Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Be Holy!


Leviticus 11:44-45

"For I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy."

The command to be holy that the Lord gave to the Israelite nation is the same command that He gave to the first century Christians through His apostles and to those of us today who are born from above.

1 Peter 1:13-16

"Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy."

Holy is not something you try to be, holy is what a true believer of Christ Jesus will BECOME as the HOLY Spirit of God works on the inside of man, to purify the heart, renew the mind and transform the inner man (soul & spirit) into the image of the Son of God. 

We don't hear too much preaching on holiness today, why is that? 

When we read the epistles that the apostles wrote to the first century saints, we see a big emphasis on sanctification (which means to be made holy), maturity, and perfection (which means complete). Many believers today don't fully understand the process of sanctification and how our fleshly bodies can still contain demonic strongholds, evil spirits, spots and blemishes, after being born from above, and  these evil things must be broken, cast out, cleansed and healed in order to walk as a holy man or woman of God!

Is it possible to be completely sanctified, blameless, and free from all defilement of the flesh, soul, and spirit while we are on this earth? The scriptures tell us so! 

Ephesians 5:25-27

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish."

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it."

May we all strive to be like the Son of Man, who was God manifested in the flesh, and sanctified by the Father and had nothing of Satan in Him, let us fight the good fight of faith and press on for maturity in Christ and the fullness of God!

In Jesus,
Tyrone


Saturday, June 15, 2013

RUN!!!





2nd Corinthians 6:14-18

"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”

In Jesus,
Tyrone

Friday, June 14, 2013

Wake Up Church! Judgment Begins At The House Of God!





When was the last time you heard a word like this preached in your place of worship?

As John the baptist said, so do I, "Repent! For the Kingdom of God is at hand!"

In Jesus,
Tyrone


Monday, June 10, 2013

He Convicts The World Of Sin, Righteousness, & Judgment!


John 16:5-11

“But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged."

If the Holy Spirit of the Living God dwells inside your heart and makes your body into His temple, then His presence in you WILL convict every single person in this world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.

Your family members, your friends, your spouse, your children, your co-workers, those you come in contact with, and even yourself, will come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit every single day, and this is the reason that many separate themselves from the company of those who are Spirit-filled disciples of Christ. And this is why people hate them, and don't want to be around them, because they can physically FEEL the presence of the Spirit and grace of God in the earthen vessels of His elect, and it makes the darkness and demons in their flesh manifest.

John 15:18-24

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father."

I have been amazed over this past year at how the world and many professing Christians resist and reject the conviction of the Spirit and the grace of God. Now I can understand how Jesus could become angry and grieved at the hardness of heart and unbelief of those He was sent to save! (Mark 3:5)

Hebrews 3:12-19

"Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."

When the Spirit of the Lord comes to convict your heart of sin, righteousness, and judgment, will you hear His voice?

In Jesus,
Tyrone


Sunday, June 2, 2013

God's Glory!


Colossians 1:24-27

"I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

A day is coming when the world will see the visible manifestation of God's glory in the face of His people and they will know that HE IS THE LORD!

A day is coming when the glory of God's presence will be seen and felt in the midst of the assembly and they will know that HE IS THE LORD!

During the Azusa street revival in California, many testified that the Shekinah Glory of God's presence was so thick that little children could play hide and go seek in it. It was like a thick mist, a cloud that could be seen and felt by all, many would come in and lie on the ground and breathe it in.

Moses went up Mount Sinai to talk with God and receive the ten commandments, and when he came down his face was shining with God's glory!

Exodus 34:29-30

"Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him."

Jesus gave the first disciples the glory that the Father had given Him and they were able to walk as Jesus walked, carrying the glory of God!

John 17:22-23

"And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."

Isaiah 60:1-3

"Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising."

In Jesus,
Tyrone

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Cold As Ice


Matthew 24:9-12

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold."

Isn't lawlessness abounding today? I sure think so, just look at the British soldier who served a tour of duty in Afghanistan, fighting the Taliban, only to come home and get run over by a car and hacked to death in broad daylight by two radical Islamist's, surely lawlessness is abounding!

I don't even watch the news anymore because most of it is reporting the latest murder, kidnapping, and violence that goes on daily, surely lawlessness is abounding.

I can definitely see that the love of many people have grown cold as many are so oppressed by Satan and bound by sin that they are beyond feelings! 

Jesus Himself encountered the same cold hearts when He came to this earth and we are seeing the same thing today. Here's a question: would you recognize and receive Jesus if He came to your city, your 'church building', or even your home?

John 1:10-11

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him."

The religious leaders of the day did not recognize or receive the Messiah they were waiting for and who Moses prophesied about in the scriptures they read every Sabbath because their hearts were hard and their eyes were blind, do you think it's any different today?

Mark 3:1-6

"And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him."

Even after three and a half years of receiving the anointed words and love of Jesus, the disciples hearts were still hard after His death, burial, and resurrection! If that was true for them, how much easier is it for us who have not seen or walked with Jesus physically, to have hardness of heart in many areas?

Mark 16:14

"Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen."

So let us remember the sobering words of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 17:9-10

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings."

In Jesus,
Tyrone

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Prensa Das Olivas

This word can also be found written in English in our blog on 05/28/2013

Eu gostaria de dividir algo que o Espirito Santo de Deus falou ao meu coracao ontem de madrugada quando Ele me acordou. Ele disse que quer que nos (seguidores de Cristo) tenhamos oleo nas nossas lampadas. E a primeira passagem biblica que veio a minha mente foi a parabola das 10 Virgens.

Eu fui pesquisar mais sobre essa parabola online e pude encontrar uma explicacao muito profunda sobre o oleo atraves do Getsemani. Vamos checar o que a palavra Getsemani realmente significa. Eu peguei essa explicacao do blog da Denise e traduzi para o Portugues ((http://www.allaboutbecoming.com/like-him/parable-of-the-10-virgins-and-oil-in-our-lamp/).

GETSEMANI

A palavra "Getsemani" significa "Prensa das Olivas". Ha um simbolismo muito significante aqui. Os Judeus punham as olivas dentro de sacolas feitas de malha/rede em uma prensa para espremer azeite delas. As primeiras prensas rendiam o puro azeite que era prezado para muitos usos, incluindo cura e dar luz as lampadas. De fato, nos consagramos e utilizamos para administrar aos doentes. A ultima prensa das olivas, debaixo de pressao tremenda e pesos adicionais adicionados a prensa, rendiam um liquido vermelho e amargo que nos lembra do "copo amargo" que nosso Salvador partilhou. Simbolicamente, o Salvador esta indo a "Prensa das Olivas" (Getsemani) para se submeter a "pressao" de todos os nossos pecados que "espremeriam" Seu sangue para que nos pudessemos ter o "oleo" da cura da Expiacao/Redencao para nos curar de nossos pecados.

"E atraves de intensa pressao que se extrai o oleo e assim temos o oleo mais puro. Se nos pensarmos nisso simbolicamente em nossas vidas, que e atraves de pressao (esforcos,desafios,punicao,acoite,castigo) que nos passamos que se extrai o melhor de nos- que nos faz puros e cria nosso oleo? Se este e o caso, sao nossos desafios e pressoes que criam nosso oleo e nos faz puros o suficiente para vermos Cristo. Esta e a razao pela qual nao podemos dividir o nosso "oleo". Nossas lutas sao so nossas. E atraves de sobressai-las e nos tornar puros que nos temos o "oleo" e nao podemos dividi-lo. Cada pessoa deve passar por isso individualmente. Essas lutas e desafios que nos passamos sao verdadeiras bencaos. E o modo de purificacao de impurezas de nosso Senhor para nossas almas e cria pureza para que possamos estar de pe em Sua presenca e viver para Ele.

"Eu tambem achei interessante quando li sobre a segunda pressao das olivas que cria um oleo vermelho amargo. O segredo e nao manter a pressao e criar amargura, mas utilizar a luta ou dificuldade para criar pureza, e dar luz as nossas lampadas para continuarmos".

Nos todos temos que passar por um processo para chegarmos aonde o Senhor tem para nos, nos devemos ser purificados, limpos, expurgados, flagelados, corrigidos, humilhados se somos filhos de Deus e nos encontramos em Cristo. Nao ha atalho para ser como Cristo, voce tem que passar pela sua porcao da "prensa das olivas" e aceitar o processo de Deus em sua vida. Quanto mais rapido voce entender os propositos de Deus para voce, mais rapido voce sera capaz de se render, se arrepender e deixar Deus lidera-lo em todos os Seus caminhos perfeitos. O espremer da oliva (seu coracao) e necessario para trazer a tona o mais puro azeite (imagem de Deus).

Que Deus te ajude a ser transformado a imagem de Jesus Cristo e a aceitar os caminhos de Deus que sao perfeitos!

No amor de Cristo,

Cynthia R. Palmer