The Bible deals with a lot of tough (and sad!) topics, from the
entrance of sin in the book of Genesis to the laments of the prophets
in the Old Testament. But throughout Scripture, we also see glimpses
of joy—a level of pure happiness that transcends any words we would
try to use to describe it.
Sometimes this joy causes people to dance. Other times it leaves the
people in the story (and often the readers) speechless. All of the
time, the joy is in response to a gift from God. And at moments when
it is hard to find joy in the midst of our own daily lives and routines,
these passages in Scripture can serve as a reminder that God is good.
And that is cause for great joy.
1. Joseph is reunited with his brothers.
The book of Genesis tells the story of Joseph—the favorite of
Jacob’s 12 sons. Although his father gave special treatment to
Joseph, his brothers resented the special treatment that Joseph
received. So they sold him as a slave and told their father that
Joseph was dead. But after many years Joseph and his brothers
were reunited. Joseph forgave his brothers, saved his whole family
from starvation during a famine and celebrated the joy of being
restored to his family.
Read the whole story in Genesis 43-45.
2. David dances before the Lord.
When the ark of the Covenant came to Jerusalem, there was a
celebration of harps, lyres and percussion instruments. People
sang and sacrifices were offered. But David also danced. He
danced jubilantly to celebrate the ark, which signified God’s
presence. His wife, Michal, criticized him for his display of joy,
but David told her that his dancing was to honor the Lord.
Read the whole story in 2 Samuel 6.
3. A father’s son returns home.
The story of the prodigal son is one of the most popular parables
in the New Testament. But don’t let the familiarity of the story
cause you to miss the joy of the father when his son returns. The
father literally runs to embrace his son. The father explains to his
older son, “We had to celebrate and be happy, because your
brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has
been found’” (Luke 15:32, GNTD). And that is a cause for real
joy.
Read the whole story in Luke 15.
4. The author of Revelation sees a new heaven and a new earth.
The book of Revelation was written to a church that knew pain and
persecution. So when the author finishes the book with a
description of what the kingdom of God will look like, there was
much cause for celebration. The author describes a place where
there will be no more grief or crying or pain. All this because
God’s home will be with his people. The waiting is over. The time
for joy has come.
Read the whole story in Revelation 21.
Friday, 21 November 2014
4 PLACES TO FIND JOY IN THE BIBLE
Monday, 17 November 2014
Masturbation and Mission
Masturbation is the experience of sexual orgasm produced by self-
stimulation. Virtually every man and almost as many women have tried
it. It is a regular practice of most single men.
One of the major forces preventing young people from obeying the call
of God into vocational Christian service is defeat in the area of lust. A
teenager hears a challenging call to throw himself into the cause of
world evangelization. He feels the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He
tastes the thrill of following the King of kings into battle. But he does
not obey because he is masturbating regularly. He feels guilty. He can
hardly imagine witnessing to a pretty girl about the eternal plight of
her soul, because he has so habitually looked at girls naked in his
imagination. So he feels unworthy and unable to obey the call of God.
Masturbation becomes the enemy of missions.
Is masturbation wrong? Let me address the issue mainly for men. I
cannot imagine sexual orgasm in the loins without sexual image in the
mind. I know there are nocturnal emissions, which I regard as innocent
and helpful, but I doubt that they are ever orgasmic apart from a
sexual dream that supplies the necessary image in the mind. Evidently
God has constituted the connection between sexual orgasm and sexual
thought in such a way that the force and pleasure of orgasm is
dependent on the thought or images in our minds.
Therefore in order to masturbate, it is necessary to get vivid and
exciting thoughts or images into the mind. This can be done by pure
imagination or by pictures or movies or stories or real persons. These
images always involve women as sexual objects. I use the word “object”
because in order for a women to be a true sexual “subject” in our
imagination she must in reality be one with whom we are experiencing
what we are imagining. This is not the case with masturbation.
So I vote no on masturbation. There may be other reasons why it is
wrong. For now I rest my vote on the inevitable sexual images which
accompany masturbation and which turn women into sexual objects. The
sexual thoughts that enable masturbation do not help any man to treat
women with greater respect. Therefore masturbation produces real and
legitimate guilt and stands in the way of obedience.
Three encouragements to single men:
You are not alone in the battle.
Periodic failure in this area no more disqualifies you from ministry
than periodic failures of impatience (which is also a sin).
Pursue the expulsive power of a new affection. I walked by a whole
section of “photography” books at the Walker Art Center last Thursday
empowered by the better pleasure of feeling Christ conquer the
temptation to look.
Saturday, 15 November 2014
The power of Tithing
Is tithing a fundamental in this
“new insight” in TRUTH?
Is it only applicable in the biblical
sense?
Was it only practiced as a part of
Christ’s teaching?
Where are the origins? And how has
it evolved?
Does it apply to us?
A study of Prosperity and Affluence invariably includes the practice of
tithing. In most cases, it is taught with a dogmatism that is
unparalleled in the whole study of TRUTH. We want to deeply prove the
practice beyond the superficial, illogical and materialistic way it is
normally approached. Tithing is normally encouraged for all the wrong
reasons, a gross materialization of a beautiful spiritual law.
For those of you who wish to understand the historical origin and
answers to those questions; I have included here, some references
from Tithing in Bible (see below) , where Abraham gave a tithe of all he
had to Melchizedeck, King of Salem, who had blessed him. Today there
are whole religious denominations that require tithing of all their
adherents. Many other religious groups suggest it as a discipline. Let us
establish the point that tithing is an excellent practice that I strongly
recommend to anyone who is seeking to change their life from
indigence to affluence.
Truth students and/or those who study Bible know and often refer to
the classic reference of Malachi 3:10 (ASV) “Bring ye the whole tithe
into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and prove me
now herewith, saith Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open you the windows
of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room
enough to receive it.” Beautifully put, it is sheer poetry! Who can argue
with it? But, we should also examine the practice in the time of
Malachi.
Under Levitical law, the tithe was a form of taxation, a requirement; it
was not a love offering or charitable contribution at all. In theocratic
government, tithing had often been the method of creating revenues to
support the government. Since God is true ruler, it is easy to see that
the government treasury is the storehouse of the Lord.
In early Israel, under the leadership of Moses, twelve tribes were
managed by priests, and the system was supported by the tithe. There
was nothing voluntary about it. The Mosaic code was rigidly enforced,
and in some cases, infractions were punishable by death. This is the
biblical source where our contemporary practice of tithing was derived.
However, the tithe did not originate there. Some form of tithing was
practiced almost universally throughout the entire ancient world. We
find evidences of it in Babylonia, in Persia, in Egypt, in Rome, and
even in China.
Now without judging the merits of tithing, I find this line reasoning
illogical. Under their law, the Israelites were bound to many restrictive
observances. There are references to people actually being stoned to
death for nothing more than gathering wheat on the Sabbath,
(infraction of the fourth commandment). But we don’t put people to
death in modern times for playing golf on Sunday! But times have
changed, we say. Then why should the rigidity of the tithing observance
remain unchanged?
Jesus seemed to have made a career out of upgrading the laws and
practices of the Old Testament into the light and needs of
contemporary times. For instance, he said concerning many
commandments, “You have heard it said of old, but I say unto you …..”
He also said “I have come not to abolish them (the laws) but to fulfill
them.” (Mt. 5:17)
If you carefully examine the Ten Commandments , they would appear to
be a series of restrictive laws. However, a deeper look will reveal to you
underlying essence, that supportive framework for the spiritually
mature. Late Rev. Eric Butterworth’s tells us in his book Spiritual
Economics: “Infants may need playpens and children may need fences
to keep them from straying into danger.” But as people mature, there
must come a time when they put away childish things. He also, points
out that Jesus taught the law of consciousness, that one always has a
choice, though one must live with the effects of his or her choice. You
receive as you give, and if you would receive more, you can give more.
But you have complete freedom. (Page 196 in Book Spiritual Economics
by Rev. Eric Butterworth), see (Reference in Resources)
Books you find on tithing often display flashy dollar signs, suggesting
that tithing is a sure way to get rich quick. Some say that tithing is a
magic cure for all ills. But if prosperity and healing results from
tithing, it is manifested as the fulfilling of the law: As you give, so you
receive. The materialistic approach to tithing is so prevalent because of
its effectiveness. Giving is a fundamental spiritual law. You cannot live
without giving, as you cannot live without breathing. You inhale and
exhale naturally for breathing is a part of the vital process of life. No
one dictates how deep your breath should be, and so your giving and
tithing should also be a natural process.
Kahlil Gibran, in his classic work The Prophet says: "You give but little
when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that
you truly give…. Give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its
fragrance into space." What counts for you is how you deal with them in
consciousness. When you understand “who you really are” and “how our
world comes about”, then you begin to see things from the perspective
of the ever-present God-substance or the Source. You will be in the
creative flow of abundance which will bless your life with sustained
affluence and prosperity, and in turn, your energy will vibrate
prospering influence to lift the world. (Full Text of The Prophet by
Kahil Gibran)
Practice of Tithing in Bible
Quotes from the Bible on "Practice of Tithing" in Bible, from Genesis,
Malachi, and New Testament
The First Book of Moses, called Genesis 14:17 And the king of Sodom
went out to meet him, after his return from the slaughter of
Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, at the vale of Shaveh
(the same is the King's Vale). 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem
brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of God Most High.
14:19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of God Most
High, possessor of heaven and earth: 14:20 and blessed be God Most
High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him
a tenth of all.
The Fifth Book of Moses, called Deuteronomy 12:17 Thou mayest not eat
within thy gates the tithe of thy grain, or of thy new wine, or of thine
oil, or the firstlings of thy herd or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows
which thou vowest, nor thy freewill-offerings, nor the heave-offering
of thy hand.
In Malachi 3:10 Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that
there may be food in my house, and prove me now herewith, saith
Jehovah of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and
pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive
it.
Following Scriptures are found in New Testament, and beleived to
reflect Jesus the Christ's thoughts and teaching on Practice of Tithing
in Bible.
The Gospel According to St. Luke 6:38 give, and it shall be given unto
you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, shall
they give into your bosom. For with what measure ye mete it shall be
measured to you again.
The Gospel According to St. Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give.
Here we have focused on subject of Practicing of Tithing in Bible, but
practice of tithing, which means acknowledgement for and to Source/
God/ Infinite have been practice throughout ages in many religious
belief system.
Click here to view - The American Standard Version of the Holy Bible
The American Standard Version (ASV) of the Holy Bible was first
published in 1901. It has earned the reputation of being the Rock of
Biblical Honesty. Although the English used in the ASV is somewhat
archaic, it isn't nearly as hard to understand as some passages of the
King James Version of nearly 3 centuries earlier. This translation of
the Holy Bible is in the public domain, since its copyright has expired.
You are encouraged to download, copy, publish, and use this translation
freely Click here to view – The World English Bible The World English
Bible is an update of the American Standard Version that is still in the
Public Domain, but uses more modern English.
Wednesday, 12 November 2014
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
Missing person: The Holy Spirit
Many people may have had an experience like
that of the little girl who heard the Holy Ghost
(as the Holy Spirit is sometimes called)
mentioned in church from time to time, but so
vaguely and infrequently she could only guess
what sort of ghost this might be. So one day, when she venture down
into the dark furnace room in the church's cellar, she decided with a
child's firm logic that this spooky place must be where the Holy Ghost
lurked.
The fact is, adult believers often act as if the Holy Spirit really was
hiding in the church cellar. They may know something about the Holy
Spirit, but they don't know Him personally or realize that He is God in
the same way the Son and the Father are God. When they read the
Bible, many people are surprised to find that the Holy Spirit was at the
very dawn of time: "The Spirit of God was moving over the surface of
the waters" ( Genesis1:2 ), and many are amazed to find out there are
approximately 100 references to the Holy Spirit throughout the Old and
New Testaments.
Nevertheless, the Spirit's role is fundamental both to creation and the
life of the believer. When a person comes to Jesus Christ, he receives
Christ into his heart. The Spirit of God comes and joins with the spirit
of the believer. This "indwelling Spirit" reproduces the life of Jesus in
the believer's life.
What, Then, Is The Baptism In The Holy Spirit?
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an empowering for service that takes
place in the life of the Christian ( Acts 1:5,8 ). In it we are immersed in
the Spirit's life and power.
To illustrate, if we drank water from a glass, then the water would be
inside us. However, if we went to the beach and stepped into the ocean,
then we would be in the water. We receive, as it were, a drink of the
Holy Spirit when we are saved, but when we are baptized in the Spirit, it
is as if that initial drink becomes an ocean that completely surrounds
us.
Just as the indwelling Spirit that Christians receive when they are
saved reproduces the life of Jesus, so the outpoured, or baptizing,
Spirit reproduces the ministry of Jesus, including miracles and
healings.
Why Do We Need The Baptism In The Holy Spirit?
We need a power beyond ourselves for service and ministry in Christ's
Kingdom.
When Jesus gave the Great Commission ( Matthew 28:19-20 ), He knew
that His disciples could not fulfill it in their own power. Therefore, He
had a special gift in store for them: It was His plan to give them the
same power that He had -- the power of the Spirit of God. So,
immediately after giving them the Great Commission, Jesus commanded
his disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father
promised, "which," He said, "you heard of from Me; for John baptized
with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days
from now" (Acts 1:4-5 ). He further promised: "You shall receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the
remotest part of the earth" ( Acts 1:8 ).
The disciples waited in Jerusalem as Jesus had commanded, and one
day when they were all together, "suddenly there came from heaven a
noise like a violent, rushing winds, and it filled the whole house where
they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire
distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And
they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance" ( Acts 2:3,4 ). Then
Peter explained to the crowd that gathered that they were seeing the
working of God's Spirit and told them about Jesus. The Christian church
began that day with the disciples and the three thousand people who
joined them as a result of the day's events.
We can undertake making disciples of all nations with some degree of
success without the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but when we do, we are
undertaking a supernatural task with limited power.
It is God's will -- it is His commandment -- that we be baptized, or
filled with the Holy Spirit: "Be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18).
The knowledge and reality of the empowering Spirit enables us to
reproduce the works of Jesus.
When May I Receive The Baptism In The Holy Spirit?
It can take place at the moment you confess faith in Christ, as in the
case of the first Gentile convert, Cornelius ( Acts 10:44-46 ; 11:15, 16);
but often it occurs some time after the salvation experience
(Acts 8:12-17 ).
Is There Anything To Fear?
Some people fear that if they ask for the baptism in the Holy Spirit,
what they experience won't be the authentic working of the Spirit. But
once they do ask for it, they are always glad they did. God doesn't
cause us to do anything we don't want to, and all His gifts are good
and perfect (James 1:17). Jesus said, "Now suppose one of you fathers
is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a
fish, will be? Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a
scorpion, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask Him?" (Luke 11:11-13 ). The baptism in the Holy
Spirit is an even better gift than any material gift you could receive,
and God wants you to have it because He loves you and wants the very
best for you.
What Should I Do Before Asking?
The Bible says that a wise man counts the cost before he begins to build
a tower ( Luke 14:28 ). This beautiful experience of the baptism in the
Holy Spirit is a free gift, but you must be willing to submit fully to God
to receive it.
Jesus will respond to a totally yielded vessel. He never asks anything of
you that you are incapable of giving, nor does He ever fail to give you
something greater in return when you do give your all. The joy He gives
through total obedience to Him far outweighs anything you could
possibly give up.
There is one more important consideration: In Acts 8, a man named
Simon, deeply involved in the occult, wanted to buy the gift of the Holy
Spirit. Peter sharply rebuked Simon, commanding him to repent.
Therefore, if you ever at any time had anything to do with the occult
(Ouija boards, fortune tellers, seances, horoscopes, ESP,
transcendental mediation, hypnotism, or other such practices), you
must renounce and turn away from all such sinful participation, and
you must ask for God's forgiveness and cleansing.
How Do I Receive The Baptism In The Holy Spirit?
You only have to do two things.
First, once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and
Savior you just have to ask God to baptize you in the Holy Spirit. The
Bible says, "Ask, and it shall be given to you" (Luke 11:9 ).
Second, believe you have in fact received this gift from God. The
apostle Paul, writing to the Galatians, said, "Did you receive the Spirit
by the works of the law, or by hearing with faith?"
(Galatians 3:2 ). The answer, obviously, is faith. You have to believe that
if you ask, you will receive.
Pray this prayer if you sincerely desire to receive the baptism in God's
Holy Spirit:
"Heavenly Father, at this moment I come to You. I thank You that
Jesus saved me. I pray that the Holy Spirit might come upon me. Lord
Jesus, baptize me now in the Holy Spirit. I receive the baptism in the
Holy Spirit right now by faith in Your Word. May the anointing, the
glory, and the power of God come upon me and into my life right now.
May I be empowered for service from this day forward. Thank You,
Lord Jesus, for baptizing me in Your Holy Spirit. Amen."
Now, having asked and received, begin to practice the power of the
Spirit. An ideal place to begin is where the first apostles did, praising
God in a new language. To do this, begin praising God out loud in
whatever words come to you. Tell Him how much you love Him. Thank
Him, worship Him, and yield your voice to Him. Now let Him give you new
words of praise you never heard before. Praise Him with those words,
too. You'll find that thiscan be a very rewarding experience of
communication with God that will build up your faith. Continue to pray
to God each day in the language that the Holy Spirit has given you.
But this "prayer language" is just one of the gifts that God wants to
give you through the baptism in His Spirit.
The Gifts and Fruit of the Holy Spirit
The apostle Paul told the Corinthians that the Holy Spirit would
manifest Himself among them in special gifts, of which speaking in
tongues was only one: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do
not want you to be unaware....To one is give the word of wisdom through
the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same
Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of
healing by the one Spirit, and to another the distinguishing of spirit, to
another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of
tongues" (I Corinthians 12:1,8-10).
Paul also wrote that the Holy Spirit produces "fruit" in the lives of
believers. These are virtues that demonstrate Jesus' righteousness in
the lives of His disciples: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-
control" ( Galatians 5:22 ).
So, in asking for the baptism in the Holy Spirit you are availing yourself
of these gifts for advancing God's Kingdom and allowing the Holy Spirit
to further cultivate in your life the fruit of righteousness -- two great
helps in living a life God can use mightily for His glory.
That's the way it is with God. God is offering the baptism in the Holy
Spirit to people who need only to reach out and receive it in order to be
on fire to fully serve Him.
Walking in the Spirit
By now you can see that the Holy Spirit is so much more than a shadowy
figure to pay lip-service to on Sunday morning. He can be with you and
in your to bring new life to your Christian walk. Likewise, the baptism in
the Holy Spirit is more than a single experience. It is a continual
dependence on the Spirit for guidance and strength in all
circumstances. "If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the
Spirit" ( Galatians 5:25 ).
The baptism in the Holy Spirit cannot be earned. You cannot become
"good enough" to receive it. It is a gift from God. It is not a "cure-
all" for your problems. But the same wonderful power that enabled
Jesus to open blind eyes, to command the elements of nature, and to
live a life pleasing to the Father during His ministry on earth is also
available to you. Ask, and it shall be given to you.
Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
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