HALLELUJAH

FOR THE CROSS 

Back in 2014 Newsboys released their seventeenth studio album titled "Hallelujah For The Cross." Newsboys is a contemporary Christian rock band formed at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia in 1985 by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee in the USA, a number of their albums have been certified Gold. 

The title song of the album, "Hallelujah For The Cross" is a rousing anthem of what Christ accomplished through His death on the cross at Calvary. The words of the song are well worth reading and meditating upon:

Up to the hill of Calvary

My Saviour went courageously

And there He bled and died for me

Hallelujah for the cross

And on that day the world was changed

A final, perfect lamb was slain

Let earth and heaven now proclaim

Hallelujah for the cross

Hallelujah for the war he fought

Love has won, death has lost

Hallelujah for the souls he bought

Hallelujah for the cross

What good I've done could never save

My debt too great for deeds to pay

But God, my Saviour made a way

Hallelujah for the cross

A slave to sin, my life was bound

But all my chains fell to the ground

When Jesus' blood came flowing down

Hallelujah for the cross

Hallelujah for the war He fought

Love has won, death has lost

Hallelujah for the souls He bought

Hallelujah for the cross

And when I breathe my final breath

I'll have no need to fear that rest

This hope will guide me into death

Hallelujah for the cross

Songwriters: Todd Edgar White / Ross Sullivan King / Brandon Todd White

The apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 For the preaching 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, and bring to nothing the wisdom of the prudent."

Where is the wise [man]? Where is the scribe? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom,

but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumblingblock, and to the Greeks foolishness,

but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

The cross of Christ is central to the message of the Gospel. The Gospel is good news to everyone who will hear and respond in faith to the invitation from the Lord God to come in repentance from sin in acknowledgement that Jesus died on the cross in our place for our sin, so that we can be reconciled to the Father God. Romans 5:8 tells us: God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus, in speaking about the death He would die on a Roman cross said in John 12:32: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."

Probably the best known verse of the New Testament is John 3:16 which encapsulates the message of the gospel. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:23: ...... all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God. The Greek word for sin is 'hamartia' which essentially means "to miss the mark." If we think of an archer shooting arrows at a target, it would be as if the arrows would never reach the target. That is the picture of the word 'sin' - that even i our own efforts, in our own estimation of our goodness and kindness, generosity, etc., we can never attain to the standard of God's righteousness. Our sinful nature will always separate us from a holy God. It is only by means of the Holy Spirit indwelling our human spirit at the time of conversion - being "born again" as the Bible says in John 3, that we are able to have fellowship restored with our Father God, through the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

Christianity without the cross is just dead religion.

Jesus says in John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy (speaking of Satan).

I have come that they might have life, and that that they may have it more abundantly.

We do not have to look far to see the ravages that satan is accomplishing in humanity, with broken lives, families torn apart, sickness and disease, the rising tide of evil politicians espousing abominable social policies, wars and rumours of wars etc.

The prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 59:19 says: 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 will lift up a standard against him.

It is very obvious that in these days in which we are living, demonic activity is increasing at an alarming rate, with spiritual darkness being almost palpable at times in the nations, no doubt being more so in some cities and nations than in others. The GOOD NEWS, though, is that according to the abovementioned verse in Isaiah, as the rising tide of evil is seen in the world, the Spirit of the LORD, the Holy Spirit is lifting up the standard, the Lord Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth and the Life - the answer to the desperate searching of man for hope and freedom in this sin-sick world.

as singer/songwriter Andrae Crouch proclaimed in his song from the seventies: "Jesus Is The Answer":

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him there's no other

Jesus is the way

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him there's no other

Jesus is the way

If you have some questions in the corners of your mind

And traces of discouragement and peace you cannot find

Reflections of the old past seem to face you everyday

But there's one thing I do know that Jesus is the way

Oh I know you've got mountains that you think you

cannot climb

I know that your skies are dark, you think the sun

won't shine

In case you don't know but the word of God is true

And everything He's promised, He would do it for you    

That's the reason I say that

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him there's no other

Jesus is the way

Jesus is the answer for the world today

Above Him there's no other

Jesus is the way.

Songwriters: Andrae Crouch/Sandra Crouch

If you have read this blog and would like to become a Christian - the very best decision you will ever make - to be 'born again' as it says in John 3:3, today could be for you the day of salvation. You need to pray a prayer to the Lord God from your heart. You do not need to use eloquent speech. Your prayer could be something like this: Jesus, I believe you died on the cross in my place for my sins. Please forgive me for my sin, and set me free from the power and penalty of my sin. I ask you to cleanse me by your blood that was shed for me on the cross and make a new person on the inside so that I can have fellowship with you and the Father God, through the Holy Spirit living within me. I want to know you and live for you. I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

If you have prayed this prayer, please tell someone of your commitment to Jesus. Further to this step, I encourage you to:

Get a Bible if you don't already have one, and start reading one of the Gospels such as John or Mark.

Pray regularly in your own words from your heart knowing that the Lord will hear you.

Find a Bible-believing church where you can be encouraged and built up in your new-found faith; AND

Fellowship with other Christians who can encourage you, help answer questions you may have, and help to spur you on in your walk with the Lord.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

THIRD PERSON OF THE TRINITY 

Part 2

There is so much to be said about the Person and work of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers and in the Church of Jesus Christ. That being said, this current blog is not meant to be an exhaustive teaching.

Much much more about the Person, Work, Nature, Fruit, Gifts, Bible Emblems, Characteristics and Ministry of the Holy Spirit - can be readily researched on the internet through various ministry sources.

Please briefly let me address another related topic concerning the Holy Spirit, which over the years has been fraught with divided and divisive opinion, each camp claiming to be able to support their personal stance with strong Biblical backing. I refer to the subject of the Baptism in or with the Holy Spirit, and the present day operation of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, as outlined in 1 Corinthians 12-14. 

In 2013, I remember experiencing a mixture of emotions - disappointment, anger, a sense of grieving in my spirit, because of the bold presentation of high-profile California pastor, John MacArthur in his book and conference bearing the name "Strange Fire." The conference was hosted by John MacArthur, a cessationist Calvinist pastor and theologian, who, for many years denounced the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements as aberrations of Christianity, and whose Pentecostal distinctives are not valid for the church today. He, along with other cessationist ministers also do not believe that the ministries of apostle and prophet, as listed in Ephesians 4 as part of the fivefold ascension-gift ministries are valid today. Yet another contentious issue they have is concerning the validity Biblically of women in ministry leadership roles.

John MacArthur passed away on 14th July last year, 2025 at the age of 85. As a cessationist, he firmly believed that with the passing of the original twelve apostles and the completion of the canon of Scripture, that not only the ministry of apostles and prophets ceased, but also the gifts or manifestations of the Holy Spirit as listed in 1 Cor. 12:4-11. He also boldly asserted that the gift of "speaking in tongues," one of the hallmark features of the Pentecostal and Charismatic experience, is demonic in origin. He also stated that those who practice speaking in tongues and display other characteristic Pentecostal and Charismatic manifestations are actually guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

As a Christian who has been firmly planted in the Pentecostal sector of the church of Jesus Christ for all but two years of my sixty years as a committed Christian, I can only respond to such claims with astonishment.

My reading of Jesus' words in Matthew 12 concerning blasphemy against the Holy Spirit seems to signify that attributing the work or ministry of the Holy Spirit to Satan or demons is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. To that end, I feel that people such as John MacArthur, Phil Johnson (one of MacArthur's associates, who edited all his books), Todd Friel and Justin Peters - who were all involved in the "Strange Fire" conference - are on very dangerous ground.

Just in the last couple of weeks, I have seen online that Justin Peters, one of the leading cessationists in America, has posted videos knocking and mocking the ministry of Kathryn Kuhlman, who was a prominent healing evangelist in America in the 20th century. She relied heavily on the infilling and empowering anointing of the Holy Spirit to validate her ministry, which saw multitudes saved, healed, delivered from demons, and attest to the miracle-working power of God. The Holy Spirit was her friend and constant source of inspiration in ministry. She gave ALL the glory to the Lord Jesus Christ for her ministry impact - and yet, people such as MacArthur and Peters mock her, and Peters recently repeating a quote from John MacArthur when Kathryn Kuhlman pastored a church early in her ministry - "She is not a pastor, and it is not a church," - because the ministry was a woman.

Having said the above, though, I must admit I have not followed John MacArthur's ministry but I understand that he was a respected Bible teacher, author and pastor, as well as hosting a syndicated radio program "Grace To You." I have seen respected Pentecostal/ Charismatic leaders such as Dr. Michael Brown, Christian social commentator, Bill Muelenberg, and evangelist Daniel Kolenda express admiration for his otherwise integrity in ministry and his exposition of the Word of God.

Dr. Michael Brown who has several ministry degrees and who was involved in the Brownsville revival in Pensacola, Florida in the early 2000's, wrote his own rebuttal of "Strange Fire" in his book "Authentic Fire." 

Concerning the experience of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, in all four Gospel accounts, John the Baptist whom God sent as a messenger to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, is recorded as saying of Jesus that it is He would "baptise believers in the Holy Spirit" (and with fire, as stated in Matthew and Luke's accounts). This was going to be a key element in His ministry to believers from the commencement of the Church age.

In John 20, after the Resurrection of Jesus on the first day of the week, He appears to ten of His disciples (Judas Iscariot had betrayed Him and committed suicide, and Thomas was not there). In verse 21, Jesus encourages them with these words: "Peace be unto you; as My Father has sent Me, even so send I you." Then verse 22 says: And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said unto them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." It could well be argued that this was the point in time when the Holy Spirit came to indwell the disciples in the same way that He does when any person commits His or her life to Christ, being, as the Word of God says, born again by the Spirit of God.

Were these disciples of Jesus "baptized in the Spirit" at this time? No, they weren't. In the Gospel of Luke, in chapter 24, again, after the resurrection of Jesus, just before His ascension to the Father, Jesus gives this encouragement and direction to His disciples: "And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but wait in the city of Jerusalem, until you are endued with power from on high."

In the first chapter of the Book of Acts, Luke records these words, adding more detail to the direction given in Luke 24.

In Acts 1:4, it reads: And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;

for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Jesus further said in verse 8: "But you shall receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

True to the words of Jesus, the embodiment of Truth, ten days later on the Jewish feast Day of Pentecost, which was also fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus, as 120 disciples and followers of Jesus (men and women) were gathered in the Upper Room, being with one accord in one place,

Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and

it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Then there appeared unto them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them,

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4 NKJV

The 120 in the Upper Room were the first New Testament believers to be "baptized in the Holy Spirit" by Jesus, the one who as foretold by John the Baptist would "baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire."

As you read on in this chapter, it is stated that there were many devout Jews living in Jerusalem "from every nation under heaven," and they were all amazed as they each heard the 120 speaking the wonderful praises of of God in their own languages. Peter the apostle explained that this was fulfillment of Joels's prophecy in Joel 2:28-32 "In the last days I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh....." If it was the last days then, 2.000 years ago, then we are certainly living in the last of the last days now, and therefore, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in our day with attending gifts or manifestations of the the Holy Spirit must certainly be valid for the Church today! I, for one, together with my wife, am glad to be alive in this exciting Church era, and connected to a church family with a vision to see the Holy Spirit moving powerfully to lift up the name of Jesus with mighty life-changing and transforming demonstrations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, bringing glory and honour to the Living God in our times!

THE HOLY SPIRIT  

THIRD PERSON OF THE TRINITY

Part One

    As a child, I did not come from a Christian home. My parents did not go to church, but I do remember going to a Methodist Sunday School for a while in Surfers Paradise on Queensland's Gold Coast, where I grew up. Then, as a teenager at the age of about fourteen, I started attending the local Anglican church youth group with another friend from school.

That led to us being asked by the minister (rector) of the church to become 'servers' - I suppose similar to being altar boys in the Catholic Church. The church had two Sunday morning services - 7am and 9am. We were involved in the 7am service. Eventually, through a school holidays interdenominational church 'coffee shop' outreach where young Christians would go out on the streets of Surfers Paradise at night and invite people back to the coffee shop for free coffee and a chat - presenting the message of the Gospel - I heard the Gospel message clearly as one of the youth group leaders from my church sat with me until midnight one night, sharing the message of salvation through Jesus Christ with me. I prayed the "Sinner's Prayer," and at that point in time, my Christian life began.

I knew that something significant had happened in my life. I literally did sense the experience of being 'born again,' as the Bible says in John 3:3 and John 3:7, when Jesus was visited by Nicodemus at night.

Even though it was late at night, I remember going home feeling invigorated, and waking up the next morning feeling a tangible sense of God's nearness, and a real sense of being cleansed from my sin.

I knew from my Sunday School lessons earlier, and from attending the church services, and hearing the Word of God preached, that the God of the Bible was referred to as the Trinity - One God in Three Persons - God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. In Genesis 1:26 as part of the Creation narrative, the Bible says: Then God said, "Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness....."

I could understand something of the concept of God being Father, and could also understand something of the Person of Jesus Christ through the Christmas story and the significance of Easter, and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - even before any church or Sunday school involvement. I probably had some exposure to Christian teaching also through Bible-in-schools programs as well. BUT I REMEMBER THE HOLY SPIRIT BEING A TOTAL MYSTERY TO ME!

Actually as a child, with the King James version of the Bible being the main Protestant Scripture source, the Holy Ghost was the terminology most used for the mysterious person in the Godhead. To be honest 'Holy Ghost' sounded to me a little spooky!

As a child, and into my early teens, ghosts were scary ethereal figures that haunted old dilapidated houses, and were the stuff of nightmares!

However, when I became a Christian, I learned that the Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit, as we mostly refer to Him now - is a vital member of the Godhead - Yes, He is a He, not an it or a thing or an impersonal force, but a Person with personality.

When Jesus was about to finish His earthly ministry, He told His disciples in John 14:15-18: "If you love Me, keep My commands,

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever,

even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him or knows Him; but you know Him for He dwells with you and will be in you.

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."

The Bible tells us that when we commit our lives to Jesus Christ, when we confess our sin and our need of a Saviour, and accept the work of Jesus shedding His blood and dying on the Cross - the sinless Son of God dying in our place (Romans 5:8), we are born again by the work of the Holy Spirit as He makes alive our human spirit which, until that time has been unresponsive to the Spirit and Word of God. The apostle Paul says in Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

Jesus' disciples were sad when He told them He was going away, but He reassured them that He would send another Helper and that He would abide or dwell with them forever. The Greek word Jesus used for another Helper is allos which means another of the same kind. The Holy Spirit Jesus would send them would be their Helper, Counsellor, Comforter and Guide. The Holy Spirit's coming would assure them of continuity of all that Jesus both did and taught.

Every man, woman or child who personally commits their life to Christ and is "born again" of the Holy Spirit becomes as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 a new creation in Christ, able to commune or felllowship with Father God.

BUT WAIT...........THERE'S MORE!

If you want to know how you can be "born again" and can experience the life God has planned for you - not an easy life, but a life in fellowship with your Creator God, a life led by the Holy Spirit, a life filled with purpose and promise for the future - contact the following for further help: Australia's Vision Christian "Pray For Me" prayer line, where someone will pray with you and don't forget to ask for a "New Believer's Growth Pack." The phone number is: 1800772936

If you live outside of Australia, go to: harvest.org/knowgod for more info.

If you have made a commitment of your life to Jesus Christ in response to reading this blog, please let me know in the Comments section below. God Bless!