moneymoneymoney

Jesus spoke more about money than anything else, he even went as far to say that you can't serve both God and money....not God and sport, not God and recreation, not God and the flesh, not God and family....but God and money, even giving money a name, Mammon, meaning it is a strong spiritual power, that pits itself against God and demands worship.....interesting to note that the Pharisees often "sneered" at Jesus when he did so...because we are told, "the Pharisees loved money."

There was a reason Jesus did this...that reason was to set you free from the love of money, because someone who loves money cannot receive Gods generosity and His grace regarding prosperity...you can be a beggar or a multimillionaire and love money!

Now in saying that, did you know God WANTS to prosper YOU financially because he wants to bless others through you and that you might know the words of Jesus, "it is more blessed to give than to receive" and that the promise given to Abraham, would be a reality for you, namely... that through YOU all the families of the earth will be blessed!

Remember now, it is not money that God want to bless the families of the earth with, it is Jesus, the Gospel!! That is where money comes in...money has one purpose...it is the vehicle to get the gospel to the world! It is going to take money to get the gospel to the ends of the earth...

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only son", the Father wants us to have the same attitude, saying, "for I so love the world that I give generously into His priority!"

I heard a rumour the other day..."Craig talks too much about money", well lets say I am not too worried about that...I have one motive, the gospel, Jesus, and getting Him to the ends of the world....

...and I end with a quote from Andrew Wommack...."if God can get it through you, he will get it to you!"

Bless you's !!! c

Lets build, not tear down...

What I do find sad, and has become a fact in our grace culture, is we now have "grace policeman" that point fingers at other "grace guys" and accuse them of going back to the law, or compromising or not preaching the gospel, or preaching too much faith or preaching too many "kingdom principles" or too much on gifts, or sowing or reaping or the flesh or community or church...

Its like these "grace policemen" have a "special" revelation from God and only they know what real grace is...and unless you are preaching what they dictate that you preach you have will be mixing leaven into the loaf ... I guarantee you that had they been around in Paul's day they would have had an issue with some of things he preached...

Its actually quite hard to love when everybody else is wrong and you are right...I know, i used to be there.

....and now? well lets just say, that i have come to find that God is bigger than our revelation...I have read and listened to many grace believers around the world in the last few years...now, it would be easy to go "no that's not grace, OK that's grace, oh he's missing it there, OK he's got it now"... T-I-R-I-N-G at best, grace pharisee at worst!

One of these grace guys that i am listening to now, and just finished his book called "Living Grace", is a Senior Pastor of a Baptist church in America, a Baptist Church surely not? Yes a Baptist church...as i said, God is bigger than our revelation...God IS Grace, He is Gracious...(Personally, i think some "grace guys" need to learn how to be gracious) ...

A lot of "grace guys" are clearly in reaction to everything that IS church, from the finances, to the leadership, to the way things are done on a Sunday...I mean if you have a "church" that's meets on a Sunday BAM! YOU are an institution! You name it, they will have a problem with it...

They might say they are not in reaction but no one is as blind as those who refuse to see...

Paul said let your conversation be full of grace, for building others up, not tearing down...God is not in the business of tearing down, but building up...Some guys sense it is their duty to change the way the world sees the church, which is noble, but the problem is when you engage them, there is hardly any warmth, practically no heart and little love...just a lot of duty...and they want to accuse other sons of God of being "dutiful" toward the Father?...its like the pot calling the kettle black...did not Paul the apostle have some choice words for those kind of guys?

Hey, i am not perfect, i am still learning, still maturing, still becoming skilled in the word of righteousness, still in training, figuring out what is Good and what is evil, growing in grace...I don't have it all together, but personally i wont be bullied into having to question everything i do and preach by hurting brothers who themselves don't have it all together...C'mon lets be honest here, who has perfect revelation?

A wise man called Mike Ward once gave me something to read, it was called "Hurt people, hurt people" ... I wish I had paid more careful attention to it.

I don't like religion as much as any other guy out there, but i don't want to be looking for religion and law behind every bush...That's not freedom either!

I LOVE the grace message, I LOVE the fact that my righteousness is a gift, its by grace through faith...I love the fact that my sin is not counted against me anymore from the Father...that Jesus paid the price in FULL! As i said, i LOVE grace but it might not be exactly the way you see grace, but that's OK...remember, i might not be 100% wrong in my revelation, but i also might not be 100% right, and that goes for the "grace police" as well.

If you don't agree its fine, but if you do, then lets partner with God in seeing the church built into what she is destined to be, with each part doing its work....not tearing her down, but building her up.

Bless you all...

The Fruit of the SPIRIT

"But the fruit of the Spirit is . . ." The use of the singular "fruit" instead of the plural "fruits" is instructive. It suggests the common root and interdependence of these several spiritual graces mentioned. They can be produced only in a life that is rooted in the SPIRIT; they cannot be hung outwardly upon a life like the toys and ornaments on a Christmas tree. Fruitage in the Spirit requires rootage in the Spirit. As it has been well put, "Christian character is CHRIST's excellency reproduced by the SPIRIT in a renewed life."

To bring forth the fruit of the SPIRIT is not only the Christian's happy privilege; it is his bound "duty" ( in Rom 8:12 the NIV uses the word "obligation" but it should be "debtor") as well. In a soul born of the SPIRIT there is to be fruit borne in the SPIRIT. The fact that we could do nothing to earn our salvation is by no means to be interpreted as implying that, having been saved by grace, we can do nothing to show our gratitude for the salvation we have received. Dare we be unmindful of the words of our SAVIOUR to the effect that our heavenly FATHER is glorified when we bring forth much fruit: "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye
bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples" (John 15:8)"

Your kingdom come ?

Sanctification IS by GRACE through FAITH...In the heavenly realms, in Christ, we are FULLY sanctified, FULLY healed, FULLY restored, FULLY satisfied all by grace, but here on the earthly realm it is not so....NOW, whose "responsibility" is it to see whats on earth line up with whats in heaven.....? That's a good question and i am glad you asked it ;-)

Grace WAS Gods part, now through faith (our PART) in his Provision (Grace) WE "work" it out here on earth...

Jesus said "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven"...it is MY work (by the obedience of faith) to make what is in heaven a reality here on earth....

Are there believers that you know that are NOT living as "more than conquerors"? mmmm, why not? is God not doing his job...NO...He has already provided EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness...NOW by faith we make that a reality on earth...Paul said, God can do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine according to His POWER that's at work in US ...

There are hundreds of thousands of believers that God has not done for them what they asked or imagine (He's already done it actually), why ? because God didn't want to? No, because they did not partner with God...unlike Abraham who was strengthened in his faith, they were weakened in their faith through unbelief (in His goodness)...(The Apostle Peter (2 Pet 1) calls it blind and nearsighted! Blind because they are not seeing their provision (grace) and nearsighted because they are satisfied with instant gratification of the flesh and taken their eyes off eternity))

THE LAW IS NOT BASED ON FAITH - BUT GRACE IS !!!

You can have "faith for something" but without an appropriate corresponding action all that faith is is a theory... which at the end of the day is not faith at all, because faith is a substance and theory is not...

Stay in the Blessing...its your destiny! :-)

The truth about the if-then theory

Some people say..."its not by what YOU do!".....They are right..as far as the grace (provision) of God is concerned...Jesus did it all 2000 (odd) years ago on the cross and 50 days later the Holy Spirit was poured out..provision for all!!!......BUT...as far as the earthly realm is concerned there lots we should be doing....Sanctification is by grace THROUGH FAITH....Rom 8..."If YOU live by your corrupt nature, YOU are going to die. But if YOU use your spiritual nature (BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH!) to put to death the evil activities of the body, YOU will live."

Faith comes by hearing about the provision (GRACE) through the word of God...and faith is essentially a 4 part process...hear, meditate, speak, do...if i am not doing, i am really not hearing all that God is trying to tell me about his goodness...and if i am REALLY honest with myself, i am calling him a liar...But Craig, there is now NO condemnation for those in Christ...yes you are correct, only issue is...The law is the power of sin in the flesh, if we are living according to the flesh, then we are going back under the law and make no mistake, the law brings guilt and condemnation...That's why, if WE live by the Spirit (BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH - THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH!) we will LIVE !!

FAITH !!!!

"Faith involves a shift in focus, a shift in worldviews, a shift between that which we see to that which we cannot see, a shift in focus to that greater reality. Real faith is not based on the five senses. It considers that which cannot be seen as more real than what we experience in life’s circumstances.Yes at times, by faith in the invisible God in the unseen realm, and in spite of what the circumstances of this dimension told them, men and women destroyed cities, subdued kingdoms (against all earthly odds), stopped the mouths of lions, escaped the sword, quenched impossible fires and even received their dead back to life (Heb 11:30-33).This all by a faith that sees into this unseen realm."

Santo Calarco

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING !!!

Heb 6:13 "For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, 14 saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.”[a] 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. 16 For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. 17 Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, 18 that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might[b] have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us."

When a young man decides he wants to be a famous actor, He "lays hold" of that dream until he sees it accomplished...it changes the way he lives his life, spends his money, the words he speaks..etc...

Man alive, we have a MUCH BETTER hope!! Lets lay hold of it, let it change the way we live our lives, spend our money, the words we speak...Not to become righteous, NO we ARE the very righteousness of God, now WE have the promise given to Abe...!!

Through faith (action) and patience (action) we will "lay hold" of it...and it will come, because God does not lie...!!

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING !!!

By GRACE through FAITH !!

Started a series yesterday called "BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH" ...

The law IS NOT based on faith, GRACE is !!!!

Time to break off the unbelief and step into all He has for us...

Manifested blessing be yours !!!

Seven Signs that You Might Be Living Under Law

"1. You’re not 100% sure if you’re 100% forgiven

God doesn’t do forgiveness in installments. All your sins were forgiven at the cross (Col 2:13) when God the Son abolished sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb 9:26). Neither God the Father (Heb 8:12) nor God the Holy Spirit (Heb 10:17) remembers your sin any more. Still not convinced?

2. You believe Christians have a duty or responsibility to serve the Lord

Duty and responsibility are synonyms for obligation so this is a mind-set that says we are obliged, or indebted, to God. I’ve heard it said that “Jesus has done so much for you, what will you do for Him?” Indeed, God has given us everything. Ever wondered why? He did it “that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:7). He is not just rich in grace, but exceedingly rich. You cheapen His grace by thinking you have a duty or responsibility to pay Him back. Your responsibility is to believe that He is good and true! It is not our obligation to serve the Lord, it is our royal privilege. It is not our duty, but our great delight.

3. You suffer from performance anxiety.

Performance anxiety is a rational response to the uncertainty of life under the old covenant. But anxiety has no place in the new. We are to draw water from the wells of salvation with joy (Is 12:3). We walk under law in anxiety and fear, but we walk under grace with joy and thanksgiving! “Happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, whose sins are pardoned! Happy is the person whose sins the Lord will not keep account of!” (Rms 4:7-8, GNB)God has made us His Sons, and with such a Father we need not be worried about anything (Mt 6:32). He is our Provider who delights to give good gifts to those who ask Him (Mt 7:11). Those who serve under the law are insecure, but sons are secure.

4. You think, “God will bless me as I do my part”

The essence of a life enslaved by law is the mindset that says, “I must do something for God.” The motivation may be to earn salvation or some other blessing. But this mindset is anti-Christ and anti-cross. Contrary to what you may think, we are not justified by what we but do grace alone (Rms 3:24). Grace and works don’t mix (Rms 11:6). Grace, peace, and every spiritual blessing have been given to us by God our Father through Jesus Christ (Eph 1:3). We are not called to work for God, but to do the work God. (Eph 2:8). Faith is a positive response to what God has done. Faith is saying, “thank you Jesus!” Faith is healing the sick and casting out demons, because Jesus made provision for our healing and deliverance at the cross.

5. You think we need more preaching on repentance.

Repentance saves lives, but preaching on repentance doesn’t lead to repentance! A law mind-set emphasizes what people must do (repent!), but grace proclaims what God has already done (everything!). A law mindset uses inferior incentives (fear, judgment) that lead to temporary changes in behavior, but grace (God is good and He loves you!) changes the hardest heart. If you want people to genuinely repent, preach the goodness of God (Rms 2:4).

6 You think you have to overcome life’s trials or Jesus will blot out your name.

It really isn’t about you. Jesus is our over-comer and our victory (Jn 16:33). Everyone who believes Jesus is the Son of God has already overcome the world, because The Over-comer lives in them (1 Jn 5:4-5).
Jesus promised the overcomers at Sardis that He would never blot out their name. Ever since then insecure performance-oriented believers have feared He might change His mind and do exactly that.

7. You mainly think of following Jesus in terms of giving up things

Christianity is a our life for his. No doubt you’ve heard people say that following Jesus costs you everything. And it does. You cannot call him Lord without renouncing the right to your own life. But see what you get in exchange! If salvation means nothing more to you than self-denial and personal sacrifice, you’ve missed the whole point. our life for His. God favors us with this exchange. We give him our sinful little selves and get everything in return. A law mindset looks at what we give up, but a grace mindset rejoices at what He offers in return! Stop thinking about what you gave up (nothing you could keep) and start enjoying what He has given you (everything!)."

http://www.escapetoreality.org/2010/11/06/under-law-1-7

...our part?

The grace of God teaches us, accepts us, embraces us, enables, us ... shows us how full of faith we really are!!!!!!

... our part, to think about it, meditate on it, believe it !!!!

...let the gifts flow, regardless !!!!

"I believe that there are two glories that the Bible teaches. One of the remarkable things about the theology of what you are in is that you believe in reading the Bible in context. And I believe that 2 Corinthians chapter 3 – it is amazing to me that the Corinthians were the most carnal people.

They were drunk at communion and were having sex with temple prostitutes and one guy – God alone knows what he was doing with his mother in law because Paul says it was even embarrassing to unsaved Corinthians who were expert sinners. These people were ones who needed to have dos and don’t put on them but Paul writes to them for me the most amazing chapter in the whole New Testament and distinguishes the difference between the Old and New Covenant.

And he never says “Stop the gifts – I’ve had enough”. He gives loving administration to the gifts but says have more gifts – I would that all prophesy I want you all to speak in tongues – I want you to desire the mighty gifts of the Spirit. So Paul didn’t quench the gifts. But he writes this chapter and distinguishes between Old and New Covenant glory ....

... So Paul makes a very clear distinction and there can be no ambiguity after reading 2 Corinthians 3. He says in (v4) that we don’t have any confidence in ourselves but God has made us competent ministers of a New Covenant not of the letter that kills but of the Spirit that gives life!"

Rob Rufus

The fruit of law-galistic thinking ...

If you think about it, all denominations have one thing in common...as a matter of fact so do those that are non-denominational but still mix law with grace...

That is Law-galistic thinking! A law mentality that has been, through generations, firmly entrenched into the minds of the members...

Through that thinking, a wall of hostility (Eph 2:14-15) is raised up, i believe, in 4 places...

1. Between the born again and those still lost...Jesus didn't have this thinking that is why "Sinners" where attracted to him. "Sinners" (or those not born again often feel condemned by the church, and as we all know, condemnation only serves to cause division. If i know you are condemning me, i would be an idiot to hang around you or take your advice!) Jesus didnt have this attitude so unbelievers felt safe with him, they were comfortable around him. Was he trying to score brownie points, no, he was being Godly!) Remember Jesus did not come to condemn but to save.

2. Between two believers (You don’t do as much as I do, pray, give, holiness etc so therefor you don't deserve my encouragement, love, acceptance, gifts)

3. Between local church and local church (denominationalism) I’m a Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Charismatic, (These are NOT local church’s but… Jewish, Hindu, Muslim ) - I have the right way to God and you don’t kind of thinking…(I know there is a difference between a Charismatic and a Hindu, one is saved and the other is not but under the law the thinking can be very similar. I.e. don’t dare try and take the little red dot off a Hindu’s forehead or don’t dare try and tell some Charismatic/Pentecostal the law has been abolished – you will get the same "violent" reaction). Churches will even criticize and bite each other for this same reason...it is known that churches preaching the gospel of grace get persecuted by churches that don't...

4. Within the mind of a born again believer (outworking itself in double mindedness, condemnation, guilt, fear, disparity, no power, little faith, little revelation – you get the picture!)

The antidote?

The gospel of grace!!! Putting the law in its right place, ala Rom 10:4!

As the church we have one responsibility: breaking down THAT wall, keeping people free – as Paul did (True Apostolicity)...

When that wall is gone we are united first with Dad, then each other... the fruit of that? mmmm lets think... love joy peace PARTY !!!!!!!!

The 10 commandments

What is the commandment that will cause you to sin the most?