No Spirit of Fear

Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of His return is drawing near. Heb 10:24-25

With all the natural disasters around the world, surely people are beginning to wonder what is happening. Our world which seemed stable is seemingly being hit in all directions with earthquakes, cyclones, floods and even financial disasters. Jesus warned us in Matthew and Luke that these days would come and explained that it would be the start of birth pangs for the day of sorrow, the tribulation that is to come upon the whole world. It would seem that the day of the Lord approaches, and although the term "end of the age" has been thrown around since the disciples walked the earth, there is particular need for us not get blasé but more and more to look up as our salvation draws nigh.

Church this is the time that we should, as the children of God, rise together and do what the bible tells us to do. This is the time, like never before, to humble ourselves, seek God's face and pray for the nations and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the people of the world. This is the time that we should encourage each other, knowing that the days are dark and the love of many will grow cold with the increase of lawlessness that abounds. More and more the Church of the Living God needs to unite together and encourage each other to live for Jesus, to be the light, to stand for righteousness and intercede on behalf of all for God's mercy and grace.

We are living in days of fear, crippling fear, where the future is unpredictable and yet we can stay in peace, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."(2Ti 1:7) We know the One who holds our future securely in His Hands.

They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the LORD to care for them. Psa 112:7

I would encourage you, if you are not committed to your local church, get committed. I would encourage you, if you are not reading the Word every day, begin to. Don't wait for disaster to strike before you go before God for help. The Word needs to be banked in your heart and soul so that the Holy Spirit can bring it to you at the appropriate times and keep your mind at peace. If you are not committed to Jesus, it's time to get committed. Don't sit on the fence any more, it's not just you and your families lives at stake, but others. Pray, pray and pray and no longer live for yourself.

Like all labour pains, they begin slow and come to a crescendo. This seems to be happening in the world, and I don't want to be a "prophet of doom", but we need to support each other, love each other and pray for the salvation of others like never before. Remember,

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Joh 3:16

Because He gave, we were saved. Let us now give our time, our talents, our love, our allegiance to our God so that others may hear about the Life and Hope we have in Him.

Jesus Alone

New Age philosophy is sweeping into the church and winding its tentacles of confusion and bondage around the hearts of people everywhere. Not that this philosophy is new at all, just packaged with a new name, but was seen right back in the Garden of Eden where innocence was lost and Adam and Eve's eyes were open to good and evil. Right back in the garden, Eve misquoted God's Word, when satan introduced his seductive lie that would appeal to the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Gen 2:16 -17

Eve misquoted God because her emphasis was on what she couldn't have whereas God's emphasis was on all the blessings they could enjoy, every tree but one. In twisting God's Word, satan managed to take Eve's attention off the blessings to lust for the fruit (which she could not have –lust of the flesh) and seeing the fruit looked good to eat (lust of the eyes) and, "a tree desirable to make one wise" (the pride of life), she succumbed to the temptation, tasted and offered it to Adam who also partook. It was in that instant they knew sin experientially and the whole human race has been infected with the disease of sin ever since.

John the apostle warned in his epistle:-

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. 1Jn 2:-15-17

The world's philosophy is totally opposed to God. Of all, desiring to be like God, has appealed to the flesh and leads us into all kinds of evil. Many people are caught up in the New Age philosophy that we can find the "god" within us. John warned the church of his day to look out for those who came, and who he dubbed as having a spirit of anti-christ, who preached a false doctrine and who had departed from the fellowship so that they could spread their lies and gain a following. (1 Jn 2:19) They come preaching a different message to the one the disciples preached, a message, often divine, that has been given to them only. They denied the faith and that Jesus is the Christ who came in the flesh. This deceit is still around today and denying the deity of Christ, people deny that Jesus is THE only way to heaven and is THE truth. Truth has become relative and countless souls will be lost for eternity believing this. The bible is quite clear, that

"He who has the Son has life; He who does not have the Son of God does not have life" I Jn 5:12

And again Jesus Himself said:-

"You are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not.

That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I AM who I claim to be, you will die in your sins." Joh 8:23-24

John assures us that we need not be taken captive by these lies if we abide in the Word, and that the message that we have heard from the beginning abides in us. (1 Jn 2:24-26) We also have the greatest teacher to guide us into all truth and that is the Holy Spirit in us. John tells us to "test the spirits" and it is the Holy Spirit who gives us discernment by the "Anointing" or the unction of the Spirit in us. (1 Jn 2:27) The Holy Spirit teaches us all things. (1 Jn 2:27) The bible tells us that "there is nothing new under the sun", so when someone comes preaching some new truth, we need to test it against the Holy Scriptures (which is what the Berean believers did. Acts 17:11)

The Christian message is simple yet true and can be trusted. We are sinners and we needed a Saviour. God (as in Jesus) came in the flesh and die a horrific death on a cross to save us and reconcile us to God. When we believe in Jesus, He gives us eternal life. People don't like to consider that the alternative to Heaven is Hell but think about this, if there was another way or if all "good" people go to heaven, why did Jesus have to go through all He did for us?