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Connection Between Receiving Christ and Perfection

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pixabay.com If you can't believe perfection, how else are you going to believe Christ's other teachings? Lots of church people and preachers trash perfection because they like to keep their status as "saved sinners." They keep holding on to that and plan to die with it. They often even shout their slogans: "Nobody is perfect, and you cannot be perfect. There's no perfect church!" They don't realize how they're beginning to sound like detractors than promoters of God's Kingdom on earth and God's plan for his "glorious" church. But ironically, these same people flaunt around their high standards. They like to show people how they post nothing on Facebook except bible verses. They like people to know that they are strict and want nothing but "the best" for God. For instance, you may see them practicing their songs or special numbers for long hours, repeating their rehearsals again and again, spending late ni

Seed that Fell Along the Path: Understanding that Can't Get Past Human Theology

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rambleswithacamera.blogspot.com Jesus said, the seed that fell along the path was eaten by birds, and "birds" symbolized the devil here. The exact meaning was thus explained: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. [Matthew 13] The "message about the Kingdom" is quite different from the regular bible studies and Sunday sermons that go on in denominational churches.  This Kingdom  message  turns you into a Kingdom person concerned solely about the Kingdom of God on earth. Bible studies and Sunday sermons in denominational churches use the bible to turn folks into denominational people who know only about their denomination and nothing about the Kingdom. Something like this: But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you ab

Do You Understand GOD?

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theregister.co.uk A lot of church people believe God even if they don't understand most of what he's saying in the bible. For instance, churches still hold on to their denominations even if Jesus already revealed in his prayer how God wants all believers to be completely united [John 17.23]. I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. It is commendable to believe even if you don't see (John 20.29), but God wants us all to believe and understand. It's difficult to genuinely believe and be sold out to something you do not understand. Some say we cannot entirely understand everything about God. True, but still we need to understand what he reveals to us. The revealed things belong to us and to our children forever [Deuteronomy 29.29]. And anyway, we need to deeply understand how God wants us to "have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that (we) may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ," [Colossians 2.2].

Why are the Poor in Spirit Blessed?

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jaxfellowship.org Why are the  poor in spirit  blessed? It baffles me each time I ponder on this passage, especially today when you see almost no one in church desiring to be poor in spirit. Is there? They all want to be somebody---they want titles, degrees, positions, recognition, the most number of members, the highest church income, the mega-est church of all. You can be poor in spirit even with all the above---prestige and even riches---but the problem is, I have yet to see someone who is. Well, there's Mother Teresa. Who else? Most of us just want to talk about ourselves and what we do and have [1 John 2.16]: For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. I also wonder why Jesus made poor in spirit number one among his Beatitude teachings, considered by many as his centerpiece teaching. Wouldn't God re

The Main Ingredient Before GOD Uses You Powerfully

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velopeter.dk The least is the greatest in the Kingdom of God. Before God uses anyone, he or she must first be the greatest in the Kingdom. So that person must be the least . Being the least , especially being least in the eyes of men---this is the main ingredient before God uses you powerfully. So He takes you to the desert. Jesus was taken to the desert as soon as he came out in the power of the Holy Spirit from being baptized. After a bathing of tremendous power like that, you need the wilderness experience to keep you humble. Only power made perfect in weakness can defeat Satan in the wilderness, not positions, money, achievements, degrees, titles, or anything valued by the world. Thus, the Holy Spirit immediately led Jesus to the desert so he can remain the least . John the baptizer was son of Zechariah the priest. Being priest, Zechariah led a materially abundant life. Priests and Levites were well fed and provided for as indicated in Deuteronomy 18. They had no inheri

Jesus' "Disinterest" in People

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www.gettyimages.com I've always been intrigued by Jesus' disinterest in people. No doubt, he had compassion on them. He loved them. But he always reserved an element of detachment. Some may call it objectivity, perhaps. I prefer calling it disinterest . For instance, he just let the rich young ruler walk away. This rich, young guy was the ideal church member---dedicated to Scriptures, rich, a leader and young and idealistic. What pastor is going to let someone like that get away after coming to him to seek advice? Most pastors would entertain and grab him for membership. But not Jesus. He simply watched him walk away. He loved him, but he was disinterested about him. Interested people would have gone after him, taken his address and visited him often for follow up. That's what pastors are trained to do. And who wouldn't want Nicodemus, teacher of Israel and respected member of the powerful Sanhedrin, as his follower or even church member? Imagine an i

Revealing the Life of Christ in our Bodies

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www.dreamstime.com You may be wondering---why do we need to receive Jesus Christ into our hearts and why does he have to enter into our bodies? Why can't God just declare us saved once we have faith in him? Jesus has to enter our bodies because he needs to be revealed in us. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. [2 Corinthians 4.10-11] How important is Christ being in us? Paul described it simply: "Christ in you the hope of glory." It's God's plan to glorify Jesus Christ in our bodies. Thus, we have to receive him, invite him to enter our bodies---our lives---so we can reveal him in these last days. The idea is to form Christ in us: My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, [Galatians 4.