The Quickened Heart
Jesus' teaching of the difference between that which is of God and that which comes from sinful man was very clear. One was by the Spirit, the other was by the flesh, sinful flesh. One was accepted by God, for it was the communication of Christ's life by the Spirit. The other was tainted, and permeated with sin, that which God could never approve of. The believer is given the privilege and responsibility to appropriate the Life of Christ by the Spirit, by faith... living faith, in a living Savior and Lord. This is to truly live.
The Path To Restoration And Renewal
When John the Baptist came on the scene of history, his appearance was shocking different from all others. So was his message. After four hundred years of relative silence, the Eternal Father gave to this man a message to prepare the people of Israel to meet their Messiah. That message is basically the same today, one of turning to God by His grace, submitting to His authority, and trusting Him for His refreshing fulness by the Spirit.
The Mountain Of God
The mountain of God usually refers to Mount Horeb, or Mount Sinai in the Bible. It is significant because there God manifested His glory to the people of Israel in such a way as to distinguish them from all others on the earth. Today, He has chosen to reveal His glory in history, but specifically in the living church, the body of Christ. As the church is filled with the Spirit, so the testimony of the living God goes forth to declare that He is the true and living God, worthy of worship and praise.
The Constant Declaration Of God
God speaks constantly...but will we hear? He speaks through nature, through His prophets of the Old Testament, and now through His living church, His body, and every member of it. What is to be the right response to such a revelation of the Creator and Redeemer, of Christ by the Spirit unveiling His nature and ways to men? There is but one response, a turning from our own ways and thoughts, to turn to Him and Him alone for all, to live henceforth for His glory.
The Coming Of Christ
The coming of Christ, born in Bethlehem, and crucified on Calvary, is not just an historical event with a date attached to it. It was the fulfillment of prophecy which stretched back over centuries of history, as declared by the prophets of the Old Testament. The coming of this Messiah even dates back to the Garden of Eden when God provided a covering for Adam's sin, mentioning that there would come a Seed which would bruise Satan's heel. How shall mankind withstand the testimony of God concerning His Son, by the rejection, even the deliberate neglect of Him. And yet, there is in His coming of old, Life, Light, and the revelation of the Love of God for all the world.
The Pursuit Of Resurrection Power
It is in seeking Christ that one seeks to know His power, a given power by the Spirit, strengthening the soul, spirit, and body, to do the will of God, and thus, to glorify God. Christ overcame and vanquished the cross by the Eternal Spirit, as the Spirit of God strengthened Him. In utter weakness, with His enemies all around, He overcame all adversity to win for us a true, eternal salvation. It was because of His love, and the power of God, that He finished His perfect work.
The Power Of Pentcost
The essential element to live a godly life, and to serve the living Christ, is power. However, this power is not of men but of God. It is a gift. And in essence it is a Person, Christ by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God gives the power of God to the believer to be what he should be, and to do that which pleases God, accomplishing His will, and fulfilling the purposes of God. The Lord gives His power to the powerless, so that all will know that He is the Giver of every good and perfect gift.
The Imperative Of Preaching
How does faith come to the heart? How does one believe in Christ unto salvation? God's way is by the preaching of the word of God. This can be from the pulpit of a church, or standing on the street corner, or the sharing one person to another. The essential thing is for the "preacher" to be filled with the Spirit, and his feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
The Holy Spirit In The Last Days
The story is told of Dwight Moody, a renowned preacher of the Gospel when he was met by two elderly women who told him, that the world had yet to see what God would do through a man who was wholly His, Moody responded: "I will be that man." God greatly used Moody because the Spirit of God had the liberty to work in and through him powerfully. In these last days before Christ comes, the Spirit of God desires to use every member of the body of Christ in a wonderful, and powerful way in prayer, and according to their calling and gifts.
Great Essentials To Abide In Christ
What is it to abide in Christ, but living by faith, deriving one's life from the True Vine, Christ. The soul that knows his helplessness, and depends wholly upon Christ, is that one who will know the reality of being uplifted and strengthened by Him. He knows the reality of being a good receiver from Christ of all things good, and wholesome. Christ blesses the one who chooses daily to live by faith.