Power and Authority

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!