PERFECTION

Written by Allison Sylvester-Conliffe

Jesus admonishes us that we should be perfect!

Matt 5:48 – Therefore, be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Have we ever stopped to consider what God means when He calls us, His followers, to be perfect?  Some may think that God expects us to do everything in the right way always – making sure that the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed – never giving way to making a mistake – and by doing so, that would be God’s ideal example of walking in perfection.

Others may think that a perfect person has to be knowledgeable in all things and appear to all as intelligent. Oh really?  Remembering that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts … let us look a bit closer of God’s idea of perfection.

God is Love and God’s love is perfect, complete and unconditional.

A PERFECT EXAMPLE

1 John 4:16-17 says, “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love; and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected in this, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”

God wants His creation to be as an extension of Himself. In other words, He has also called us to love completely and unconditionally, so that we would appear perfect in His eyes.  He has sent Jesus, His Son, to show us how to love like He does.  We cannot achieve this on our own.  Jesus came to show mankind how to live with one another in harmony and how to become one as the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are One.  In other words, God wants His people to be of one heart, one mind and one spirit as we mirror Him in our interactions.

We are familiar with the verses quoted below from 1 Corinthians 13. Let us with honesty examine our own attitudes and behaviour against the Word of God, and see how we line up with God’s idea of perfection. 

HOW’S MY ATTITUDE?

1 Corinthians 13:1-13

1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 
   

2.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 
3.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing. 
4. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 
5. does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 
6. does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 
7. bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 
8. Love never fails.  
9. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 
10. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 
11. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 
12. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 
13. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

These verses speak clearly of God’s meaning of perfection and we must mirror God’s Word if we desire to make it to His Heaven.  There is no compromise in this regard because God commands us to love.

John 13:34 – A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

AM I FOOLING MYSELF?

However, we have to be mindful of what I choose to call, “false perfection”. 

If we see ourselves as the epitome of perfection, and see everyone else as below that bar, the chances are that we will also find ourselves walking on the thin line of pride and thereby become displeasing to God! We could be duped into thinking that because we are proficient in what we do, whether professionally or in ministry, that we have attained to a high level of “perfection” and may even gloat on the fact that we are a cut above the rest.

This kind of thinking could trap us into promoting ourselves to an exalted position, and into believing that we are incapable of making a mistake. If we actually made a mistake or falter in some way, we would stand amazed, pondering the fact that a mistake actually occurred at our hand.  This kind of thinking borders on pride – a sin that God abhors and is the first one listed among the six things that He hates.  (See Proverbs Chapter 6).

To guard against this spirit of pride, God warns us in His Word to be careful not to think too highly of ourselves.  We must look, at all times, for the goodness in others rather than seeing their faults and making it our business to point them out.  When did Jesus point fingers at His disciples when they failed? We are followers of Jesus aren’t we?  His way is the Perfection that we all have to attain to.  What we often label as perfection is really prideful false perfection.

Phil 2:3 – Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Rom 12:3 – For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 

There is a saying that goes like this… “Imperfection is intolerant of Imperfection”.  This is a loaded statement which, when expanded, says that we display our own imperfection when we have low tolerance for other people’s short-comings … according to what we bench mark as perfection. 

If God would judge iniquity, who would stand??  Perfection … which is God Himself … is restorative.  You may ask, what does that mean?

TRUE PERFECTION RESTORES

As I mentioned before, God, as Perfection, is Restorative.  God’s perfection requires patience, tolerance and kindness. He never seeks to condemn mankind as we continue to walk in our folly.  When the Apostle Peter made mistakes Jesus showed Him the more excellent way… and He did it in love. 

If our motive for pointing out mistakes is void of love and void of the intention to restore to wholeness, then we are walking in imperfection. If our motive in pointing out the short comings of others is to put down another in order to exalt one-self, then we are imperfect in God’s eyes.  God always seeks to encourage the saints and does not go about flaunting Himself in His Perfection.  Rather, He takes the lowly place and works with His people in love to bring us all to the level we ought to be in Him.  In other words God’s love toward us is to bring restoration so that we could be perfect as He is perfect.

How do we measure up to His mark of perfection?  Let us go forth and work out our salvation before it is too late.

Blessings to all.

IT’S TIME TO TRANSITION

Jesus refers to His followers as sheep. What does this have to do with your intimacy with the Lord you ask? Let us look at the characteristics of sheep.

Sheep are…

• submissive
• completely dependent on the Shepherd
• responsive to love and care

but sheep also …

• are easily panicked
  
• are gullible
• are vulnerable to fear and therefore stampede easily
• are vulnerable to mob psychology, so they are easily influenced by a leader – whoever that leader might be
• have only one defense when they are attacked – to run
• are easy prey to enemies
• are easily flipped over and cannot right themselves without the Shepherd
• need a lot of care
• are not concerned about the Shepherd’s needs – only their own.
• are not concerned about pleasing the Shepherd, but rather are focused on pleasing themselves.

As a young believer you and I come to the Lord as His sheep. However, there is a need for a transition in our thinking after a while. Consider these facts….

In Moses’ Tabernacle sheep could go no further than the Brazen Altar where they were sacrificed. Therefore they could not go past the curtain to experience fellowship with God that is represented in the Holy Place; nor could they have the deep intimacy that comes from entering the Holy of Holies.

Sheep were unable to enjoy that kind of intimacy with the Shepherd since they are a different species from Him.

Do you see the spiritual implications for you and me? If we continue to think of ourselves only as sheep we will never experience true intimacy with the Lord. The Father is not preparing a Marriage Feast for His Son and His sheep. He is preparing one for His Son and His Bride!

Jesus told Peter to feed His sheep and feed His lambs. These are the vulnerable, new ones.

Luke 22:31-32 – And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Peter had to go through a conversion before he could be of any use to the brethren. He was a sheep at first. As a sheep he denied Jesus because he was looking after his own interests. But Jesus saw that Peter would be converted.

Peter had not yet developed the agape love for Jesus. Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him with agape – the perfect, intimate God-kind of love, but Peter’s response each time was that he loved Jesus with a brotherly affection.

Now let us look at the characteristics of the bride.

A bride…

• Is intimate with her Husband and seeks to please Him
• As a result of this intimacy she knows not just His acts but understands His ways
• Partners with Him
• Is in covenant with Him
• Represents Him in His absence. (People will judge Him by how she looks, speaks and acts.)
• Carries His Name
• Bears and raises His ‘children’ – His fruit
• Submits to His leadership
• He is her covering, therefore she knows that He takes care of her needs. This frees her to focus on their relationship, and on their ‘business’ ventures.

In ancient Jewish weddings the bride immersed herself in a “mikvah” prior to the marriage. This was a body of water, and her immersion symbolized the profound transition that was about to take place in her life.

In Moses’ Tabernacle the priests had to wash at the Brazen Laver in preparation for transitioning from the Outer Court to the Holy Place – a place of greater intimacy with the Lord.

Today you and I must first ensure that we change our mindset from being simply a dependent sheep. We must embrace our life as the Bride of Christ preparing for her Beloved Bridegroom!

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A NAME

Written by Jane Hansen Hoyt, 

President of Aglow International. 

(Please see information about Aglow at the end of the article.)

 

There is much significance in a name.  It is a point of identification and is a distinctive designation. The ability to refer to and identity a subject is integral to our way of communicating with one another.  You greet people, by giving your name.  Names also have power.  Your signature on any legal document carries an authority and, in essence, states that you are knowledgeable of, and responsible for that which you are signing your name to.

A NAME ABOVE ALL NAMES

There is a name that is far greater than any name in history.  It is the name that is above all names.  There are not enough nouns and adjectives in any language of the world to describe the majestic, all powerful name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name; That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Phil. 2:9

It is the name that rules all heaven, earth and under the earth.  His name rules in this world and in the world to come.  His name identifies Him.  His name has power and there is authority in His name.  

HIS NAME*

• In Genesis, He is the Seed of the woman. 
  
• In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb.
• In Leviticus, He is the Eternal High Priest. 
• In Numbers, He is the Cloud by day and Pillar of Fire by Night. 
• In Deuteronomy, He is the Prophet Like Unto Moses. 
• In Joshua, He is the Captain of our Salvation. 
• In Judges, He is the Lawgiver. 
• In Ruth, He is the Kinsman Redeemer. 
• In I and II Samuel, He is the Incomparable Prophet.
• In I and II Kings, He is the Mighty King.
• In I and II Chronicles, He is the Great Monarch.
• In Ezra, He is the Faithful Scribe.
• In Hezekiah, He is the Great Edifier.
• In Esther, He is our Escape from Death.
• In Job, He is our Hope and Resurrection.
• In Psalms, He is our Great Shepherd.
• In Proverbs, He is the Eternal Wisdom.
• In Ecclesiastes, He is the Eternal Life.
• In Song of Solomon, He is the Lover of our Souls.
• In Isaiah, He is the Prince of Peace.
• In Jeremiah, He is the Righteous Branch.
• In Lamentations, He is the Prophet Who Weeps for Us.
• In Ezekiel, He is the God of Four Faces.
• In Daniel, He is the Fourth Man in the Fiery Furnace.
• In Hosea, He is the Faithful Husband.
• In Joel, He is the Baptizer in the Holy Ghost.
  
• In Amos, He is the Burden bearer.
• In Obadiah, He is the Mighty to Save.
• In Jonah, He is the Great Missionary.
• In Micah, He is the Messenger with Beautiful Feet.
• In Nahum, He is the Avenger of God’s Elect.
• In Habakkuk, He is the Stirring Evangelist.
• In Zephaniah, He is the Burning bush.
• In Haggai, He is the Restorer of God’s inheritance.
• In Malachi, He is the Son of Righteousness.
• In Matthew, He is the Messiah.
• In Mark, He is the Miracle Worker.
• In Luke, He is the Son of Man.
• In John, He is the Son of God.
• In Romans, He is the Justifier.
• In I and II Corinthians, He is the Gifts and Fruit of the Spirit.
• In Galatians, He is the Redeemer from the Curse of the Law.
• In Ephesians, He is the Christ of Eternal Riches.
• In Philippians, He is the Supplier of Every Need.
  
• In Colossians, He is the Fullness of the Godhead.
• In I and II Thessalonians, He is the Soon Coming Kind.
• In I and II Timothy, He is the Mediator Between God and Man.
• In Titus, He is the Faithful Pastor.
• In Philemon, He is the Friend Closer than a Brother.
• In Hebrews, He is the Blood of Covenant.
• In James, He is the Mighty Physician.
• In I and II Peter, He is the Great Shepherd.
• In I and II and III John, He is the Everlasting Love.
• In Jude, He is the Lord Coming Back with 10,000 of His Saints.
• In Revelation, He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

God raised Him from death and set Him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule.  And not just for the time being, but forever.  He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything.  Ephesians 1:20-21  The Message

* Taken from a message by Dr. Bernhard Johnson, an Assemblies of God missionary to Brazil;  preached at Yoido Full Gospel Church in 1983.

About Aglow

Aglow began in 1967 with four women who expressed a desire to meet together as Christians without denominational boundaries. Today Aglow spans the globe with almost 4000 groups in 170 nations meeting regularly. The vision and mission is to carry the truth of the Kingdom, and to see God’s will done on earth as it is in heaven. Please visit the website below for more information, and to locate an Aglow Lighthouse near you.

http://www.aglow.org 

GOD HAS A WAY THROUGH EVERYTHING

Written by Jane Hansen Hoyt

President of Aglow International

Keep “oil in your lamp” by daily fellowship with the Lord

Just think about this incredibly powerful and all inclusive statement. GOD HAS A WAY THROUGH EVERYTHING.  EVERYTHING!

There is nothing that is outside of His reach.  There is nothing His eye does not behold or His ear not able to hear.  God’s mighty arm is stretched out over the nations of the world.

With the rise of demonically driven terrorist groups who threaten anyone outside the sphere of their beliefs…from Syria and Iraq, to Europe and the United States; GOD HAS A WAY THROUGH IT ALL.

REMEMBER HIS MARVELOUS WORKS

Genesis tells us that Abraham was nicely settled with his family in Ur of the Chaldeans.  Yet, the Lord told him to leave his country, his family, and his father’s house and go to a new land, which he would be shown once he left town!  Abraham was the starting place of God’s ultimate plan for restoration and through him all the families of the earth would be blessed.  He went out not knowing where he was going…but God had a way through it all.

Moses was told that he would be the one to deliver the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt by speaking to the very ruler who had kept them in oppression, yet Moses could barely speak….but God had a way through it all.  The promise of God to Moses was, “My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest.”

Joshua, the successor of Moses, would lead Israel across the Jordan and into the land they were promised.  They would have many enemies to conquer in the process.  Joshua was told not to fear, but to be strong and courageous…because God had a way through it all.

Esther saw herself as an orphan, but God saw her as a queen who would deliver His people amidst great hostility.

David learned that God was able to turn his mourning into dancing and clothe him with gladness even though David faced many a foe.

In the New Testament, a man with a withered hand stretched out that hand, and it was restored as whole as the other hand.

A dead girl was raised up at the words of Jesus.

Seas were calmed, demons were cast out, conflicts were resolved, thousands were fed by a small boy’s lunch being multiplied and the disciples of Jesus were told that mountains could be moved if faith was present.

How can it all be?  Because God has a way through everything!

THE LORD REIGNS

He is the King of the Ages.

He is the King of Heaven.

He is the King of Glory.

He is the One who brings the counsel of the nations to nothing and makes the plans of the peoples of no effect.

His counsel stands forever and the plans of His heart to all generations.

He is the one of who rides on the Heavens, who makes a way in the desert, who speaks to the wind and the waves and they are still, who stands as a shield about His people, who numbers the hairs of your head and says you are of more value than many sparrows.  

This is the One who promises that, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you for I am the Lord your God.”  Isaiah 43:2

He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might He increases strength.

Yes, God has a way through everything.                                              

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Operate from your place of origin which is as a representative of another domain, the domain of Heaven.  You are a citizen of Heaven and a joint heir with Christ.
•  Keep “oil in your lamp” by daily fellowship with the Lord.
•  Live from a position of peace and rest.
•  Pray, knowing that if it exists in Heaven it can be brought to earth.
•  Live as a carrier of His Presence.

KNOW THAT GOD HAS A WAY THROUGH IT ALL!!

ABOUT AGLOW

Aglow began in 1967 with four women who expressed a desire to meet together as Christians without denominational boundaries. Today Aglow spans the globe with almost 4000 groups meeting regularly in 170 nations. Please visit the website below for more information, and to locate an Aglow Lighthouse near you.

http://www.aglow.org 

SHOW US THE FATHER

Written by Allison Sylvester-Conliffe

Many of us can relate to an earthly father as we would have had the opportunity to be nurtured and grow under his leadership.  We may have been disciplined by our fathers, and some of us may have been ridiculously pampered by him.

Yet many of us may have been under our father’s explicit counsel and strict guidance.  To others, he may have been the sole provider in the home, and yet some of us may have even been raised by father as our sole parental experience and thus saw him as mother and father.

On the counter-side, many of us can relate to our father in a negative light.  It could be that he may have been abusive to us or was never involved in our lives, and therefore he had no involvement in our upbringing.   We may even not know who our father is, or maybe he died before we had the opportunity to know him.  Some have witnessed their father’s backs as he abandoned the family.

Allow me to introduce the Father of all fathers, especially to those who are experiencing a lack in this area of fatherhood.  God the Father is not only Father, but He is also Mother, as one of His attributes is The All Sufficient One – El Shaddai.  This refers to God completely nourishing, satisfying, and supplying His children with all their needs as a mother would her child.

Philip, a disciple and Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, once asked Jesus a question – “Shew us the Father” – John 14:8. Jesus’ response to the request was

“……he that has seen Me has seen the Father” John 14:9

Therefore it stands to reason – as we expand what Jesus was really saying – that if we know Jesus, then we would know who God the Father is!

So what are Jesus’ attributes that would personify Him as His Father? 

The very Name of Jesus as Emmanuel meaning “God with us” speaks volumes.  If Jesus is Emmanuel, then so is Father. For some of us this is a comforting thought since our earthly fathers may have deserted us, leaving the rest of the family to manage on their own. The Bible reminds us of God’s promise in the following words –

“…and be content with such things as you have: for he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you”. Hebrews 13:5

God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah also reminds us of His staying power in the following Scriptures–

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: Isaiah 41:10

and again –

Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Isaiah 49:15

Another attribute of the Father as seen through Jesus Christ is that of Provider. There was a time that Jesus and His disciples needed money to pay taxes and Jesus instructed Peter specifically what He should do to get the money needed.

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee. Matthew 17:27

Jesus, being their Lord, did not leave it up to the disciples to figure how they should have their needs met.  Acting as His Father would, He provided for them in the same way that God the Father took care of the children of Israel in the wilderness.  He was showing the disciples who the Father is. 

In the Book of Exodus Chapter 16, we read of God’s provision of food for the Israelites as they went through their wilderness.  We too, as children of God, will have wilderness experiences, but our Heavenly Father will continue to provide for us in order to sustain us through the periods of what seems to be famine.

So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “This is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. Exodus 16:15

Jesus showed the disciples the Father by the way He protected them in times of great physical storms that rose up in their midst. He demonstrated God’s protection, as Father would have protected the Israelites from their enemies. God Almighty fought on their behalf and gained the victory for the Israelites as they walked in obedience before Him.  Gideon’s army was but three hundred persons and they won over the army consisting of thousands of Midianites and Amalekites.

And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place. Judges 7:7

Jesus was never an accuser, and in the same way God our Father does not accuse us when we commit sin.  Jesus came as the Restorer to bring us, sinners, back into right relationship and with fellowship with God the Father.  See the account of the woman who was caught in adultery, and Jesus’ response to her.

When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Jesus was showing this woman who the Father is – He was showing off a Father who is ready to forgive as long as we come to Him in repentance.

Most of all, Jesus exhibited the attribute of love and compassion to those with whom He was in contact.  Love is who the Father is.  Jesus showed us how to love our enemies. 

Judas was the betrayer of all betrayers, and Jesus knew it all along. Yet when Jesus revealed to all the disciples that one of them would betray Him they were in a quandary, wondering which one of them was the one to betray Him. Jesus did not treat Judas in any way differently from how He treated with the other disciples.  He loved them all in the same way.  He was exhibiting the Father’s Love.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

……God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him. 1John 4:16

God the Father longs for us to know Him as Father.  He created us for His good pleasure, therefore we have to know what pleases Him in order that we become His pleasure!

For He foreordained us (destined us, planned in love for us) to be adopted (revealed) as His own children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the purpose of His will [because it pleased Him and was His kind intent] Ephesians 1:5

… for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

Why not take time to learn of the Father through his Son, Jesus Christ?  When we all take a step back and look at our lives, from the past into the present, we must conclude that we must have a Heavenly Father who watches over us to protect us and to provide for us.  All Father wants in return is for us to love Him through His Son Jesus.  The Word of God says, if we love Him, we would do what He says.

If you love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

As we come to know Father, we would learn how to forgive our earthly fathers who may have abandoned us or hurt us emotionally or physically.  Jesus told his followers to honour our mothers and our fathers.  Our Heavenly Father had given this same decree to Moses when He gave him the Ten Commandments. 

Honour your father and your mother. Matthew 19:19

Jesus was showing all of us the Father.

Jesus forgave all who would have hurt Him as He hung on the Cross.  He even forgave the thief who was repentant.  So is Father toward all of us who need forgiveness. 

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God! Romans 3:23

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25

I invite you to come to know Father through His Son Jesus.  

He is desiring a meaningful relationship with you.

BE NOT DECEIVED

Written by Allison Sylvester-Conliffe

At funeral services I would often hear that the deceased has gone to a “better place”!  I have pondered this statement many times and concluded that based upon the Word of God this statement cannot be true for all who die, particularly what the Bible outlines about the candidates for Heaven as opposed to the candidates for Hell!

Here is what I have discovered.  God has created everything on the earth including man!  Therefore as we are born we are His creation. See Genesis Chapter 1.  He has formed us in our earthly mother’s womb as she conceived us from our earthly fathers’ seed.  God loved His creation, He saw that what He had created was good!

Many persons say, because it is their belief, that God is their Father and if so, they reason that they are His sons and daughters.  According to the Holy Scriptures, we are sons of God only if we are led by the Spirit of God.    That means that we have to be born of the Spirit of God!

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14 

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3:3

Jesus said that He will be coming back for those who are His – meaning that He is coming back for those who He knows to be of His stock – those of His household of faith.  He said it in these words –

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.  In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3

Contrary to what we have been continuously led to believe, these Words were not spoken to the general populace. 

Jesus was speaking only to His disciples …… and at the very intimate time of the Passover meal – He was speaking to those who were to be entrusted with the call to spread the Gospel.

• He was speaking to those who would have followed Him closely.  
  
• He was speaking to those who were in His service.  
• He was speaking to those whom He had pulled out of the world…those who had been entangled with the pleasures of the world but had accepted His invitation to follow after Him.  
• He was speaking to those who had said “YES” to living after His teaching regardless of the negative consequences.  
• He was speaking to those who had loved Him, and to those whose love for Him was destined to be tested and proven even before His death on the Cross.

Let us examine ourselves.  Are we truly God’s children?  Or are we merely His creation?

As God’s children we are called to resemble Him in our daily lives by our actions, by the choices we make and by our love for Him!  This is achieved simply by our obedience to His Word.  As God’s children we are expected to tell others about Him, and to make disciples on His behalf.  As God’s children we are expected by Father, to only do what we see Him doing.

Jesus came as our Saviour to begin the process of making us God’s sons rather than have us remain just His creation.  God sent Him to reconcile us to Himself after sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, His first children.  After they had sinned, their offspring and future generations, became tainted with sin.

Sin cannot enter Heaven where God is. God loved His creation, but desired us to be sons who would choose to love Him unconditionally.  So He sent Jesus to be the Sacrifice for the sin of mankind so that whosoever believes in Him would be forgiven of their sins, and so be reconciled unto God.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

This can only become a reality when we consciously confess our sins before God and profess our belief and our faith in Jesus Christ, by accepting Him as our Saviour and by making Him our Lord!

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God! Epesians 2:8.

The Gift of Salvation is Jesus Christ!

The obvious questions that God’s creation would ask are “saved from what?” or “why do I have to be saved?  I am no criminal.”

As I had mentioned before, when Adam and Eve sinned, the human race that would follow after them would have inherited that sinful seed – not by choice – but by inheritance.  Therefore God sent a Second Adam, Jesus Christ.  His job was to repair what Adam had done, and so redeem the human race from their inheritance of the sin nature once and for all.  His coming serves to save us from total separation from God when we die.  However, the choice is ours to make, while we are alive, whether to accept God’s plan of redemption or to reject it outright.  Where we spend eternity is determined by the choice we make – one way or another.

It is so easy to accept this plan of Salvation as the first step to becoming a son of God.

• You simply go to God in prayer and acknowledge before Him that you are a sinner. 
• Then ask for forgiveness of all your sins already committed, and ask Jesus to come into your heart to live there. 
• Commit to turning away from sin and to following the godly lifestyle as written in the Word of God.  
• Ask the Lord to direct you to a Bible believing church where you can fellowship and learn more about this new life and about Jesus Christ.

Congratulations! Once you have committed your life to Jesus Christ in your heart, you have now become born again and have entered into new life with Christ Jesus!

Once you continue with Jesus Christ, you are certainly assured a welcome into the Heavenly Kingdom of God when your sojourn on this earth has ended.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6

ANYTHING YOU ASK, I WILL DO

Written by Allison Sylvester-Conliffe

As believers in Christ, we are asked to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).  We are mandated to believe for the impossible because nothing is impossible with God!

And Jesus said unto them, For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:20

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.  Matthew 19:26

This is indeed truth and never to be refuted.  However, how many of us can attest to the fact that we have been praying for a certain outcome to be manifested on our behalf, and yet heaven seems like brass concerning the matter.  It would seem as if God is not hearing our prayers because absolutely nothing is happening to bring the change that we were expecting.

Now I know that all things are to be considered. Sometimes, or rather most times, we have to be persistent and prevailing in prayer before the breakthrough could come.  Yes, I understand that God is also not obligated to answer the prayer of the unrighteous…though at times He does.  These things are indeed factors to be considered when we examine why our prayers are not being answered. However, today we are going to look deeper than that. Look at what Jesus said in John 14:14…

If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

This is also the truth that is in God’s Word.  Yet, many of us can subscribe to the fact that we have asked and asked again, but have not received.  Christians get disenchanted by the fact that our prayers are not answered, especially if we believe the Scripture verse in John 14:14.  We may even quote it in our appeal to the Lord, yet there is no manifestation of the answer we are expecting.  Why is this so?  Is it that we have missed something that is key?

Let us back up to verse 13 of John Chapter 14 – which reads –

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

May I highlight part of that verse that I believe is a key which we may have overlooked – that the Father may be glorified ……… This would mean that the thing which we ask for in Jesus’ Name should glorify the Father!

The word glorify means to give praise to – to extol –  to exalt – to worship – to revere – to reverence – to venerate – to pay homage or tribute to – to honour – to adore – to thank –  to bless.

The purpose of what we ask for, according to the scripture in John 14:13, should in essence be to exalt, give praise to, bless….the Father.

When Jesus was speaking these words to His disciples, it was for their instruction as He prepared them for the continuation of His ministry here on the earth.  Their ministry was about to begin as Jesus was about to be crucified and would no longer be with them in the flesh.

Jesus was talking to them with Kingdom business in mind.  In the verses prior to those we have just visited, Jesus was telling the disciples that He only spoke what the Father had spoken through Him.  He told them that He did nothing of Himself but that it was the Father Who did the works through Him.  

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.  John 14:10

Then He encouraged the disciples to believe in Him – meaning that they ought to believe what He said to them – because if they believed Him then they would automatically believe in the Father.  Only then would they be entrusted to continue the work that the Father had to accomplish through them on the earth.

Jesus represented God the Father on the earth, so remember that Jesus was speaking these words to the disciples with Kingdom business in mind.  Therefore, He was saying to them that if they believed in Him, and they were busy on Kingdom business, then they could make a request on behalf of the Kingdom in Jesus’ Name and it shall be done unto them.

Most times we modern day disciples of Jesus Christ ask selfish requests which have nothing to do with the advancement of the Kingdom of God in mind – and we expect the results to be positive for us.  We have to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 concerning our personal needs … and He is still saying today…

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, our main thrust of prayer should be about the building up of the Kingdom of God while here on earth.

When Jesus was teaching His disciples in John 14, He taught them intimacy with Himself and with the Father.  In verse 9 He said to them, but particularly to Philip who had a question about knowing the Father.

Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

The word “known” in this verse speaks to the disciples of their intimacy with the Father and with Jesus.  It was important that the disciples come to know Jesus in intimacy, since He was the doorway to knowing God the Father intimately.

The same applies to us today if we are disciples of Jesus Christ.  You would agree that when we are intimate with someone then we share personal details about one another.  In the same way, if the disciples were intimate with the Father, especially in Jesus’ physical absence, the Father would readily share with them the intimate things that lie within His heart concerning His Kingdom.  As a result the Father will entrust the disciples to pray those things He would have revealed to them, until its manifestation on the earth.  In that vein, Jesus said to the disciples, “If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do it ….. so that the Father may be glorified in the Son!”

To get to the place of knowing God’s heart we must tap into Him by the Spirit.  God is not flesh but He is Spirit.  We must pray in the Holy Spirit in order to connect with Him … meaning that we must ascend to God in our spiritual language which is called the speaking in tongues.  The Scriptures revealed that the Holy Spirit knows the mind and the heart of God, and knows exactly what and when to pray according to the Father’s will.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26

From this position is where we would be praying what God has in His heart, and He will be glorified in the process.

Maybe we have had it wrong all along in our thinking.  Maybe we were busy praying selfish prayers concerning “me, myself and I,” which had nothing to do with God’s Kingdom, and in so doing God was never glorified…and as a result no answer came to us.

What an honour it must be to represent God the Father on the earth … to be His ambassador as Paul and the other Apostles were!  What an honour it must be to avail ourselves to pray concerning what is on God’s heart! There can be no other earthly ambition to compare with the sacrificing of one’s life and all of the earthly pleasures to become the mouthpiece of God on the earth – thus partnering with Him and asking for what is on His heart, praying it through and so glorifying Him in the process!

BEHOLD YOUR GOD

Written by Allison Sylvester-Conliffe

Children of God, the following statement may seem as a cliché of clichés, but I will declare it once again because it is a statement of truth – We are in the last days!!

In the Book of Matthew and Chapter 24, the Lord Jesus did not leave us to speculate.  He told us what to look for in order to discern the coming tribulation which will mark the beginning of the end of this age.  

 The Lord listed signs of false prophets and false “Christs” that would manifest themselves in the world … and we have seen some already. Remember the likes of Mr. Jim Jones and Mr. David Koresh?  Those were two obvious manifestations.  However the manifestation of false prophets and false “Christs” are not so easily discerned. They have become more subtle in their activities.  In these days, they are masked in the cloaks of charisma and eloquence behind the pulpit. 

However, knowledge of the Word of God, hidden in our hearts will enable us to discern the true men and women of God as opposed to the “wolves in sheeps’ clothing”.

As it is written in the Book of Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 12

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

In the Book of Matthew Chapter 24, the Lord took the time to warn His followers against falling into the net of deception which would be prevalent before the end of days. 

He has warned us about the occurrence of wars, and of nations rising up against nations, like Russia versus the Ukraine and Israel versus the Palestine nations.  Jesus warned us about pestilences like the Chikungunya virus and Ebola disease. The Lord warned us to look out for the earthquakes in different places on the earth.   The facts are before us – on 29^thJuly 2014 there was a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Oaxaca, Mexico…on 30^thJuly 2014 there was a 5.7 magnitude earthquake in the Solomon Islands…on 31^st July 2014 there is a 5.2 magnitude earthquake recorded in the South Fiji islands.  Don’t take my word for it, you can visit the following website to see the current earthquake activity around the world.  http://www.iris.edu/seismon/eventlist/index.phtml

The Book of Joel Chapter 2 speaks to the days prior to the return of the Lord Jesus and also of the believers’ response to the darkness that would surround us.  Our hearts should be in repentant mode while rejoicing in the Lord … not exhibiting fear, but rather trusting in the Lord and His ability to deliver His people from the darkness of the evil of the day.   

As we continue to do what He says to do, the Lord has promised to prosper us and restore to us what the devil would have stolen from us.  He promised that our former and latter rain would come upon us at once.  That’s huge!!!  His Word is Faithful and it is True.

Further, The Lord has given us an assurance in Isaiah Chapter 40 verse 9 – 11 that as we re-commit to God; stay faithful to Him; continue to spread His Word and lift up the Name of Jesus proclaiming to nations, and all peoples who our God is by our testimonies of His goodness ….. as we call peoples to behold our God – He will feed us and nurture us as He carries us in His bosom even in this time of gross darkness in the earth!

O Zion, You who bring good tidings,
Get up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem, You who bring good tidings,
Lift up your voice with strength,
Lift it up, be not afraid;
Say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”

Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand,
And His arm shall rule for Him;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.
He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young.

Be encouraged Church – and may God find all of us faithful at His Second Appearance!

SPIRITUALITY

Written by Allison Sylvester-Conliffe

Being spiritual, is a term that is used so loosely in today’s society.  We may have heard some people that say that they have to connect with their “spiritual selves”!  We would hear of famous and infamous “spiritual leaders” coming to our shores to hold seminars on spirituality and we are amazed when they perform “miracles” and “signs” because of their involvement in the spiritual realm. 

We may have even heard of persons who chant mantras that invoke a certain presence, even the presence of those who would have already died, and we would refer to that as an amazingly spiritual experience… and indeed it was.  As counterfeit as it was, it was manifested in the spiritual realm.  We burn stuff, hang stuff, chant stuff because we believe that we are being spiritual when we do those things. 

Each human is made up of a body, a soul and a human spirit.

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7

The body is the outer casing that we see.  The soul houses our emotions and our spirit is what connects with our Maker as well as the demonic spirits if we open a door to them. 

Though we live in our flesh, we were made to worship God and to follow as He leads us … by His Spirit.

For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7:6

We were made for God!  God is Spirit!!  He is not here in the flesh, therefore for us to know His leading and His purpose for our lives we have to connect with Him.  In other words we have to tap into His Spirit and not another.  We are able to do this after accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour and by constantly reading the Word of God as it is written in the Holy Bible. Importantly though, we should not only be reading the Word but we must follow what it says to do, and abstain from forbidden practices as the Word instructs. 

God has left us His Holy Spirit to help us to achieve this.  He literally quickens us by witnessing to our human spirits, to remind us of what the Word of God says when we are faced with situations.  The Bible goes on to say this –

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14

We become sons of God when we have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, purpose to live by the Word of God and allow the Spirit of God to lead us!  This is what we call living in the Spirit. 

It is noteworthy that there are other spirits that exist in the spiritual realm beside the Holy Spirit.  As it is with the Holy Spirit we cannot see those other spirits but they are indeed present.  These other spirits, by whatever name they are called, are from our adversary, the devil.  Therefore we have to discern which spirit is operating when we see a manifestation of something supernatural or “spiritual”.  Jesus counseled us that –

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Matthew 6:16 

Whatever the Holy Spirit produces will always lead us to the true and living God!  The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth!  Truth is in God through His Son, Jesus … period!  Any other spirit that works contrary to this is from the devil.  The devil is the father of lies, and there is no truth in him.  He is a counterfeit and is destined for eternal damnation in hell! Remember the devil also operates in the spiritual realm and is a deceiver.

The following are some questions that you should ask yourself in order to determine whether your spirituality is counterfeit or not.

• Is the focus on myself?  
• Is the focus on the universe? 
• Is the focus on another person who is flesh and blood like myself – be it pastor, bishop or guru?  
• Is the focus on the atmosphere? 
• Is the focus on an object or on a statue?  
• Does my spiritual experience result in fear or anxiety?

God told us what fruit His Spirit produces, therefore any practice that bears contrary fruit is from the devil.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. . Galatians 5:22-23

As believers, our focus should always be on the Trinity who is – God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit!  Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and He works together with The Holy Spirit as well as with God the Father. They are three persons but they are one God!  A Mystery! Jesus tells us that He does only what the Father tells Him to do!  We should do the same by following after His Spirit!

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. John 5:30

We have entered the age of deception therefore we have to remember that everything that may appear to be good may not necessarily be of God!  Remember a counterfeit dollar note resembles the authentic one but the reality remains … it is counterfeit … false … no good! 
God gave us His Spirit to guide us into all truth

Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. John 16:13

So don’t be swayed by drama and hype.  Let us all as believers tap into the frequency of true spirituality and follow after the teachings of Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life of the Spirit of God!

…for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.  1 Corinthians 10:4

HAS GOD CHANGED?

Written by Allison Sylvester-Conliffe

In the dispensation of God the Father as He appeared in the days of the Old Testament, we learn of His very Nature and Character as God!  As we read the Scriptures, we see a terribly awesome God who desired reverence!  This is documented as He appeared to Moses in the burning bush.

Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5

As God spoke with Moses, while introducing Himself as Father, the Scripture said that Moses was afraid to look upon Him.  Such describes the magnitude and power of God’s Presence! After seeing the Hand of God as He overthrew Israel’s enemies, Moses was compelled to exclaim… 

“Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders? Exodus 15:11 

God fights for His people – He is the ultimate Deliverer!  He is the ultimate Defender of His people … the people who are called by His Name!  This is God’s personality – His attribute!  He wants Christians to love, and He is the One who vindicates us when persons wrong us. Moses discovered and declared –

The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.  Exodus 15:3

Moses experienced the God Who won battles for him and as he saw God protect the Israelites from the evils that came up against them, he exclaimed –

“Your right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power;Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.And in the greatness of Your excellence. You have overthrown those who rose against You;You sent forth Your wrath;It consumed them like stubble. Exodus 15:6-7

God did not fight for the Israelites in Moses’ day alone, but as we read the Bible we see God fighting for His people through King David, through Joshua, through Jehoshaphat, through all those who He had appointed to lead them and who did so in the fear of God.

You may wonder why would God only fight for the Israelites?  This is because those were His chosen people.  He made the earth and all that it consists and He chooses His creation to will and to do according to His pleasure.

…for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Phillipians 2:13

So He chose Israel to be His people.

Whether they may or may not have known it, this mantle of being God’s chosen came with an awesome responsibility on Israel’s part.  God laid down some guidelines for Israel to follow.  These guidelines have been documented in the Holy Bible so that the generations that would follow would be in the know. 

God’s law stands for eternity.  He remembers His promises to His people and is Faithful to perform them.  If God’s chosen remain faithful to His Word then the benefit of the blessings will be theirs. On the flip side, God is also faithful to His Word if His chosen are unfaithful in doing what He says!

Read His promises to the Israelites in the Book of Deuteronomy chapter 28.  In short, God promised that if they kept His Word, meaning if they obeyed His Word, His blessings will follow them and even overtake them.  However, as you read on in that same chapter, you would discover that God also promised that if they disobeyed His Word, they will fall under some heavy curses. This law stands active for eternity.

He reminded Joshua as he walked in Moses’ stead –

Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.  This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. – Joshua 1:7-8

Should Joshua choose to do differently to what God had commanded, it stands to reason that his way would not have been prosperous and that he would not have good success.

God has a responsibility over His people to protect them and to nurture them but it does not stop there. His people also have a responsibility towards Him – to be obedient to His Word, observing to do it!

Jesus came as God’s Word, being God Himself, with a mandate to graft into the Kingdom of God people like us who are not Israelites. He came to perfect the law and to show us the way back to the Father after the Fall of Adam and Eve! Jesus is the Word of God.  Those of us who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Saviour have automatically become a chosen people just like Israel is to God!  We now have the responsibility, as Israel has, to know or to observe God’s Word and to do it!  What we choose to do will determine whether we reap the blessings or the curses.

In the nation where I live, there is an outrageous spike in crime.  Murders occur on a daily basis. There are also strange deaths as well as gruesome carnage on the roadways, misbehavior in public office, the likes of which was never so evident in the society.  Multiplicity of prayers are continuously being prayed on behalf of the nation, but it seems that there is no end to violence.

This is not isolated to my nation, but across the nations of the world there is violence, unrest, murder suicides of different family members – in some cases entire families are killed by a family member in possession of a gun.  Believers in Christ may be very tempted to ask the question, “Where is the God of the Bible in the midst of this chaos?” 

My question is … Has God Changed?  Does this Great and Magnificent God still require for His people to live according to His Word?  Or does He require us to live by bread alone?  Does He require us to live by our rights, whatever right that is?

Jesus pronounced to believers –

“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4

Are we walking in obedience to that Word so that we can reap the blessings of God?  Or are we rather

living in a manner so as to reap the curses that God promised?  Are we loving one another as God commanded?  Not by loving in the manner that WE believe love should be – but are we loving as God says that we should love one another?  Do we love our enemies enough to be praying for them as He has instructed?

Read the Book of Matthew Chapter 5 and then Romans Chapter 12 and finally 1 Corinthians 13 in order to get an idea as how God commands us to love.  If we are faithful to do as the Scriptures say, then do you think that we will be cursed or will we be blessed?  From what we can see in our nations in this day, are we being blessed of God or cursed?  We cannot be partakers of evil and expect God to bless us!  Also, we must not join with partakers of evil, because they are our friends, or because we can achieve some gain, and expect to be blessed.

I notice that many nations around the world are passing laws which God calls blatant abominations in His sight!  He destroyed two cities because of those same practices.  Is God expected to bless what He does not condone?  In the Book of Numbers Chapter 26 the same God that fought for Israel caused the earth to open up and swallow some Israelites (His chosen people) together with all of their families as well as all their possessions, simply because of their disobedience to His Word!  Has God changed?  I still hear of what we now call sink holes appearing in diverse places today!  What could this mean?

God has promised that if we repent AND turn our faces from evil, He will forgive us our sins and heal our land.  Let us observe to do the Word of God so that we will have good success and bring glory to His Name.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14