Monday 28 September 2009

Unforgivable sin

I believe accoding to the promises of the bible that we are forgiven all our sins; 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." But there is an instance of a sin that Jesus has said to be unforgiven; Mark 3:29 - But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.

So what constitutes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the eternal sin that can never be forgiven?

Definition: Blasphemy is the act of showing contempt, insulting, or expressing a lack of reverence (respect) for God; the act of claiming the attributes of deity (God); defiant irreverence (disrespect / mockery) toward something considered sacred.

Some views that I have extracted;

The Life Application Study Bible commentary on Mark 3:28-29 has this to say, "Christians need not worry about this sin because this sin is attributing to the devil what is the work of the Holy Spirit. It reveals a heart-attitude of unbelief and unrepentance. Deliberate, ongoing rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit is blasphemy because it is rejection of God himself."

Thus, speaking against the Holy Spirit is equivalent to rejecting Christ with such finality that no future repentance is possible.

"If we refuse to accept the testimony given to us by the Holy Spirit, fight off His conviction of our sin, and never accept the truth, we will never come to Christ for salvation. In Christ, all our sins are forgiven. Therefore, no Christian can commit the unpardonable sin. Only an unregenerate person who refuses to come to Christ will die in his or her sins" [Freedom in Christ (Knoxville, Tennessee: FICM.org, 2002).].

"…once you accept Jesus, that part of the Holy Spirit's job is complete, thus you can't blaspheme His work. Naturally, He continues to work with you, and you can be stubborn and resist Him as a Christian, but you can't blaspheme Him. Live unproductively, carnal and unspiritual, possible. But commit the unpardonable sin? It's just not possible for a true Christian. Remember what Paul said: [Darrin Yeager (DYeager.org, 2002).] Rom 8:1 So those who are believers in Christ Jesus can no longer be condemned.

A true Christian cannot commit a sin for which there is no forgiveness. We are protected by the power of God (1 Peter 1:5). Although we can certainly grieve the Holy Spirit, he still seals us for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). The Apostle Paul was confident "that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6, NKJV).

Bear in mind, however, if someone who claims to be a Christian is responding to the Holy Spirit and Christ in a way very similar to that of the Pharisees, despite the strong witness of the Holy Spirit and abundant exposure to the truth of God's Word, it is highly doubtful that the person was ever saved. Only God knows for sure. The evidence clearly points to an unregenerate heart.
"…for a tree is known by its fruit. …For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:33-34, NKJV).

…If one's conscience is bothering him to the point that he feels he is too guilty for God to forgive, he has the assurance of God's Word that forgiveness is possible. The very fact that he is bothered by his sinfulness shows that the Holy Spirit has not abandoned him nor has God given him over to a depraved mind.

Wednesday 23 September 2009

My Christiaan KPA

This last week GOD has embarked on giving me another view of the Mystery of GOD'S Kingdom.

I know that GOD has given me eternal life, through his Son, Jesus Christ (1Jn 5:11). This I know by having confessed and been forgiven all my sins (1Jn 1:9). Having confessed my sins, GOD is just and faithfull to cleanse me from all righteousness (1Jn 2:9). By knowing Jesus has GOD's approval, in believing in Jesus, I am standing right before GOD (1Jn 2:29). By believing in Jesus, I have to walk the walk of Jesus (1Jn 2:6).

My Christian KPA Objectives are;

Mat 6:33 But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.

Mat 22:37 Jesus answered him, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'

Mat 22:39 The second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'

Mat 28:19 So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

1Ti 4:16 Focus on your life and your teaching. Continue to do what I've told you. If you do this, you will save yourself and those who hear you.

Luk 21:36 Be alert at all times. Pray so that you have the power to escape everything that is about to happen and to stand in front of the Son of Man."

2Co 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, we need to cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit and live a holy life in the fear of God.

Measurement;

1Jn 2:29 If you know that Christ has God's approval, you also know that everyone who does what God approves of has been born from God.

I pray that, the source of hope, fill you with joy and peace through your faith in him. Then you will overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom 15:13 )

Mar 13:31 The earth and the heavens will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

Have a BLESSED weekend

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Today; Walk the walk of Jesus Christ

COLOSSIANS 2:6 "As you therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk with Him"

Receiving Jesus into our lives is one thing - walking with Him is the next.

Jesus gave us an assurance that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is able to bless our lives, lift us up, change our future.

We have to discipline ourselves to walk with the Lord.

We cannot walk in the lifestyle of the world and walk with Jesus at the same time.

1Jn 2:15-17 GW
(15) Don't love the world and what it offers. Those who love the world don't have the Father's love in them.
(16) Not everything that the world offers-physical gratification, greed, and extravagant lifestyles-comes from the Father. It comes from the world, and
(17) the world and its evil desires are passing away. But the person who does what God wants lives forever.

When we are disciplined, our lives become productive; our speech, attitude and actions are Christ-like, and we bear the fruit of the Spirit.

So let us today

Let us every Tuesday....
Let us every week....
Let us every month...
walk the walk and talk the talk...
Jesus all the way!

Monday 21 September 2009

What are the basics of Christianity? #2

What are the basics of Christianity?
My second verse promised to share with you;

#1 our knowledge and ownership of eternal life. (1Jn 5:11-13 GW)

#2 We must know that our sins are forgiven (1Jn 1:9 KJV)

We ARE forgiven our sins on the basis of the message of truth, the GOOD NEWS that has saved us. (Eph 1:13 ). We have repented our sins to experience the grace of GOD. (Act 3:19). Forgiveness is a pre-requisite to becoming a child of GOD!

1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

With this knowledge, if we ever are confronted with how we know that all our sins are forgiven, lets be able to recite this verse 1 Jon 1:9

Our Father, we praise you for your grace, for your Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we are certain an eternal life and forgiveness of all our sins. Amen

Friday 18 September 2009

Righteous before GOD

Righteous = Virtuous = honest = just

Means to be in right standing with GOD or to be able to stand right before GOD.

Psa 1:1-6 GW
(1) Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of wicked people, take the path of sinners, or join the company of mockers.
(2) Rather, he delights in the teachings of the LORD and reflects on his teachings day and night.
(3) He is like a tree planted beside streams- a tree that produces fruit in season and whose leaves do not wither. He succeeds in everything he does.
(4) Wicked people are not like that. Instead, they are like husks that the wind blows away.
(5) That is why wicked people will not be able to stand in the judgment and sinners will not be able to stand where righteous people gather.
(6) The LORD knows the way of righteous people, but the way of wicked people will end.


We can never come into place of right standing with GOD by our own doing.

Rom 3:27-28 GW
(27) So, do we have anything to brag about? Bragging has been eliminated. On what basis was it eliminated? On the basis of our own efforts? No, indeed! Rather, it is eliminated on the basis of faith.
(28) We conclude that a person has God's approval by faith, not by his own efforts
.

1Jn 3:18-24 GW
(19) This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we will be reassured in his presence.
(20) Whenever our conscience condemns us, we will be reassured that God is greater than our conscience and knows everything.
(21) Dear friends, if our conscience doesn't condemn us, we can (boldly look to God) STAND RIGHTEOUSLY BEFORE GOD


I PRAY FOR PROSPERITY AND LOVE IN YOUR RELATIONS WITH EACH OTHER (FAMILITY MEMBERS) AS WELL AS AN ENLIGHTENED INTIMIATE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN DURING THIS WEEKEND. BLESS YOU!!!

A clear conscience before GOD

Conscience
= Sence of right and wrong
= Principles i.e. Philosophy, values
= Ethics i.e. beliefs, morals

Have you ever had this feeling that your are doing something or thinking something which is wrong? That is, being wrong in terms of morals, values,beliefs, faith?

Have you ever done something or thought something that is not righteous? That is not being blameless before GOD. ?

1Jn 3:18-24 GW
(18) Dear children, we must show love through actions that are sincere, not through empty words.
(19) This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we will be reassured in his presence.
(20) Whenever our conscience condemns us, we will be reassured that God is greater than our conscience and knows everything.
(21) Dear friends, if our conscience doesn't condemn us, we can boldly look to God
(22) and receive from him anything we ask. We receive it because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him.
(23) This is his commandment: to believe in his Son, the one named Jesus Christ, and to love each other as he commanded us.
(24) Those who obey Christ's commandments live in God, and God lives in them. We know that he lives in us because he has given us the Spirit.

A clear conscience before God therefore leads to boldness and confidence before God.

This thought keeps me busy each day,

keeps me aligned with what I now believe is a nature of Christ in me,

reminds me being a child of GOD,

keeps me growing towards His nature,

make me able to realize what is being unrighteous,

makes me recognizing my conscience as the voice of the Holy Spirit,

reminds me realising the grace of GOD!

I am the first to confess that this is not always the case and therefore I thank GOD for his grace and I thank Jesus being my Mediator to GOD.

Joh 8:32 You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

Christian advise

Pro 11:14 A nation will fall when there is no direction, but with many advisers there is victory.

It is to our advantage to listen to others when making decisions. One of the means to achieve this is our weekly meetings. By the grace of GOD alone, we are privileged to convene.

I trust the Holy Spirit to give you the urge to join our meeting today.
Please bring along prayer requests / testimonies.

GOD BLESS

Rom 14:13 So let's stop criticizing each other. Instead, you should decide never to do anything that would make other Christians have doubts or lose their faith.

Friday 11 September 2009

Jesus is our Vine of existence

Imagine you standing with your one arm outstretched to the side, slightly angled forward, your hand bend backward, fingers spread open.

Imagine GOD in heaven, doing exactly this, thereby indicating HIM hiding all sins, sinful beings from his view. GOD cannot condone sin!!!!

For this purpose, GOD has offered his son, Jesus Christ for redemption of all our sins, and when we believe and repent our sins, we are filled with the nature of Christ, we are a children of GOD. GOD drops his hand from those that accept Jesus as their Savior!

This is only possible by faith, by acceptance of Jesus Christ, When GOD thus removes his hand, HE sees us through Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ then is our mediator to GOD. Is it then not appropriate why Jesus had said;
Joh 15:4 GW
(4) Live in me, and I will live in you. A branch cannot produce any fruit by itself. It has to stay attached to the vine. In the same way, you cannot produce fruit unless you live in me.

I pray that you are filled with the Holy Spirit and are driven to maintain a close relationship with GOD through Jesus Christ! Have a blessed weekend!

Joh 1:14 The Word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness and truth.

Thursday 10 September 2009

What are the basics of Christianity?

When rugby players start of their season, they always start off with the basics. These basics could include the following;
What does a rugby ball look like
How to pass a ball
How to kick a ball
How to tackle a player
How to cross the advantage line

This is a never ending cycle of events. Always some time or another, one always returns to the basics, always performs the basics, always executes the basics.

So one may ask; What are the basics of Christianity?

I have been given a view of this that I would like to share on a weekly basis, the first of which is the knowledge and ownership of eternal life.

1Jn 5:11-12 GW

(11) This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is found in his Son.

(12) The person who has the Son has this life. The person who doesn't have the Son of God doesn't have this life.


With this knowledge, if we ever are confronted with questions concerning our faith or eternal life, lets be able to recite these verses!

2Ti 3:16 Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God's approval.

Thursday 3 September 2009

God will fulfill all our needs

The church at Philippi had sent a gift to meet the needs of Paul. The Philippians were obedient to the Gospel, they were obedient to the demands of love for Paul, and they were obedient in their obligation to God’s servant. Paul's response (by means of his in faith in God) was as follows;
Php 4:19 KJV
(19) But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

There is no promise that God shall supply all our desires or wishes, but there is a certainty that He will fulfill all our needs.

KJV Commentary has an excellent summation of this section;

We see first of all in this verse a great need. God promises to meet all of their (our) need, not all of their wishes, wants, or whims. Men have physical needs, mental needs, social needs, economic needs. Men have not only temporal needs, but spiritual and eternal needs. Men need perpetual pardon, perpetual peace, and perpetual power.

Secondly, we see in this verse a great helper. Paul says "But my God". Paul could not repay the Philippians, but God could and would. Paul does not say my God can supply all your needs, but my God shall supply all your needs. This was Paul’s personal testimony and confession of faith.

We see next a great Supplier. There is a total supply for a total need. God’s supply is infinite, abundant, inexhaustible, limitless, boundless. God many times uses the agencies of men to meet our needs.

Next we see great resources. God’s riches in glory. Paul says according to his riches, not out of His riches, not off the top. God’s supply is not according to our deserts, but according to His mercy; not out of debt, but out of grace; not according to our emptiness, but according to His fullness; not according to our poverty, but according to His wealth. God has great riches.

Lastly, look at the great and glorious channel by Christ Jesus. "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. There is no other Mediator; there is no other channel.

With such precious truth before us then there can only be concurrence with the past, contentment with the present, and confidence for the future

Wednesday 2 September 2009

Jesus is the bread of life

Jesus is the true bread from heaven. He is the bread of God. He is the living bread.
Joh 6:33 God's bread is the man who comes from heaven and gives life to the world."

Jesus satisfies our every need. Jesus satisfies our deepest needs. Jesus is to the soul what food is to the body and air is to the lungs. Jesus feeds us and fills us. He who comes to Jesus will never go hungry, and he who believes in Jesus will never be thirsty.

Joh 6:35 Jesus told them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never become hungry, and whoever believes in me will never become thirsty.

Joh 6:51 I am the living bread that came from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. The bread I will give to bring life to the world is my flesh."

Jesus says He is the "bread of life" which is the opposite of bread/food that spoils.
Joh 6:27 Don't work for food that spoils. Instead, work for the food that lasts into eternal life. This is the food the Son of Man will give you. After all, the Father has placed his seal of approval on him."

Lord Jesus, I pray today that we are enlightened by your love. That we, like cracked clay pots, glow from within with your nature and love. Guide us today by the Holy Spirit to act and by word spread YOUR love. We pray for this through Jesus Christ, our Savior

We are stones, carried to the mountain Zion, our Heavenly Jerusalem

Positive Power Card; The person who removes a mountain begins carrying away small stones

Spiritual Power Card; We are stones, carried to the mountain Zion, our Heavenly Jerusalem

I scanned for "stone" and "mountain" within the bible and primarily found two related synonyms i.e.
Stone = Cornerstone = Jesus, and
Mountain = Mount Zion = Heavenly Jerusalem

Stone = Cornerstone = Jesus.
A cornerstone needs to be straight and square so that the builder would be able to built the rest of the building straight. A building that leans will not endure. This is the idea that Peter is giving to us by quoting Isaiah.
Isa 28:16 This is what the Almighty LORD says: I am going to lay a rock in Zion, a rock that has been tested, a precious cornerstone, a solid foundation. Whoever believes in him will not worry.

Jesus is the perfect cornerstone upon which the spiritual house of God is built and we are the spiritual stones in this house. We must built and measured against the Living Stone to ensure that we are in line with it. As we are built upon this cornerstone, we must keep our lives aligned to Jesus. He is the foundation and we are to build our lives directly on him.
Act 4:10-12 GW
(10) You and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands in your presence with a healthy body because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You crucified Jesus Christ, but God has brought him back to life.
(11) He is the stone that the builders rejected, the stone that has become the cornerstone.


Mountain = Mount Zion = Heavenly Jerusalem
Mount Zion is located on the south-west side of the old city (Jerusalem) , outside of the present walls. In Greek and Roman times this was the southern side of the walled city, the place of the Jesus last supper and the home of the high priest high priest Caiaphas.

Psa 48:2 Its beautiful peak is the joy of the whole earth. Mount Zion is on the northern ridge. It is the city of the great king.

Read more about and view pictures of Mount Zion @ http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/MountZion.html

Jesus is the Cornerstone of Zion
1Pe 2:6 That is why Scripture says, "I am laying a chosen and precious cornerstone in Zion, and the person who believes in him will never be ashamed."

Zion is God's spiritual kingdom, the heavenly Jerusalem
Heb 12:22 Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to tens of thousands of angels joyfully gathered together

We are the Spiritual Stones
1Pe 2:4-7a GW
(4) You are coming to Christ, the living stone who was rejected by humans but was chosen as precious by God.
(5) You come to him as living stones, a spiritual house that is being built into a holy priesthood. So offer spiritual sacrifices that God accepts through Jesus Christ.
(6) That is why Scripture says, "I am laying a chosen and precious cornerstone in Zion, and the person who believes in him will never be ashamed."
(7a) This honor belongs to those who believe.


We are destined to end up in Zion (Heavenly Jerusalem)
Heb 12:21-23 GW
(22) Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to tens of thousands of angels joyfully gathered together
(23) and to the assembly of God's firstborn children (whose names are written in heaven). You have come to a judge (the God of all people) and to the spirits of people who have God's approval and have gained eternal life.


What about non Believers?
1Pe 2:7b-8 GW
(7b)But to those who don't believe: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,
(8) a stone that people trip over, a large rock that people find offensive." The people tripped over the word because they refused to believe it. Therefore, this is how they ended up.


So, why not pick-up and carry the stones to Jesus?

We can do this in two ways;
Carry each other i.e. support fellow Christians
Pick-up and carry non-believers to Jesus

Thus if we build our lives on Jesus (the Cornerstone),we will be established in our lives and will not be shamed. We also may be rejected by people, but when we are built on Jesus, we will not be rejected by God.

Our value is in being living stones built into a spiritual house (in the Heavenly Jerusalem ) aligned with Jesus, our Cornerstone.