Building with Brad...(27Nov08)

 

" I am not ashamed ( news I am proud to proclaim- not ashamed speaks of wanting to speak about this all the time) of the gospel because it is the power of God unto salvation ( sozo- we all know what sozo means) for all who believe. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed from first to last ( some translations: from faith to faith- not based on a single ounce if human effort)"

As I was pondering on this scripture something dawned on me: access to sozo is based not being ashamed of the gospel, in other words proclaiming the gospel of Gods grace. Why? because in the gospel a righteousness FROM GOD is revealed (or given).

We cannot go after healing, deliverance, well being, prosperity unless we are fully aware of our position. Understanding our position is the door into sozo, it is not just enough to say we know our position, we must be living in our position, this should ooze from our lives, we must be full of grace. What happens if we do not understand our position and we fail at driving out a demon or seeing someone healed? We will end up feeling guilty, like we have not done enough, we will feel condemned and try harder to do more thinking that we would need to pray more or fast more or spend time in the word more, and even asses to see what sin we are living in. When we do this we take the focus off Jesus and what He has done, we take our focus off our position given by God and we revert to trying on our own, when we do this we are not acting in faith. We will become frustrated when we "fail", we will beat ourselves and other up over these "failures".

We must refrain from doing this, it helps no one. Paul says " I am not ashamed of this good news" meaning " I am proud to proclaim it". If you are proud to say something it means you will want to talk about it ALL the time! What is he proud to talk about? The GRACE OF GOD. He is proud to speak about Gods grace all the time, proud to tell of a righteous imputed to us without our effort. 

Why is he wanting to speak about it all the time? Because he knows that there is power for sozo in the revelation of this truth because the Holy Spirit is activated in our lives when we stop focusing on our efforts, accept that Jesus' efforts were enough and we then yield to the Holy Spirit instead of being "navel gazers". 

 

Do we want to see the sick healed, the dead raised, the lepers cleansed and the demons cast out? Do we want the priesthood of all believers to live like this and do these things? Then proclaim the gospel of Gods grace, our unchangeable position in Jesus, which will lift the eyes of the believers from their own efforts and issues and place them on the King above and His efforts on our behalf.

God Bless,

Bradley Dearlove

Bradley Dearlove

Live streaming with Bertie

 

Hi

 

Some great news!!

Bertie has a 24 hour live streaming tv on his site as of today ... it is strictly only grace  ... Teachers like Joseph Prince, Alan Spigel, Bertie etc... Check it out on his home page www.dynamicministries.com

 

Regards

Suzy

Michelle Bass's debeut cd

Hi Guys

Michelle is one of the most anointed muso's I have personally met.
She has the gifting to take one into deep worship without any effort or
hype at all.
Below is an email that she sent out today, and in my opinion it should have
been done a long time ago.
I can't wait to get my grubby hands on this one!
We will post further details as they are made clear.

Hi everyone! Trust you are all well !!

Well - after many years of waiting for the right moment and after hesitating too many times - I finally took the plunge and approached Sesalos Studios in Westville, to produce 12 of my songs for my Debut Album.

I started the process in September, and hopefully by next week, the finished product can be sent up to Jhb for replicating.

Wow - it's been an incredible experience, and I love what the producers have done with the songs.
I look forward to sharing the experience with you when the CD is available - which should be by the latest 20/12.

I'll keep you posted on the release date.

Just wanted to share my news!!
Love to you all!!
hugs Mich

Question from Suzy

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Wayne's World...(23Nov08)

How to read your bible part 3

Wayne Duncan

 

We are doing a series on "How to read your Bible". The reason we are doing this, is that the Bible is a dangerous book if incorrectly approached. The Bible can actually do harm and not good if it is incorrectly read or interpreted. So it becomes very important to as the bible says "correctly divide the word of truth".

 

Within the Bible there is contained an old covenant and a new covenant. Were going to look a little bit at these two covenants today. The one covenant releases death, and the other life. The one brings you into freedom, and the other bondage. It therefore becomes of the highest priority to live in the correct covenant.

 

Much confusion, pain and legalism comes through the terrible error of mixing the two covenants. This mixing of covenants has lead to a decrease in the glory of the church, a decrease in intimacy with Father, and a drying up generally of the supernatural and the miraculous in the church today. But praise God there is a Grace revolution and were coming back to the centrality of the cross. World wide the church is been shaken and only what's of Him will stand. So lets make every effort to ensure that all we are about, and all we hold to is Him.

 

Let us look at what Paul says about this.

2 Corinthians 3:1 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? 2You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 3You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. 4Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. 6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. 7Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, 8will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! 12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 

We see many comparisons here.

 

First of all we have this comparison of writing on stone tablets and , on hearts of flesh.

3b written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts

The old covenant was also written on stone and the new covenant is written on our hearts. On flesh.

 

Notice one is dead and one is living. Stone, dead. Flesh very much alive.

 

Secondly we see that under the law, when we do well we claim competence for ourselves.

 

:4Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. 5Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God

 

Under the new covenant our competence comes from Him. It's not about what we can do for Him, but what he has done for us and in us, and what he will do through us, if we let Him.

 

The old covenant of law produces self righteousness; the new covenant of grace sees the gift of righteousness freely given to us through Christ's perfect obedience on our behalf.(Rom 5:17)

 

Thirdly,

:6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant

 

Under the old covenant the only way to become competent was to fully obey the law. To become a preist, you had to qualify. You had to be born from the right tribe. You had tom memorize the bible. You had to be chosen as an apprentice if you wanted to advance. You had to be perfectly holy.

 

Under the new covenant He makes us all competent.

 

Under the old covenant only those who fully obeyed the law were qualified and competent to minister.

 

Now under the new covenant, we are all qualified through Jesus, and we can all minister the new covenant. All of us can. No-one is disqualified. Were all ministers. Every one of us, Jesus qualified us!

 

What do you have to do t be competent? Nothing. He has made you competent.

 

Now reading your bible, and studying and prayer and living morally correct can help you be more effective. But that is a lower level of competence. Many read their bibles, pray, and live externally holy lives. But never or seldom demonstrate the kingdom of Heaven. Seldom experience the tangible presence of God. Seldom see signs wonders miracles and salvations. So those things don't essentially qualify you.

 

What qualifies you is that Father loves you and accepts you. He then puts His spirit in every believer. Now in this state…anything can happen. You can heal the sick, experience His presence. You have intimacy with God, you can hear His voice and direction, you can respond to His leading and guiding. He will give you the words for every situation , and the power to back it up.

 

The old covenant destroys faith for the supernatural, the new covenant promises power for the believer. Power to heal the sick, hear from God, and release the kingdom of heaven on earth.

 

You have full power and authority to deal with any situation you may encounter, coz the power that raised Christ from the dead is living and active and working in you powerfully!

 

Now the enemy would not want you to realize who you are, and what God has done to you. If you realize, fully realize who you are as a new creation, as a born again spirit, if we realize the power within us…nothing will ever be the same. In this hour Jesus is recovering the revelation of this truth to his church. This is the new covenant, available for every believer.

 

Fourthly,

:6He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

 

When the first was released at Mount Sinai there was fear and trembling, and 3000 died.

 

In the book of Acts when the New Testament was introduced in reality, there was peace and 3000 were saved! One covenant was a covenant of live and one of death.

 

The old covenant letter kills, but the new covenant spirit is life. If you want to die spiritually, become a legalist. It's a ministry of death. One thing the old covenant will never say is "you've done enough"…your never truly good enough.

 

If you want to live, live by the Holy Spirit. This is life and freedom. One thing the new covenant always promises is "Jesus has done enough".

 

I can't believe people have a fear that when you remove the law you will sin more. It's not just the removal of the law, but the replacing with something infinitely more powerful and effective. The Spirit. How can the power activating ministry of the Spirit within you cause you to sin more? It's impossible!

 

Fithly

:7Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, 8will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 10For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11And if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts! 12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

 

The old covenant was a fading glory, that brought death, and condemnation.

 

The new covenant revelation comes with a never fading glory, and ever increasing glory, a incomparable all surpassing glory, and righteousness for every believer.

 

The righteousness of the new covenant was something the old covenant could never produce. No one ever got righteous through the law, only one… Jesus. He then gave this to us as a gift.

 

If that first useless covenant, that God found fault with had so much Glory that people could not look into Moses face, how great is the glory of the new covenant.

 

So the old covenant's glory has faded, and the new covenants glory is ever increasing.

 

Sixthly

12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.

 

The old covenant never produced boldness, only a permanent feeling of failure and condemnation.

 

Since our confidence is not in ourselves, but in what Jesus has done...we are very bold.

 

We are bold before the Lord…living in the acceptance of intimacy.

 

We are bold in the world, knowing He is always with us.

 

We are bold as ministers, knowing His power is in us and wants to be released through us.

 

We are bold to do anything, and go anywhere! We are bold, coz he has done it. He is in us, so we are bold!

 

Number 7.

13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

 

The old covenant put a veil over our minds.

 

The new covenant removes the veil.

 

Which leads to number eight

16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom

 

The new covenant is a covenant of freedom.

 

The old covenant was a covenant of bondage.

 

Galatians 3:23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed.

 

To the degree that you are still under the old covenant deception, is the degree to which you are still in bondage. The old was a shadow and the new a substance. Live free of the shadow.

 

Number 9

:18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 

We now reflect the lords glory

 

Number 10

Were being changed from Glory to ever increasing glory.

 

His Glory is that He is changing us.

 

Number 11

All this is from the Lord.

 

Let us abandon every hint of the old covenant. Let us run in the glory and freedom of the New Covenant. Let us live in intimacy with Father. Let us enjoy Him, lets let Him enjoy us.

 

Let the power of who you are and who He created you to be flow out of you, changing every environment you enter.

 

Lead others into this glorious new covenant.

 

Lets worship and thank Him for this awesome freedom and intimacy of the new covenant. Lets be very bold, for he is in us and is working powerfully within us.

 

Comparison of Old and New Covenants from 2 Corinthians 3

 

Old Covenant vs.
 New Covenant
 
Death vs.
 Life
 
Written on stone tablets vs.
 Written on hearts of flesh by the Spirit

 

 (Heb 8:8-13)
No confidence before God, condemnation vs.
 Confidence before God, no condemnation

 

(Rom 8:1)
Self competence/righteousness vs.
 Qualified by Him/gift of righteousness
 
Only select few were ministers vs.
 All competent ministers
 
Of the letter of the law vs.
 Of the Spirit
 
Fading Glory vs.
 Ever increasing, unfading, all surpassing incomparable glory
 
Veil that blinds vs.
 Removal of veil for revelation
 
Powerless for transformation vs.
 Being powerfully transformed

 

We were changed at conversion, this is the process of becoming aware of what we have been changed into.
 
We change ourselves vs.
 All of this is from Him
 
Relationship broken since Adam vs.
 Intimacy restored
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antidepressant...(9Nov08)

"I am the way the truth and the light" – Jn 14:6
"Whoever has seen me has seen the Father"
"I am in the Father and the Father is in me".
If you know me you would have known the Father".
"From now on you know Him and have seen Him".

 

Bold statements.

 

Jesus knew where He came from.
Jesus knew the Fathers heart for Glory – name / reputation / majesty / splendour / wonder / joy – all good things – return to Eden.
His, the Fathers Glory.
Jesus' own Glory.
The Glory of His People – you and me.
On that basis He could proclaim He was the Way, He was the Truth & He was the light.

 

And we will KNOW the truth & the truth shall set us free: Jn 8:
Truth – corresponds to fact or reality – Jesus is our reality.
He being the Truth – all of him being the reality that brought us Life.
And His words and way keep us in, in the Spirit, in the Truth – in Him are the works of the enemy destroyed – sin, lies, theft, guilt, …...

 

Free – is free, is free….not controlled, regulated, restricted.
By sin, law or spirit (demon / dark).
This is the Good News Jesus came proclaiming:

 

Heb 2: 2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

 

The New Covenant and the certainty of it: Jer 31:31-40.
Nature – "…law…write it on their hearts…I will be their God…they will be my people…for they shall all KNOW me, from the least…to the greatest, DECLARES THE LORD.  For I will remember their sin no more."
The ongoing assurance based on: ver 15-37.
When you see the sun rise – His covenant still stands.
When you hear the ocean roar – it is telling you the Good News still stands.
WOW!!!

 

Fifty Reasons Why Christ Suffered and Died – The Real Good News:

1.To Absorb the Wrath of God. (Gal 3:13, Rom 3:25, 1 Jn 4:10)

2.To Please His Heavenly Father

(Is 53:10, Eph 5:2.)

3.To Learn Obedience and Be Perfected.

(Heb 5:8, Heb 2:10)

4.To Achieve His Own Resurrection from the Dead

(Heb 13:20-21)

5.To Show the Wealth of God's Love and Grace for Sinners.

(Rom 55:708, Jn 3:16, Eph 1:7.)

6.To Show His Own Love for U.
(Eph 5:2, Eph 5:25, Gal 2:20)

7.To Cancel the Legal Demands of the Law Against Us
(Col 2:13)

8.To Become a Ransom for Many
(Mk 10:45)

9.For the Forgiveness of Our Sins.
(Eph 1:7, MATT 26:28)

10.To Provide the Basis for Our Justification.
(Rom 5:9, Rom 3:24 & 28)

11.To Complete the Obedience That Becomes Our Righteousness.
(Phil 2:8, Rom 5:19, 2 Cor 5:21, Phil 3:9)

12.To Take Away Our Condemnation.
(Rom 8:24)

13.To Abolish Circumcision and All Rituals as the Basis of Salvation.
(Gal 5:11, Gal 6:12)

14.To Bring Us to Faith and Keep Us Faithful.
(Mk 14:24, Jer 32:40)

15.To Make Us Holy, Blameless, and Perfect.
(Heb 10:14, Col 1:22, 1 Cor 5:7)

16.To Give Us a Clear Conscience.
(Heb 9:14)

17.To Obtain for Us All Things That Are Good for Us.
(Rom 8:32)

18.To Heal Us from Moral and Physical Sickness.
(Is 53:5, Matt 8:16-17)

19.To Give Eternal Life to All Who Believe on Him.
(Jn 3:16)

20.To Deliver Us from the Present Evil Age.
(Gal 1:4)

21.To Reconcile Us to God.
(Rom 5:10)

22.To Bring Us to God.
(1 Pet 3:18, Eph 2:13)

23.So That We Might Belong to Him.
(Rom 7:4)

24.To Give Us Confident Access to the Holiest Place.
(Heb 10:19)

25.To Become for Us the Place Where We Meet God.
(Jn 2:19-21)

26.To Bring the Old Testament Priesthood to an End and Become the Eternal High Priest.
(Heb 7:23-27, 9:24-26, 10:11-12)

27.To Become a Sympathetic and Helpful Priest.
(Heb 4:15-16)

28.To Free Us from the Futility of Our Ancestry.
(1 Pet 1:18-19)

29.To Free Us from the Slavery of Sin.
(Rev 1:5-6., Heb 13:12)

30.That We Might Die to Sin and Live to Righteousness.
(1 Pet 2:24)

31.So That We Would Die to the Law and Bear Fruit for God.
(Rom 7:4)

32.To Enable Us to Live for Christ and Not Ourselves
(2 Cor 5:15)

33.To Make His Cross the Ground of All Our Boasting.
(Gal 6:14)

34.To Enable Us to Live by Faith in Him.
(Gal 2:20)

35.To Give Marriage Its Deepest Meaning.
(Eph 5:25)

36.To Create a People Passionate for Good Works
(Titus 2:14)

37.To Call Us to Follow His Example of Lowliness and Costly Love.
(1 Pet 2:19-21, Heb 12:3-4, Phil 2:5-8)

38.To Create a Band of Crucified Followers.
(Lk 9:23, Matt 10:38)

39.To Free Us from Bondage to the Fear of Death.
(Heb 2:14-15)

 

40.So That We Would Be with Him Immediately After Death.
(1 Thes 5;10, Phil 1:21,23, 2 Cor 5:8)

41.To Secure Our Resurrection from the Dead.
(Rom 6:5, 2 Tim 2:11)

42.To Disarm the Rulers and Authorities.
(Col 2:14-15, 1 Jn 3:8)

43.To Unleash the Power of God in the Gospel.
(1 Cor 1:18, Rom 1:16)

44.To Destroy the Hostility Between Races.
(Eph 2:14-16)

45.To Ransom People from Every Tribe and Language and People and Nation
(Rev 5:9)

46.To Gather All His Sheep from Around the World.
(Jn 11:51-52, Jn 10:16)

47.To Rescue Us from Final Judgment.
(Heb 9:28)

48.To Gain His Joy and Ours.
(Heb 12:2)

49.So That He Would Be Crowned with Glory and Honor.
(Heb 2:9, Phil 2:7-9, Rev 5:12)

50.To Show That the Worst Evil Is Meant by God for Good.
(Acts 4:27-28, Gen 50:20)

What a great Salvation – What a Good News!!!!

from gracewalk.org

 

from http://www.gracewalk.org/pages.asp?pageid=48977 understanding the grace walk

What is the grace walk?
This is the term which we use to describe the Christian life as God intended it to be. The grace walk stresses allowing Christ to live His life through us. A careful reading of the New Testament makes it clear that we do not live the Christian life by self-effort but by abiding (resting) in Christ and allowing Him to manifest His life through our own (ref. John 15:5; Romans 15:18; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:13; and II Thessalonians 2:13). Through the years various other believers have described the grace walk with other terms such as: The Exchanged Life (Hudson Taylor), The Abiding Life (Andrew Murray), The Crucified Life (L. E. Maxwell), Life on the Highest Plane (Ruth Paxson), The Interior Life (Hannah Whitall Smith), The Normal Christian Life (Watchman Nee), The Victorious Christian Life (Alan Redpath, Ian Thomas), and The Miracle Life (David Needham). For further reading refer to Grace Walk chapter five, "Experiencing His Life."

---

In light of grace exactly how does one live the Christian Life?
The key to victory in the Christian life lies in acknowledging that you cannot live the Christian life out of your own resources or abilities. Only one person has ever lived the Christian life as God intended and that was Jesus Himself! However, there is good news; Jesus wants to live His victorious, overcoming life through you. Perhaps no verse says it better than Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me." We live the Christian life by yielding moment-by-moment to Christ, trusting Him to animate us with His very life. For further reading refer to Grace Walk chapter twelve, "Living in Grace."

---

Does the teaching of grace lead to passivity in the Christian life?
One of the most common misunderstandings about the grace walk is that it teaches passivity in the life of the Christian. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The grace walk is an active lifestyle energized not by the energy of the flesh but by the energy of the indwelling life of Christ. Consider the example of the apostle Paul. Paul trusted Christ to live His life through him (Romans 15:18) while leading an extremely active lifestyle. Notice Paul's description of his lifestyle in Colossians 1:29, "And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me." Paul was not passive; he was active. The words "labor" and "striving" in the original language refer to weariness to the point of physical exhaustion. Yet it was not done in the energy of the flesh it was "according to His (Jesus') power" which was at work within Paul. For further reading refer to Grace Rules pages 89-90 and 194-197.

---

If we are forgiven of our sins past, present, and future at the time of salvation won't that lead to a sinful lifestyle?
This is not a new question. In fact, this was the gist of the concern of those in Paul's own day who asked, "Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? (Romans 6:1). Coming to understand the totality of forgiveness should never lead the believer into a sinful lifestyle. In fact, the opposite will be true. When the child of God realizes the totality of their forgiveness before a holy God, they do not want to sin. While it is true that the believer has the freedom to sin if they want too, the believer who has their focus on Jesus does not want to sin. Rules, regulations, and rigorous self-discipline will not keep us from sin but, an authentic love relationship with Jesus will. For further reading refer to Grace Rules chapter four, "Say Goodbye to Mr. Law."

---

How does one come to comprehend the grace of God in the Christian's life?
The fullness of the grace of God in the life of the Christian cannot be understood apart from a revelation of God. Some of the most profound words Jesus spoke are found in Luke 10:21-22, "At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, 'I praise Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, for thus it was well-pleasing in Thy sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him." We come to comprehend spiritual truth only as it is revealed to us by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Revelation is a spiritual apprehension of the truth and it comes only from God. God reveals His grace to us as we humbly seek Him. See also Matthew 16:16-17 and Galatians 1:11-12. For further reading refer to Grace Walk pages 70-72.

---

Does grace lead to a lawless attitude in the Christian life?
The simple answer to this question is "No way!" The Christian who is truly walking in grace is not an antinomian ("one who opposes the Law"). Rather, the person who is walking in grace has great respect for the God-ordained purpose of the Law. In Romans 7:12 Paul said, "So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good." Grace-oriented Christians are not "Law-bashers" but, they do understand that the Law has no place in the life of the Christian. Consider the following Scriptures: "Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God" (Romans 7:4). "In order that the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit" (Romans 8:4). "Realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous man, but for those who are lawless and rebellious" (I Timothy 1:9). For further reading refer to Grace Rules pages 74-76.

---

Some fine stuff!

 

From Craig Glenn

If we are forgiven of our sins past, present, and future at the time of salvation won't that lead to a sinful lifestyle?

 

 "This is not a new question"…I love this…when we are preaching the gospel "properly" people WILL ask this question, why, because they asked Paul…and who preached he gospel better than Paul!!

 

From Brad Dearlove

Church Leaders don't want to preach ' too much' grace because they are afraid that the people will go out and sin. They want the people to be holy... Do we as leaders really think that we have the power to make people holy? They don't want to loose control of the people, God 'forbid' that we as leaders give Him back control of HIS church, the people HE bought with HIS SONS BLOOD.

 

The power for everything is in the gospel of Gods grace. Grace teaches people to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions, and Grace teaches us to live self controlled and upright lives. Why? because when believers grasp a true revelation of their amazing position, they begin to become more aware of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, and HE will manifest the life of Jesus in their lives. We cant make people like Jesus, but the HOLY SPIRIT can.

 

If we want to see people changed, preach the gospel (of grace). If we want the people to live godly lives, preach the gospel (of grace), if we want people to be self controlled, preach the gospel (of grace).

 

If we want the people to struggle and not live victorious over those things that chain them down, or we don't want to give up control of 'our' church, then don't preach the gospel (of grace). Preach a watered down gospel and throw in a whole lot of charismatic laws, rules and principals; make sure you add in a whole lot of do's and don'ts.

 

Blessings,

 

From Ryan Rufus:

Guys this is excellent! You're prophetically putting your finger on something that is absolutely key and central at this very moment!

 

The religious spirit is raging thru the church at the moment and trying to put pressure on leaders to preach more holiness and righteousness and obedience and consecration. Sadly many are blindly participating with this nonsense and are becoming more religious and joyless! This whole thing on this new 'moral revolution' and a 'revival of righteousness' seriously concerns and troubles me. It's flesh, it's pharisaical and it's an Ishmael! It's not a moral revolution, it's a grace revolution! That's what God is doing! The byproduct of that will be holy living etc but don't make that the focus. I want to scream at people 'stop trying to be more holy! Stop trying to be sanctified! Stop trying to be more obedient! Stop trying to be more consecrated!!! Get your eyes off yourself and onto Him. See what He's already fully accomplished. See grace! See prophetically what God is releasing across the earth and that is a revelation of His righteousness in us and our absolute unchanging eternally perfect position in Him!

 

God reminded me yesterday that 'seeing your salvation' is key in this time. Many preach 'holiness and morality' because they haven't seen their salvation. They haven't seen the supernatural work that has taken place on the inside of a christian at the point of salvation. That God is not trying to put restraint on us because he's put it in us! Grace is the reason we could keep sinning because God has taken the external restraint of the law off us! Yet grace is the reason why we don't keep sinning because God has put the restraint of His nature inside our spirit! Any other kind of restraint christians put on each other is external, and no matter how subtle, it's law!!! IE fear of judgement, promise of blessing, fear of curse, promise of the Fathers pleasure, withdrawal of His pleasure etc, is all external manipulation to get a christian to 'move'. Stop trying to get Christians to move!!!! God moves Christians! Just present the glorious truths of the gospel and christians will come alive! Our spirits have been given fullness in Christ, are seated with Christ, blessed with every blessing in Christ. Our spirits love Jesus perfectly, have perfect faith, perfect love, perfect righteousness, perfect authority, perfect 100% passion to live for Him, perfect power over temptation, perfect health, perfect prosperity, perfect encounter with God etc etc. All we got to do is connect with that and live from that place. Grace reveals that and empowers us to live from that place because grace is spiritual and has it's faith in Him. Law is fleshly and has it's eyes on self. Your flesh, your mind. As long as your persuing that, you'll never live from your spirit thru your mind and flesh.

 

Anyway. You guys are getting me excited. Well done. Keep going for it. I feel like the religious spirit is mounting a final stand as he can see he's loosing the fight. Like Paul just before he got saved, his persecusion intensified, and then all of a sudden God smacked him off his horse and delivered him for that religious spirit and he became one of the greatest grace guys ever! I feel like the grace revolutionary's need to stand all the more in these times and not be intimidated but bold and courageous! Strong in the grace of God! Because great deliverence is coming world wide to the church. Our battle is not against flesh and blood (even though sometimes you just want to smack some people for the stupid things they say!!!) it's against the religious spirit that is ravaging precious people and churches who are blinded, but I can see the panic in his eyes, because he knows that we know that God knows- he's coming down!!!!!!!!!!! And incredible freedom is coming to multitudes world wide!!!! Praise God!

 

More strength, more grace, more boldness, more peace to all you guys.

 

 

 

 

 

Wayne's World...(10Nov08)

 

How to read your bible part 2

 

Wayne Duncan

 

John Piper:

"I have found my mind and heart moving towards Luther's estimation of the doctrine of justification, and particularly the imputation of Christ's righteousness as the precious foundation of our full acceptance and everlasting inheritance of life and joy."

(Counted Righteous in Christ, Crossway  pg 13)

 

Martin Luther

"[Justification] is the chief article of Christian doctrine. To him who understands how great its usefulness and majesty are, everything else will seem slight and turn to nothing. What is an angel from heaven? What are all creatures in comparison with the article of Justification? For if we know this article, we are in the clearest light; if we do not know it we dwell in the densest darkness"

 

John Piper

"Good counseling builds the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27) into the head and heart of sinful wounded people. At the centre of it (the "whole counsel of God") is Christ our righteousness"

 

Understanding righteousness is so central to our precious faith that without a true revelation of the gift of righteousness, that Christ gives to us freely through faith, Christianity cannot be lived with "everlasting inheritance of life and joy".

 

Were doing a series on reading your bible. In order to know how to read your bible, you have to have the correct filter system in place. We have to "correctly divide the word of truth".

 

So were going to look at the out line for reading the bible correctly, and then look at some helpful definitions.

 

How to read the bible…3 questions, 3 filters.

 

Question 1

 

Who was it written to.

 

First you establish the context.

 

Question 2

 

What does it say to them?

 

Establish Content.

 

Question 3

 

How is it relevant to me?

 

Covenant.

 

The three filters are here under how is it relevant to me?

 

Filter 1

How is this scripture relevant to me through the filter of Christ's free gift of righteousness through faith.

 

Filter 2

How is this scripture relevant to me in the new covenant?

 

Filter 3

How is this scripture relevant to me through the birth, life(obedience), death (finished work of the cross), resurrection and return of Jesus.

 

Putting scripture through this filter will protect error, and put the scripture in pure light.

 

Now I know this sounds a bit technical, so for now, all you need to get is this…

 

Read the scripture through the filter of "Christ our righteousness".

 

Christ our Righteousness

 

What is righteousness?

 

The simple definition is "right standing with God"

 

Websters Dictionary:

 

The state of being right with God; justification; the work of Christ, which is the ground of justification.

 

Here in this definition we see that being righteous is a state. It's a permanent state of right standing with God.

 

We see that it is through the work of Christ, which meant that it is not through our work.

 

We see that it is the ground of justification. Justification is "just as if I'd never sinned". It's the removal of all sins past, present and future. It's the truth that God no longer counts our sins against us. It's our pardon and perfection.

 

How to obtain righteousness?

 

So how do we get right standing with God?

 

How do we enter this permanent state of being right with God, so he can treat us as justified?

 

We cannot create righteousness.

 

We need to understand that in order to be righteous; one would have to be perfectly righteous. You would have to perfectly obey every single law, and command ever written. Gods standard for righteousness is perfect obediance. Unfortunately no-one could do that, fortunately Jesus, did.

 

Jesus now offers that righteousness he earned to us, as our righteousness.

 

Righteousness comes to us therefore as a gift, without works, without the law, and through the life of Jesus.

 

Free gift of righteousness

 

Romans 5:17 If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

 

Here we see righteousness is a free gift.

 

Not by works

 

Romans 4:4Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5And to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness

 

God cannot be manipulated into giving us righteousness; the reason is that we could never do enough to deserve righteousness. The standard to receive it is perfection, and as we know none of us are perfect.

 

So we cannot work for righteousness, as if to earn it like a wage, or through works of the law or obedience.

 

Ephesians 2:8For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 

We cannot boast in our righteousness coz it comes to us through Jesus. It's not our own works that produce righteousness. It's the other way around; righteousness will produce good fruit in us. But this is of God and to his glory…that no-one can boast. This boasting is self righteousness.

 

The works of the Christian are to believe in Jesus.

 

John 6:28 Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent

 

1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ

 

 

 

Righteousness apart from the law

 

Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law,

 

Romans 3:28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.

 

Galatians 2:21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if justification(Or righteousness)  were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

 

Very clear, righteousness apart from the law.

 

Justification apart from the law.

 

If it were through the law, Christ died for nothing.

 

Please friends settle this in your heart. There is still lots of stinking thinking in Christian circles today. Trying to be righteous and holy by keeping the law. Lots of weird stuff comes in here.

 

Mixing law and grace, please interpret the bible through, the law is fulfilled, I'm no longer under law but grace. If not you'll quickly be confused, soon be under condemnation and performance, soon be removed from Christ, and soon come under a curse. For that's what Galatians says. It warns that those who go back to the law, are separating themselves from Christ and coming under a curse. If you battle with being under the law, do a study of Galatians and let God set you free!

 

From God, not of ourselves

 

Romans 10:3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.

 

True, effective righteousness come from God. We cannot produce it. It's from God, and is actually the very righteousness of God.

 

2 Cor 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

How do you get righteousness?

 

Very simple by faith in Jesus.

 

Simply believe that Jesus lived a perfect life on your behalf. Take His free gift of righteousness, and it is yours. It's by faith and faith alone.

 

Philippians 3:9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith -

 

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith,(Or beginning and ending in faith)  as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith

 

It's simple friends. Jesus lived the perfect life. He was perfectly obedient. In the great exchange of the cross, he got what he did not deserve, and we got what we did not deserve.

 

He got the wrath, punishment, judgment and separation from God.

 

We got forgiveness of sins, wholeness and righteousness. When we believe in his perfect sacrifice by faith, we receive it all.

 

Much deception has crept into Christian theology, and belief, and tradition, by loosing sight of "Christ our righteousness".

 

If you read the bible and think, "I have to do this, of do that" in order to be righteousness, or right with God. Your incorrectly dividing the word of truth. In the new covenant God no longer deals with us that way. Our righteousness is a free gift through faith.

 

So what about works, the law, commandments? Well they all have a place, but that place is not to produce righteousness.

 

The law showed us no-one could be righteous.

 

Then Jesus did everything perfectly on our behalf, now he gives that righteousness to us. It's by His obedience on our behalf. There is no other way to receive righteousness.

 

Now that we are righteous, we will produce the fruit of the commandments and works. Righteousness is the root that produces fruit. No root no fruit, only self righteousness. We will produce fruit because of the righteousness in us. Were radically changed into a new creation at salvation and its impossible for "good works" and "commandments" to not manifest in and through us. We are filled with the Holy Spirit! It's impossible to be filled with God, and not "do good works".

 

Righteousness is the root that produces the fruit.

 

So righteousness is our inheritance through the cross.

 

We are in right standing with God, all our sins forgiven forever, through Jesus sacrifice on our behalf, not by the law, not by works, not by performance, but by christs perfect performance on my behalf.

 

When God looks at you, he sees Jesus perfect obedience and performance. He sees you through Jesus blood, he sees you as perfect, faultless and perfectly righteous.

 

You can not become more righteous that you are right now, coz you've been made perfectly righteous. Jesus was perfect…simply believe.

 

…Thank you Jesus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wayne's World...(6Nov08)

Sin Cannot Stop God's Grace!   

Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,
 
When a top executive is charged for corruption or a church minister is caught in the very act of adultery, you will probably hear the phrase "fallen from grace" being used of them. We have come to believe that when someone falls into sin, he falls from grace.

 

But God wants us to know that when someone falls into sin, he does not fall from grace — he actually falls into grace! Thank God His grace is there to put the person back on his feet.

 

The Bible tells of prostitutes and corrupt tax collectors — sinners — who fell into God's grace and got back on their feet. If the sin in their lives could stop God's grace, they would never have been able to receive His grace of healing, help and power to live right.

 

Now, it is important you understand that God hates sin because it destroys our lives, relationships and bodies. Sin is evil! But sin is not overcome by us talking about it and relying on our willpower to overcome it. It takes God's grace to destroy sin. In fact, it is when you are under His grace that sin has no dominion over you. (Romans 6:14) It is when you see His grace in providing His Son to put away your sins and make you eternally righteous that sin will not dominate you.

 

The devil will say to you, "You think that you can still expect God's blessings after what you did this morning?" That is when you must remind yourself that Christ alone is your perfection and righteousness. All of us have faults. None of us deserve God's blessings. That is why we plead the grace of God, which is His unearned, unmerited and undeserved favor toward us.

 

Sin does not and cannot stop God's grace. If His grace can be cut off by sin, Jesus would never have come to save us because we were all terrible sinners. But praise God, "where sin abounded, grace abounded much more"!

 

My friend, God's grace is bigger, deeper, wider and more powerful than all the world's sins put together. Receive His grace right now to walk in total victory over that weakness or evil habit in your life!

 

The One Thing - Daily Devotional From Joseph Prince Ministries

 

Building with Brad...(6Nov08)

Religion and control programmes us to shut down anything that might be our dreams, given us by God, and manipulates us through cleaver words, dangling carrots and empty promises to get us to serve its desires. Finally when we wake up we realize that we have lost our God given dreams and we feel unsatisfied with our lives. Religion will always leave us feeling unsatisfied. Religion itself is never satisfied and thus pressures people to perform in order to obtain that which can never be obtained, the cycle is ruthless and tragic.
Grace enables us to see the dreams God gives, fulfilled without effort. We are satisfied because God is satisfied yet we still hunger for more because God gives more. In our hunger for more we are not left feeling frustrated but rather we have a surety that we can see and will see the more.

 

Everything is obtained through our position, it can not be obtained through our effort, and it can not be obtained through our condition. The glory of God, signs, wonders, miracles, healings, deliverance etc. follows the right message, the gospel of Gods grace, which is bearing fruit all over the world.

God Bless,
Bradley Dearlove