Worthy is the Lamb: 02/10/18

Saturday, February 10, 2018

DO YOU HAVE TO ATTEND CHURCH TO BE A "REAL" CHRISTIAN?

The Bible tells us clearly not to forsake gathering together. Is the word "church" mentioned? No but most assume that this is what it's referring to but is it? Jesus Christ says "Wherever 2 or more or gathered in My Name I Am in the midst of them." No mention of a physical church there. Did the Apostles gather together on the Sabbath to worship? No. They gathered together on the 1st day of the week to get ready for that week's work in spreading the Gospel. Why did they preach in synagogues on the Sabbath? Was that their "worship" day? No, not at all. They preached in the synagogues on the traditional Sabbath because that's where the people were gathered. It wouldn't have done them much good to show up on Wednesday to the synagogue in order to lead the Jews to believe that Jesus IS the Messiah, now would it?

Church is often misunderstood. You've heard it said that church is for the saint and the sinner but that's not what the Bible says. We are to assemble to equip, train, be prepared and corrected, if necessary, because word of mouth was the only way to share and there was lots of work to be done in the early church and I say even more so today. We are instructed to go OUT into the outtermost parts of the earth to share the Gospel as the world (unbelievers) aren't coming to us. Any money given was to go to the saints as they had need and then shared with the needy, not to buy buildings, sound systems, cars and planes. Have we left our first love? It feels like it to me. We are becoming religious but not holy. We work but without righteousness. We've let way too many wolves into our churches and our homes.

I see Jesus Christ in the face of a young mother who didn't have enough money to buy milk for her child but yet the Holy Spirit laid it on someone's heart (who may have had even less) to give her that money. I feel God's presence when I hear someone sing "Amazing Grace" with a graveled voice but with more feeling that if it was a choir. I feel Him in the touch of young man who helps an elderly person stand up or gives them their seat on a bus.

I see Christ Jesus in the tears of the saints whenever a brother or sister is hurting. I feel His love in my husband's words, in the kindness of strangers and the unconditional love and acceptance of my two dogs. I see God's handiwork in every thing He made. I see Him when He showed me 3 crosses in the sky just because I asked. I feel the Holy Spirit when I know that what I am about to do is right or wrong. For those He loves, He corrects and chastens. It's always followed by a huge, mind blowing blessing.

Stop playing Church and start being Christ-like. When we do that, the Church, the Body of Christ, will fall into perfect place. I want my physical church back too!

GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND MUCH LOVE (AND LOVE MUCH)

IN CHRIST JESUS!

(JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION AND A BIT FRUSTRATED THAT EVERY CHURCH I'VE FOUND IN MY AREA IS SO FULL OF ERROR THAT IT'S DANGEROUS FOR ME TO ATTEND. PRAY FOR ME, PLEASE!

BREAKING NEWS FROM ISRAEL - NO DEATHS BUT PLEASE, PLEASE PRAY!

I'm not 100% sure what's going on but wanted to pass this along. Please pray for Israel. God bless you all!

"BEHOLD ISRAEL"

Messianic Jewish Site Sharing the Gospel of

Yeshua ah Messiach!

CLICK HERE FOR "BEHOLD ISRAEL"

A Messianic Jewish Site Spreading the Gospel of Yeshua Ah Messiach!

THE FORMULA FOR SEEKING GOD BY GRACE AMBASSADORS

By Justin Johnson

Everyone has emotions. Even people who appear emotionless have emotions. Emotions are what we feel. They are generated by our bodily senses interacting with everyday circumstances.

It is easy to manipulate our emotions based on our circumstances. Entertainers know how to do this with lighting, music, and smells. This is why our feelings cannot be trusted. They are circumstantial.

Unfortunately, it is easy to confuse our emotions with spirituality. The outcome is a pseudo-experience that is generated through soft music, dim lighting, and sweet words.

This is not experiencing God. This is emotional manipulation of the same sort that the world experiences in music concerts or in the movies.

This has become so common in churches that the goal of gathering together is to “feel the Spirit move” and “feel the power of God”.

The counterpart to emotion is doctrine: what we know. We may feel a certain way, but if we know something else then our experience can change.

This is how truth works. We feel one way; truth tells us something else. If we believe the truth, our life experience is changed.

Paul describes this in Romans 5:2-4. Naturally tribulation is a bad thing that produces bad experiences.

But when the doctrine of Romans 5:1 and 2 are applied to the bad circumstance then we gain a beneficial experience that we can glory in.

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:” – Romans 5:3-4

Our emotion changes from distress to hope!

Sound doctrine from the Bible rightly divided is vitally important for you to experience the life-changing work of God in your life. Without it, we are simply following our circumstances, slaves to our emotions and our flesh.

Churches are filled with people with little to no doctrinal understanding. It is even worse when they have a wrong doctrinal understanding. As a result, the only way to generate the joy, hope, and love that the Bible talks about is with better musicians, more intimate lyrics, and more visual effects.

There is a better way.

The formula for experiencing God is as simple as applying sound doctrine to the circumstances of our lives. When this happens we will experience God and generate emotions that are subject to our mind in Christ.

For you mathematical wizards here is a formula:

Doctrine + Circumstance = Experience + Emotion

Do your homework! (2 Tim 2:15)

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Article IndexPublished: May 23, 2009
Last Modified: June 11, 2016

SILLY THINGS PASTORS SAY - BY GRACE AMBASSADORS

SERMON BY GRACE AMBASSADORS, HOW TO RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD OF GOD!

SHABBOT SHALOM!

DID CORNELIUS LEARN THE MYSTERY? BY GRACE AMBASSADORS?

By Justin Johnson

A common mistake is to make Cornelius the pattern for the mystery of Christ since he was a Gentile. Yet, Cornelius was neither a result of Paul’s ministry nor the mystery message of Christ.

The Lord revealed the mystery of Christ first to Paul (1 Tim 1:16). Paul was saved in Acts 9. The story of Cornelius is in Acts 10, but Peter is the minister not Paul.

Peter goes to him after a vision from the Lord and ministers to him the gospel of the kingdom. Peter did not teach the mystery of Christ. Cornelius and his house became a sign to Israel that the Spirit was receiving repentant Gentiles into Peter’s remnant group.

Cornelius’ Obedience

Cornelius was not a pagan Gentile. He was one who walked in obedience to the God of Israel:

“A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.” – Acts 10:2

It was because of his obedience and faithfulness to God’s instructions that he received the vision.

“Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.” – Acts 10:4

Cornelius would know that Israel was God’s people and were the chosen mediation between God and Gentiles. When Peter reluctantly arrived at this Gentile’s house, Cornelius quickly honored him knowing that he was a Jew. This was in accordance with Genesis 12:3.

“And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him.” – Acts 10:25

Today, prayers and alms are not prequisites of Gentiles who are freely offered salvation through the direct mediation of Christ. What was hidden in time past was revealed in the mystery of Christ. Cornelius did not understand the mystery.

Peter’s Law Message

Peter did not teach the mystery of Christ to Cornelius. In Acts 10 Peter is still observing the law of commandments that Jesus bid him observe in Mat 23:1.

“Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation;” – Acts 10:28

The mystery of Christ teaches we are no longer under the law. Peter did not have a clue. He was told that he should not call any man unclean. A Gentile’s faith and righteous works were acceptable to God.

God does not respect persons as was explained by the law and the prophets (Deut 16:19, Prov 28:21).

God told Peter that Gentiles who worked righteousness could be accepted into the believing kingdom group.

“But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” – Acts 10:35

Peter’s Pentecostal Message

So far we have seen Peter confirm a positional separation between Jew and Gentile, though neither should be respected in judgment of their good works.

Peter continues to explain the message which Jesus ministered to Israel:

“The word which God sent unto the children of Israel… which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;” – Acts 10:36-37

Clearly, Peter is teaching the same kingdom gospel that was taught by John, Jesus, and at Pentecost: repent and be baptized for the remission of sins, the kingdom is at hand.

Of course, he includes his unique Pentecostal addition to the kingdom gospel which was that Jesus was resurrected proving his position as the prophesied Messiah and the Judge. It is by the name of Jesus that their sins could be remitted by repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38, Acts 4:12).

It was at this time that the Spirit fell on these devout Gentiles who believed on the name of Jesus of Nazareth, sent unto Israel, slain by the Jews, and witnessed by Peter.

Nowhere do we find a hint of the mystery of Christ.

The Mystery still a Mystery

The only thing resembling the mystery ministry was that Cornelius was a Gentile, but Gentile believers were not a new or secret thing (Mat 15:28, Luke 7:3-8).

The mystery of Christ is not the blessing of Gentiles. It was long prophesied that the Gentiles would be blessed through Israel. It is the uniting of Jew and Gentile into one new thing (Eph 2:15). It is Christ in the Gentiles (Col 1:27); the blindness of Israel (Rom 11:25); the heavenly destiny (Phil 3:20); and the new means of glory in the cross (Gal 6:14), not the nation Israel.

The lesson taught to Peter by the Spirit in Acts 10 equipped him to later give the right hand of fellowship to Paul (Gal 2:9). Yet, Peter did not teach nor did Cornelius receive the mystery information about Christ. That the Gentiles possessed more faith than Israel was always a sign of Israel’s shameful rejection of God (Luke 7:9) . The book of Acts is about Israel’s rejection of God

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Article IndexPublished: February 9, 2011
Last Modified: October 22, 2016

WHY THE "OLD MAN" HATES TO READ THE BIBLE: BY GRACE AMBASSADORS

By Justin Johnson

The most praised book that is read the least must be the Bible. People buy multiple copies and don’t even read it!

Every year a multitude of new books are published about the Bible which people are eager to buy.

Only a few of these are any good, but a lot of them are read because it is easier to read books about the Bible than the Bible itself.

Our old man hates reading the word of God, but loves to boast in man’s wisdom. Books about the Bible can be a trap to the flesh to ignore the Bible. Our carnal old man will vainly glorify the Bible as a book, but will neglect actually using it. Beware.

Romans 7:18 says that in our flesh is no good thing, and I believe it.

The Bible is not a product of the flesh, and it does not satisfy the flesh to use it. Our old man opposes the study of God’s words, choosing rather to read books written by great men instead of the one book written by the Almighty God and our Lord.

The old man needs to be reckoned dead, crucified with Christ. Our old man wants nothing to do with the book that preaches its own death. Inevitably, the old man robs people from studying the Bible and blinds them from seeing the truth about life in Christ.

“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 6:11

When we see that in our flesh is no good thing, then we know that the same is true of every man and their books.

That the Bible is praised but not read is a sign that the old man is alive and well. Our old man will resist the words of the Bible when given the opportunity to trust in men’s words.

The Snare of Books

It may be said, “But there are helpful things in books written by men.”
Indeed, it is true that books serve a good purpose.

Reading good books can be helpful and profitable for a time, but never as a substitute for the one book that came from the mouth of God designed for your knowledge of the truth. Whereas many books are useful for reading only once, the Bible is only useful if read continually.

The snare of reading great works of men is the lie that there is some good in human wisdom. The snare of our vain flesh is to think that God’s words are no different than any man’s words. The Bible says the opposite: true wisdom is God’s wisdom; man’s wisdom is nothing. God’s wisdom is found only in the Bible.

“…the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” 1 Cor 1:25

All the treasures of wisdom are hid in Christ.

“In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.” – Col 2:3-4

The old man wants to declare that there is wisdom that it can produce. The Bible tells it to shut up and play dead (Rom 3:19).

“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” – 1 Cor 3:19-20

The Bible is inspired by the Creator of the universe and is different than every other book on the shelf. No other book compares when your goal is to grow in wisdom.

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Article IndexPublished: March 17, 2012
Last Modified: May 24, 2017

WE ARE TROUBLED AND GROW IN CHRIST BY ABALONEKID

AbaloneKid originally shared:

WE ARE TROUBLED AND GROW IN CHRIST

WE ARE IN TROUBLES! They may well worsen. God is with us. It is His plan. The classroom is the world systems, our flesh, the Devil, and the lessons we learn by the Holy Spirit who takes troubles and applies THE FAITH which Christ so richly bestows on us and He shall
overcome through us.

Why Does God Want His Saints to Experience Tribulation (Troubles)?

The answer to the question as to why God allows His saints to experience tribulation is revealed time and time again in the Bible. As Romans 5 says tribulation is a way to be made patient which teaches us to wait for the Lord.

Psalm 59: 9 "[Because of] his strength will I wait upon thee: for God [is] my defense".

Psalm 33:20 "Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he [is] our help and our shield". Waiting for the Lord is important because He wants us to rely completely on Him and not on ourselves.

Proverbs 3: 5 "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." Doing this is our ultimate signal to God of our trust and faith in His plan for us. We will all have to carry our own cross just like Jesus did! Matthew 10:38: "And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

I have listed some scriptures below that clearly tell us that as a followers of Jesus, which we all are if we believe in Him, we will suffer tribulation because of our belief in Him.

Romans 5: 3-4

"And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:"

We who are His elect find joy in troubles, knowing that trouble works patience, and patience experience; `and experience, hope.

Here we see three words associated with trouble. Joy, hope and patience. They are fruits of The Spirit. It takes trouble to work out the best in a believers life. The only way God can get the best out of our lives is by pruning us. He is the vine, and we the branches. We stay in Him and go through the trouble. He will feed us the word of life and we will not whither on the vine.

Acts 14: 22

"Confirming the souls of the disciples, [and] exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation [to] enter into the kingdom of God."

"Tribulations" brings thoughts of trouble, anxiety, fear, and doubt. However, Paul writes in Romans 5:3-5 that those who have peace with God and access to Him

. . . glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which was given to us.

This peace is not a kind of secular contentment that men can find by lowering their standards and expectations. It is both a gift from God to those reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ and a product of the Holy Spirit in us as we grow in a continuing, trustful relationship through the daily affairs of our life.

The Christian's outlook on life can be entirely different from those in the world, untroubled by the calamity they see all around them. This does not mean that the Christian's peace is a sort of magic or that he ignores the seriousness of the situation. Nor does it mean that the Christian achieves this wonderful quality instantly or that it is always constant. However, it is always available through faith because he has access to the Sovereign, Almighty God. He always has everything under control and is filled with love and wisdom that He is willing to use for our benefit.

John 16:33

" These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

We can have peace in this life, through Jesus Christ our Lord and He alone. In the world we will have tribulation (troubles). But He overcame and we through Him will as well. And in this trouble we will find our joy: Jesus Christ the Righteous One! In Him we WILL overcome the world and ALL it's troubles.

Revelation 2:10:

"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

We are encouraged by the Lord in the midst of troubles. Persecutions, imprisonments, harsh economic circumstances, even death itself. The Devil is behind much of our suffering, but not all. For we reap what we have sown as well! The Lord has a special crown for those who suffer for His namesake.

"Blessed is the man who has endured temptation; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which bthe Lord has promised to them that love him" (James 1:12).

Revelation 2:11:

He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches". Have you heard?

BELOVED, HERE...WE ARE!

Matthew 10:38:

"And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."

None of us are worthy of Him! But thank God he will not throw one of us overboard! Still, we will follow Him and in so doing He will use us for His glory.

Chaim, least

SPECIAL DAYS

For a lot of people special days are used as reminders to get in spiritual shape.

This becomes more apparent with the annual religious talk in the spring about Lent, Ash Wednesday, Total Consecration, and Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras).

People think by “going to church” on a special day, or by limiting their flesh by abstaining from something they desire they are training their flesh to do right and earning credit with God.

Real spiritual growth is learning that instead of putting chains on your flesh we are to reckon it dead (Rom 6:6). No chains are needed. We are to reckon ourselvs alive unto God (Rom 6:11). No laws required.

When this doctrine works in you, special day reminders and periodic fasts lose their purpose. Instead they become weak and beggarly solutions (Gal 4:9).

Make right doctrine an every day lifestyle decision and it will change you.

For His glory,

Justin "too fat for Fat Tuesday" Johnson

And Brothers too! Shabbot Shalom.

THE DISNEY DECEPTION

I've been hearing some strange things about the Disney franchise for many years now but I never really paid much attention to it. While I saw for myself things I didn't like, especially in intentionally drawn "mistakes" in little children's cartoons. I still thought they were basically harmless. I personally have never cared that much for Disney. I live in Florida and have never been nor have I any interest in going to Disney World. However, lately I've been hearing rumors and seeing things that can't be denied. What is going on? Also, Google MK Ultra if you don't already know what that is. I'd heard of it but didn't know what it was. It's about a CIA project of mind control. I'm not some religious fanatic nor do I see demons everywhere but, I wanted to see for myself what the fuss was about. Something does appear to be going on. I just thought I'd share with you what I see and let you decide but do you not notice that our kids (while many are adults now) seem to readily accept things today as awesome when 20 years ago greatly disturbed us? Just think about it and always pray. We need to protect our minds and our faith. The world truly hates Christians. God bless you. Shabbat Shalom.

Worthy is the Lamb