it comes time to celebrate Holy
Communion there is NO mention of the forgiveness of sin, (which by the
way are TWO separate acts that neither one negates the other) there is
NO pronouncement of forgiveness and many times I have witnessed NO
consecration of the bread and wine. So in fact your sins have never
been forgiven and you are not eating the body and blood of Christ.
If in fact you have asked the Lord to forgive you and you were sincere
in your pleading to Him then what has really happened to you at that
moment of prayer is the Lord lifted your sins from you and put them on
a shelf, you have “atoned” (to make amends or reparation, as for an
offense or a crime, or for an offender) for you sins and they are
still yours and they are NOT paid for by Christ. Only when a minster
who has been given the power and authority through the Apostle
ministry pronounces forgiveness are they really paid for by Christ!
And only when the elements are consecrated through the Apostle
ministry are they changed into the body and blood of Christ.
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6(NKJV). WHAT DOES
THIS MEAN?! He established ONE WAY through His Apostles. So why are
there so many churches out there that tell everyone you DON’T need
Apostles today? Well probably because they don’t have the power and
authority to do anything in Christ’s name! They can “believe” all
they want that they do but is does not make it so!
For many in this time this is a hard pill to swallow, I ask WHY?
Jesus was very specific about the way He taught. He kept everything
very simple and basic but within what he taught He also established
certain criteria and the WORLD/MAN has taken what He established and
they have changed it so EVERYONE CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES. They
have been lying for MILLENIUM to these people and in time the truth
will come out, it is coming out now, and many will find that they have
been “going through the motions” only to find that in the end none of
what they have been practicing will get them to the goal.
You cannot change the path and then not follow the directions given to
you expecting to end up at your final destination! Jesus left behind
specific direction. Anyone can change them, and anyone can say all
they want, the truth is in what Jesus Christ said not what man says!
This seems pretty simple to me. God wants all men to be saved (1
Timothy 2:3-4) but not all men WANT to be saved the way Christ
established, and this saddens me very much.
Jesus warned to be aware of false prophets; Beware of false prophets
who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.
You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act.
Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good
tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good
tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit.
So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and
thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its
fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. "Not everyone who
calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only
those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.
MATTHEW 7:15-21 (NTL)
Sometimes we think a false prophet is the one who stands on the corner
and preaches against God. But Jesus said “beware of harmless sheep”.
What does a false prophet do? They lead people away from the truth;
they give them a false sense of security. They take the truth and
twist it to fit their needs ALL IN THE NAME OF GOD. They take the
simple and they complicate it. Just because they stand behind a
pulpit and preach in a church does not mean they are true to Our
Father. Be careful…
So how do you find God’s favor? By following the way He established
through His Son!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Sin Offering
Recently this topic has come up across many of my friends so I thought
I would expound on it.
Maybe you are asking yourself when you would need to do something like
this. Well if you feel in your heart that you have crossed over that
“Line” with the Lord and have fallen out of His favor or grace and the
guilt of your actions is almost consuming you for what you have done
wrong in your life then this would be a good step towards finding His
favor once again.
A sin offering is unlike any other offering. It has nothing to do
with thanks or a petition or need. It goes beyond saying you are
sorry to the Lord. You can’t just say to Him here is my sin offering
and be done with it.
There is some preparation. A sin offering is something you present to
God from your heart. It is very quiet moment that you and He share
when your heart is ready. You can’t hurry through the process; you
must take your time.
You pick a dollar amount that you feel will cover this (the monetary
size of the offering doesn’t really matter) Then before you place it
into the offertory you pray to Him.
1)You admit your guilt.
2)You tell Him in DETAIL all you have done wrong, you hold nothing
back. You reach into the depth of your soul and you bear it all to
Him to the point that you are embarrassed that you are even telling
Him. (He already knows He just wants you to acknowledge all of this
to yourself).
3)You repent and apologize for your actions.
4)You ask Him for forgiveness.
5)You thank Him for His kindness.
6)Then you place your offering and let go of all of it.
7)He forgives you and remembers it no more.
I have done this many times within my own life and it is not easy to
do…but He has always been kind and gracious with me.
I would expound on it.
Maybe you are asking yourself when you would need to do something like
this. Well if you feel in your heart that you have crossed over that
“Line” with the Lord and have fallen out of His favor or grace and the
guilt of your actions is almost consuming you for what you have done
wrong in your life then this would be a good step towards finding His
favor once again.
A sin offering is unlike any other offering. It has nothing to do
with thanks or a petition or need. It goes beyond saying you are
sorry to the Lord. You can’t just say to Him here is my sin offering
and be done with it.
There is some preparation. A sin offering is something you present to
God from your heart. It is very quiet moment that you and He share
when your heart is ready. You can’t hurry through the process; you
must take your time.
You pick a dollar amount that you feel will cover this (the monetary
size of the offering doesn’t really matter) Then before you place it
into the offertory you pray to Him.
1)You admit your guilt.
2)You tell Him in DETAIL all you have done wrong, you hold nothing
back. You reach into the depth of your soul and you bear it all to
Him to the point that you are embarrassed that you are even telling
Him. (He already knows He just wants you to acknowledge all of this
to yourself).
3)You repent and apologize for your actions.
4)You ask Him for forgiveness.
5)You thank Him for His kindness.
6)Then you place your offering and let go of all of it.
7)He forgives you and remembers it no more.
I have done this many times within my own life and it is not easy to
do…but He has always been kind and gracious with me.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Spiritual Faith for Monetary Expectations
I have come to find that within my own faith I am very strong when it
comes to the spiritual aspects of my life. I never doubt the unseen,
which by many is not so easy now-a-days. I have on occasion doubted
the seen, which makes me a little backwards.
I have always had an easy time believing that God can change anything that has to do with spiritual faith; He can move a heart, open an eye or cause a situation to happen that would strengthen ones faith. But when it comes to the “monetary” side of my faith (job, car, relationships and financial needs) sometimes I have doubted.
Recently I have been looking for a new job; as a matter of fact I have been looking since November 2011. God told me to start looking at that time. He said apply to the craziest jobs you think you will never get. And in time I will lead you to where I want you to be and you will receive a salary greater than you expect. Last time I checked God has never lied! A friend told me that God made 7,000 promises in the bible and He kept them all!
Sooo, I started to look. I applied to 10-20 jobs a month and nothing. I kept looking, but this time, instead of getting discouraged I held to the belief that if God could create everything we see and experience with one sentence of “let there be…” I KNEW He could easily get me a job.
Month’s pasts, I kept applying and still nothing, not even an interview, then out of the blue a headhunter sent me an email about a position, the next day I interviewed and the same day they offered me the job. I prayed that morning as I drove to the interview and I said to My Father, Thank you for the new job! Then I said; did you see what I did there? I thanked You up front before anything happened because I know if it’s the right job I’ll get it!”
A friend recently asked me the question; “Why is it so hard for me to trust Him? I know He will always take care of things, He always has, but I still struggle! Why can’t I trust Him whole heartily?”
My response was; “We trust Him whole heartily when it is spiritual, but when it is something in the natural we forget He is still MAGICAL. He can do anything when we have faith! You are just being human!”
We read in scripture time and again when the Lord performed miracle after miracle in the physical world and it baffled the minds of those in that time. Have we forgotten how magical, how wonderful, HOW POWERFUL OUR FATHER IS?! Nothing is too hard for Him!
So often I hear of people complaining that HE HASN’T HELPED ME YET, and I cringe. If you ask our Father or Big Brother Jesus for help, YOU DO NOT have the right to dictate to them a timeframe and an answer! Does that make sense?! Who are we that we would think we know better than They?!
Did you see what happened to me recently with my job search? Every day I thank Him for helping me. The job He wanted me to have was not available for 5 months and as soon as it was HE HAD SOMEONE CONTACT ME that I never met or even knew. They saw my resume on a job board and He moved their heart to contact me. I never applied for that job. Have I told you how AMAZING Our Father is? Hmmm? Have I?!
So then a week passes and I still haven’t received their offer letter. I sent an email and they finally responded back with; we can’t hire you now until August and we can’t send you an offer letter until sometime in July. I have two choices; 1) I can get very angry or 2) I accept that everything is in His hands and He will make all of this work out. I chose #2, was I disappointed? YEP!!!
What is my point? When you ask Him for help then YOU have to let HIM help YOU when the time is right! He knows EVERYTHING about your life. He knows you only have so much money to survive on; He will not let you starve! He feeds the birds and you are no less important to Him then they are. He knows how much physical pain you are in and how much you can tolerate. He knows all of your weaknesses and He knows your STRENGTHS better than you.
Please always remember this. Nothing that ever happens to you is a coincidence. It has passed before Him and He has approved it, be it good or not so good! Everything in life is a test of your faith and trust in your love for Him. He wants to see if you will still be strong in your faith when adversity comes, or are going to cuss Him out and walk away. DON’T BE A FOOL! This life we have is but a temporary moment within time. It lasts for a short time but dictates our place and where we want to be for the rest of our Eternal Existence!
I have always had an easy time believing that God can change anything that has to do with spiritual faith; He can move a heart, open an eye or cause a situation to happen that would strengthen ones faith. But when it comes to the “monetary” side of my faith (job, car, relationships and financial needs) sometimes I have doubted.
Recently I have been looking for a new job; as a matter of fact I have been looking since November 2011. God told me to start looking at that time. He said apply to the craziest jobs you think you will never get. And in time I will lead you to where I want you to be and you will receive a salary greater than you expect. Last time I checked God has never lied! A friend told me that God made 7,000 promises in the bible and He kept them all!
Sooo, I started to look. I applied to 10-20 jobs a month and nothing. I kept looking, but this time, instead of getting discouraged I held to the belief that if God could create everything we see and experience with one sentence of “let there be…” I KNEW He could easily get me a job.
Month’s pasts, I kept applying and still nothing, not even an interview, then out of the blue a headhunter sent me an email about a position, the next day I interviewed and the same day they offered me the job. I prayed that morning as I drove to the interview and I said to My Father, Thank you for the new job! Then I said; did you see what I did there? I thanked You up front before anything happened because I know if it’s the right job I’ll get it!”
A friend recently asked me the question; “Why is it so hard for me to trust Him? I know He will always take care of things, He always has, but I still struggle! Why can’t I trust Him whole heartily?”
My response was; “We trust Him whole heartily when it is spiritual, but when it is something in the natural we forget He is still MAGICAL. He can do anything when we have faith! You are just being human!”
We read in scripture time and again when the Lord performed miracle after miracle in the physical world and it baffled the minds of those in that time. Have we forgotten how magical, how wonderful, HOW POWERFUL OUR FATHER IS?! Nothing is too hard for Him!
So often I hear of people complaining that HE HASN’T HELPED ME YET, and I cringe. If you ask our Father or Big Brother Jesus for help, YOU DO NOT have the right to dictate to them a timeframe and an answer! Does that make sense?! Who are we that we would think we know better than They?!
Did you see what happened to me recently with my job search? Every day I thank Him for helping me. The job He wanted me to have was not available for 5 months and as soon as it was HE HAD SOMEONE CONTACT ME that I never met or even knew. They saw my resume on a job board and He moved their heart to contact me. I never applied for that job. Have I told you how AMAZING Our Father is? Hmmm? Have I?!
So then a week passes and I still haven’t received their offer letter. I sent an email and they finally responded back with; we can’t hire you now until August and we can’t send you an offer letter until sometime in July. I have two choices; 1) I can get very angry or 2) I accept that everything is in His hands and He will make all of this work out. I chose #2, was I disappointed? YEP!!!
What is my point? When you ask Him for help then YOU have to let HIM help YOU when the time is right! He knows EVERYTHING about your life. He knows you only have so much money to survive on; He will not let you starve! He feeds the birds and you are no less important to Him then they are. He knows how much physical pain you are in and how much you can tolerate. He knows all of your weaknesses and He knows your STRENGTHS better than you.
Please always remember this. Nothing that ever happens to you is a coincidence. It has passed before Him and He has approved it, be it good or not so good! Everything in life is a test of your faith and trust in your love for Him. He wants to see if you will still be strong in your faith when adversity comes, or are going to cuss Him out and walk away. DON’T BE A FOOL! This life we have is but a temporary moment within time. It lasts for a short time but dictates our place and where we want to be for the rest of our Eternal Existence!
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