NO LONGER A BABY 

We are at the end of another year, and on the threshold of another year before us. Christmas celebrations have come and gone. We remembered once again the incredible provision of Almighty God for the redemption of Man from the eternal consequences of sin and rebellion towards Him - by sending His Son in human flesh to be born as a baby in an unlikely setting for a king - a dirty, dusty stable. As Rick Joyner of MorningStar Ministries states in his book "The Harvest":  That the Lord of Glory would choose such a place to make His entry into the world is one of the more profound revelations of His message to man.....Human reasoning would never lead us to a stable to find God. The only way He could be found was by revelation, only those who were led by the Spirit would come. That which is born of God is usually found in a place that is repulsive to the pride and presumptions of carnal men. As the apostle Paul stated it: "God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, that He may nullify the things that are, that no man should boast before God." 1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Jesus did not remain a baby. That baby grew up to become Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world, who after three and a half years of ministry to all who would receive Him - words of Life, physical and emotional healing, deliverance from demonic oppression and many other works and miracles, some recorded in the Gospels, many more unrecorded, according the apostle John in John 20:30,31 and John 21:25 - was condemned to death on a cruel Roman cross, the sinless Son of God, fulfilling the will of the Father in dying an agonizing death in our place, taking the penalty for our sins, in order that we might be reconciled to God the Father. Romans 5:8 says: God demonstrated His love for us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

If that was not good news for us in itself, the Lord Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, conquered the power of death and hell, rising triumphantly from the grave on that first Resurrection Sunday.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are not only recorded as actually taking place in the Bible. There have been scholars who have set out to disprove the resurrection of Christ, only to conclude, after honest research, that the events recorded in Scripture are historically verifiable. Two such scholars of note are Simon Greenleaf (1783-1853), a law professor at Harvard University, who became one of the forerunners of the disciplines known as Christian Apologetics  - and Frank Morison, who also set out to disprove the "myth" of the resurrection, only to come to the conclusion, like Simon Greenleaf, that the Biblical record of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is true. Frank Morison wrote the book "Who Moved The Stone."

Another well known Christian author and former pastor, Lee Strobel, who was once an investigative journalist, and an atheist, set out to disprove the claims of Christ, following his wife's conversion, and after his research, he too became a Christian and had to conclude that the Biblical accounts of Christ's life, death and resurrection were indeed true.

For forty days following His bodily resurrection from the dead, Jesus appeared to multitudes of people, including the eleven remaining original disciples - Judas Iscariot, who having betrayed Jesus, took his own life. At one time, Jesus appeared to five hundred people at once 

(1 Corinthians 15:6). 

After commissioning the disciples, and telling them to wait in Jerusalem for the Promise of the Father, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father. On the Day of Pentecost, an annual Jewish feast commemorated fifty days after Passover, while waiting in the Upper Room, the 120 gathered were filled with the Holy Spirit, receiving the gift of speaking in other tongues - a gift which is still available to Christian believers today, along with other gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed in 1 Corinthians 12-14. Jesus said before His ascension to Heaven that "You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit is come upon you, and you shall be witnesses" starting from Jerusalem and spreading to the farthest corners of the earth. The power to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, bringing in the hearts of the hearers, a conviction of sin and the need for repentance is part and parcel of the equipping by the Holy Spirit of the believer in Jesus.

The ministry of Jesus in the world and in the Church continues unabated today through the lives of Bible-believing Christians who have taken Jesus at His word to "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men." He said to His disciples in John 14:12 that the works He did on earth they (and those who followed them down through the Church age) would do and greater works than these they would do, because He was going to the Father. 

Down through the Church age over the past 2,000 years, millions upon millions of lives have been transformed, many radically, by the same resurrection power of the Holy Spirit which raised Christ from the grave.

The dead are being raised to life today. Miracles of healing and provision are occurring all over the world, where the name of Jesus is proclaimed as Lord. You won't hear about these happenings in the secular media, but they are happening. JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVER!

As we enter a new year, with all its challenges personally, as well as nationally and internationally, while darkness is increasing in this sin-sick rebellious world, let those of us who claim Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord consecrate ourselves afresh to live uncluttered, and fully committed lives to honour and glorify Him.

If you are reading this, and have never made a commitment of your life and will to Jesus Christ, please know that, as you come to Him with a repentant heart for the sin and rebellion in your life towards God, He will cleanse you from sin as you call upon His name, and acknowledge His death on the Cross in your place as the means to your salvation. Just as Jesus rose from the dead after three days, you too can know the power of the Holy Spirit to help you live a new life in Him.

The true disciple of Jesus will face persecution, but know that God is dwelling in you by His Spirit to enable you to be strong for Him in any and every circumstance of life.

For further help in becoming a Christian, one resource I can direct you to is www.vision.org.au

This is the online home of Australia's Vision Christian Media. Click on the Grow your faith tab, then from the dropdown menu, click on "Looking for God?" God Bless. Thank you for reading this blog.

THE POWER OF ONE 

My wife and I live in southern Tasmania, Australia's island state, separated from the Australian mainland by  Bass Strait to the south of the state of Victoria, some 150 miles or 241 kilometres away. With the Coronavirus pandemic leading to severe lockdowns of cities, particularly Sydney and Melbourne over the past eighteen months, with much negative impact on business, family life, mental health, and the general ability of millions to live normal lives - to say nothing of all the border closures,  Australia  now seems to be a set of autonomous regions lead by control freak Premiers imposing draconian restrictions on the populous, with the sole purpose of containing a virus, which has no sign of going away!

The coercion for the masses to be vaccinated with the experimental "vaccines" in order for life to return to normal has seen apparent violations of human rights, and bullying tactics of government and business to try to exclude the renegade unvaccinated. Never mind that there have been tens of thousands of adverse reactions to the AZ and Pfizer jabs, and an undisclosed number of deaths from these drugs, and mainstream and social media giants are pushing the official government - health bureaucrats narrative for all its worth, and seeking to shut down any and all contrary concerns.

The above is not to deny the reality of the coronavirus and its seriousness as a communicable illness - and the need to take measures to seek to protect the weak and vulnerable. The fact that governments have felt it necessary to take extreme measures, whether fully justified and justifiable has impacted millions around the nation.

Now that I have gotten the above off of my chest, as it were, let me come to this point in time, from where we live in southern Tasmania. As of 6pm yesterday, the Greater Hobart region and other outlying local government areas (LGA's) have been placed into a three day lockdown, closing down most business, and schools until 6pm Monday. Residents of these areas are only permitted to leave their homes for clearly specified reasons, and can only travel in a radius of 5km from places of residence. THIS IS THE NEGATIVE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF ONE!

These drastic measures have been made necessary to be enacted by the State Premier, Peter Gutwein, because of the totally selfish and irresponsible and rebellious behaviour of ONE MAN, who returned from New South Wales by plane, testing positive, was placed in hotel quarantine in Hobart, and subsequently absconded from the hotel. He was in the community for eighteen hours, apparently, visiting an unknown number of places, but including a supermarket - before being apprehended by police and returned to quarantine. He has been most uncooperative with the authorities, as well. 

It is astonishing, but true, that one man's actions will cost businesses in southern Tasmania probably hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars in lost income over this three day period. Livelihoods of many workers will also be affected to some degree.

It is true, as the Bible tells us that: Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. 1 Samuel 15:23 

We are not islands unto ourselves. How true it is that our actions and behaviour can have ripple effects, affecting those around us and beyond - for good or evil.

If we turn to the Bible, and go right back to the first book of Genesis, we see that the sin and rebellion of one man (and his wife) lead to separation from fellowship with the Living God, and that separation because of sin and the sinful nature of man has blighted the human race ever since.

BUT, PRAISE THE LIVING GOD, because of the POWER OF ONE, the Saviour of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ, God's only begotten - His One and only Son, came to earth as a baby, grew to be a man, ministered life and healing and deliverance over three years from the age of thirty, then died a criminal's death on the cross of Calvary, the sinless Son of God, dying in our place for our sins, and triumphantly rose from the dead three days later, ever more to make intercession for the saints, seated at the right hand of the Father in glory.  This is the greatest and most profoundly wonderful POWER OF ONE!

God is calling His committed Bible believing, Holy Spirit anointed followers to lay down their lives, to take up their cross daily, to count the cost of being a true disciple of Jesus - then shining forth the Light of Jesus to a lost and hurting and dying world, and to display to those who need to receive God's grace and His mercy and His love and His forgiveness and His wholeness - the awesome, Holy Ghost and fire POWER OF ONE (wholly sold out to Jesus).

To find out how to become a Christian, go online to: www.vision.org.au This is the online home of Vision Christian Media in Australia. Click on the "Grow your faith" tab, then "Looking for God?" God Bless!

SALT AND LIGHT IN A TASTELESS AND DARK WORLD

Part Two

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"You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

These words were spoken by Jesus to His disciples in what is known as the Sermon On The Mount, the longest single discourse of Jesus in all of the four Gospels, as recorded in Matthew 5-7.

Jesus used the two metaphors of salt and light to attribute qualities by which His disciples - those who would follow and live by His teachings, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and would be distinguished from all others.

Jesus said of Himself, in John 8:12 "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

The apostle John in the fourth Gospel bearing his name, introduces us to Jesus, the Light of the world in the first chapter of his book.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God

He was in the beginning with God.

All things were made through Him, and without Him, 

nothing was made that was not made.

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

[John the Baptist]

This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through Him might believe.

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:

who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. John 1:1-13 NKJV

1 John 2:5 says.....God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

The Bible says of God, in 1 Timothy 6:15,16 that He is God, the blessed and only Ruler the King of kings and Lord of lords,

who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, 

whom no one has seen, or can see. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen. NIV

James 1:17 tells us: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change or shadow of turning.

Just like the dramatic portrayals in countless movies of the clashes of good and evil, darkness and light, or using the vernacular of the past, between the good guys and the bad guys, the overarching battle of the universe is between two opposing and diametrically opposed dominions, that of darkness ruled by Satan, and the Kingdom of Light, ruled by the all-powerful, all-knowing and ever-present Eternal God-in-three-Persons, the One True and Living God, represented by the Trinity - Father, Son (the Lord Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit.

When we speak of God as Light, all that is pure, holy, righteous, of the Truth, and displaying the character of God in His love for mankind, in both His mercy and His just judgments, are contained in that brilliant metaphor.

On the other hand, Satan, as the ruler of darkness, is totally evil. There is absolutely nothing about his character to be commended. He is, as the Bible says, a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44.

He is the thief, who comes to steal, kill and destroy, as Jesus says in John 10:10. Jesus also says Satan has been a murderer from the beginning.

That the vast majority of mankind are dwelling in spiritual darkness, under Satan's dominion is borne out in John 3:19-21, where Jesus says: "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

"For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

"But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." NKJV

Speaking prophetically to the kingdom of Judah at around 700BC, but also prophetically down through the ages to the church in the present day, Isaiah wrote these words: 

So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west,

And His glory from the rising of the sun;

When the enemy comes in like a flood, 

The Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

"The Redeemer will come to Zion,

And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob," says the LORD.

Arise, shine;

For your light has come!

And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,

And deep darkness the people;

But the LORD will arise over you,

And His glory will be seen upon you. 

The Gentiles shall come to your light,

And kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 59:19,20; 60-1-3

From the above prophetic verses in Isaiah, it is evident that, just as Jesus spoke of Himself as the Light of the World in John 8:12, as mentioned earlier, and that He addressed His disciples, saying: "You are the light of the world," He intended for His followers to shine the light of God's love, power and holiness to a world filled with darkness, by the authority bestowed on them by the Lord, to see people transformed by the power of God, in turning their lives from darkness and bondage to light and freedom only found in a relationship with Christ.

The apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:20 says....we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you, on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

Paul further admonishes Christians in Ephesians, chapter 5 with these words: 

For you were once darkness, but now you light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth),

finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,

but rather expose them.

For it is shameful to even speak of those things which are 

done by them in secret.

But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the 

light, for whatever makes manifest is light.

Therefore He says:

"Awake, you who sleep,

Arise from the dead,

And Christ will give you light." Ephesians 5:8-14

The apostle John, in 1 John 4:18 says....as He (Jesus) is, so are we in this world.

Even when Jesus walked this earth as a man, He commissioned His then disciples to go out and do the works He was doing, as a foretaste of the life of witness and power that they could and would walk in, when He left them, following His death on the cross, and subsequent triumphant resurrection. Filled with the Holy Spirit's power, they would shine the light of God's love and power to a lost and dying world - to a people desperate for a way out of the darkness and emptiness of life without ultimate purpose and meaning.

The apostle Paul, in Philippians 2:14-16, says that Christians are to:

Do everything without complaining or arguing, 

So that you may become blameless and pure,

Children of God without fault

In a crooked and depraved generation

In which you shine like stars in the universe

As you hold out the word of life. NIV

More than ever before, Christians, the Light-bearers, need to be shining for Jesus, holding forth the Word of Life, filled with the Holy Spirit - living lives wholly committed to the Word of God, without compromise - even when it means going counter to the culture in aspects at odds with the Word of God. The world is waiting and watching for the Church to arise and shine with all the brilliance of the risen Christ (The Anointed One and His Anointing). The time to simply blend in with the cultural surroundings in order to seem to be relevant is over.

Christ is calling forth a people who, as His ambassadors are living pure lives, who know the power of His love and forgiveness, who know the pit from which they have been lifted, and who are not ashamed to stand up and be counted as those who fully align with God's standards of love and holiness.

If you have read this blog, and would like to know more about becoming a Christian, a useful resource I suggest is: vision.org.au This is the online home of Vision Christian Media in Australia. Click on the "Grow your faith" tab, then click on "Looking for God?" 

Come out of the darkness into the light of God's love and power to transform your life as no one or no thing can do. God Bless!

SALT AND LIGHT IN A TASTELESS AND DARK WORLD 

Part One

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavour, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  Matthew 5:13-16

These words of Jesus were spoken by Him in what is known as the Sermon on The Mount, as recorded in Matthew 5-7, to His disciples. It is believed that the disciples hearing the words of Jesus at this time were a larger group than the twelve. The Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, is the longest discourse of Jesus recorded in any of the four Gospels. It includes some of the most quoted teachings of Jesus, including the Beatitudes in chapter 5, and what is known as "The Lord's Prayer" in chapter 6, really a model prayer for His followers. To most believers in Jesus, it contains the central tenets of Christian discipleship.

In this particular blog, I am looking briefly at the above verses from Matthew 5:13-16, where Jesus speaks of His disciples as being both salt and light.

In verse 13, Jesus says: "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and to be trampled underfoot by men."

Salt is a necessity for life and was a mineral that was used since ancient times in many cultures as a seasoning, a preservative, a disinfectant, a component of ceremonial offerings and as a unit of exchange. The Bible contains numerous references to salt in both the Old and New Testaments. In various contexts, it is used metaphorically to signify permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, value and purification.

In Biblical Israel, the main source of salt was the Dead Sea. The Hebrew people would harvest salt by pouring sea water into pits and letting the water evaporate until only salt was left. It was used as a seasoning, a preservative and to disinfect wounds. In 2 Chronicles 13:5, King Abijah referred to God's covenant promise to David that he will not lack a man to sit on David's throne as a Salt covenant - that is, a covenant that can not be broken.

Salt used for food seasoning only accounts for around six percent of salt production, apparently. There are in the order of 14,000 different ways in which salt is used - as varied as in the manufacture of plastic, paper, glass, polyester, rubber and fertilisers - to household bleach, soaps, detergents and dyes.

In relation to its use as food additive, it adds flavor to many of the processed food products we eat.

It is necessary for the maintenance of life and healthy bodies, not only for humans but for animals as well.

Christians, using the analogy of salt, in society, act as a seasoning and as a preservative. If the salt is tainted by impurities, it will not be effective as a flavoring condiment. In order to be "the salt of the earth," followers of Christ need to display Christlikeness in character, and to stand up for righteousness according to Biblical standards for life and godliness. 2 Peter 1:2-9

The Bible says in Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. In times of revivals, and other visitations of the Lord to nations, society has been greatly impacted with thousands coming to faith in Christ, broken relationships restored, deliverance from drug and alcohol addictions, droughts broken, and other positive impacts resulting from the blessing and favor of God on nations and localised places of Holy Spirit outpourings.

Most Christians will be familiar with the verses in 2 Chronicles 7:12-14, or at least, verse 14. Following Solomon's prayer of dedication of the temple he had built for the Lord's presence, God spoke to him at night: Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself for a place of sacrifice.

"When I shut up heaven, and there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." When the church of Jesus Christ truly humble themselves before the Lord to seek His face, and to walk in holiness, the people of God have a seasoning and preserving effect on wider society, as the favor of God touches cities, towns and literally, the land. No politician, be it Prime Minister, President, Premier or Chancellor, or their governments can be a nation's Saviour.

Only God Almighty, through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ can truly be the Saviour for individuals and for nations, as they recognize Him as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Christians, as His ambassadors on earth, filled with and lead by the Holy Spirit, are salt to society, seasoning every area of influence with Godly wisdom and insight, and an integrity of life that values people from every culture, ethnicity, socio-economic background, race or creed - and dare I say it, vaccination status, knowing that Christ died for all, and His desire is that all should come to a place of repentance and be saved. 

In Mark 9:49,50 Jesus says to His disciples "For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another."

Salt was used in various sacrifices and offerings by fire in the Old Testament, as a symbol of purification.

We do not offer to God physical sacrifices today under the New Covenant of grace initiated by the Lord Jesus Christ, but the people of God today, Christians and Messianic Jews, are to offer up spiritual sacrifices. Romans 12:1,2 says: And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind He will find acceptable. This is the way to truly worship Him. 

Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good, and pleasing and perfect. New Living Translation.

In a world that is increasingly hostile to Christians, as the antichrist spirit pervades every area of society influence, it is more imperative than ever that true followers of Christ retain their "salty flavor" as they live Godly lives grounded in the Truth of God's Word, filled with the Holy Spirit, and living uncompromising lives of integrity motivated in everything by love for God and people.

An added anecdote from Tessa

SALT - As a teen, I saw the immensity, the beauty, the dazzling purity and intensity of the salt drainage ponds near Adelaide in South Australia. It was literally awesome. Salt is essential for life - physical and spiritual. Let us be salt that is not flavourless or trampled!

LET THE FIRE FALL 

The scene is Mount Carmel, near the coastal region of northern Israel. 

The date is somewhere after 900 BC. 

The central figure is the Old Testament prophet, Elijah.

Elijah had challenged 450 of the prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel, to see which of the deities could and would answer by fire.

As the events unfold in 1 Kings, chapter 18, we see the prophets of Baal sacrificing a bull, then calling upon their god from morning to noon with no response. Elijah is seen mocking them because of their failure to elicit a response from their deity, by fire to burn up the sacrifice. They then continued to "prophesy" and to petition their god until the evening sacrifice - again with absolutely no response from Baal.

Then it was Elijah's turn to demonstrate the reality of the One True God. He called for the altar to be repaired, setting up twelve stones to represent each of the twelve tribes of Israel, then cut the sacrificial bull up and had the pieces placed upon the stones. He then called for water to be poured out over the sacrifice and to drench the surrounding of the altar. 

As recorded in 1 Kings 18:36-39 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.

Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again."

Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.

Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, "The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"

In this instance, we see that the LORD God did answer the challenge to prove He is the One True God by FIRE!

JESUS -THE BAPTIZER IN THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE! 🔥

In the New Testament of the Bible, in two of the four Gospel accounts, those of Matthew and Luke, John the Baptist, the prophetic forerunner to Jesus the Messiah, stated clearly to those gathered to hear his words: "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

We are living in desperate times, friends. The time for just dipping your toes, spiritually in the river of God's present day moving of the Holy Spirit is rapidly coming to a close. This is a time when there is and there will be a clear line in the sand drawn separating those whose lives are shallow in their commitment and their holiness and their surrender to the Living God - and those who are willing to count the cost of being "all in" for  Jesus, and who are prepared to leave the past behind with all the baggage that contains, and boldly and joyfully yield to the Master in full surrender - nothing held back. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight , and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1,2

In the Book of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, we read the seven letters of Jesus to the churches of Asia Minor. In the letter to the church of Laodicea, Jesus upbraids them because of being lukewarm in their love and commitment to Him, saying: " I wish that you were cold or hot, but because you are neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth." Not many of us really, if we are honest, enjoy a barely warm cup of tea or coffee - or food for that matter, which is meant to be hot, but barely warm - or food that is intended to be eaten cold, but is warm.

In this passage from Revelation, Jesus is not really saying He would be happy if we are cold towards Him, but at least our position would be then totally clear. He desires Christians, and indeed the whole Church of Jesus Christ to be white hot for Him, in love and zeal for all things related to the Kingdom of God, and in proclaiming the life-transforming power of the Word of God.

The times we are living in demand that Christians step up and stand up, wholly surrendered to the will of God, and positioning ourselves to allow the purifying work of the Spirit of God to burn up the dross of sin and dead works that will prevent us from walking in white, shining brightly for Jesus, who alone will receive all the glory.

Zechariah 1:9a says "...I will bring into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold."

The old Brian Doerksen song "Refiner's Fire," says it like this: "Purify my heart. Let me be as gold and precious silver." Just as in the refining process of precious metals such as gold and silver, intense heat is applied through fire, and the dross or impurities come to the surface where they can be removed, leaving pure metal, so the Lord will cleanse and purify us with the fire of His Spirit and the cleansing of the Word of God - to bring forth a people who will praise Him out of pure hearts.

In Hebrews 12, we see the Lord saying that there will be a great shaking of everything which can be shaken, so that the things which cannot be shaken can remain. Verses 28, 29 read: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.

ON FIRE FOR JESUS

When we speak or hear about Christians being "on fire for the Lord" or "on fire for Jesus," we usually think of them as being totally sold-out to God, fully committed to following Him, standing firmly on the Word of God, filled with the Holy Spirit's mighty power, motivated by God's love, and shining brightly for Jesus with a passion that is unstoppable, and tangible! These Christians are also people of prayer. They know their God, and are in position to do great exploits for their God! (Daniel 11:32).

In a day and an hour in which we are living, the Church of the Living God is being placed under pressure to be silent and to be contained, even physically limiting of brothers and sisters in the family of God being able to freely meet together - in many parts of the world, the reason given being to prevent further spread of the COVID virus and its variants. It does seem as though the enemy, Satan, has been using this virus as a perfect vehicle to cause governments to exercise oppressive control and restrictions upon people in democracies - such control and oppression as has not been hitherto seen in Western nations, probably since the times of the Great Depression and the Second World War. 

THIS IS NOT A TIME FOR THE CHURCH TO COWER IN FEAR AND BEWILDERMENT

The Government of New South Wales is giving increased powers to the Police and also increasing Australian military presence on the streets of Sydney by another five hundred personnel, added to the already three hundred being deployed. That repressive, fearmongering political leaders and medical bureaucrats are shutting down the ability of Australians in their millions to carry on normal lives - with onflowing massive society disconnect is, in my opinion, demonic in origin. The thief comes not but for to steal, kill and to destroy, as Jesus states in John 10:10.

That being said, all that is happening has not taken God by surprise. He is not sitting in heaven wringing His hands in anguish, wondering what on earth He can do. 

Just, as in the Book of Esther in the Old Testament, when the Jews were under serious threat of being annihilated because of the edict of the wicked Haman, there arose a deliverer in the person of Queen Esther, who Mordecai encouraged with the words that "she had come to the kingdom for such a time as this" in order to expose the enemy's plans - this is a time, like no other time in recent history when the Church of Jesus Christ, those who are fully committed to Him, who truly are "on fire for Jesus" to "Arise, and shine;

                                                                For your light has come!

                                                                And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

                                                                For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,

                                                                And deep darkness the people;

                                                                But the LORD will arise over you,

                                                                And His glory will be seen upon you. Isaiah 60:1,2

IT IS TIME FOR THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT TO ARISE AND SET ABLAZE NATIONS WITH THE FIRE OF GOD'S AWESOME PRESENCE TO BRING FREEDOM AND RELEASE TO A PEOPLE LIVING IN FEAR AND DESPAIR FOR ALL THAT IS HAPPENING IN A WORLD THAT THE BIBLE SAYS LIES UNDER THE SWAY OF THE EVIL ONE!!

JESUS IS LORD! The End Time Scenarios spoken of in the Bible are looking much closer to being fulfilled than any time I can remember in my lifetime. The antichrist spirit is certainly at work in increasing measure, but the Bible assures us that JESUS will wear the Victor's Crown, and He will one day return to rule and reign on Earth from Jerusalem as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Before that occurs, He will return for His church, in what is known as the Rapture or the Catching Away of the saints. Does this all sound far-fetched? Well, it is all in the pages of the Word of God, the Bible. I challenge you to read up on this for yourself. Google the relevant topics e.g. Rapture of the Church, End-time prophecies etc. 

If you have read this blog, and would seriously like to know how you can become a Christian, and be assured of eternal life in the presence of the Living, Loving God, one resource I can direct you to is: www.vision.org.au This is the online home of Vision Christian Media in Australia, which includes Vision Christian Radio broadcasting to well over 700 big cities, towns and villages across every state and territory in Australia.

Click on the "Grow your faith" tab near the top of the page, then from the dropdown menu, click on "Looking for God?" God Bless!

THE CRUX OF THE MATTER 

"Have You Heard Of The Four Spiritual Laws?"

Yes, it is a question you may wish to ponder, for the answers to true purpose in your own life, but it is also the title of a small booklet, written in 1952 by Bill Bright, founder of Campus Crusade For Christ - to present the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ "in a nutshell." According to Campus Crusade History, this little book with very basic illustrations, each law being supported by several relevant Scripture verses - has been the most widely distributed religious booklet in history, with upwards of 2.5 billion printed in all major languages of the world.

What are these Four Spiritual Laws?

They are, according to Bill Bright, as follows:

Law 1

God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life

(John 3:16; John 10:10)

Law 2

Man is sinful and separated from God. Therefore he cannot know and experience God's love and plan for his life

(Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23)

Law 3

Jesus Christ is God's only provision for man's sin.

Through Him you can know and experience God's plan for your life

(Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6; John 14:6)

Law 4

We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord;

then we can experience God's love and plan for our lives

(John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 3:1-8; Revelation 3:20)

Some have criticized this as being a simplistic presentation, and that it does not tell the whole story of the Christian life - that it leaves out the realities of suffering and tribulation which are the lot of true disciples of Christ. However, personally, from a starting point of introducing a person to the Gospel, I believe it has been a very effective tool in leading many (probably in the millions) people to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ at the start of their journey of faith.

I remember being given a copy of this little booklet when I committed my life to Christ at a Christian coffee shop outreach on Queensland's Gold Coast way back in 1967. As mentioned above, the laws were illustrated by simple drawings, simple in their design but which had a profound impact on my mind and spirit.

The second law states that Man is sinful and separated from God. This was illustrated by two line drawings depicting Man trying in vain to reach out to God through his own efforts through good works, philosophy or religion.

The third law shows again the two entities illustrated by line drawings - God above and Man below, but this time with the separating gulf being bridged by a large Cross with Jesus printed on the cross beam - showing that the Cross of Christ is the only means of Man's restoration to God. As Paul the Apostle wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:21 "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

As Jesus said of Himself in John 14:6 "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Also speaking of His death on the Cross, He said, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." John 12:32

There are a number of Old Testament scriptures which directly speak about the crucifixion of Christ.

Several of these are as follows:

Psalm 22:14-16 -"My life is poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax, melting within me. My strength has dried up like unbaked clay. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have laid Me in the dust and left Me for dead. My enemies surround Me like a pack of dogs; and evil gang closes in on Me. They have pierced My hands and feet."

Zechariah 12:10a -"Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on all the people of Jerusalem. They will look on Me whom they have pierced and mourn for Him as for an only son."

It is little wonder that Paul said concerning the emphasis of his own ministry, in 

1 Corinthians 2:1,2  "And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

Not every person has or will embrace the message of the Cross of Christ, as Paul, again states in 1 Corinthians 1:18,19 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.

For it is written:

                        "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

                          the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

                                                                                                                      (from Isaiah 29:14)

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Part 3 

As stated at the start of the first blog post on this topic, a simple dictionary definition of Truth could be said to be: That which conforms to reality, fact or actuality. Sounds simple, doesn't it! BUT, in actual fact, Truth has been made such a complicated concept by philosophically inclined minds, drawing upon human wisdom and knowledge to expound, in some instances, very wordy theories pertaining to Truth, but which nevertheless conflict with a multitude of other Truth concepts and theories. 

In the previous blog post, I mentioned in heading form some of the various philosophical theories concerning Truth which have been postulated over the years by secular philosophers, the most popular of these theories being what is known as the Correspondence Theory. Ah, yes! The Correspondence Theory of Truth! Sounds great.....but what does it mean? It turns out that there are several aspects to the Correspondence Theory, but basically the theory in general terms states that the truth or falsity of a statement is determined only by how it relates to the world and whether it accurately describes (i.e. corresponds with) the world. It is a traditional model which goes back at least to some of the classical Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. As an example of the Correspondence Theory of Truth, British philosopher Bertrand Russell theorized that a statement, to be true, must have a structural isomorphism with the state of affairs in the world that makes it true. For example, "A cat is on a mat," is true if, and only if, there is in the world a cat and the cat is related to the mat by virtue of being on it. WOW! To think, these great minds with doctorate degrees from the elite halls of tertiary learning are able to come up with such profoundly obvious statements as evidence of truth is somewhat underwhelming! Last time I quoted 2 Timothy 3:7 from the New Testament of the Bible, where the Apostle Paul, speaking of the times in which we are living, said there would be people who would be "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." As I also previously stated, Truth is to be found in a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ, who in the Gospel of John stated concerning Himself, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

IMPORTANT NOTE: If the God of the Bible is the one True God, and the Word of God can be fully relied upon to be the expression of God's truth, then we can have full confidence in the Absolute and irrefutable Truth in God's Word absolutely!

There has been much written about Truth being either Absolute Truth or Relative Truth, and the fact that, for an increasing number of people today, Truth is relative to the ever-changing cultural norms brought about by societal attitudinal changes. The Ten Commandments in the Bible, which helped form a strong reference point for justice and a framework for morality in Western nations, and in fact, in every nation with a Judaeo-Christian heritage, have seemed to have become less and less relevant to a world hell-bent on destroying the fabric of society with liberal philosophy espousing the doctrine of relative truth. Relative truth is like a boat adrift in a raging sea, having been ripped from its moorings. It can be stated as: Truth that is only true at one time and at one place. It's true to some people, and not to others. It's always subject to change. It is also subject to the perspective of people. 

Because of the nature of relative truth, we have seen justification for Biblically abominable lifestyle choices, including the wholesale murder of unborn babies - abortion, in the name of women's rights. We have seen the definition of marriage as being between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others, for life or "until death us do part" vehemently attacked by the gay rights activists (Christian social commentator, Bill Muehelenberg calls them the Gaystapo - see Culture Watch online for some very challenging and enlightening articles relevant to the world we find ourselves in - written by Bill).

The abandonment of belief in ultimate or Absolute Truth in today's culture has led to the "Whatever" philosophy of life - if it feels good, then do it. If it benefits me, even if it goes against moral laws, unless it hurts somebody, then I can justify it. If science and human reason support it, go for it. If popular opinion supports your decisions in life, then it is easy to justify going along with the crowd for personal convenience - when the "Whatevers" fulfill our concepts of truth relative to our worldview and personal interest.

For the person who is prepared to take the Living God at His Word, Jesus says in John 16:13 that the Holy Spirit "the Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth."

A generation that does not want to be accountable to anyone for their actions, let alone to a Holy God whose Word and whose Truth is unchanging, is reaping what they have sown in rebelling  against the One in whom is all the Wisdom and knowledge necessary to lead a totally fulfilled and complete life.

Truth, ultimate truth is to be found in a person, the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in living according to God's Word, the Bible. For further reading on Absolute Truth and all that implies, may I suggest you Google Absolute Truth - Focus on the Family for a very insightful and well written article on this topic.

If you would like to know how to become a Christian and to be "born again" as the Bible says and begin a new life in fellowship with your Creator God, the source of all truth, go online to: www.vision.org.au This is the online home of Australia's Vision Christian Media, which also includes Vision Christian Radio broadcasting hope to well over 700 cities, towns and small communities across the nation. Click on the "Grow your faith" tab, then from the dropdown menu, click on "Looking for God?" God Bless.

Please feel free to comment below.

WHAT IS TRUTH?

 Part Two

As I was contemplating what to write in this blog post "What Is Truth?", I Googled this question on the internet.  I discovered a lengthy Wikipedia article which outlined some of the philosophical theories concerning Truth, and what it means. These include what are known as Substantive Theories, including: Correspondence Theory

                                                    Coherence Theory

                                                    Constructivist Theory

                                                    Concensus Theory

                                                    Pragmatic Theory

Then there are Minimalist or Deflationary Theories. These include:

                                                    Performative Theory Of Truth

                                                    Redundancy and Related Theories

There are also what is known as Pluralist Theories.

I discovered, that, of the above, the Correspondence Theory seems to have the highest level of support in relation to the definition of Truth - in philosophical terms.

I am reminded of the verse in 2 Timothy 3:7 where the apostle Paul speaking of the days in which we are living describes people who would be "ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."

If you who are reading are on a quest to know ultimate TRUTH in all its dimensions, may I suggest you take a look in the Bible at the One who is Truth Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus finished His earthly ministry, He told His disciples that He would send them a Helper, the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 16:13 that ".....when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."

In John 18:36-38, as Jesus stood before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, who would decide whether He lived or would be condemned to be crucified, Jesus said: "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now My kingdom is not from here." Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are you a king then?" Jesus answered, " You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?" And when He had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all."

Pilate asked Jesus one of the most important questions He could have asked of the Son of God: "What is truth?" and he didn't bother to wait for the answer. Like Pilate, many today are searching for the meaning of Truth in Philosophy, Religion, Science - even Politics and always coming up short.

The apostle Paul warns in Colossians 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

He goes on to say in verses 9 and 10 For in Him [Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Does it matter what we believe to be the Truth today? Isn't truth relative to the circumstances, culture, socio-political setting in which we find ourselves today? MORE SOON!

If you would like to discover the truth Himself in the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God - and to become a Christian, go online to www.vision.org.au This is the online home  of Australia's Vision Christian Media. On their home page, click on the heading "Grow your faith." Then from the dropdown menu, click on "Looking for God?" God Bless!