1 Pastor's Point of View: Recent Episodes
Pastor Tino DiSiena
1 Pastor's Point of View encourages reflection on one's life through the mirror of God's Word. After listening to this podcast you will have a better understanding of the practical application of God's Word to your own everyday experiences. If you would like to explore our church's complete website, please click this link: http://www.freegospelassembly.com/
(Is He now too busy rejoicing for a deserved victory, along with
the inhabitants in heaven.)
Main texts: Acts 9:1-19, especially verses 3-6; Hebrews 4:15;
Revelation 6:9-11
Does God with His massive victory over sin, through His Son
Jesus Christ, now live and only part of in an eternal, infinite
heavenly bubble, eagerly and happily awaiting us to join Him?
Yes & No: There is great rejoicing in heaven for every soul that
joins the great Feast of the Lamb (Luke 15:7) and it is ongoing for
eternity but there is also a divine awareness, intercession
(Hebrews 7:25) and empathetic feeling from the top down (from
God and the saints.) (Revelation 6:9-11)
They are not only rejoicing but feel our persecutions down here
(note the Lord’s rebuke of Saul in Acts 9:3-6.)
We who still live and work in this fallen world remain in all aspects
of life deeply entangled with our personal Lord, not from afar or
with an aloofness but with great empathy: “Saul why are you
persecuting me…” This statement is not just an example of
empathetic symbolism or a statement by the Lord as to how He
remembers how it felt when He was persecuted, rather it is a
“now” reality expressed in the present tense. And it applies also to
our present relationship with Christ. He, in His intercession for us
(Hebrews 7:25) “… is touched by the feelings of our infirmities
(KJV)” or my paraphrase of the NIV version: “for we do not have a
high priest who is unable to empathize (actually feel with us) in
our varied pains and struggles, very much part of this fallen world:
He somehow suffers with us (and so does heaven’s saints,
implied in Revelation 6:9-11.)
And He will act in all our situation in His time and manner. The
risen Lord confronted Paul on his way to Damascus to persecute
the Christians but Jesus, feeling their persecution, confronted and
stopped him. This was part of His intercession for His children
and even for their persecutor.
With His powerful revelatory act, He eased the believer’s
persecution by converting the persecutor.
Again, consider Jesus words to “Saul, Saul, why do you
persecute me.” Again, this illustrates how God touched when His
children hurt: He somehow hurts with them and replies in His time
and manner.
Jeremiah 29:1-14; 2 Corinthians 9:11; Matthew 6:32-33
Mark 10:28-31 (earthly things gained with possible persecution);
Galatians 5:22-24 (The fruit or product of Spirit living in and through us);
Roman 12:2 (The developing of the mind/attitude that Jesus portrayed and Paul’s inner desire expressed in Philippians 3:10, his central driving force in his life and ministry).
These passages highlight the varied aspects of Biblical prosperity, especially clarified in the New Testament. It covers the whole sphere of life’s possibilities in a fallen world; where we are called to be living witnesses, which includes both experiences of resurrection power and sufferings (again not Philippians 3:10).
Jeremiah’s letter to the first of the Jewish exiles to Babylon (597 B.C.) instructed them on how to behave in their current situation of captivity: The message is found in verses 5-9. They were to settle down, accept God’s discipline and experience divine prosperity even in the context of their captivity.
Even in the Old Testament, Romans 8:28 was relevant. They were even expected to pray for the prosperity of their captors (verse 7); of course, the false prophets kept a hacking Jeremiah’s message concerning this (see Jeremiah 29:15-23).
God again rebukes them, tells them there would be many more deportations to Babylon. Therefore, learn to accept prosperity even in your captivity. Also read James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:6-7.
This would be a lesson that both Old Testament and New Testament followers had to experience and learn: Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up; Peter adds “in due time” and Galatians 6:9 adds “if you faint not or give up.” Therefore, to prosper in the Lord includes all of the above verses that point to not only physical or earthly prosperity but spiritual prosperity; and developing, by the Spirit in all circumstances, the mind or attitude of Christ. And God’s support, both to the captives in Jeremiah’s time and us, who live and work in this fallen, challenging world, will be given continued support in spite the fact that we remain imperfect saints; again, note Romans 8:28 and Jeremiah 29:11-14 (read again).
Some ways God wants to prosper us;
1–Guide us in our praying for His personal purposes for our lives, in all areas of living and witnessing (Romans 8:28); (Mark 10:28-31); (Matthew 6:32-33)
2-Pray especially that we will develop the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24) and the mind/attitude of Christ in our dealings with the world: This is our primary goal and prosperity (Matthew 6:33).
3-Pray that you and I will function selflessly in the prosperity of the Body of Christ; and, ask and receive the spiritual gifting chosen for us by the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 4:4-11” “… for the common good”, not for our egos!
4-Consider the fact that in the whole process of prospering in the Lord, our mistakes and the world’s challenges will be covered by the Lord, Romans 8:28 “… for our good.”
Consider the fact that “God is able to do more abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us.” So that we prosper in all areas of living and witnessing, considering also Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” And His plans for all of us is to prosper us holistically, but more importantly to be more like Christ in the midst of all our captivities.
AMEN
Matthew 6:9-14; Luke 11:2-4; Galatians 4:1-7 and Romans 8:14-17
Our relationship with God our Savior and Lord is illustrated in the N.T. with the deepest, most loving relationship possible in this life: Parent to child. When this relationship is good it provides, world wide, the greatest example of love, joy, but when the parents are bad or evil, it becomes repulsive and shocking to all good parents everywhere. God manifested His love for us by sending His Son to atone for our sins, while we were yet sinners. We become adopted children, precious in His sight. He asks us to refer to Him primarily not as oh Powerful God, but as “Father” (Matthew 6:9) and even “Dad or Daddy” in Luke 11:2 (See also Galatians 4:6, “Abba Father” Romans 8:14-17)
And even when scripture tells us the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; it is referring to awe and respect for our creator parent and sustainer not to be scared of Him. Both renditions of the Lord’s prayer reminds us to develop a respectful intimacy with God our Father and our dad, daddy (“Abba”). The aspects of God, parenthood can be summarized by the following points:
- Respect “Our Father”
- Matthew 6:9-10. Remember the danger of over familiarity especially in relationship to heavenly Father.
- Intimacy (love) Father! Luke 11:2
- see also Galatians 4:1-7 and Romans 8:14-17; verse 17 “Abba”
- Adopted Children; In ancient societies, Roman and Jewish was very important and precious; See Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:14-16
- As our Divine Parent He is delighted to provide for us
- Note the second part of the Lord’s prayer in both Matthew 6:11-13 and Luke 11:3-4; Note these provisions come after worship and respect for our all powerful and loving parents.
- The primary things He wants us to develop; “the chip off the old block.” Develop HIs character. The fruit of the Spirit, especially, forgiveness (Matthew 6:13-15; Luke 11:4; Galatians 5:22-26)
Read Genesis 17:1-26, especially verse 17; Genesis 18:1-15, especially verses 10-13
When Paul rehearses the theological significance of God’s dealing with Abraham and Sarah’s, he presents a picture of faith, and rightly so, but seemingly without much struggle and no mention of their laughter (See Romans 4:1-25, especially verses 18-25). Not only did Abraham and Sarah laugh at God’s seemingly ridiculous proposal, but they lived an imperfect life, in spite of the fact that all along the way God spoke to them directly. But, there were long times of silence when their lack of understanding and faith manifested in their actions, examples: lying to Pharaoh when they lived in Egypt during a famine about Sarah not being his wife; a similar episode with King Abimilek lying again with Sarah not being his wife (20:1-18); Abraham’’s relationship with Hagar had produced Ishmael, but God insisted that Sarah, not anyone else, would produce the miracle Son of Promise (16:1-16). Abraham and Sarah were not so perfect as Paul describes in Romans 4:18-25, note especially verses 19-20 “... yet he and she did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, what? In the passage in Genesis clearly presents a more realistic human picture of them. The major challenges to their faith was their time waiting and their ages: Abraham was 99(17:24) and Sarah way passed child bearing age (Romans 4:18-19 “...Her womb was dead.”) But from God’s point of view and ability He reiterated that he and Sarah must be the parents. At this he fell face down and laughed, “but to himself” (Sarah was close to 90 years of age!) But, God knew they laughed, see also 18:17, even though they thought they were hiding it from God. But, nothing can be hidden from our God, so better to be honest. And even though they lied, God remained faithful, because He realized that they were only human. But, I don’t think that their laughter was a sin of disrespect but a sort of nervous laughter overwhelmed by the promise!
-
- Finally sometimes in certain difficult to believe situations we need divine hope: Paul suggests in Romans 4:18, “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed…” This idea may be connected to one of Paul’s gifts of the Spirit: the gift of faith (1 Corinthians 12:9 a special impartation of faith, beyond saving faith, to empower to remain hopeful for the miracle promised to happen. This is what I think Abraham, Paul and others received and although remaining imperfect, God brought these promises to pass.
Re-read Romans 4:18; Hebrews 10:23-25; Philippians 1:6
Ezekiel 1:25-2:1; Revelation 1:9-17
While these types of experiences seem rare, they can occur today, not only to great prophets but those that consider themselves ordinary believers. They are especially crafted by God to produce “Awe”, or what we call the “Fear of the Lord” which is a foundational experience (Proverb 1:7, 9:10) which aids the believer to develop “Compassionate wisdom.” This type of experience usually induced by either theophany or angelic appearance can be shocking to the surprised recipient but it is given to produce awe of God. This experience prepares the believer for a very challenging call and mission. This type of experience can also resolve the subtle evil of becoming “over-familiar” with God: all daddy and no Lord; which may lead to a primarily egocentric relationship, where God becomes an easy broker or a soft touch: Remember that in the Lord’s prayer “your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” come before Give us today our daily bread etc. God has for all of us His will to be done on earth and sometimes it is so challenging that He gives such shocking experiences. It helps produce awe, respect, reverence for God that surpasses the normal human responses like fear because of the difficult call and challenge to their faith. And as in Paul’s life, God given radical manifestation began his ministry and continued throughout his ministry (Acts 9:23:11; 27:23)
Our key passages (Ephesians 1:25-2:1; Revelation 1:9-17) Continue to illustrate the humanly uncomfortable manifestations for God’s prophets’ but what begins as a shock ends with wisdom, confidence in God and His plan.
- Usually these shocking manifestation of God occur when God’s macro/major plans are revealed: Other examples are easy to locate in Scripture.
- Abraham’s call in Genesis 12:3 “Where he fell face down” before God’s revelation.
- Moses Burning Bush experience in Exodus 3, The whole chapter records Moses shock and human reticence
- Isaiah’s reaction in Isaiah 6:1-5 especially verse 5, “woe to me!” I am ruined… because eyes have seen the king, the Lord almighty” Remember also Job 42:1-5)
- Mary’s response to the angel Gabriel, Luke 1:29-30 “... Mary was greatly troubled and confused at the angel’s words’
- The disciples at Jesus’s transfiguration (Matthew 17:6 “When the disciples heard the voice of the Lord, declaring Jesus as His son, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified!
While these experiences themselves seem to be far from a blessing they all lead to a great respect for God and HIs personal call in their lives, an “Awe” and confidence that He who calls us is able to empower us to get it done (Philippians 1:6) a shock experience that leads to glory.
- Finally these experiences can be distinguished from an Ananias and Sapphira type of experience. Which illustrates a judgment from God. John the revelator’s “falling at the risen Jesus’s feet”, as though dead that produced great fear” was only a prelude to His call that produced great awe before God: John was “awestruck” before Jesus and His great Revelation. He received an experience while in prison at the island of Patmos, to encourage him to continue to see and write God’s final Revelation. John still had a purpose for the Kingdom & God had not abandoned him, even in prison.
Amen
Read 1 Samuel 24 (See also a second similar experience in 1 Samuel 26); Romans 12:9-21 (See also Hebrews 10:30-31)
David, pursued by a spiritually declining King Saul, who lost his throne because of disobedience to God (1 Samuel 15) hid with his small band of misfits in the cave of Adullam: In Chapter 26 a similar experience of pursuit is detailed where as in Chapter 24 by divine design Saul was given information as to David’s general whereabouts: “The desert of Enged,” (24:1); yet not an exact location. In chapter 24 it is assured that God in His providence led Saul to David’s exact cave, where he and his men were hiding. Saul entered this cave alone to relive himself. How convenient for David to be alone with Saul undetected in the cave. David was given by God a golden opportunity for revenge against his very real enemy and God’s rebellious king; wouldn’t he be doing himself and God a favor in killing him? And doesn’t he have a biblical right, although he wasn’t an official judge or jury, according to the Torah(e.g. Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20: Deuteronomy 19:21, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, wouldn’t it be justice to enact his personal revenge? The answer according to David’s Inaction (verses 3-7) and the N.T. (Matthew 5:38-48 and Romans 12:9-21, is No! According to the concept of progressive revelation and in the shadow of Jesus' revelation concerning His teachers against personal retribution: it’s not allowed except for self-defense. Only God the creative sustainer and atoner remains the ultimate Judge. This is especially clear in the N.T. but not absent in O.T, for note David’s “stricken conscience,”(24:5) and a God supported reaction of mercy again paralleling N.T. teaching on the topic of judgment (again note Romans 12:9-21). Saul was still King, although a very backslidden royal, was still the anointed of God and David respects that. David even regretted cutting off a small corner of Saul’s robe, to demonstrate what he could have done to Saul. And it seems in Saul’s reaction, what looked like the possible reconciliation between David and Saul; and through Saul’s conciliatory words a possible peace between Him and God.
But according to 24:16-24 Saul’s words of seeming repentance lasted only a moment and not long lasting as to Saul’s further behaviors in chapter 26 indicate and also 24:25, David was not counting on Saul’s rehabilitation.
Saul’s further spiritual decline is recorded in his consultation with the medium/ witch of Endor, since God was no-longer speaking to him and Samuel was dead, in chapter 28; and his ignominious death, with his sons, even Jonathan, in chapter 31. But, what can we as N.T. believers be reminded of David's inaction?
- As answer to the question: If God chose David to replace Saul for valid reasons as King, why allow Saul to pursue David? He loves David, chose him and is almighty, could He not put an end to Saul before the pursuit?
- Possible answer: David was also being tested by God to learn something about himself: would he continue to trust God in this seeming paradoxical situation? Even Jesus, in His humanity was tested (Matthew 4, Luke 4) tempted and had to learn something about humanity, “yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15) James 1:2-4 underlines God’s use of tests to further our growth in developing the mind of Christ.
- David as chosen king expressed the correct, divinely approved behavior in regards to Saul. But, David was far from perfect as the rest of his monarchy demonstrates(remember David and Bathsheba 2 Samuel 11; but he proved to be a great repenter not a rationalizer, see Psalm 51.)
- Since it was God, working behind the scenes that brought Saul to David's doorstep in Chapter 24 & 26, so that David could wax N.T. How can we know when God is orchestrating a personal test to gauge our trust in Him in paradoxical situations? The answer is, as in
Luke 10:38-42 (Verse 42) Matthew 6:32-33; Matthew 6:19-21, 24 (Treasures in Heaven)
This brief text underlines two main points: first, that Jesus looks to both men and women to be dedicated disciples; Second, that in our physical, societal lives our goals and priorities are more easily earthly, the heavenly goals are more difficult and ethereal. This is part of our fallen human nature and it’s focus that’s why the Gospels present such episodes our text where earthly practiced good duties are considered important but we should also include and make room for the spiritual and as difficult as it may be for us fallen humans, Christ’s Kingdom and calling should be prioritized not only by full-time ministers, but for every believer and as I emphasized many times before, God promises to provide needed help( Matthew 6:32-33; Luke 11:3) This brief episode in Mary and Martha’s (Lazarus sisters), lives demonstrates that what can distract us from our expected devotion to Christ, His calling and Kingdom are good, practical earthly things, in this case a cultural expectations for honorable women to prepare a feast for an honored rabbi; what would be wrong with this? But, this text interprets this good thing being done as a distraction(verse 40) in contrast to Mary’s adoration of Jesus “... (sitting at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said(His word)? While Martha was covering all the basis of societal, cultural expectations for such an event Mary seemed to not be doing her part for the honored guest and this bothered Martha. And she demanded that He command Martha to “help me”. Jesus' response to Martha is culturally counter intuitive in that society. Martha Martha… you are worried about many good things but compared to them there are more important things, summarized as only “a few or even one.” Mary has come up short for the expected societal demand, but has chosen what is better and even if the soup prepared gets cold, her taking time to worship Jesus will be accepted. This does not mean that Martha, Mary don’t also have good earthly duties beyond hospitality and even more important societal responsibilities to family, careers, comfort, upward mobility, but these come also because they are not easily detectable distractions as to our calling from Christ. While we strive to not commit clear heinous sins that are obvious to all, there exist other demons behind the so-called respectable actions that take up too much of our time and energies and they then become a distraction to our relationship with God and our service to Him. Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4, Luke 4) included some good practical earthly suggestions for a fasting, starving Jesus: “Jesus turn the stones to bread, for you are physically hungry, this would be a good thing, even a good thing to do, but Jesus said No! (“It is written, humans and even Jesus, shall not live on bread alone (Luke 4:4).” It would have been a good thing but Jesus taking this road would have led to a distraction from His mission. Other stories of women ministry to Jesus make similar points: first, a sinful woman anoints Jesus feet with tears, even pouring expensive perfume on them in the supper at the Pharisee’s house. Jesus becomes a display of repentance but for the Pharisee, this was a distraction from holiness and proof that Jesus may not be a true prophet. After all and possibly a waste of something very expensive. Second, possibly the same event in Mark 14:3-9 Jesus becomes was rebuked by those present as a waste of a years wages that could have been sold and given to the poor; but to Jesus it was a “beautiful thing she did to prepare for His burial,” as out of worship, their seeming reasonableness in this situation became a distraction. Judas Iscariot was one of the critics who shortly after the betrayal of Jesus (verses 10-11). Third, a similar strong reprisal in Matthew 26:6-13 Jesus' indignant audience spiritually could not see beyond their legalistic no
Luke 18:1-8 (See also Luke 11:5-8)
Ephesians 6:10-13
When we are born from above we begin our training to become a child of heaven, but most of the time He keeps us in this fallen world. He permits us to be opposed in many areas of our lives, even our prayer. We are not only temples of the Holy Spirit, but also retain our fallen nature or flesh. So there exists opposition from within and without in many areas of our lives and Christian walk. This parable as well as the accompanying passages illustrates these difficulties in praying, even if we are filled with the Spirit (Romans 8:26-28). Our main passage illustrates this by addressing an unfair balance of power: The powerless, weak widow (considered the least in a Patriarchal society) and the most powerful, an unjust judge. This judge illustrated here, neither feared God or cared for people, especially a poor, powerless widow. He didn’t even care as to how he was perceived by society(verse 2). And it goes without saying, no lawyer would touch her case. But, the one characteristic this widow had that eventually the judge acquiesced to was her “importunity” or “bold” persistence”: She kept coming and coming with her plea, “grant me justice against my adversary”(verse 3) This stubborn, unjust, uncaring judge for sometime(long time) refused to hear her. Finally gave in for a very self-centered reason (verses 4-5). The NIV version implies that in his eyes she looked unbalanced: This self-centered, unjust, uncaring judge could only think of himself.
The widow depicts, I think, the believer who is engaged in oppositional prayer, who has to persevere in order to finally get justice. But, what gives us hope from this parable and supports it’s main theme or lesson i n Luke 18:1 is that the antagonist and judge is replaced by a supremely caring God and sustaining God(John 3:16) Who is eager to provide all our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19) but what He doesn’t do is eliminate all opposition to our prayer existing in this fallen world(Ephesians 6:10-13).
God is characterized in this parable as the total opposite of the unjust judge (note verses 6-8) But because we still pray in a fallen oppositional environment we still have to pray with a similar importunity and even desperation “crying out to HIm day and night” and it seems that “He also keeps putting them off”(Verse 7) but he’s not, although He remains sovereign and He sets the time and manner of His responses to our prayers. Also He permits His children to be opposed by the world (Ephesians 6:100-13) These points require us to show boldness, perseverance and faith.
1)This parable “Especially applicable to the Parousia: The 2nd coming, victory and judgments etc. This will be the greatest event in human history(Verse 8) But the lesson of this parable(See verse 1) can apply to other needs and events in our lives: while opposition will continue in our praying, God promises to provide what we need, in His time and manner but only if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9) It almost seems at times that God is opposing us: Seems opposite to reality for the wordsays (Philippians 4:19), He is our provider and sustainer, but in His time and manner.
2) But while God is the opposite of the unjust judge, He still permits us to be engaged in this sinful world full of unjust judges and by a similar importunity of the poor widow is needed, by us to face the oppositions from the devil, demons, and our sinful flesh: Ephesians 6. Consider again (Galatians 6:9) “if we faint or give up, because God is committed to meet all our needs and accomplish His goals for our lives, but there remains a straining required of us, against the world, the flesh and the devil. Read Philippians 3:12-14.
3) And most importantly God promises to help us in our praying against these oppositional forces(note Romans 2:26-28; Hebrews 4:4-16)
… He is
Acts. 10:23-48, note especially verses 44-46. [Read in the context of Luke 24:49 & Acts 2:1-4, The Jewish Pentecost].
The Jewish believers in Jerusalem, after the resurrection of Jesus, were admonished to be in quasi hiding which refer to as an “”upper room” (1:4, 2:1).. They were told to not go anywhere until they received “power from on high”” (Luke 24:49) or baptized, immersed, bathed in the Holy Spirit’s power: only then go out in His direction and power(1:4). They were not told when this would happen or that it would happen in 50 days later, at the Jewish feast of Pentecost: note the word “suddenly”(2:1). The Spirit came in His time and manner and in grand fashion(read 2:1-4, The primary sign was “Other tongues”(Verse 4), not also verse 3, “Tongues of fire”. Tongues have to do with communication, Supernatural Communication. It’s not just the words of the gospel preached but the anointing or power of the Spirit behind them even in their praying (1 Corinthians 13:1; 14:1-2).
The time and manner for the Gentiles Spirit Baptism comes a little later in Acts 10 where God uses the Jewish believer, Peter, to reach out to the nations predicted in the Old Testament(Isaiah 49:6). Peter was not very opened minded so God had to give him a vision, or to open his religious mind; That Christ sacrificed is the cleansing, atoning for all people: 10:15 “...Don’t call anything impure that God has made clean “(repeated 3x - he’s a little stubborn). At this point the centurion’s men came to beckon Peter: God thought their devotion to the Jewish God deserved the progressive revelation to them, Peter was doing a pretty comprehensive job(10:23-43), but spoke too long according to the Spirit who was eager to empower the gentiles, so He interrupted Peter - (See verse 43) and similar to Acts 2:1-4, the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on them (verses 44-46)
Notice that their experience was exactly like the Jewish Pentecost. Peter and his circumcised entourage were “astonished” and pleased when they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God just like them (see 2:1-4; also Galatians 3:26-29)
The Spirit is depicted here as being very eager to Baptize them, but He couldn’t wait for Peter to finish his verbal dissertation in the Gospel. Peter was convinced(note verses 47-48) at least for a time:consider the confrontation Paul had with him in Galatians 2:11-21. Peter’s openness seems to have suffered a set-back in Galatia. He and we need to keep growing in our liberality towards those different from us.
What can we today learn from this powerful story in Acts 10:
1)That God Prepares His people for further experiences in His Holy Spirit: a time of prayer and preparation (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8; Peter and all involved had to be prepared.
Peter had to experience divine trance, or vision unrequested by him. He had to experience it; ex. To get him ready and be willing to go preach to the gentiles. Cornelius’s household were devout and clearly open Acts. 10:1-7. More prepared than Peter pre-vision.
II. God expects His people to be obedient even if what He asks of them is challenging. And He is willing to do His part, by His Spirit, to gift them to action: He did this to the early Spirit filled Jewish believers; He did it to Peter by His visions. THe promise of Luke:24:49 and Acts 2 is enacted through the book of Acts and Christian history by the Spirit’s power we also need in our day in His time and manner.
III. God is eager, is His time, to extend His call to the Gentile that He interrupts, even Peter’s eloquent sermon. It’s not only about his or our words, dogmas etc. it’s by His Spirit(read Zechariah 4:4:6… Not by [human] might [only] but by my Spirit, says the Lord.
Read also Acts 1:8
Amen
Are Now Saved by Grace Not by Works of The Law!
(Isn’t All Forgiven)
Main Scriptures: 1 Peter 4:12-19; 2 Corinthians 5:10
Peter in this passage is following the O.T. pattern that God, while judging and
punishing the nations, also disciplines His children, Israel(for example, the Babylonian captivity for 70 years for their gross idolatries, see also the book of Habakkuk etc.) The purpose of these painful, tragic events was to restore His children to the right relationship with Him, but they never stopped being His children. The word “Judgment” used in 1 Peter 17 really, in context = “discipline” for the purpose of cleansing or restoration. Peter concludes that the contrast to those pagans (ungodly, sinners) who refuse to believe is great, even incomparable(verse 18) There is also a warning message from Peter to believers as to their ongoing behaviors as believers. Even though Christians are saved by grace and faith there is a faith walk for followers and they will be evaluated by the Spirit, the word and their final judgment; and while it does not affect their salvation it somehow affects their final divine evaluation (See both 2 Corinthians 5:10... receive what is “due us”; 1 Corinthians 3:15 a believer may “suffer loss”, as to their reward). Therefore not everything at the believers evaluation will be pleasant(note the judgment seat of Christ; 2 Corinthians 5:10, is different than the Great
White Throne of Judgment at the last days, for those who continually refused and who rebelled against Christ’s rule after His Millennial Reign(Revelation 20:11-15)
Why? Because Peter is addressing the possible difficulties that Christians
may experience in this fallen world. At times living the Christian life or certain
circumstances can be “very hard” (1 Peter 4:18, also verses 12-16) and Peter
wants to encourage them to persevere and not become saintly in their
confessions but worldly in their behaviors because salvation is solidly based on
faith and grace. The quality of our living or works, our Spirit inspired faith walk will
affect our reception in heaven(1 Peter 4:17; 1 Corinthians 3:15; II Corinthians
5:10) Remember also the book of James emphasis in 3:14-26, especially 17, “...
faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action/works is dead”; also Paul’s
admonition in Romans 8:4, not to live according to the flesh, but according to the
Spirit: both are still within us and our behaviors will still be adjudicated(2
Corinthians 5:10) even when we are still saved (1 Corinthians 3:15)
Conclusion
I) Salvation comes entirely by grace through faith in Christ(John 3:16-18;
Ephesians 1:7; 2:9; even 1 Corinthians 3:15 admits this”... how you and I build
our lives in Christ, will count in our ultimate evaluation and even if we “suffer loss,
as to our reward, we will be saved.
II) Although God has no expectations that our walk will be perfect as
saints (1 John 1:8-2:2) He does expect to put forth our best faith effort as to our
living.
III) Walk and live in Christ in the context that God remains our father,
Jesus remains our advocate, when we do sin, and the Spirit remains our
counselor and Power behind God’s mercy and forgiveness, and witness
And although sometimes it’s hard even for His adopted children to trust in
His love and mercy even with the Holy Spirit within us, the Word to inform
us and community of faith to encourage us, He promises to never leave us
and forsake us and continue to apply His forgiveness to us as we
approach Him in humility, honesty and hunger.
Amen
Re-read 1 Peter 4:17-19 especially verse 19
Genesis 28:10-22
Jacob and Esau, twin sons of Isaac, struggled for dominance even from the
womb, but it was Jacob, who by deceptive means, steals the firstborn birthright from Esau, with their mother’s help: What a soap opera story(See Genesis 27). Jacob, whose name means “Deceiver or supplanter” is then forced to escape to Haran the birthplace of his grandfather Abraham. It was during this fleeing for sin committed that God manifests His grace via a supernatural dream, in a most unexpected place: a “certain(ordinary desert) place”(28:10). Jacob was not described as seeking God, or praying, lamenting to God, asking for forgiveness, he was just escaping a bad situation he and his mother caused. He was not looking for a calling from God but only to survive Esau’s wrath.. Here in a nondescript place, with no religious significance, no sacred altars around (Compare to Isaiah’s call while in the temple Isaiah 6:1-13) God encounters Jacob: a Theophany. In fact as stated in Romans 8:28, God worked all that happens for His purposes and the benefit of Jacob. Jacob’s unbeknownst to the other characters in this narrative, was chosen by God, not Esau, to be the last patriarch father to the future 12 tribes of Israel(See also Romans 9:13 “Jacob I loved, I chose for a
particular service, Esau I hated = I preferred Jacob) Why? Since his name means “Deceiver, supplanter”, None of our business, God
is sovereign! What can we learn from this story?
I) God came in a context of duplicity: no goodness here (See Genesis 27) To
attract God’s Involvement. But God in many ways intervenes where He is not called upon because He is Sovereign. Circumstances don’t have to be perfect for Him to intervene: (John 3:16; Romans 5:8 etc)
II) God came unexpectedly in a very ordinary place: during a rest-stage
(28:10-11); “Just a certain place”, but in God’s chosen time and manner. There were no altars around or during a prayer meeting etc. And there was nothing that Jacob did to prepare or to earn this revelation.
III) God came in a special revelation via the use of dream but not any ordinary
dream but a revelatory dream with a message: In 28:12 The text presents what Jacob saw and what the Lord said 28:13-15. A vision for Jacob in his present situation and beyond his time. This was only the beginning of his transformation, finalized by a 2nd theophany in chapter 32, where he wrestles with God and as a result his name was
changed, from Jacob to Israel (he struggled with God and was transformed: but no
perfect IV) God came, his transformation process begins 28:16-22
God came sovereignly, Jacob was unaware that He was in that place
(28:16)
A new fear and awe for the Lord verse 17
He commits himself with a vow verse 19
He prays to return victories to his father’s house, after his journey, and he
does (Chapter 32) But all of the above was not without hardship and wrestling with God.
Amen
James 5:16-18; 1 Kings 19:6-28
James paraphrased: “Elijah the great prophet was a human being, even as we
are, full of weakness needed to pray more earnestly because the power behind his
prayer did not lie in his supernatural giftedness but rather in his humane need for God’s intervention... The prayer of a righteous person is only powerful when energized by the Holy Spirit: James 5:18-19;
God permits or causes difficult situations to punish sin and hopefully cause
repentance. God’s chastisements always come with a prophetic message for sinners t repent and follow Him; it’s not only uncontrolled divine wrath to just ease His anger.
III) Finally the ultimate purpose of God’s will in all situations that we experience in
life, the goodness body is found in Verse 24 - Verse 25; The woman and her sons know experientially the truth of God’s word and its heading restoring power in every situation.
Amen; Romans 8:28
Galatians 5:22-6:10 (especially 6:10 compared to James 1:27 and even 1
Corinthians13 → Where it all lands!)
Paul writes these conciliatory, comforting words in the context of a rebuking
diatribe to the churches of Galatia. They were receiving and listening to Judaizing
beliefs from Jerusalem. They were teaching his gentile converts that they needed to follow the law and be circumcised along with faith in Jesus to be saved. This was a call to arms for Paul and this letter mirrors his opposition to these ideas, especially for the gentiles. Paul emphasizes that it’s not the law or circumcision that saves but only by faith in Christ (Galatians 3). He even rebuked Peter, who seemed intimidated by these
visiting Judaizers (2:11-21). Paul was opposed to this message, and he expressed hi opposition to this message in very strong language. The author of 1 Corinthians 13
pronounces curses and a coarse rebuke both against heretical angels (1:8-9) as well as Judiazers (5:12)
All just prior to writing the beautiful words of Galatians 5:22-25 concerning the
“Fruit of the Holy Spirit”. Was he speaking in the context of the fruit of the Spirit” when in prior chapters he issues such rebukes or is he reflecting on his own, “Acts of the flesh”(5:19-21)? I think Paul the very human Apostle of the Spirit was upset at what the damage these Judaizers were causing to their gentile brothers and sisters that he behaved confrontationally, urgently so he might mitigate the damage that would be done to the key message that would unite as one people, Jew and Gentile. And once he dealt with this hot issue he seems to calm himself down to a more “Fruit of the Spirit” inspired strategy that would unite and be conciliators to are body, both Jew and Gentile; In 6:1-10 illustrates some of how the Spirit inspired qualities would look like and what the central aim would be “to do good to all.”
1) How to treat those entrapped in a sin: possibly one done against the teacher; 6:1:
“People that are spiritual enough to restore sinners, are still possible sinners;”
a) There cannot be any holier than thou Christians in Paul’s view.
2) To fulfill the central law of Christ (Galatians 5:22 & 6:2 “Love must help carry
each others overbearing burdens (see also Galatians 5:14)
a) (Rather than trying to take the speck out of someone else’s eye take the
beam out of our own eye (Matthew 7:5) follow Jesus’s example in 1 Peter
5:7, he accepts all our cares and anxieties, when you help someone with
the burdens, they cannot carry alone, ask yourself why are you or I doing
it?
3) Stay far away from relational pride: comparing, comparing, evaluating, constantly
comparing! Rather focus on self (It’s our actions compared to God’s word and
Spirit (See the acts of the flesh 5:19-21)
4) Learn to Lead by example and don’t be lazy: teach others to be responsible
especially in spiritual matters (note verse 5 is not equal to 6:2 which implies
burdens that come upon others like 6:1 that our brother and sister cannot carry
alone. (See also 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 → comforting each other!)
5) Be generous especially to your teachers, verse 6 (Again the fruit of the Spirit
5:22-26) (See also 2 Corinthians 9:6-15)
6) Reaping and sowing: We can never fool God (Verses 7-8) (or mock God like, for
example Ananias and Sapphira Acts 5:1-11. Note here the negative or
destructive effect doesn’t come from God but “from the flesh” the positive effects
from the Spirit
Conclusion
Warning that this will not be easy for human Christians: Verse 9, but the clearest
evidence that we are keeping in step with the Spirit(5:26) is summarized in verse
10: again not perfectly done but done with humility, honesty and hunger for God’s
glory.
Again read 6:9-10;
Read Isaiah 54:1-3 (Two Sides of The Same Coin, So To Speak)
Main Texts: 1 Samuel 1:1-28. Barren Hannah and the birth of Samuel; Luke 1:5-25,
57-66 Barren Elizabeth’s and the birth of John the Baptist; both conclude with worship Songs: Hannah 1 Samuel 2:1-4; Zechariah; Luke 1:67-80. In these particular situations barrenness was God created or permitted by God(1 Samuel 1:5-6; Luke 1:7) and counterintuitively in these particular situations were actually both a painful test of fait conjoined to the creation of Divine Opportunity; And they were not dependent on the central actors faith; But rather on God’s determined will which resulted in both joy and faith.
Luke 1:26-45; 46-56: The Announcement from Shock to Singing.
In God’s time and manner God sent one of His best Archangels, Gabriel to manifest His divine purpose to a 14 year old virgin, in a small poor town, called Nazareth pledged to an equally poor man named Joseph. The message was a shock to this young girl that left her dumbfounded. Gabriel prophesied the impossible, alongside of his earlier message to Zechariah and Elizabeth, also impossible: Young Mary would experience the miraculous virgin birth of the
Son of God and old Elizabeth gave birth to His prophet.
I think that she, a nobody, a virgin, would be part of God’s greatest creative event
inhuman history, past, present and future, would be a stretch by any human calculation. The incarnation, I believe, was even greater then Genesis 1:1-2. It was the incarnation of actual deity (Philippians 2:5-11) not a pagan god masquerading as a human. Again God in HIs infinite power and compassion usually chooses the weak, powerless to perform impossible parts of His purposes (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Matthew 10:37-39 and also Luke 14:26-27; 1 Timothy 5:8;
Wrongly or Incompletely understand they can cause unnecessary angst. They need the help of other passages with a similar theme. In these passages we are studying how to be a disciple and Jesus in regard to our loved ones. Are the above passages calling us to abandon and not care for our loved ones in our sacrificial service to Christ? My short answer is no! This is supported by passages like 1 Timothy 5:8; also Matthew 6:11, 25-34 especially verses 32-33 and even 7:7-12 (describes what good Fathers do, as well as our heavenly father - “We don’t give their children snakes, but bread...”)
If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Illustrated by the Conjunction “Yet” in Psalm 42 (Repeated 3x in Psalms 42 & 43: 42:5,11; 43:5)
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Sometimes God’s purposes in both our individual lives and group lives seem to be
unattainable in this life. All things seem to point to failure: It seems too late, even feels too late and some around us assure us that God’s purposes are too late to happen: but consider Hebrews. The book of Hebrews 11:13 admits that some of God’s promises and purposes don’t get fully accomplished in this short life but fully in heaven.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
1 Corinthians 2:1-16 especially verse 4
Paul in his preaching and doing ministry “resolved” (1 Corinthians 2:2) to
not depend only on his human talents but primarily on the message of
Christ Crucified (1 Corinthians 1:18) and dependence on the Holy Spirit to
demonstrate the wisdom and veracity of the message and God’s purpose
(note Romans 15:19).
Main Points
1) There is a message to be delivered both by words and demonstration,
both dependent on the Spirit’s revelation and anointing. Verse 6-10,
especially verse 10.
2) The Spirit Must Become our ultimate connection to all things divine,
especially the “deep things of God.” Although we will never understand
God’s wisdom completely in this life (1 Corinthians 2:11-12), we can
understand enough to be saved and grow in development of the mind of
Christ (v.16). The worldly pundits that consider it “foolishness” can
never, (verses 10-14) especially verse 14.
3) What about those without the Holy Spirit? (verses 14-16)
No matter how humanly smart and powerful they may be and successful
in all areas of life, even in religion, they cannot appreciate the cross of
Christ (2:8) and “the deep things of God” because they can only be
discerned by the revelation of the Spirit grounded on the word of God,
His creation (verses 14-15).
Finally, the goal of all things Christian is found in verse 16 (Isaiah 40:13).
My paraphrase: “Who has known the mind of the Lord (his thoughts or
“deep things”) so as to be able to instruct Him? The answer no one,
especially not the Jews, who demand signs like a military messiah or
Greeks who think human philosophizing can lead to God’s instruction and
truth. Only the Holy Spirit in His revelation both to our spirit or mind and His
written words of revelation in Scripture, rightly divided of course!
Read al Philippians 2:1-5
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
1 Corinthians 13; It’s not only for Weddings) See also Hebrews 5:11-6:3
1 Corinthians 13 is also a very important interpretive key to the rest of the N.T. It
reveals limits to our knowledge and understanding of the Gospel. Even in our “Born From Above” state, the best we can know and understand is “in part”(v12). But even with our partial understanding via the Holy Spirit, Scripture, the body of Christ we can progress in a pleasing way before God. He appreciates our good faith effort in the context of His mercy and forgiveness.
Our progression in our Christ experience goes from doctrines, gifts of the Spirit to
the ultimate goal of love, because even at the center of His being, “God is love”: And the central call for us is to love; remember Matthew 22:37-40: God, others and ourselves. Without our growth in love both as an inner attitude and outer behavior all other things received from God (gifts, faith, hope) in His estimation, “we gain nothing or more literally “it amounts to nothing”’ The NIV in verse 2 states literally “I am nothing!” This chapter aligns with Paul’s teaching in Galatians, about the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25); This is what it means to “Keep in step with the Spirit.”(Galatians 5:25). But, chapter 13 does not state that love as a perfect finality is possible while on earth only in heaven, but grows in it while still on earth.(13:12)
Hebrews 11:1-11; especially verses 1,6;
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Ephesians 2:8 (also review John 1:9; Romans 1:18-20 and concerning the gift of faith; 1 Corinthians 12:9; 13:2; James 5:15) Romans 1:20 states that humanity, not just Christians “are without excuse” as to belief. Consider the long list of evidence before us: The Christ of history, His crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension. The present power of the Holy Spirit; The marvelous creation of a creator God, the passage in John 1:9 that says every person that comes into this world is “enlightened” by the Word/Jesus.
Therefore Romans 1:20 states that all are without excuse. God was infinite ways to
reach all and allows us to participate with Him by our Spirit empowered witness. But, for the Christian the sure way to please God is faith exercised, especially in challenging situations.
(Consider the challenges forcing the heroes of faith mentioned in Hebrews 11)
Luke 23:34; 29-41; Matthew 6:12, 14-15
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
While Jesus cries out to the Father to forgive His oppressors because they don’t
understand what they are doing, well not completely. Jesus was not totally exonerating His crucifies, note e.g. His conversation with the thief on the cross next to Him (23: 39-41), and the murderer’s act of contrition: now he’s ready to go to paradise. Since the religious leaders and followers had a particular developed tradition, that would not allow them to declare Jesus is Jewish Messiah, Jesus understood their reticence to believe and follow. Therefore Jesus' statement from the cross extended a certain amount of mercy for their lack of understanding,
but it was not shallow forgiveness rather forgiveness with requirement to believe.
Revelation 2:8-13; 3:7-13; Read also Philippians 3:10-14
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
These were unlike those considered “rich” & “Prosperous”. You would think that
their prosperity would automatically indicate God’s favor and blessings. The church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22, was large and rich. They self confessed prosperity and favor before God in verse 17, “I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” But, Jesus thought differently and gave them a strong rebuke but followed by a counsel: rebuke verses 15-16; counsel verses 17-20. While rebuking their shallow unbiblical views of physical prosperity He remains restorative in His counsel. The Ephesian Church, also prosperous was issued a strong rebuke in 2:4, with all their obvious visible prosperity the Lord states, “Yet I hold this against you: Your have forsaken the love (for the Lord and each other that you had at first” (1 Corinthians 13).
Yet the lord is hopeful that His strong chastisement of them would lead to restoration.
This is the Lord’s approach by hopeful counsel, “for whom the Lord loves He
disciplines(Hebrews 12:6). Our God does all things in the hopes of restoring.
Daniel 3
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Tale of the three Hebrew magistrates in Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon where the
King was Divine and Generous to His captives: even gave some very important
responsibilities in his kingdom, like Daniel (Chapters 2-3). And not everyone in the
kingdom was happy with this. Therefore intrigue results around the universal decree to worship a sacred statue of the Divine King. This call was applicable to all people, even the Hebrews. This was not considered an unreasonable request from the generous
potentate in pagan societies, even in Jesus day, but it put them in conflict with the First Commandment and They went from a comfortable place to a dangerous place in
Babylon.
Luke 5:17-26; Mark 9:21-25; Mark adds in 2:1-2 ; See also Luke 8:43-48;Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
- In Luke 5:17-26 clearly all three were present: verse 17, “The power of the Lord was with Him to heal” (Sounds like a divinely imparted approval of power, a gift of healing for the crippled man who surprises Jesus and the crowd. Seems to imply that sometimes the gift of healing or power would not be there or at least Jesus refuses to heal, when rejected in Nazareth, Mark 6:4-6.
Mark 6:5-6 “And He could do no mighty miracles there, except that He laid HIs hands upon a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief” See even Jesus could be limited (note “Could not do”)
Also implied back in Luke 5, God was on board with the healing but not only a physical healing but more importantly the forgiveness of sins. And this caused a stir with certain religious leaders.
It seems in this episode all three present: The will of God(The Spirit prepared Jesus, for He saw them coming) The power of God(verse 17) God-given gift of faith(v20). And when He saw He acted comprehensively. (The host's roof was destroyed and the loss of pigs at the Gadarenes, Luke 8:26-38: Note the difference in attitude of the people whose home was just broken into! Jesus had the complete package of healing for the paralytic: sins forgiven, paralysis healed. Luke 8:36-40; The deceased, unclean woman who presses through the crowd that was following Jesus, touches him all around yet only she seems to be healed (Matthew 9:18-26 & Mark 5:21-42, describes what she thought.)
She was healed and Jesus seems puzzled and uninvolved in the healing (Note especially Mark 5:30-33 & Luke 8:45-46) “who touched me?”
Note, The woman’s reaction demonstrates humility, honesty, and hunger
Here it seems to be the will of God enacted and which Jesus seemed to not be privy to. But, faith was given and healing and forgiveness occurred but how does Jesus presence fit into the experience?
Note - John 5:19 & 30; Whatever the Father does OK with Jesus! This is what total surrender in ministry looks like. See also 6:38(read)
Conclusion - The Power of God works best in league with the will of God, and the gift of faith. Even in Gethsemane where the Father told Jesus no, and then received encouragement by the angel of the Lord (Luke 22:39-43). The no was only temporary for the will of God included the promise of Resurrection power: Romans 8:11
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Main Scriptures
Psalm 91; 1 Corinthians 15: 25-26; 15:54-58
Part of the panoply of evil, the most feared item is death. It’s “the Testimony to be
destroyed,” 1 Corinthians 15:26. So that the ultimate components of the Fowler’s snare include sin, mortality and death. This human snare has oppressed humanity, believers and unbelievers, since the fall (Genesis 2-3). Does the oracle-psalm found in Psalm 91 rectify or reverse such a human quandary, especially after the death and Resurrection of Christ as Savior and Lord. He did say “It is finished.” in John 19:30, and part of John 3:16, says he/she who believes is the Risen Christ will not perish but have eternal life.
And it seems on some level Psalm 91 concurs with the elimination of all element of
varied, “fowler’s snares”, deadly pestilences”, “night terrors”, “arrows and “plagues”, in fact verse 10 cries out “no harm of any hand will overtake you, nor “disaster” etc. Does the “It is finished” and the literal reading of Psalm 91 promise a totally new existence now, especially to those “born from above”(John 3:16)? It sounds like it, but what has been human reality from creation and the sacrifice of Jesus: life and death!
Matthew 13:24-30; 1 Corinthians 6:2-3
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
This parable is only found in Matthew along with its eschatological explanation. It
presents the kingdom of heaven that’s trying to be established in a world full of wheat
and weeds. They grow together and God has permitted an enemy gardener to infest the
field with weeds. Ephesians 2:2 describes Satan as the originator of the “ways of this
world.” & “...ruler of the Kingdom of the air” The spirits who is now at work in those who
are disobedient(The weeds); 1 John 5:19 states, “We know that we are children of God
and that the whole world (we are growing in) is under the control of the evil one.”, full of
“weeds”. For some reason God permits the weeds(evil) and wheat (His Kingdom) to be
entangled in a complex way, beyond human understanding and ability to separate them.
It’s not until God sends His own reapers(angels) as part of the harvest at His Parousia
or 2nd coming that they will gather out of His Kingdom all cause of sin & all evil doers...
Matthew 13:41. Our job is never to do the son’s job, to rightly clear the field of this fallen world, but rather keep planting the wheat. It will grow with God’s help even in the midst of the weeds.
Text: Mark 9:14-29
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
The best story in the N.T. that illustrates the mixed bag condition of our faith. This
story illustrates the possible co-existence of faith and doubt and what ultimately makes
the difference: Jesus Christ and His love and power. This is a sad picture of a father
who’s only son was demon oppressed and manifesting epileptic type seizures that
threatens his life (verses 17-18). If this fact was not bad enough, the powerful disciples
of Jesus(see Mark 6:17,30,30) were not able to cast it out (v18). And on top of it all the
Judaism of that day believed most human maladies were evidence of sin(contrast In
9:1-2). All was set against him and his son. And as a result of all the above, he
struggled with belief. Can you blame him for his discouragement? How would we feel in
a similar situation?
Genesis Chapter 1:26
Is God only our heavenly Father?
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Psalm 126; Hebrews 12:1-3
A simple and clear message both of rejoicing and weeping experiences for Jesus while on earth
and His children, whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament. (See also Psalm 85)
Setting:
Some Israelites returned to Jerusalem at about 538 BC, permitted by an edict of Cyrus
(Isaiah 44:28) who now ruled over Babylon as part of the Persian Empire. While good news, few Israelites were moved to tears of joy because of the realization that it would take very tough plowing to restore Jerusalem, even with God’s help. To restore any semblance of the past glory
would require much labor, courage and faith. The few that would brave the journey would eventually experience the joy and restoration as well as the great difficulties (See Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra/Nehemiah)
But the restoration depicted in the above O.T. books was physically and structurally no
way near the splendor of Solomon and Herod’s Temples. But according to the prophetic vision of the O.T and its fulfillment in N.T. The child of God, not a building, is the Temple 1 Corinthians
6:19-20 of the Holy God or Holy Spirit. So as N.T saints we apply these words not to a sacred edifice but to people, disciples of Jesus Christ. They like Jesus, “for the joy set before Him, Holy Spirit empowered Resurrection life (Romans 8:11), endured the difficulties especially the cross”:
So then we “fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of [our] faith”. Our lives follow the same pattern of Jesus’s life where He both wept and rejoiced. Psalm 126:5 illustrates this process through farming metaphors: “sow in tears, at times but also we reap, by the Spirit with songs of joy.” (Psalms 126:5)”, (again remember Matthew 6:32-33 see also Psalm 85). And what is interesting here and in other Psalms, sometimes the end results, are placed up front to assure us that the restorations will come in His time and manner.
I. “Fortunes” were restored but not to the fullest extent. Verse 1.
- The Israelites who returned was meager, but their joy extraordinary.
- The Temple they finally built which took many years, was shabby
compared to Solomon and Herod’s edifice but full of the Spirit (See
Zechariah 4:6-10) - Even we, as Temples of the Holy Spirit, as glorious as this is, cannot
compare with the glorious New Jerusalem coming down from heaven as
the image of our perfect eternal existence with God after the Resurrection
of the dead (Revelation 21:9-27, see also Revelation 21 & 22, Romans
15:1-58). The above is the fullest extent of His will: Looking for that city
built by God; Hebrews 11:10!
a) Note also Hebrews 11:1; 13-16,39.
II. We Need to “Fix or Concentrating our eyes upon Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of
faith(Hebrews 12:2)
-
He lived it to perfection and is experiences the “Telos” of it all, now in
heaven
a) He, by the Holy Spirit will help us “run with perseverance the race
marked for us” [With it’s ups and downs, pains and joys]
b) Set or marked out” for us, also implies for “me”, the individual
calling by God; (Examples, see Hebrews 11, all the servants of the
Lord had similar and different callings, for their missions on earth.)
III. Jesus’s life experiences, as reminders and the Spirit or (The Spirit of Christ) together are the best and sufficient encouragement and support for our ministry -
The stories of Jesus and empowerment of the Spirit, together encourage
us.
IV. Finally our part is being faithful in perseverance and prayer
(Not With The Spirit & His Fruit, in the Context indefatigable Grace & Forgiveness of God)
Galatians 5:22-24 → 6:1-10
I) Some ways the Fruit of the Spirit is manifested through us to others
a) Gentle loving counsel to the sinner, showing genuine concern towards restoration. 6:1
b) Sharing burdens, the central law of Christ 6:2
c) Taking Responsibility for our actions, both good and bad: humbly 6:3
d) Don’t negatively compete, especially regarding the gifts of God (humbly do your gift) 6:5
e) Generosity Now and leadership in all areas: when we show proper respect to them we
honor God. 6:5(b)
i) See also verses 7-8 “Sowing and reaping”
1) (See Psalm 126 for O.T. illustration, especially verses 5-6)
II) During Continuous Difficult Situations, Doing Good to All Becomes Weakened, because we
are human. It seems to be the first to go! Verses 9 & 10.
During extended times of difficulties it becomes hard not to become cynical and weary
of doing good, when bad continues all around us: unabated and not understood.
Examples of Jesus experiences of human weakening:
- His continued frustrations with His chosen disciples, note Matthew 17:17 (read)
- At Gethsemane, Matthew 26: 39; Luke 22:42
- “Father if you are willing, take this cup(the cross) from me... (sounds like the
words of a weary prophet)
- Yet not my will but yours be done(said while he was tired beyond belief)
- Until God’s intervention in Verse 43: The strengthening angel.
- He then went back to awaken his emotionally exhausted or “weary”
Apostles; verse 45-46
III) When we experience similar weakenings, It’s hard to do good to all.
Especially when we try to spend all our time “licking our wounds”
We need strengthening angels to help carry our loads. This picture illustrates the helping power
of the Spirit, most necessary in Jesus and our lives.
Note Paul’s prophetic word in 1 Corinthians 12:9-11; especially verse 9
And even if at times we fail to continue in doing good, God’s forgiveness and powerful
grace can help us to recover.
Remember the behaviors expected by the fruit of the Spirit, is very dependent on the
Spirit’s power and faithfulness. They are the fruit of the Spirit not only of our own efforts.
Amen
(Some suggestions on How to do this from a disaster that occurred in David’s life,
on His Way to Kingship)
1 Samuel 30:1-7 (read the whole chapter) Ephesians 3:20-21 especially verse 6
Verse 6 tells the reader that the situation couldn’t get much worse and David was
“greatly distressed.” Not only did he lose his whole camp, supplies, people and two
wives, but now all his men were so “bitter” that they wanted to stone him.” How low can
you go!? Added to the above, Saul’s pursuit to end his life! “Yet” or “But” David(still)
found strength in the Lord. This statement does not only mean psychologically,
internally through some sort of positive thinking etc. He found strength in a Living God:
Real power and energy which resembles the promise made to us in Acts 1:8. The
seriousness of their distress is illustrated in verse 4, “David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep.” Still David inquired of his living, breathing personal God who is able. He just needs the opportunity to demonstrate this and for David his distressing situation provided that opportunity to discover what Ephesians 3:20-21 states, “He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
First & Foremost love is not only a gift, like the others mentioned here and
chapter 12:1-11, but a more excellent way! And it appears first in his description of the
characteristics of the “produce” or fruit of the Spirit. The Fruit of the Spirit is produced,
with our cooperation, by the Spirit from within and helps create the character traits of
Jesus in and through us. The gifts of the Spirit are loaned to us to evangelize and edify
the church more powerfully (Acts 1:8). This is why love as the premier trait is termed, “a
more excellent way” (of being & living, produced by the Spirit within, with our
cooperation) Not that we have any chance of becoming perfect like Jesus, in this fallen
existence ( see verses 8-13)
Proverbs 10:22; 2 Corinthians 9:6-12, especially verse 1; Philippians 4:10-20, especially
verse 112-13.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
The key point, when it comes to especially silver and gold, is that in our service
for the Lord’s all situations are not the same: There are times of want(hungry) and
plenty(being well fed). What is common to both is Philippians 4:13.
We are in the process of learning by experience that “We can do everything He
asks us to do, through Him who gives us strength or enables us to perform His
purposes. So in all our endeavors whether we consider them sacred or secular, there is
no real difference, we have to rely and serve Him(We pray and live for Him “without
ceasing” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17) And whether we are going through a period of want
or plenty, they are both permitted by God, we have to continue to trust in Him and
continue to do all things, sacred or secular for the glory of God: 1 Corinthians 10:31,
Colossians 3:17.
Proverbs 10:22 further reminds us that wealth and earthly provisions, that is
silver or gold or the sacred, God is involved in all things concerning us; He wants to
provide on all levels of existence (remember Matthew 6:32-33 etc). And when it is God
enabled and given prosperity it will also be God glorifying a blessing to others and
ourselves. And this prosperity will not cause us trouble spiritually with God that wealth
can sometimes cause (note James 5:1-6, God is against selfish rich hoarders). Again,
they can cause trouble for our relationship with the Lord. But note my paraphrase of
Proverbs 10:22, placed in the context of 2 Corinthians 9:6-12: “The blessing of Yahweh,
which also includes physical blessings, can bring wealth to those he chooses to bless
without anxiety, stress and troubles they can cause.”
Philippians 4:10-20 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 provide N.T. illustrations for what
Proverbs 10:22 is stating.
A) Philippians 4:10-20
a) That while God permits periods and experiences of need and want He
also provides times great provision even wealth for His children. But, His
persona & Spirit never leave us nor forsakes us: Philippians 4:13 to learn
“I can do all this through Him who gives me strength”. What is implied by
Paul, from his own experiences is that even in periods of great provisions
we still need him in one way or another. It just feels more difficult when we
experience more conscious needs. But, for example, remember the
lessons illustrated in the Scriptures: Elijah, fed by the ravens 1 Kings
17:4-6; The Manna from heaven John 6:5-8; Jesus multiplies the loaves
and fishes Matthew 14:17-19 and especially Matthew 6 etc.
B) 2 Corinthians 9:6-15: Here Paul reminds us that God can bless or make us rich in
every way. (Verse 11) And of course this includes the physical as Proverbs 10:22
tells us, but for a purpose, note again, verse 11, so that God will be glorified by
your growing generosity, others helped and we are blessed (The basic holy
triangle for all things spiritual)
a) So that when Luke 6:20 states “blessed are the poor for theirs is the
Kingdom of God etc” What’s implied is the community th;at is part of this
kingdom, now as well as forever, can and should step in to help, especially
those who are experiencing wealth (read also, Acts 2:44; 4:32-37 and
James 1:26-27). Paul corroborates this in 2 Corinthians 9:11-15, “... God
loves a cheerful giver verse 7.”
C) Proverbs 10:22
This sharing of God given wealth can avoid much of the troubles and
stress that fleshly, h
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
1 Corinthians 12 1:1-; 4-11, especially verse 10, “distinguishing between spirits” or
prophets
The Christian community prospers also by the gifts of the Spirit, as He gives and directs,
for the “common good”(v7): The fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit edify or should benefit the body as well as us personally. He is the conductor and we are the varied instrumentalist of His orchestra( 1 Corinthians 12:11; 12-30)
In today’s post-modern(modern focused on rationalism and science) perspective the
focus is on the personal, subjective point of view rather than science and facts. There is a back to the future type of movement in religion returning our interests to Biblical experiences through the prophetic and the importance of personal mysticism.
There is a revival of openness and experience of spiritual gifts especially the prophetic
with a lessening of caution. While Paul reminds his people in Ephesians 6:10-18 the concurrent reality that there are “principalities” and “powers” that do the bidding of Satan and mimic gifts like the prophetic. Therefore we need the Spirit’s gift of being able to distinguish between Spirit’s (or prophets) because the true and the false sound and look very much alike but their messages and demeanor are different.
Paul’s suggestion is not to avoid the charismatic worship and giftings but to discern and
distinguish what looks alike but is really from a different source and purpose. For example 12:1-3 is not an illustration of what happens in Corinthian services at times (“Jesus be cursed” versus “Jesus is Lord”) rather what should happen in charismatic worship should elevate and bring glory to Jesus Christ and build up the body. Not to be a curse to Christ and His body, so to speak: The end result is like saying “Jesus be cursed”. The prophetic either builds up or divides depending on the truth of the message and the attitude of the person exercising the gift.
Paul in chapter 14 welcomes both the exercise of the prophetic, note in 14:29 it’s
analysis: Paul limits the amount of prophetic messages in a service, to “two or three”... “while others should weigh carefully what is said”, and how it’s said: read also 1 John 4:1-3. Therefore some suggestions on how to evaluate are:
A) By the clear teachings of Scripture does the prophet encourage repentance (14:25)
glorifies Jesus as Lord and builds up the church. Compare these messages to the
creeds embedded in scripture. And don’t be afraid to ask questions: humbly and
respectful of course.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Revelation 1:9-18; Luke 5:7-8
Genesis 17:1-3: Abraham Fell Face Down
Exodus 33:18-21 Moses Can’t See God’s Face
Ezekiel 1:28 Ezekiel fell face down
It's all about the experience of “Awe” in the presence of God. Spirit
manifestations like “being slain in the Spirit” or any other manifestations, should not only produce spiritual giddiness, laughter or even happiness, but at times “awe” or fear and reverence for the Lord. Scripture tells us about the “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom or knowledge but the foolish despise or reject such impartations (Proverbs 1:7)”
The above people of God, prophets in their own right, all experienced this fear,
reverence or “awe.” “Awe” defined by our biblical examples goes beyond just “to
admire” but a feeling of being in the presence of someone so vast that it transcends our
understanding or capacity to bear!
So many of them fell forward in awe. What’s necessary in our personal
experience with God is both to know that He is love and also that He is “awesome”: to
experience His unconditional love and His fearful majesty. Otherwise we don’t get the
full picture as both Peter in Luke 5:7-8, and John in Revelation 1 ( our main text) and
others who experienced His miraculous presence: again that He is both loving and
awesome. If God is just lovey dovey then we might get the idea that as His children we
can get away with anything and He won’t mind. No! Note what Ananias and Saphira
learned the hard way, that God’s person is not to be taken lightly even lied to (Acts
1-11). We need to sit on his lap, as daddy and kneel at His feet as King. Let’s explore
John’s experience in Revelation 1:9-18.
A) What John saw and how He reacted
a) What he saw and heard.
i) He was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day
ii) He heard a loud voice like a trumpet blast behind him (Shock,
surprise!)
iii) He was commanded to write down what he hears and sees for
seven churches (There is a message; not just a shocking
experience)
iv) The vision and message is in Apocalyptic language borrowed from
O.T. passages like, Daniel 7:9-13; 10:6; (See also Revelation
19:13). Among the lampstands stood someone like the son of man
but how he was dressed, looked and spoke did not resemble the
gentle shepherd Jesus presented in the Gospels: read verses
13-16
B) How he reacted, 1:17 and how Jesus responded.
He saw and heard and physically and emotionally reacted by fear and
awe: Message: This is some serious business, now listen up! But the revelation
doesn’t end here. Note again the latter part of verse 7: Jesus' consolation: He
physically placed His right hand on him and said stop being afraid(awe) etc.
Verse 18. What started as awe, fear and reverence ends in consolation, and a
crucial message about the Kingdom.
C) Out of it all comes an awesome Revelation and mission. And because of the
experience John had with the Risen Christ and the ensuing awe, he got right to it.
This happened while he was still imprisoned in Patmos.
a) The Manifestation that the Lord gave John produced the experience of
awe that propelled him to write the message in spite of his prison situation
(Compare him with Jeremiah). He felt down awestruck at His presence
and got up fearless in His calling.
Read 1 Peter 6:6-9
Amen
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
(This call to patience and waiting happens in all our lives: a common experience in our walk with the Lord)
Acts 1:1-11, esp. V. 4; Luke 2:21-40
One Common experience in our Christian walk is to never stop waiting on the promises
of God: This is trusting perseverance. We all experience this in either the long form or
the short form. In Acts the disciples only had to wait 50 days, until the feast of
Pentecost, to recruit the promise but for Simeon and Anna, and remember Abraham, it
was the long form trusting. Because in God’s loving sovereignty, He retains the time and
the manner of all fulfillment and especially in the long time waiting situations He has His reasons: note Galatians 4:4-5.
1) Sometimes we don’t have to wait a long time; Acts 1:1-11 “only 50 days before
Pentecost”
2) Other times we must wait longer. This point is illustrated throughout the Bible
beginning with Abraham in Genesis and in Luke 2 with Simeon and Anna. They
both had important prophetic roles as to the identification of Jesus as the
Messiah.
a) Simeon was promised by the Holy Spirit that “he wouldn’t die before he
had seen the Lord Christ!” (Luke 2:26). This implies that he was waiting a
long time. Then one particular day in God’s time he was “moved by the
Spirit to go to the temple courts just when the child Jesus and His parents
would be there. He then prayed and prophesied over Him a significant
prophecy. God in perfect timing fulfilled His promise and Simeon did his
obedience verses 29-35.
b) Anna even beats Abraham in waiting time, she was possibly waiting from
a young married girl, her marriage lasted only 7 years. She spent the rest
of her life waiting or serving the Lord in prayer and fasting etc. She was 84
years old when God’s timing brought Jesus and His parents to her, to
prophesy(verses 36-38). With God’s help she was found faithful.
3) To wait upon the Lord in the Bible does not assume passivity but activity.
a) Both Anna & Simeon were actively waiting by serving in the temple by
praying and fasting etc: “Keeping occupied until He shows up.” or
answers. Consider the parable in Luke 19:12-27 who’s message to the
church is be faithful and diligent in serving God and His purposes until
answers, even in the Long form. May the year 2024 be a prosperous year
for your church and its servants and also for all our families and friends;
may we experience a much more fruitful year of ministry, service and
answered prayer.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Philippians 2:6-11, including the context of verses 11-5 & 12-17, Revelation 13:8
The whole process includes the Election of the plan before the foundation of the
earth (Revelation 13:8); The incarnation of the Son in Jesus or Christ(Christmas) His
miraculous life and crucifixion; His Resurrection and Ascension and awaiting the full
effects of His victory and Enthronement. These are all summarized in poetic Hymnic
style in Philippians 2:6-11 along with practical applications in 2:1-5 & 12-17. This hymn
actually summarized Paul’s major parts of the Gospel & its doctrine. It was also
probably part of the Baptism service sung or recited by the catechumens.
1) The Hymn summarizes the N.T understanding of salvation through the Son of
God.
a) It was decided in the Divine Pre-existence by the Triune God, implied in
Philippians 2:6 & Revelation 13:8.
b) Two-Points found in verses 6 & 7
i) Jesus the Incarnate Son of God did not have to steal divinity
ii) Jesus did not use his Divinity to His advantage
c) “Human likeness” & “in appearance as a man” does not equal just looking
human rather He was the identical copy of humanity to its essence;
God-like & immortal while being human; verses 7-8
d) He voluntarily humbled Himself and became a servant to His Father &
humanity, through the Cross (John 3:16) verse 8
e) The Prelude to deserved resurrection and exaltation: Jesus Christ the Son
of God Lord or King of the Creation. Earned Kingship (verses 9-11).
i) Result verses 10&11 - “glory” to God the Father
2) The behaviors of Jesus, our Savior and Lord are a teaching model for His
disciples. Philippians 2:1-5 & 12-17. See especially 1 Peter 5:6-9
a) Note the same pattern of humility to exaltation applied to us through-out
this life until heaven; 1 Corinthians 13:12;
b) 1 Peter 5:6-9 tells us to have the same mind and purposes as Christ as to
our obedience to the Father, more specifically listed in Philippians 2:1-5;
12-15. These are some examples of attitudes and behaviors toward each
other that display our humility and obedience to Christ
i) Express tenderness & compassion towards each other; 2:1-2
ii) Don’t do anything out of selfish ambition and vain conceit
iii) Not only looking after your own interests: 2:4
iv) Take seriously your salvation
v) Keep working at it with the Spirit’s help. 2:12-13
vi) Stop your “grumbling & arguing” (Relational conflict) for this is the
way of the world 2:14
vii) Be willing to sacrifice for God’s purposes; 2:17
viii) And boast primarily in what the Lord has done and is doing for us;
2:16.
And all this began with the child in Bethlehem, the Incarnation of the Son of God!
Oh Come Let Us Adore Him!
Amen
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
1 Kings 17:8-24
Elijah the Prophet had some bad news for King Ahab & his pagan Queen
Jezebel in 17:1 because of their idolatries (16::30-34): drought for the next ten years.
This put Elijah also in a bad spot, but God always provides for His servants, even if
need be, by Ravens(v 2-6). When the situation worsened, God prepared a poor widow
of Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to take care of him. But she was in a worse
condition than Elijah (note verse 11-12). During her best days she thought of dying(v12), yet God chose her, not even an Israelite, to receive His word and provide for His prophet. And she, although it was difficult to obey. Many times God chooses the weak persons for the very purpose if confounding the strong (1 Corinthians 1:26-2:5)
And as in the N.T. Gospel God uses weak, wounded and even reluctant servants
to do His will(Moses, Gideon, even Elijah, Chapter 19)
Revelation 1:9-20
The Picture of the victorious Christ & all three, combined as one! See also Daniel
7:9-14 especially verses 13&14. The all sufficiency of Christ, gained by His death,
Resurrection and ascension or His enthronement illustrated in Philippians 2:1-11. This
does not negate the mysterious working together with the Father & Spirit: Philippians
2:11, John 15:26-16:16, “... to the glory of God the Father”, “empowered by the Holy
Spirit. No other deities work together for our benefit, so much so that in the mystery of
the Trinity, they are three and one.
Therefore passages like Hebrews 4:14-16 depicts His throne as draped in grace
and mercy.
And unlike human royalty & pagan deities, our God doesn’t rule by or through
aloofness & regal intimidation but, rather as one who washed the disciples feet, John
13:7 as the servant King, administering His power through love. Even His correct
discipline is out of love (Hebrews 12:6) not the divine right of kings: for while we were
yet sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:6-11) and for God so loved the people in this
fallen world that He sent His son... (John 3:16) He & our Triune God is servant royalty.
This complex triune God through our risen victorious Christ is pictured in
Revelation 1:9-20: An amalgam of all three. He is an amalgam of the ancient of days
(God the Father); The Son of Man (His Son) and the fire & water of the Spirit
representing our God’s victory and our all sufficiency: (Colossians 1:13-20). This is the
central apocalyptic picture of Savior & Lord’s victory (1:13-18)
How does this picture and message speak to John & the church (His people)?
1) If we pay the price we will receive His ultimate Revelation, sustaining presence &
victory.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, if anyone wants to follow me, he must deny
himself, take up His cross(implies not only difficulties but mission) & follow me,
not in a cookie cutter way but also in a personal way. “Renouncing all” of Luke
14:33 must be balanced with Matthew 6:32-33 and the fact that when we
dedicate ourselves to Him we will not lack any good thing, Psalms 34:10.
For John the prison of the island of Patmos; Revelation 1:6, as the result of his
faithfulness to the Gospel and Christ’s kingdom, was rewarded and privileged to be in
the Spirit and hear, see and experience the victorious Son of Man & His final revelation
in scripture.
2) Like everything God does this privilege & revelation was to bless John & others
1:11 & 19-20. “The 7 stars and the golden lampstands” (I take to mean the 7
churches that represent all Christ’s body in every age and their “angels” or
leaders, pastors etc.) The ultimate assurance of God’s victory through Christ both
for now and forever more (Again Colossians 1:13-20 is one passage that says it
all: for now and then, our future. Expect also to see victories in our lives today,
victories through our God permitted battles, like John on the island of Patmos.
3) The call for us to also hear & experience the victorious God, through Christ, on a
personal level.
a) Revelation 3:19-22. The context warns the prosperous church not to get
overly invested in this fallen world, save some of your treasure for
heaven’s bank. We will earn the right to share, sit on Christ’s throne, that
is, partake in His eternal victory: both now and more fully(Revelation 21 &
22)
Amen
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Forget About Matthew 5:48, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father” →
good luck to fulfill this literally in any lifetime... This is hyperbole to emphasize the
seriousness of our walk, to make our best honest effort.
But, the truth of the matter is that we continue to be sinners saved by grace, both
as part of the fallen human race and individually. We are to crucify our sinful flesh daily.
But, even with the help of the Holy Spirit the goal is betterment not perfection. And we
will always need His grace & forgiveness throughout our lives (1 John 1;8-2:2)
Also God treats & relates to us both as a community with common elements &
requirements and as individuals who from our DNA, our family systems, cultures and
religions, we are unique to Him and treats us with this in mind. God doesn’t have a strict
cookie cutter mentality. He treats us as His individual children.
Main Scripture: Matthew 24
This sermon was interrupted so we have to begin it mid-sermon. Thank you for listening.
But what could be the faint shadow of these days coming.
I think there are four
1) MAD(the potential of mutually assured destruction)
2) Delusional leaders & their followers; 1 Peter 2:11
3) The surrounding of Jerusalem by their enemies for the purpose of
full destruction, no longer two state solutions.
4) The Gospel preached throughout the modern world (Matthew
24:14)
In conclusion the only clear singular sign is found in Matthew 24:27-31: as clear as a
lightning storm, no one can miss it. Our part remains to be watching, working and ready.
(The parable of the 10 bridal virgins; Matthew 25:1-13)
Acts 1:6-11
“.. He will come back in the same way you have seen Him go to Heaven.”
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
**Psalm 121
(All Existence) Psalm 121**
Sometimes the Lord via the Spirit helps us in more clear and direct ways that can be seen as clearly supernatural, James 5:15 etc. But in all other times He operates more behind the scenes. He has His hand upon all aspects of our lives but not clearly seen. He has some part in all things for me! Psalm 121 describes this idiomatically in verse 8: “our coming and going.” Therefore the answer to the central question posed in verse one, is the rest of the Psalm: We have a God who comprehensively is involved in our lives: sometimes clearly and other times not so clearly. Verse one also describes the danger of turning to various idolatries practiced in Canaan in the sacred mounds or Hills. In the New Testament idolatry is described as self centered, self sufficiency or greed(Luke 12:15, 31 & Colossian 3:5)Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
John 21: 15-25, especially verses 22-23; 1 John 5:14-15; Matthew 6:10; Romans
12:1-2
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
A Lesson on the Sovereignty of God in our lives. To ask anything “in Jesus
name” from God also implies as to what pleases the Lord and helps conform to His will
and purposes in our lives. In fact in Romans 8:26-28 it states that at times “We do not
know what we ought to pray for(so it’s not a matter of using Jesus name in prayer as a
formula) But the Spirit Himself intercedes. “...for the saints in accordance with God’s
will.” And the one fault that prevents us from having our prayers answered is
summarized in James 4:3, “When you ask you do not receive, because you ask with the
wrong motives, that you may spend all that you get(only) on your (selfish) pleasures.”
Not only should your prayers bless you, but benefit others & glorify God, when they are
answered(The sacred triangle.)
Main Scriptures:
**Luke 15: 1-7 The One Lost Sheep
Luke 15:11-32 The One Prodigal Son
God has the ability to love and care for one person at a time. No one gets lost in a crowd.**Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.Psalm 91; 1 Corinthians 13:6-13;
The Setting of the Psalm; The Psalmist, who is a godly person, enters the
protective area of Yahweh, the Temple sanctuary. In the sanctuary he testifies and
instructs out of his experience of deliverance by the Lord. He expresses his doctrine or belief(v1) and then details what he learned from his struggle and deliverance. He also testifies about the prophetic words of the Lord to him in verses 14-16.
But in the context of Progressive Revelation, how would N.T. believers
understand these verses, especially in the context of a broader, more comprehensive understanding of life in Christ both now and forever.
Remember this Psalm was probably an older Psalm where the idea of an
after-life was less developed. Compare Genesis 25:7-8 and the N.T. statements about the eternal part of life in Christ, a few examples: John 14:1-4; Revelation 21-22 etc.
When a Christian reads and meditates on this Psalm they realize the complete
fulfillment of its promises found in verses 3-13 will not be perfectly realized until our eternal life or after-life experience. Note can verses like 9 & 10 be fully experienced in this fallen world? (note John 16:33; also the example of the Christmas Carol), again considering the dynamic of progressive revelation.
Main Scriptures: Judges 7:1-22; Isaiah 54:1-3;
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
At certain times God orders what seems counterintuitive to human reason, to
bring glory to His name. For example in 1 Corinthians 1:18 it is the foolish looking cross that actually demonstrates the love and power of God: counterintuitive! This strange way for God to produce a victory occurs only when ordered by God. This is the point of Gideon, Abraham and Jesus’ experience in doing God’s will. But only when he directs.
We are not called to just do counterintuitive things in order to spur God to action! It’s
only when He clearly speaks, then we obey.
First, Make Sure, as much as possible, that the approach is God ordained.
We are not to create difficulties in the hopes that God will intervene. In our main
text God clearly spoke in Chapter 7:1-7 and Gideon obeyed. That brought the army
down to 300: “With the 300 men... I Will save you and I will give the Midianite vast army into your hands.” In this peculiar situation, created by God, all will clearly know that it’s the Lord that tips the proverbial scale. In fact even with Israel’s original numbers, they were no match for the Midian army: Without the Lord’s special intervention Goideon and Co. could not win.
Note constantly throughout the book of Judges the children of Israel, who
constantly slipped into ungodly, idolatrous ways had to “cry unto the Lord” and He was always faithful to respond(Judges 6:1-11)
Second, Because some of God’s solutions seem counterintuitive to us.
He gives us special grace to persevere. In Gideon’s story it manifested through varied
signs that he asked God to perform.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Acts 8:1-8; especially verse 6; note also John 14:11 & Romans 15:17-19 and especially Acts 1:4-8[The Central Purpose of the Baptism or Filling(s) of The Spirit, Ephesians 5:18, power to witness & evangelize: officially and personal/unofficially, being living epistles 2 Corinthians 3:2-4.
Remember everything that the Spirit does through and among us for the
furtherance & nurturance of the Gospel is supernatural: “born from above”, John 3:3.
The Gospel is not only a new religious belief system that tries to convince others that it’s theology and ethics are superior but also foundationally supernatural as well as
doctrinal and ethical. The spreading of the Kingdom is impossible without the Holy
Spirit’s power(The gift of the Spirit, 1 Corinthians 12-14) and even in its character
building it’s all about the “Fruit of the Spirit.” Christianity from “soup to nuts”, has a
necessary supernatural foundations.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Luke 22:39-52; Hebrews 4:14-16;5:7-10;
The fact that Jesus begins His Passion(Suffering) Doesn’t mean that God has left
Him, rather the opposite is true. Note 22:39-44, especially verses 43-44. God
was still with Him in power even though at the point during His crucifixion, he felt
abandoned: “My God why have you forsaken me”(Mark 15:34; Matthew 27:46)
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Note the first line of that great hymn, on Christ the Solid Rock I stand “I dare not
trust(completely, naively) the sweetest frame, but wholly(more)lean on Jesus
name! This is not as easy as it sounds and we will briefly explore this.
Main Texts: John 2:12-24, especially verses 23-24; Psalm 27:10-14.
I think it’s much easier and natural for humans to trust what is visible and
tangible: what we can see, hear and touch, than that which remains
predominantly invisible. Most of the time, we confess, “We walk by faith not most
of the time by sight.” As I said last week, we as humans are created in the image
of God and have talents & skills, some more than others, but generally speaking
we are creative, and also most have families.
Clans, faith communities around us to lend a hand when needed. So it’s easier if
not better or Biblically more advisable to do so: We’re only human!” Most of the time we
can trust our back-ups. But because of our fractured human situation (Genesis 3), that's
not enough for even, “mothers, father’s might forsake us, at times, but the Lord will
(always) receive us”(Psalm 27:10). This teaching is both the hardest and most basic
instruction of scripture: To put our ultimate trust in the Lord, why?
A) Our physicality & visibility while God is predominantly “Spirit” & invisible. And
even though we experience His Spirit at times in glorious ways it’s not like
receiving a helping hand from a visible, caring, loving person in our lives. But
some, even our closest friends, etc, are capable of failing us. And if we are
honest will admit that some have. Again, note Jesus’s experience and statement
in John 2:23-24. But it’s not about no trust, we are all created to be relational and
in need of others, but ultimate final trust, remember the hymn!
Main Texts: John 11:6; Ezekiel 37:1-7; Romans 4:17;
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
As we, male and female, are created in the image of God, distinct from nature &
the animal kingdom, we reflect His capabilities, but not infinite measure. We have a
brain, mind, emotions, relational capabilities etc., for beyond the animal kingdom.
Therefore we have intelligence and creative capabilities and can mimic what God does, but on a much lesser level, we are not nor will ever be gods!
Humans can decide to create, sustain, destroy, even if they don’t believe in God.
We create societies, cultures, industries, science etc. with God’s permission but there
are somethings that God permits and even cooperates in their creation that are
impossible for us humans to resolve or overcome. The Bible refers to them as
“mountains” that humans with all their ingenuity, God given, cannot remove(see Mark
11:23-25)
Only God can create something out of nothing (Romans 4:17) and can remove
these mountains that are an impossible obstacle for us to remove.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
All of the above does not point to our triune God as either a male or female
gender or both(androgyny) rather it’s the use of analogy i.e. God is strong as our
heavenly Father and caring as our heavenly mother. But in truth our Triune God is
characterized as having the best of the virtues characterized in Fathering and
Mothering. The truth of the matter is that God created two genders with significant
biological and emotional differences for the purpose of marriage and creating a family
(Genesis 1:27-28; 20-24). But our triune God is prior to gender; in fact there is a
mysterious description in the Gospel of John 4:24, “God is a spirit, and those who
worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and Truth”: i.e beyond just flesh and bones and gender, like we are. And God cannot be reduced to “light” or an emotion like “love” but the being that creates and sustains all, with all the good virtues infinitely in His person. Yet the Son of God was incarnated as a man, what a mystery!
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Some hear preached this statement, found in three synoptic gospels, as Jesus
promise, if believed, to heal everyone in the same way and all the time. But I think that
this word was specific to this distressed person, “full of leprosy”(very serious skin
disease that in all its forms was considered “unclean” & possibly even contagious, see
Luke 5:12, Leviticus 14)
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Main Scriptures: Romans 8:1-4, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:19 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17
And while there is much disagreement about eschatological expectations, especially over 1 Thessalonians 4:17(the Rapture of the Church), by Scripture loving believers, what we all agree with is that none of us will taste the “wrath of God”(1 Thess 1:10;5:9). But how will we escape it? Some believe in a pre-tribulation rapture of the church, others a mid-trib rapture, and others no pre-second coming rapture at all, only the Second Coming of Jesus(Revelation 19-21). But again we all agree that because of the Cross and Resurrection of Christ and our faith in Him we have already passed from judgment that is no more condemnation emerging out of God’s righteous, fair judgment of the world.
But how did the early Christians living in Jerusalem understand the tradition passed to them, about the last day's outpouring of God’s judgment and the believers salvation or deliverance from God’s wrath?
Main Texts: Matthew 15:21-28(see also Mark 7:24-30)
- What a definite No looks like: A sinful tragedy in David’s life.
- 2 Samuel Chapters 11 & 12: Details the tragic, sinful story of David’s adultery with Bathsheba, which produced a child and his involvement in the murder of a loyal commander and husband of Bathsheba. It details his heart wrenching prayer to God for the healing of the son, who got sick and the prophet Nathan’s bad news for them(note especially 2 Samuel 12:15-24). This about a man scripture declares “after God’s own heart”(1 Samuel 13:14). God clearly said no!
- It’s also a story of redemption and restoration: David and his wife Bathsheba produced Solomon, their son and heir, who built the famous temple.
- 2 Samuel Chapters 11 & 12: Details the tragic, sinful story of David’s adultery with Bathsheba, which produced a child and his involvement in the murder of a loyal commander and husband of Bathsheba. It details his heart wrenching prayer to God for the healing of the son, who got sick and the prophet Nathan’s bad news for them(note especially 2 Samuel 12:15-24). This about a man scripture declares “after God’s own heart”(1 Samuel 13:14). God clearly said no!
- What sounds like a clear no but was not.
- Matthew 15:21-28, Jesus’s healing of the Cannanite’s mother’s “seriously demon oppressed daughter.”
- Jesus' attempt at resting outside of Palestine, in a pagan country is radically interpreted: desperation knows no decorum or patience. She was desperate and determined(verses 21-22)
- Jesus shocking seemingly uncharacteristic responses
- Silence: not a word(v 23)
- His disciples characteristic unempathetic response: Not a very sanctified bunch!
- V 24, Jesus surprisingly joins in this chorus.
- “But” she persevered and even humbled herself even more, by “kneeling before him” and only Him, verse 25, now appealing more intensely, “Lord help me”(my favorite prayer).
- Surely this sincere, humble approach would win over some empathy from Jesus? No! It got worse, before it got better. Jesus the savior of all humankind takes on a cultural partisan Jewish religious approach: “children's provisions should not be thrown to the dog!”(verse 26)
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Acts. 16:11-40
Paul’s Ministry in Macedonia, initially at Philippi, started prophetically and powerfully(note, Lydia and her household’s conversion, verses 13-15; the miraculous deliverance of a lowly female slave with a demonic fortune teller’s spirit, employed by some evil unethical capitalists, verses 16-18) resulted in an unfair trial, a terrible beating and prison time at the hands of her owners. They “lost their hope of making money”(v19). The circumstances they found themselves in were life threatening. Did God lead Paula nd Silas to Macedonia only to have them be tortured and die? It certainly looked like it!
But God in the midst of this seemingly dead end experience decides to manifest Himself in a most unusual way. And what’s astounding is that Paul and Silas, jailed in an inner cell, severely flogged, “at about midnight, bleeding and exhausted, were praying and singing hymns to God.
They sang so loud that “the other prisoners were listening to them; then suddenly, unexpectedly God showed up in the midnight hour!
What can believers learn from such a story, especially those in much different situations yet still just as in need of radical deliverance. They also are facing a mountain, that they in their our imprisoned situations are incapable of escaping, placed there by the enemy, unjustly for their good works(no good deed goes unpunished.)
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com**. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Romans 8:1-16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8**
The Physical, Historical, Spirit empowered Resurrection of Jesus is absolutely
necessary for proof of our salvation. Note 1 Corinthians 15:3-7; On Romans 4:25;
a) Main doctrinal tradition!
i) Note 1 Corinthians 15:12-19: The absolute necessity! Verse 17.
“And if Christ has not been raised, physically and historically, our
faith is futile and we are still in our sins!”
B) This Resurrection Power through the Spirit also occurs currently albeit not yet
complete.
a) Note while the main meaning of Romans 8:11 points to our future physical,
historical Resurrection, it all points to the Spirit’s “Making alive” actions
throughout our Spirit led life: physically, spiritual, emotionally & relationally.
1) The Spirit works within and through us all the way through our Spirit led
lives and not only at the “eschaton”(The Resurrection of the dead)
a) Living according to the Spirit throughout our lives; But always in the
context of grace and forgiveness 8:12-14.
b) We have the “witness of the Spirit”, throughout our living being led
& empowered of the Spirit: 8:14-17
c) He constantly helps us in all our weaknesses or “infirmities”,
especially when we pray: don’t know for “what or how” we ought to
pray... “The Spirit intercedes for us in accordance with the will of
God(verses 26-27) Romans 8:28” in all types of situations”
Note also Ephesians 5:18
“Do not get drunk with wine, which leads to a debauched lifestyle. Instead
be filled with or by the Spirit throughout our lives(continuously)”
C) Our full Resurrection in a New Life & A New Heaven and Earth, in a glorified
physical existence(Read at home about our Resurrected Body in 1 Corinthians 15:
35-58, we will be raised imperishable, ruined in power... a spiritual body... Immortal!
So come soon Lord Jesus! But in the meantime give us Resurrection Power to
sustain us! Romans 8:16.
Main Scripture: James 4:1-12
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
First of all, what does “The world” mean? It’s primarily attitudinal, that is that which is motivated and agrees with the thinking and behaving according to our sinful nature(Galatians 5:19-21). It is more of an internal issue that generates bad or sinful behaviors than only externals: e.g fashion statements.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com**. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Acts 2:42-47; See also Acts 4:32-37**
What became a snapshot of how the church functioned after the Pentecost
explosion is found in the above passages. It wasn’t all “jumping & shouting” but there developed a pattern, structure of consistent spiritual behaviors, that also can be applied as instruction for our personal individual lives and growth as believers.
First, there was “devotion” to the teaching of reputable teachers: Hunger for the
word, both at home and in the church.
Ephesians 4:11 states that Christ Himself gave “Pastor-Teachers” to equip the
saints for works of service both in the body of Christ and outside the Christian
community. Correct understanding of the Word is essential in every setting in church Bible study and outside of the church our personal lives(note also 2 Timothy 2:15)
We need to both study the written word and understand it as correctly as possible, at church and in personal devotion; and receive from the spirit the so-called “rhema” word. But, always check it with the written word(logos) and ask reputable gifted Pastor Teachers that you know, for help.
Main Scriptures: Luke 4:14-30, especially verses 24-30; John 1:11-14
On From “astonishment”, at Jesus teaching in Nazareth, (Matthew 15:54; Mark
6:2-2 also “where did this son of a carpenter get such wisdom”) Luke 4:22, “They all
spoke well of Him” to unbelief, opposition and disrespect(see Luke 4:22-23). And all this
from His own people, learned in Jewish Messianism. Jesus' interpretation of their quick
change of heart in Luke 4:24: ‘Truly, I say to you, no prophet(O.T & N.T. and maybe
even today) is acceptable in His own country”, or “among His our people.”
Recently in the DSS translation of Isaiah 53, especially verse 11, in context,
presented a Messiah who would suffer for His people and atone for their sins, and after
and Rise from the dead.
Also John 1:11-14, especially verses 9-12 generalizes the above text's theme
about what happens in Luke 4:14-30: to such a point that initial acceptance quickly
leads to murderous intent; Luke 4:29-30. But it was not His time and God’s manner. So
Jesus parts the crowd of His persecutors like parting the Red Sea.
What helped motivate such hate? Jesus' use of an episode in the life and
ministry of Elijah in 1 Kings 17:1; 18:1-2 found in Luke 4:28-30.
Sometimes unbelievers do better in receiving God’s Revelation. Right from the
very start there was rejection because of familiarity, “He’s Joseph’s son, how
dare He!” He doesn't fit into our popular Jewish Messianism: The valiant Messiah
that would rally together all Israel to destroy the rule of the pagans, with God’s
help. But, Jesus revelation as Messiah was more profound than that, note Luke
4:16-18 of quoting Isaiah 61:1-2, 58:6, release of both Jew and Gentile alike, to
proclaim “liberty” to all the oppressed and verse 9
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
First, physical manifestations through God’s Spirit are very important. Remember Jesus still healed the paralytic, the lame by the pool of Bethesda and the word of
knowledge given to the Samaritan woman in John 4:16-19, yet Jesus demands
more in these situations.
B) Second, He wants more depicted in, 4:25-26; 39-42; 5:12-15; 9:35-41; Even
beyond forgiveness of sins, summarized in the instructions given in the where
episodes.
a) To become HIs witnesses(4:39-42; 5:14-15): To make living epistles; 2
Corinthians 3:2-6
b) To become worshippers personal, communal and in our our walk; John
9:38
“Then the man said, ‘Lord I believe’ and he worshiped Him. Beyond just worship
service meetings: Romans 12:1&2; again 2 Corinthians 3:2-6;
Consider again John 4:39-41 followed by verse 42, and the warning in 5:14-15;
Finally read Acts 1:8;
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com**. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
What a day! The Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by ready to analyze
and criticize, the brief window of opportunity to heal and an overpopulated house and no entrance. The only way in was from the roof but deconstruction had to happen without the owner’s permission. But, it seemed to them that it was now or never; They were desperate. I wonder what the owner of the house thought?
But then the most inexplicable part happened: When Jesus saw their faith in
action, their determination. He didn’t heal the man but forgave his sins!
Did Jesus misunderstand their need?
No, I don’t think so. Jesus actually by action and doctrine describes the central most important part of the gospel: The forgiveness of sins. Physical healing lasts for a season, the forgiveness of sins and salvation, forever. And by this statement Jesus who He is: both Savior and Lord instigated created a theological debate. Did He plan to do this all along?**
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. If this message has blessed you please share it, that others may hear! God bless you.
Main Scriptures: Psalm 116; Psalm 27:13-14;
A real experience of a real devout believer put in poetic form: a testimony before the congregation of the righteous. A realized testimony to bless others. It was honest and graphic depicting the believers' experience in a fallen world.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
In the sermon we will discuss what at times Disciples lack or are their weaknesses not necessarily their imperfections or sins which is wonderfully covered in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is (always) faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Main Texts: Luke 9:28-36; 22:39-46
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
A similar incident is found in John 21:1-14, where the emphasis is identifying the resurrected Jesus. It included a fish fry breakfast in verses 12-14. This was Jesus 3rd appearance to His disciples post-resurrection.
Luke 5:1-11 also details a similar incident with it’s emphasis on their frustration at their unsuccessful night of fishing (Because of the Middle East’s heat during the day, the fish swam closer to the surface during the cool nights.)
The focus of the story seems to be on their willingness to keep trying, even in the daytime, after a whole night-time of failure, “...at His word.”
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Main Scriptures: 1 Peter 3: 14-19 is Illustrated by Revelation 2-3, note specifically
Revelation 3:14-22
In verse 20 Jesus or His missionary representative are pictured outside of the
Church in Laodicea, knocking on a closed, shut door asking to re-enter. And surprisingly not to punish but to banquet with them. This is the church which among the seven in Asia Minor that are located along the same general area that Jesus is nauseated with(verse 16). Yet He desires to re-enter the fellowship with them.
They have a totally different estimation of themselves than Jesus(verse 17) Out
of all the seven congregations, two were good(Smyrna & Philadelphia) four, not so good but only one that nauseated Him. And the worse part of this was they were blind to their condition(verse 17). What put Jesus outside of their fellowship? A few suggestions gleaned from 3:14-22 and from the rebukes of the other churches.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Romans 8:3. And we are reminded in 1 John 2:1. That “I write this to you so that you will not sin(i.e. With the Spirit! help i.e. sin/less) “But if or when anybody does sin we have one who (constantly) speaks or intercedes with the Father for our defense Jesus Christ...” He covers us with His umbrella of Forgiveness. And while when we sin, we fail God, He will never fail us. He is our champion of forgiveness, Let’s look at some not so flattering examples of human weaknesses from Peter’s life, that great Apostle of Jesus:
Matthew 16:13-23 and Luke 22:54-62
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Luke 1:26-38 (See also Matthew 1:18-24)
A) Doctrinally the Apostles Creed says Jesus Christ was...“born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified and rose from the dead...”(Our central
core beliefs)
B) But in addition, Mary’s experience underline some common core aspects of
Christian Life.
1) Where does her favor before God come from(what about our calling?)
i) There were other pure virgins in Nazareth and others besides
Joseph, of the lineage of David. She was not conceived
“Immaculata” or sinless (not in Scripture) Then why them?
ii) It was totally God’s choice, by His sovereignty and Grace. And
Mary in the New Testament is not presented as a perfect person
both in behavior towards and understand her first born, Jesus.
For example Matthew 12:47 and Luke 8:20, Jesus rebuked
His family members, including Mary who wanted Him to
attend to them and not spend so much time with the crowds
gathered around Him. She didn’t fully understand Jesus’s
call.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
The Psalmist starts with his concluding belief: Verse 1
This completed goal is not a one time achievement, that can be completely achieved, but is a representative of many victories throughout his or our journeys. And a confidence that gets stronger as we experience more of the Lord throughout our lives with both our successes and even our failures. The failures God can and will transform for our good(Romans 8:28)
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Note the super superscription “...When David struggled in the wilderness of Judah.”
David, the surprise choice to replace Saul, was put in a very difficult situation that lasted for years.
Examples: David the prophetic musician became the competitor to Saul’s throne: He drew Saul’s neurotic anger. Members of Saul’s family sided with David: for example, Jonathan. David, already a “giant killer” became Israel’s premier politician and military leader, again to Saul’s chagrin.
David was eventually forced into the wilderness leading a band of mercenaries. Saul made his life very difficult. But David’s honor, virtue and commitment to the Lord, even while, “...in a dry and weary land where there was no water(v1)”refused to be vengeful and continued to long and thirst for the Lord.
Note twice David had opportunities to kill Saul(1 Samuel 24:16-22 and 1st Samuel 26) but he refused.
And I saw 1 Samuel 23:14 states that God protected David and “He refused to turn David over to Saul.”
David remembered those days of his literal desert or wilderness experience and also concludes in this Psalm, that wilderness experiences continued even while he served as king: The greatest and most favored Israelite King. Therefore even through the “watches of the night” he remembers his main help in varied situations because he still had enemies(verses 9-10) What can we learn from this Psalm?
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Philippians 4:1-9(especially verse 6); Peter 5:6-7
At the end of Paul’s letter with the Philippians he finds himself trying to solve
what seems to be a personal dispute between women leaders in the church(4:1-3).
These types of relational conflicts never endears us to God, therefore in 4:4-9 he
attempts to remedy this particular situation with a few congenial commands that if
performed, even imperfectly, but honestly, will help correct how God regards our
communication with Him.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
And in these days we don’t only need the fruit of the Spirit but also wisdom which
begins with the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 9:10)
The Biblical word for fear, both in the O.T and N.T. spans a few English words:
Awe, wonder, respect reverence and some old fashioned Spirit, word and community
guided caution. It doesn’t mean being scared and paranoid about God’s response.
The description found in 2 Peter 3, implies that “Wholesome thinking” (verse 1),
not just feelings, means, unmixed, uncontaminated by our sinful flesh or nature, which
includes a large dose of reverence for the Lord over our unchecked impulses. Peter’s
unique discussion of the “Day of the Lord” considers the mistakes made by Christians
about His coming and the ammunition they give the scoffers to attack them.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
There is a universal tendency for humans to worry especially about the future.
We are built with alarm systems within fears and anxieties. The worst reaction is to over
worry or overly concerned. Matthew’s instructions on how to avoid this, with the help of
the Holy Spirit and the body of Christ, is primarily given to Christians. In the Old
Testament the “Fear Not” of the prophets are embedded in many chapters. For
example: Isaiah 43:2 “When you press through the waters and rivers, they will not
sweep over you, (To drown you) When you walk through the fire you will not be set
ablaze (burn you up) for I am with you; Fear Not, for I have redeemed you and called
you by name(43:1)
Matthew 6 is such New Testament exposition with more illustration and specificity
ending with our main passage to how to deal with our todays and tomorrows, which
even for believers present challenges.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Main Scriptures: Matthew 19 Verse 13
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Main Texts: Jeremiah 15:16; 16:19-21; 31:31-34; Isaiah 55:8-11
A special word or communication came to a young priest unexpectedly, supernatural: he didn’t read it in the Torah. It was a prophetic word/communication, directly to him and it began to transform his world. God speaks through multiple venues: visions, dreams, impressions, through the body of Christ, special messages by His Spirit: usually Sovereign. Such a communication came to Jeremiah and many others (Paul) in Scripture. And we must be open to God speaking to us supernaturally (usually called a “Rhema” word among Pentecostals.) But most Importantly all the above must be fairly evaluated by the written word, “rightly divided.” 2 Timothy 3:15-17 But also note Hebrews 4:12-13; consider in verse 13, the Word is referred to a Him, Jesus Christ! John chapter 1, Jesus is referred to as “The word of God” and co-creator. Also, the prophetic word given to a prophet is reflected in Isaiah 55:8-11. Also, in the New Testament, Acts 1:8 and Act 2 etc. In the New Testament such sovereign personal communication frequently occurred and to His servants, both deacons and apostles. But, because of human imperfections, Paul suggests both openness and caution; 1 Thessalonians 5:19-22. God continues at His choosing instructs us by such communication. In Jeremiah’s case, the prophetic word came as a hammer confronting a challenging the other prophets of the temple's prophetic guilds; and the rulers of Judah who participated in syncretistic practices. They claimed that while they had the sacred Temple among them, God would never judge them: This is never true (Jeremiah 7:1-7). People not buildings are therefore as a result of God’s prophetic communication to him, he suffered much persecution: note Jeremiah 20:1-6; 38:6 and finally the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians. What Jeremiah experienced is that these communication from God, in his particular situation, caused him personal conflict and some theological confusion.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Key Passages: James 1:19-26; 2:14-26
Agrees with the Apostle Paul, the Great Apostle of Faith and Doctrine;
Ephesians 2:8 & 9
Main Passage- A good summary of the most important results of the
Gospel: Galatians 6:9-10
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Hebrews 4 (“rest) John 14:27(“Peace) Are they the same or similar? Yes or No!
Introduction: The word “rest” in Hebrews 4 means primarily completing an activity resulting in rest: “O.K It’s done, what’s next!” The writer of Hebrews spiritualizes the children of Israel’s, particularly, Joshua, conquering the promised land, with its difficulties and challenges: some didn’t finish the process.
The believers' journey to the ultimate/heavenly promised land is ongoing with the help of the Living God or Spirit: not yet finished with much for us to do to pressure and finish.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Main Text: Genesis 28:10-22 & Acts 10:9-22
During our earthly journey many times we are not consciously seeking God’s presence and communications. Distractions happen that are not necessarily sinful, nor considered a running away from God. During these times, God doesn’t seem to be part of life’s equation. So, it seems in the context of the early part of Jacob’s story where from Genesis 25:19 to our passage, Jacob, Isaac, Rebekah & Esau are steeped in family intrigue and deceptions. There is no clear interaction with God.
Jacob stole Esau’s birthright in Genesis 27. Jacob’s very name = “supplanter” or “deceiver.” And in that primitive religious culture the blessing was irreversible, and Esau swore revenge and Rebekah & Isaac wanted to keep Jacob alive.
Again, no thought of God as someone to be sought to help provide a solution. Rather it seems to be primarily a story of deception, conflict and common-sense solutions until 28:10-22.
Note these stories, like some of our own personal stories of conflict and intrigue are sovereignly transformed by God into experiences of redemption. (Note in Genesis 25: 19-35, Esau and Jacob reconcile with God’s help.) But there are periods of time where we struggle and wander in the midst of our worldly experiences unconscious of God’s presence and potential participation.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Texts: Ephesians 3:14-21; Matthew 6:19-21
Introduction: God’s priorities does not exclude our earthly needs (Matthew 6:32-33). But, they remain His priorities.
- We must “kneel” & “pray” before our Father: our creation, sustainer and caregiver. Verse 14; Compare to Matthew 6:9 & 10, the Lord’s Prayer.
- We must pray for HIs power. But His power will be directed primarily to HIs Priorities: Verses 16-17, for ourselves: “Strengthen our inner being to be rooted and grounded in love (Acts), by faith (Ephesians 2:8 & Hebrews 11:1) Read also Matthew 6:11, as well as our daily needs (Matthew 6:32-33)
- We must pray for our togetherness, because it’s in and for our relationships, God works, first and foremost (verses 17-19): to grasp the ungraspable: The deep love of Christ through each other (see also Matthew 6:12-13 “forgiveness”)
- WE must remain confident in God’s ability to do what we ask.(verses 19-20)
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Key Scriptures:
Genesis 6:1-13 (especially verses 5-8)
2 Timothy 3:1-6 (read also 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:4-5; Jude 1:5-6)
Genesis, describes 3 epochs of Biblical history that helps shape our ideas of “The Last Days” (“As it was in the days of Noah so will it be when the Son of Man returns; Matthew 24:37-39)”
- The fall and its initial universal effects on all things created, Genesis 3-6, The condition after the fall is illustrated by the Nephilim, 6: 1-5, who are they and what do they symbolize? And note even the survival of Noah and his family, did not put a stop to sin; They weren’t even that perfect. God’s Covenant with Noah did not produce the desired changes. (Remember the Tower of Babel and Sodom and Gomorrah etc.)
- God tries again via the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12 & 15). After Abraham, then through Moses, Israel was given clear laws. Maybe this would work. Then years later the New Covenant was given to us Jesus Christ and the Gospel and while it resolved the curse of the law, the Adamic curse was not removed.
- From Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection to His promised return, up till today, things seem not to be getting better but seem even worse. 2 Timothy 3:1-4 describes the situation as getting much worse, even ushering in the End Times. It’s a massive sign that mimics the severity of evil, comparable to Genesis 6:5-8. God has “regrets” or “grieves” over His fallen creation, because “every indication is the thoughts of his heart were only evil all the time.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Key Scriptures: Psalms 121; Matthew 6:19; 24(“mammon”)
The central question is illustrated in verse 1. The pilgrims questions as to where his/her essential help comes from: The hills or somewhere else? What does the psalmist mean by “hills.” The “hills” or “the high places” in the Old Testament refers to Israel's frequent mixing of their worship of Yahweh and pagan practices(called syncretism). It symbolizes the believers' divided trust in the Lord and other forces. This Psalm illustrates this pilgrim’s re-education to put primary trust in “the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth, verse 1.” For us the “hills” can also symbolize, not only false spirituality but also our unbalanced dependence on earthly capabilities and leaving the Lord significantly out of our lives.
This imbalance is also described in other passages, like Matthew 6:19, 24; where the original translation “mammon”, is more comprehensive of treasuring more earthly goods and treasures over the heavenly. These mimic the “hills’ depicted in verse one of the Psalm. God desires that we look and invest in Him more often. Psalm 121 describes the Psalmist’s renewal of complete trust in the Lord, no need for “the hills.”(illustration of the African mega-pastor)
The dangerous trip back to his/her homes from the temple is the immediate backdrop to the Psalmist renewal attitudes and words. The “hills” here could also mean the dangerous mountains as obstacles for his/her journey, we have sort of double meaning.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Key Scripture: Numbers 13:26-33
During every move or direction given by the Lord for our lives, in concert with His will and purposes, contain both promises with benefits and challenges because it is a fallen world it always is a mixed bag. And because it contains both, we are called to make decisions as to what to focus on: His promises and benefits or the very real challenges.
Consider the children of Israel and their experience in Numbers 13, at the border of their promised land. They arrived at this point with a broad experience with the Lord. The Exodus, the Red Sea, Sinai, etc. and the sure promise in 13:1, “tell the Israelites to explore the land I am giving to them.” See also Deuteronomy 11:24: “Every place where you set your foot will be yours…” They were to invade with two purposes.
First, to perform God’s judgment on the Canaanites' sinfulness. Second, to make the land their own, under the Lord’s rule(a theocracy.) This would include Canaanites who believed. God commands them to comprehensively evaluate the land as to its benefits and challenges. Representatives from all the tribes did in 13:3-16, 17-25 and they reported a mixed bag of possibilities.
They returned with their reports in our text, verses 26-33 and in spite of their prior experiences with the Lord, His clear promise to be with their journey, most choose to focus on the negatives, or the challenges.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Key Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Revelation 20:11-15
Scripture informs us in many places, Old Testament, & New Testament, that in spite of human freedom of will or independence, God has the final say and provides boundaries and directions for our lives. He has the final say or a significant say in the lives of both believers and unbelievers. And some aspects of our lives, even as believers, remain beyond our understanding, even puzzling. We have to simply trust God.
A very important passage is found in 2 Corinthians 5:7. First in context, living by faith and not sight means Jesus is now away from us and most don’t see Him; so, we trust by our experiences in the Holy Spirit that He’s alive and active in our lives. We have an inner witness of this reality: Romans 8:15-17 (our adoption: “Abba Father”, and Hebrews 11:1, faith “is an inner assurance of things not seen etc.)
Second, this activity continues throughout our life experiences and is more foundational than, “understanding.” The passages in our introduction support this idea.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Key Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:6-10; Revelation 20:11-15
Summary: Some secular NDE’s, aside from a full life review, which are reportedly very unpleasant at times, there is a de-emphasis of judgment & punishment. Even many of the agnostics, atheists and even outright evil people report experiencing divine acceptance. Still many that return report both personality and behavioral changes: mostly for the better. But some Christians that return from their NDEs report either feeling or seeing hellish judgment scenarios. Some passing ‘Near Death' recall experiencing evil and, as they returned, were given another chance. But most importantly Holy Scripture reports that sometime after death comes judgment and not only a life-review, again note 2 Corinthians 5:6-10.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Key Scriptures: Psalm 73(especially verses 16-17)
This Psalm is part of the wisdom Psalms. It catalogs the experience of a real devout Israelite who with great honesty and candor talks of his experience of living and trying to serve God in a fallen world: How he perceives things.
He organizes his thoughts and experiences to serve as a spiritual road map as to his journey of transformation from disillusionment to peace and victory. It becomes a word of wisdom to be shared during a Temple service. He begins the Psalm with the victory achieved. Verse 1 then dives into from whence he came: The deep pit of confusion and depression.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
Key Scriptures: John 17:13-19; 18:36; 2 Corinthians 3:2-3
Parts of the Real Lord’s Prayer; The Lord praying to the Father. The fact that our Lord’s Kingdom did not originate from this world and therefore it’s not “of this world”, does not suggest an escapism from living and working in this fallen world. Jesus said in John 17:15, “My Prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” And Acts 1:8 says we shall be His witnesses by the power of the Holy Spirit. But what is the nature of our witness? It’s much more than church work, it’s being a “living epistle,” (2 Corinthians 3:2-3 & Romans 12:1-2)
Therefore, since His kingdom is not from this world nor of this world and when we are “Born from above”, we also are no longer of the world yet our time here living our lives is very important.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena referencing the scriptures: **Jeremiah 31: 31-34, Hebrews 8:12 & Hebrews 10:17, Isaiah 43:15, 2 Corinthians 5:19
At times the Bible uses anthropomorphic language to describe God’s activities: for example, God being weary with His people and the fact that God remembers their sins no more etc. But this description of God’s human-like actions is mainly for our understanding.**
We, at times, make similar meaning statements like, “Angry with you? I don’t even remember why I got so upset in the first place?” or we can experience some level of amnesia because of some emotional or physical trauma.
But, what about our omniscient God? Sometimes we cannot take Biblical statements too literally.
Greetings, if you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries, you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena referencing the scriptures: Isaiah 40:27-31; 41:9-10; 45:1-5, Psalms 8: 4-9, Romans 8:26 & Hebrews 4:14-16, Matthew 17:14-23. The need to be replenished and strengthened is part of our mortality and finiteness and is built into our creation: in Isaiah 40:27-31; 41:9-10; 45:1-5, “only He can level the Mountains.” We are purposely created with limits, so as His creatures we must be dependent on Him, in good ways: note Psalms 8: 4-9, “You made him.” That’s one of the points that is included in our natural “weakness” in Romans 8:26 & Hebrews 4:14-16. On Earth and in Heaven, He will always be our God and Helper, we will always need Him. In life on Earth our limits are at times challenged by mountains, a central image that challenges our limits, with impossibility. Note the healing of a boy with a mountain of a demon in Matthew 17:14-23; note especially verses 20-21. Also note Matthew 17: 20-21 implies that the humanly impossible obstacles or mountains can only be removed with God’s involvement or faith in God. And “Nothing” is impossible for His disciples only when there is faith in God and in God’s direction and intervention through them. (Note Matthew 19: 25-26)
Greetings, this is a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena referencing the scriptures: 1 Thessalonians 5: 19-21, 1 Corinthians 12: 10, 1 Corinthians 14: 24-32.The Prophetic is defined as more than just future predictions. Broadly speaking, it is the Holy Spirit’s direct communication to us: as individuals and as a group. The Imperfect part exists on our part, not God’s. Sometimes our sinful nature gets in the way and also the fact that in all things spiritual, we now see through a glass darkly (1 Corinthians 13:12). Still with its possible problems it remains an important part of our Christian Spirit experience. Some charismatics and Pentecostals call these “Rhema” experiences.
If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena spoken from John 3:23-26; 1 Peter 1:3,4. Miraculous signs draw Nicodemus and others to Rabbi Jesus & He’s got to be from God. (John 3:2) Is this always so? No!
Those who are primarily sign seekers only and not seekers of truth may be bound to a materialistic view of the Gospel. They might not see its fuller spiritual purposes, beyond only the earthly benefits (Note John 2:23-25). Note also 2 Corinthians 11:14 “Satan can also masquerade as an angel of light.
Note also Matthew 24:24, 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 1 Corinthians 12:10) Even those miracles genuinely from God do not ensure decisions to be disciples. They only introduce and encourage commitment. The miracles introduced Nicodemus to Jesus, but he needed to go further, and he did. Note John 7:50; 19:38-42. Jesus is not only a miracle worker but, “The Way, the Truth and the Life.” John 14:6. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena spoken from Matthew 11:25-30 & Luke 10:21-22. While in this fallen world there is a yoke fastened upon us and we must all plow through life. We are given a choice: the easier one or the less burdensome one, in Christ. Be "yoked together" with Christ and plow through, together, the sometimes hard soil of this life. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. If you have any Podcast topic suggestions, please send an email to Freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena from Romans 8:18-28. The key verse is Romans 18:18. Please forgive the audio quality. This was recording from a zoom meeting. But I think if you can get passed the audio, there is a very important message being preached. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com.
Also, this is highly experimental, but if you would like to send some topical suggestions for study for future podcast episodes, please send an email with your suggestion to freegospel3@gmail.com. Thank you so much for your support as we will be doing our best to improve on our quality and content moving forward. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena from Romans 4:16-25. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena from Matthew 15:21. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena from Mark Chapter 6:1-6. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena from James 5. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from Luke 9:18-22, and Matthew 16. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from Luke 18:9-14 & Luke Chapter 21:1-4; Mark 12:4-44. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from Luke 16:1-15 & Luke Chapter 19. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from the book of John Chapter 1. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from the book of Colossians Chapter 1 Beginning at Verse 24. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from the book of Mark, Chapter 11 & 1 John, Chapter 5:14-15. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from the book of Luke, Chapter 24 . If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from the book of Hebrews 2:14-18 & Hebrews 4. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of a virtual sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from the Scriptures of Isaiah 6 . If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of a virtual sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from the Scriptures, Genesis 18 & Hebrews 1:5. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of a virtual sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from the Scriptures, Philippians 4:10-20. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a recording of sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God Church in Flushing Queens from the Scriptures, Psalm 46 & Matthew 6. If you would like to support Free Gospel Church and our ministries you can make a donation at FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you for listening. God bless you.
This is a sermon from Pastor Tino DiSiena of Free Gospel Assembly of God church. It was preached on January 23, 2021, and features scriptures from James 5:13-20. If you would like to donate to our ministry you can do so by visiting FreeGospelAssembly.com and clicking on Giving.
This is a recording of a sermon preached by Pastor Tino DiSiena on January 10, 2021. The Sermon is titled Four Pillars of Christian Discipleship and references 2 Corinthians 5: 17. Thank you for listening. If you would like to donate to the ministry of Free Gospel Assembly of God, you can at FreeGospelAssembly.com.
The Bible teaches us that greed is harmful to our growth as Christians and it is foolish to behave this way. (Luke 12:13-21) We shouldn't behave this way because there is no need it. The Lord is committed to provide for all of our needs. (Matthew 6:33-34) In fact the Lord wants to bless us in every way, including finances so that we can have many opportunities to be generous.(2 Corinthians 9:6-19.) The Lord's end game in our lives is that we, like Him, become a generous person in all areas of our living and serving. As we grow in generosity we will be cooperating with the Holy Spirit to repair our lives & the lives of those around us. Don't forget to visit FreeGospelAssembly.com if you would like to make a donation to support this ministry. Also please stay tuned for the prayer at the end of the podcast at around the 35 minute mark. Have a blessed day!
This podcast was directly recorded from a sermon preached on Sunday, Dec. 6th so please pardon the quality, but I believe the message will bless you. If you would like to attend Free Gospel Church or donate to the podcast and help our ministry, please visit FreeGospelAssembly.com. Thank you.
John 4:1-42
The community of faith is essential for our support and nurture, especially for our spiritual well-being. It is dangerous to be lone-rangers, church hoppers, or try to hide in a large church where the chance for personal relationships is less. We need to know for ourselves, on a personal level God's revelation in Christ and His inspiration throughout our lives. We just don't follow the crowd rather walk together with others of similar experiences in Christ, through the Holy Spirit. This is the point of this story in John 4, note especially verse 42.
This week we will investigate the theme, How can a believer who has experienced so much of the manifestations of God still fall away? I think Matthew 11:1-9 can shed some light on this counterintuitive statement. One would reason that the more power experienced would guarantee growth and perseverance for believers. I would say in some cases this is not true. We compare John the Baptists's episode of imprisonment with the multitude of experiences of some of Jesus's disciples and their reactions. What can we learn from this contrast?
In today's podcast I discuss what Christians should pray for and what they need to avoid. I explore 1 Timothy 2:1-4 and Luke 18:18-30 to support the core statement as well as others. For the Christian, troubles like persecution comes naturally, while living and ministering in a sinful world. We don't need to pray for more troubles. God is interested in helping us becoming poor in spirit not poor. We live in a world that has enough troubles for each day. And God wants to meet all our needs in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes in our fleshly concerns we try to find scriptures that put most of the power in our hands to obtain them. We look for the scriptural formulas that even put God on the spot. Mark 11:22-25 seems to be one of them. When read outside of the Gospel's context, formularized, they assure us that God's will and our will can always be made to agree. Some misinterpret scripture to make us believe that we can order God to do our bidding. When in reality there are many scriptures that tell a different story.
This Podcast investigates the illustrative theme that God is no mere microwave. As we interact with an understanding of Romans 12:1-2, we discover that God doesn't only want to heat up the leftovers of our lives rather to begin a process of cooking the new. God is interested in our metamorphosis. He is interested in our transformation of both our mind and bodies from the inside out. As we cooperate with this difficult yet blessed process, the things of God, will appear more pleasing to us.
Today's podcast investigates the strong statements that Jesus makes concerning discipleship in Mark 8:27-9:1. What does it mean that Jesus's disciples must deny themselves and take up their own cross and follow Him? How do we integrate passages like Philippians 4:12 & 13, 2 Corinthians 9:11, Mark 10:28-31 and Matthew 6:31-34 with these strong statements. We will also discuss extreme personality types and how they might respond to this call by Jesus.
In this week's episode I explore the difference between thoughts and actions. Explaining passages like Matthew 5:27-30; James 1:13-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:5-11, we will notice the difference in the way God, while displeased by some of our thoughts and desires, reserves judgment for our actions. James 1:13-15 describes the process where thoughts and desires develop into damaging actions. We will also explore how to view God's reactions to our misbehaviors and how to best deal with them spiritually.
In this week's episode we explore a Biblical response to an agnostic's plea, "As long as your God is not warmth, touch and compassion, I will remain agnostic." Jesus responds to this question by explaining the parable of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10: 25-37. Comparisons will be made to James 22:26 & Romans 3:8-10. The evidence of the new birth experience is growth in the fruit of the Spirit as explained by Paul in Galatians 5:22-26. In this week's episode we will explore what Jesus meant when he commanded us in Luke 10:37 to "Go and do likewise."
Christ's perception and evaluation of our lives may be different than our own. He sometimes sees things differently than we do. We will continue to reflect on and explore Jesus's main thoughts in Revelation 2:8-11 and 3:7-13. We will also be discussing Romans 2:4, 1 Corinthians 1:18 and Samuel 6:7. This discussion will present some suggestions to help better evaluate our personal experiences.
Any believer, from time to time can become complacent or lukewarm with the things of God. This can happen when varied circumstances negatively affect our peace of mind. Our understanding of Revelation 3:14-22 & Psalm 40:3 gives us some inspired suggestions how to wake up from our Spiritual malaise. Join me as we examine our own lives using God's word.
In today's podcast I discuss the topic of divinely inspired hopefulness depicted in Romans 4:16-25, especially verse 18. Every aspect of our lives needs God's help, especially our hopefulness. I reference the story of Abraham and Sarah, who were imperfect human believers like us, to explain how God helps those in their greatest time of need. Join me as we examine our own lives using God's word.