Talk Tuesday-Welcome To Jesus!

Today we live in what can be called an 'i-Culture'. We speak of our right to the pursuit of happiness. We often hear people refer to 'karma' in response to someone getting their 'just due'. The phrase, 'I'm a good person' has become commonplace. It is even popular for it to be said, 'I am a god' and that prayers uttered to ' the universe' will yield the answers we desire. The Apostle Paul writes, “They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen,” Romans 1:25. If we are so good, then what is sin? Can we be sinless/good?

The New Testament is written in the language of the Old Testament; it is the fulfillment of the promises of the Old Testament. Did you know that there are 613 Mizvot (Commandments) in the Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible)? If even one of these Commandments is broken, sin is committed. Wow! So how can I be a good person when in the secrecy of my heart and my home I 'accidentally' and deliberately say and do things that hurt others and offend God in the pursuit of my own happiness? God made provision for our sin. The Book of Leviticus speaks of the Sacrificial System, in which the blood of animals is shed for the remission of our sins, but it is not permanent, it is constantly needed. The culmination of this is the Day of Atonement, Leviticus 16 (known today as Yom Kippur), where atonement is made for the entire community and it's living space, because SIN CONTAMINATES even our very surroundings. “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life,” Leviticus 17:11.

So what about the blood in today's i-Culture? The Apostle Paul, who is described as 'a Pharisee, descended from Pharisees' (Acts 23:6), who 'studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law' (Acts 22:3) boldly proclaims:

“21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord,” Romans 6:23.

Welcome to JESUS!

Talk Tuesday-Live According To The Spirit

We live in a culture in which it is becoming increasingly more difficult to live according to the Spirit. Our trendy postmodern society inadvertently pressures us to accept all things as good, while frowning on any stance against sin or the desire to live a Godly life in Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. While our brothers and sisters face overt persecution in the 10/40 window, we in the Western World face persecution of a different kind. It is the covert pressure to renounce God's truth in exchange for the idea of living 'peaceably' with our neighbour. What we share in common with our fellow human beings is our 'sinnership'. What distinguishes us from the world is not our own righteousness, but Christ's righteousness imputed to us. The Apostle Paul tells us that, "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God," 2 Corinthians 5:21. "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe," Romans 3:22.

Let us, therefore, encourage one another to live according to the Spirit of God who created us for His honour, glory and purpose. Do not become weary of living out the Gospel of Salvation. Jesus said, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance," Luke 5:32. In the same way, He left us with the Great Commission of Matthew 28:16-20, to go and make disciples of all nations. Our peace, lies in loving GOD wholeheartedly, which will direct our hearts towards obedience in His Word through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:14-17