1Cor 2:1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, 5so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.
We are living in a critical time in terms of the integrity of the Gospel and the restorative plan of God for the church, as He prepares His bride for the return of Christ. In this passage, Paul plainly spells out the manner in which the Gospel is to be presented and also the manner in which we are to enter into revelation living as Spirit-filled and Spirit-led Christians.
Do you know what God wants of you? He wants your availability to His Holy Spirit and your radical obedience in faith. He doesn’t want your good looks, your wise learning, your cunning abilities or even your beautiful singing voice. He certainly doesn’t want your intelligent and cute ways of presenting Christ to the unsaved.
The gospel needs to be presented in a demonstration of God’s power. That’s why we need to be filled deeper and deeper in the Holy Spirit and be operating more and more in the power of God. Stepping out of our comfort. Moving in the gifts of the Spirit – word of knowledge, prophecy, word of wisdom, healing, miracles.
v5so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power – people who get converted to Christ through a light-weight gospel presentation, get a light-weight conversion. An intellectual acceptance of Jesus will produce an intellectual believer. When a person is presented with the gospel, there needs to be a conviction of sin and deep sorrow leading to repentance. The fear of the Lord needs to be present.
The fear of the Lord is clean – endures forever. I love it when people come to Christ with weeping, deep conviction. Why? Because it’s evidence of a heart being opened, touched, cleansed and healed.
Parents – do all you can to get your child a great education, but teach them to walk in the Spirit. When the scripture says, “get wisdom, get knowledge… it’s talking about revelation. Be the prophetic generation not the pathetic one.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
Inheriting the Nations
My dad didn’t do the right thing by his children and allowed his considerable wealth to be inherited by somebody else.
What about an inheritance from my heavenly Father? Now there’s a thought that interests me. What’s more, I don’t have to wait until I die to inherit from Father God.
Ps 2:7I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
8Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
I want to focus upon two words in this scripture… 8Ask me
On Thursday night I went to the first anniversary of our International service. I looked at the team ministering and performing… Jessica from Korea twirling in her Korean traditional dress; Sonny in his Tongan flax; others in their national costumes – I thought, “Lord, we have the nations as an inheritance.”
At last count, we have 46 nationalities represented in our congregation. Probably more now.
What a richness this brings to us. What a rehearsal for heaven.
Do you know that when I go to heaven – there will be people there who will be my inheritance and my reward – Indian, Chileno, Ugandan, Sri Lankan, Tongan…. And they will be one with me and together we will sing and worship before the throne of our Father. I want to tell you… what I missed from my earthly dad fades and pales into insignificance.
Asking… You have not because you ask not – ask that you might receive. Begin to build up your own portfolio of nations. I began to ask God for Sudanese in our community, when I saw them.
Start with the realization that God wants you have nations and to ask Him for them.
I’ve passed on my inheritance to my kids. They now ask for the nations. They are already building a portfolio.
Have you asked for Australia? Now is the time to ask.
Ask for Australia to be a nation under God.
Ask for Australia to be saved
Ask for Australia to have a government that honours God’s laws and fears God
Ask for Australia to have a leader who is God-fearing and bible-believing
Ask for a Senate that has men and women who fear God.
What about an inheritance from my heavenly Father? Now there’s a thought that interests me. What’s more, I don’t have to wait until I die to inherit from Father God.
Ps 2:7I will proclaim the LORD’s decree:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have become your father.
8Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
I want to focus upon two words in this scripture… 8Ask me
On Thursday night I went to the first anniversary of our International service. I looked at the team ministering and performing… Jessica from Korea twirling in her Korean traditional dress; Sonny in his Tongan flax; others in their national costumes – I thought, “Lord, we have the nations as an inheritance.”
At last count, we have 46 nationalities represented in our congregation. Probably more now.
What a richness this brings to us. What a rehearsal for heaven.
Do you know that when I go to heaven – there will be people there who will be my inheritance and my reward – Indian, Chileno, Ugandan, Sri Lankan, Tongan…. And they will be one with me and together we will sing and worship before the throne of our Father. I want to tell you… what I missed from my earthly dad fades and pales into insignificance.
Asking… You have not because you ask not – ask that you might receive. Begin to build up your own portfolio of nations. I began to ask God for Sudanese in our community, when I saw them.
Start with the realization that God wants you have nations and to ask Him for them.
I’ve passed on my inheritance to my kids. They now ask for the nations. They are already building a portfolio.
Have you asked for Australia? Now is the time to ask.
Ask for Australia to be a nation under God.
Ask for Australia to be saved
Ask for Australia to have a government that honours God’s laws and fears God
Ask for Australia to have a leader who is God-fearing and bible-believing
Ask for a Senate that has men and women who fear God.
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