Jacob The Heel Catcher - Spiritual Adultery

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Sep 3, 2016
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Bread Crumbs “Clearing the Soul”

As the believer travels through the Christian experience there are bound to be slip ups and failures; in a nutshell, we will disobey God. Under the benefits of the New Covenant the Holy Spirit has moved inside the believer and should be able to instantly inform the believer of any wrongdoing. This conviction by the Holy Spirit is a healthy and needful addition to New Covenant provision. When we fail, we should both re...pent or turn from that action or activity and confess our fault, our misdemeanor, our sin, to God. Our faith in Christ and the Cross then appropriates this truth, that my current failure has already been paid for by Christ on Calvary. With repentance and confession accomplished, my heart and my mind will experience a peace that only God can provide. I know and understand that the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed me from all unrighteousness. God, who is the just one and the only justifier of man, remembers my sin and iniquity no more. I will never find true peace until I confess my failure to the Lord. So make it right with God and then move ahead assured of your relationship with your Savior. Let there be nothing between you and your Saviour!

Psalm 32:5 - I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries
 
Sep 3, 2016
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The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 28:13
He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
...
Notice in this passage of scripture how God has tied prosperity to having His mercy. When men attempt to cover their sins through their own works or good deeds, they cannot obtain the mercy of God. Remember that God is not being merciful to a rebellious world, but rather longsuffering toward them as He awaits them all to come to Him to receive mercy through faith in the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Anyone can confess their sins and many do as they cry themselves to sleep every night, but the only people who can confess “AND FORSAKE” their sins are the very people who come to God through faith in what God has provided to be able to FORSAKE their sins. Christ died on our behalf so that our sins could be confessed AND forsaken, as God offers mercy today to all through simple faith in His Son’s work on the cross. This is the place of mercy and Oh so beautiful is God’s prosperous mercy! Come to Him today and live in His prosperity.

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis
 
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Your Word for Today

“Wherefore He said, When He ascended up on high, He led captivity captive and gave Gifts unto men. (Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the Earth? He Who descended is the same also Who ascended up far above all Heavens, that He might fill all things) (Eph. 4:8-10).

These Passages speak of Christ descending down into the “lower parts of the Earth,” which refer to Paradise, and then ascending to Heaven.

The idea is this:

Before the Cross, which paid the terrible debt of sin, and which satisfied the demands of a thrice-Holy God, all Believers who died went down into Paradise, which was next door, so to speak, to the burning side of Hell. Only a great gulf separated the burning side from the Paradise side (Lk. 16:26). These individuals, which probably numbered many, many thousands, could not be taken to Heaven upon death (their soul and spirit), because the blood of bulls and goats was insufficient to satisfy the sin debt (Heb. 10:4).

These individuals, although saved, were still captives of Satan, hence, the phrase, “He (Jesus) led captivity captive.” This means that all of these people who had been captives of Satan, even though they were in Paradise, were now made captives of the Lord Jesus Christ once the sin debt was paid. After Jesus died on the Cross, He, first of all, went down into Paradise to deliver these individuals, whose very Salvation depended on the Cross. With the Cross now an accomplished fact, Satan had no more claim on them, no legal right to hold them any longer, so Jesus made them His captives and took them with Him to Heaven.

Since the sin debt has been paid at the Cross of Calvary, now when a Believer dies, the soul and the spirit of such a person instantly go to be with the Lord in Heaven. It’s been that way ever since the Cross. The sin debt has been paid, so Satan has no more claim (Phil. 1:23).

Furthermore, when Jesus went down into Paradise, which was in the heart of the Earth, and liberated those souls, He didn’t go down defeated, as some claim, but rather as a Conqueror. The price had been paid, the victory had been won, and, due to the fact that every single sin was atoned — past, present, and future, at least for all who will believe — the Resurrection was now a given. In other words, there was no doubt that He would be raised from the dead.

The Scripture says that the “wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). If even one single sin had remained unatoned, Jesus could not have risen from the dead. But due to the fact that all sin was atoned, the Resurrection was guaranteed. That’s why He constantly told His Disciples, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the Elders, and of the Chief Priests and Scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (Mk. 8:31; Mat. 16:21; 17:22; Lk. 9:22). In all these accounts, He plainly told them, “After three days I will rise again.”

The descent of Christ into Paradise, where He delivered all the Old Testament Saints, and His ascent into Heaven, all as a victorious Conqueror, were all made possible, totally and completely, by the Cross.”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Bread Crumbs “Profaning the Sabbath”

The arguments that surround the Sabbath day have existed ever since the New Covenant was established. The apostle Paul taught that the Mosaic law was obsolete under the New Covenant as far as obtaining or maintaining righteousness was concerned. He taught that our righteousness was not found in the observance of a day or accomplished by what we ate, was not established by what we wore, was not awarded because of our lifestyle. Paul taught that New Covenant righteousness was obtained and maintained by faith in Jesus Christ and that alone. The concept of the Sabbath is now no longer fulfilled through the keeping of a day, but instead, it is experienced by resting in the finished work of Christ. Hebrews 4:1-11 declares that we are to enter into the rest created by Christ on the cross and that to fail to enter into this rest evidences unbelief in God’s redemption plan. Therefore, profaning the sabbath under the terms of the New Covenant is failing to trust exclusively and rest entirely in the finished work of Christ. Are you resting in what Christ done? Or are you attempting to provide and maintain righteousness through works. If so, you are profaning the Sabbath rest provided by God.

Ezekiel 22:8 - Thou hast despised mine holy things, and hast profaned my sabbaths.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries
 
Sep 3, 2016
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The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 28:14
Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

Here we see a little more light on what it means to fear the Lord, which is the opposite of hardening the heart against God, by not trusting in what God has said through faith in the sacrifice of Christ. Hardening the heart against what God has said will always cause mischief, which refers to calamity and evil and its fruit will result in death (Romans 8:13).

God says those who fear Him have His secret, and it is to THEM He shows His covenant (The gospel, The Message of the cross, The Truth), which means He keeps on showing it to them (Psalm 25:14). Here we have the profound answer to an often asked question. Why am I seeing the message of the cross as the answer for everything in my life while my family, my co-workers and my friends are not seeing it? Again, the secret of the Lord is with them that FEAR Him, and He shows (And keeps on showing) THEM His covenant (Psalm 25:14). Noah by faith was MOVED with FEAR to obedience (Hebrews 11:7).

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Your Word for Today

“Finally, my Brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His Might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:10-12).

The above Passages, linked with Verses 13 through 18, present the Believer’s armor and resources. First of all, the armor addressed is the “armor of God,” which means that it is not of any human instrumentation or ability. Moreover, all of this armor is to be used, and not just some.

In the word “wrestle,” Paul uses a Greek athletic term. It refers to a contest between two in which each endeavors to throw the other, and which is decided when the victor is able to press and hold down his prostrate antagonist, namely, hold him down with his hand upon his neck. When we consider that the loser in a Greek wrestling contest had his eyes gouged out, resulting in blindness for the rest of his days, we understand the seriousness of the conflict.

To be sure, the Christian’s wrestling against the powers of darkness is no less desperate and fateful. In other words, the very soul of the Believer is at stake regarding the outcome of this contest.

“Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood.” It is against the powers of darkness.

The “principalities and powers” constitute the demons of Satan, which fill the air around the Earth.

The “rulers of the darkness of this world” constitute fallen angels.

The “spiritual wickedness in high places” pertains to the highest rank of fallen angels, all laboring under Satan, attempting to greatly hinder, even destroy, the Child of God.

First, let it be understood: No Believer can be demon-possessed. Believers, to be sure, can be demon-oppressed, but never demon-possessed. Many Believers may think they are demon-possessed because their faith is in something other than the Cross, which means that despite all of their efforts, they cannot get victory over particular “works of the flesh.” In other words, the Sin Nature is ruling such a Believer.

So when some Preacher tells them they are demon-possessed, that they need to have certain demons cast out in order to be free, many, out of desperation, believe this lie. However, it doesn’t matter what Preacher prays for them, or what type of manifestation they may experience until they learn the Truth of the Cross, they will know no freedom.

Jesus said, “You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:32).

The Believer’s recourse, his only recourse, and the only recourse needed is Faith in Christ and what Christ did at the Cross. Then the Holy Spirit will subdue the Sin Nature and the problem will go away. Because of many factors, it may take some time, but ultimately it will leave. The Believer who makes Christ and the Cross the total Object of his Faith will ultimately come to the place that “sin shall no longer have dominion over you” (Rom. 6:14).\

The phrase in Ephesians, Chapter 6, Verse 13 that says, “And having done all, to stand,” actually means that the Believer is to serve notice on Satan that he cannot have anything that belongs to the Child of God. It is not the Will of God for the Believer to live in a state of defeat. The Cross of Christ has answered the problem of sin, and in every capacity. It only remains for the Believer to exercise his Faith in that Finished Work.

The first thing the Believer is to do is to “gird his loins about with Truth.” This speaks of the Truth which sets one free, which is the Message of the Cross (I Cor. 1:17-18).

The next thing the Believer is to do is to put on the “Breastplate of Righteousness.” This is the Righteousness that is afforded by Christ; the Cross is the means of such Righteousness being given to us. This is the only way that Righteousness can be afforded (Rom. 4:3).

Next, the feet of the Believer is to be shod with the “preparation of the Gospel of Peace.” This is the “peace” that is afforded strictly by the Cross, and the Cross alone.

“The shield of faith” consists, once again, of Faith in Christ and what He has done at the Cross. This is the only type of Faith that God will recognize.

Regrettably, so many Believers have their spiritual loins girded with something other than the Truth, their Breastplates are something other than the true Righteousness of Christ, and their feet are shod with something which is not exactly the “Gospel of Peace.” The “faith” that most have, although it is “faith,” is not Faith in Christ and the Cross; consequently, it will quench no “fiery darts of the wicked.”

Last of all regarding the armor, the Believer is to “take the helmet of Salvation,” which again is afforded by the Cross, and “the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” which, once again, is the portrayal of the Cross. In fact, the entirety of the Bible is the story of Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.

With all of this, and according to 6:18, the Believer is to "pray" and "watch."

While Paul had a Roman solider in mind on which he bases his illustration, still, trying to explain what the Roman soldier wears is of no consequence to the Believer. We are to know and understand what Paul is saying beyond the illustration. Once again, he leads the Believer to the Cross, which affords all of these things, and which alone affords all of these things. Regrettably, when most Preachers attempt to explain the "whole armor of God," they ignore the Cross altogether, which means that their explanation is of no valve.

The whole thing consists of the Believer understanding that everything he receives from the Lord, all of his Salvation and protection, come exclusively through Christ and what Christ did at the Cross. Our Faith in that Finished Work gives the Holy Spirit great latitude in our lives, bringing about the desired results, which only He can do! (Rom.8:2)

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Bread Crumbs “Today or Tomorrow?”

Tomorrow may never come! Far too often we live with the vision of what we intend to do, where we are going, and what we intend to become. In doing so we just might miss the treasure of today. It certainly is correct to plan for our future, but not to the degree that we fail to handle properly what lies at hand. The present is where we are, not where we hope to be. We should not diminish the benefit of using our energy, love, and talents for today, using all our enthusiasm just to envision something for a day ahead. When this happens we steal from ourselves the possible joys and victories of today. We are never promised tomorrow. We live in the here and now! Perhaps it might be wiser to love all we can, give all we can, do what is right to do, today. Let us view tomorrow with wisdom and in prayer, but let us keep our wits about us for this day, this minute, this hour. Let the Spirit of God guide you, not just towards your future, but through every circumstance of every day. There really is quite enough for us to deal with in this present moment!

Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries
 
Sep 3, 2016
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The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 28:15
As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

Wicked rulers are like the roar of a lion in the forest that brings fear to all the other animals. The wicked rulers are also like the ranging bear, which refers to an attacking bear that charges his prey. They rule by causing great fear among the poor, or those who are weaker.

Thank God that we as His people have the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and His roar is being heard from Calvary around the world. The roar of Jesus Christ through His death, took the power of death away from the devil (Hebrews 2:14), the power that took my sin away, and gave me His Righteousness, the power that broke the power of the sin nature from dominating me and the power that holds me steady in His hands today. Jesus, Jesus, my great Lion of the tribe of Judah! Can you hear His roar today?

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Your Word for Today

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ (Phil. 3:7-8).

What the Apostle is saying here is dramatic, to say the least. It was not sins that Paul surrendered in order to win Christ, but righteousness: his own personal righteousness. This is a tremendous truth. Christ died not only to expiate and abolish our sins, but also to expiate and abolish our righteousnesses.

As an Old Testament example, the great Patriarch Job had to discover the “worthlessness of self,” and then the “worthfulness of Christ.” And to be sure, the latter cannot be reached until the former be passed through. As Job had to learn that, so did Paul, and so do we.

First of all, to fully “win Christ,” one has to suffer the loss of all things. By that, we are referring to all the things that make one righteous, or so one thinks, other than Christ and Him Crucified. This refers to place, position, status, works, Church association, religious activity, good deeds, etc. While some of these things may need to be continued, they must be continued, if at all, with the understanding that the doing of them earns us nothing with the Lord.

When Jesus died on the Cross, He died not only to save us from sin, but also to save us from “self.” The latter just might be the most difficult!

This doesn’t mean that a person ceases to be a “self” when one comes to Christ, but rather that “self” is properly hidden in Christ. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said, “At that day, you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you” (Jn. 14:20).

This is also what He meant when He said, “If any man will come after Me (the criteria for Discipleship), let him deny himself (not asceticism, as many think, but rather that one denies one’s own willpower, self-will, strength, and ability, depending totally on Christ), and take up his Cross (the benefits of the Cross, looking exclusively to what Jesus did there to meet our every need) daily (this is so important, our looking to the Cross, that we must renew our Faith in what Christ has done for us, even on a daily basis, for Satan will ever try to move us away from the Cross as the Object of our Faith, which always spells disaster), and follow Me (Christ can be followed only by the Believer looking to the Cross, understanding what is accomplished, and by that means alone) (Mat. 16:24; Rom. 6:3-5, 11, 14; 8:1-2, 11; I Cor. 1:17-18, 21, 23; 2:2; Gal. 6:14; Col. 2:14-15).

“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it (try to live one’s life outside of Christ and the Cross): but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it” (when we place our Faith entirely in Christ and the Cross, looking exclusively to Him, we have just found “more abundant life” [Jn. 10:10]) (Mat. 16:25).

Most Believers, sadly, never truly follow Christ, simply because they do not desire to obey what He demands. As a result, they never really fully have all that He desires to give. That loss is the greatest loss of all!”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
 
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Bread Crumbs “Unity in the Body”

The unity of the body of Christ is something that all believers should desire. When we are born-again through faith in what Christ did at Calvary, we are instantly baptized into the body of Christ by the Spirit of God. Believers make up the individual components that are to function together, under Christ, for a common goal or purpose established by God. Jesus alone is the Head of the Church. He sends the proper signals to the varied parts of the body which in turn are to perform their specific functions. When all the parts of the body are operating in conjunction with and in obedience to the commands of the true Head, then the body operates as a single unit and accomplishes the will of God. When the individual body parts fail to operate this way or stubbornly refuse to recognize their proper place in the body of Christ, a division or schism is created. We also understand that a desire for unity must never negate Biblical truth. Unity at the expense of Biblical truth stinks of the dreadful aroma of compromise and is deadly to the health of the body. So recognize your true role within the body of Christ, be content, and acknowledge the role of those around you!

Psalm 133:1 - "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries
 
Sep 3, 2016
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The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 28:16
The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.


It appears here that wisdom would show us when we lack understanding, which is the knowledge of the Holy (Proverbs 9:10), we will only suffer oppression and cause others to be oppressed. It also appears that the lack of understanding is tied to covetousness, which is when one is trusting in his material possessions and constantly craves more. This will eliminate our receiving the understanding from the Lord that we desperately need.

The knowledge of the Holy is understanding (Proverbs 9:10), and this knowledge can only be imparted as one has their faith in Christ and His atoning sacrifice at the cross. This is the only faith that can hear and receive of the Lord (Galatians 2:20, Revelation 3:3). When we have our faith right, understanding will be imparted and this understanding will cause us to hate covetousness. God says there is a promise of prolonged days in this process. Trust Christ today for all things!!

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Your Word for Today

“And be found in Him, not having my own Righteousness, which is of the Law, but that which is through the Faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by Faith (Phil. 3:9).

A great truth here is given to us, at least if we understand what the great Apostle is saying.

He is saying that it was not sins that he had to surrender to win Christ, even though that definitely was done, but rather his own personal righteousnesses. Christ died not only to expatiate and abolish our sins, but also to expatiate and abolish our righteousnesses.

The Righteousness which is from God is offered to the sinner in Christ, and secured by him by Faith, as opposed to works.

Let us explain it:

An excellent Old Testament example is the Patriarch Job. He had to discover the worthlessness of self, as stated, before he could discover the worthfulness of Christ. Before the latter could be reached, the former had to be first passed through. Man’s problem, whoever he might be, is that he tries to make his own righteousness. Unfortunately, when we come to Christ, the effort doesn’t stop; it mostly continues.

It is hard for the unconverted man to admit what he really is: a worthless sinner. Because he does some good things, or doesn’t do some bad things, he likes to think of himself as “good.” The reason most never come to Christ is that before one can come to Christ, he must admit that he is a worthless sinner. But if he does admit he is a worthless sinner and comes to Christ, a perfect, spotless Righteousness, found only in Christ, and our acceptance of Him, is afforded such a person. It is called “imputed righteousness,” meaning that it is imputed by the Lord to the believing sinner, and done so freely.

But yet, the problem doesn’t cease with the unsaved. All too often, after coming to Christ, and not being properly taught, the Believer tries once again to establish his own righteousness by doing certain things, or not doing certain things. He will have no more success than the unbelieving sinner has in trying to be saved by his own means and ways.

Because of a lack of proper teaching, almost all Christians presently are trying to develop their own righteousness. Many of them will tell the unsaved soul that it’s impossible to come to Christ unless they accept Him fully, not at all depending on their own good works, etc. And then they will turn right around and do the very thing they told the sinner he cannot do. They will try to gain victory over sin by law, by self-will, by works of righteousness, etc.

However, the Apostle is here saying that whatever righteousness we think we have, whatever we think we have gained by our own efforts, will never be recognized by God. That which is recognized by the Lord is that which we obtain “through the Faith of Christ.” This refers to what Jesus did at the Cross and our Faith and confidence totally and completely in that, and that alone! That is “the Faith of Christ.” That being done, we will obtain “the Righteousness which is of God by Faith,” which will then give the Holy Spirit latitude to work in our lives, and thereby give us victory over sin and all the works of the flesh.

In this Ninth Verse is found the reason that Believers cannot get victory over sin. They are trying to gain a position by law which God will never accept. They don’t think of it as such, but that is what is actually happening. The only faith the Lord will recognize is Faith in Christ and what Christ did at the Cross. Everything else is unacceptable!”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
 
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Bread Crumbs “Confidence & Evidence”

Every Christian who sincerely lives for God will sooner or later be confronted by an intense trial of their faith. This trial may come by a series of circumstances, it may be the result of an intimidating spiritual attack, or even the result of a moral failure. The successful traversing through this or any other similar problem that may surface can only be accomplished through the agency of faith and that faith placed in the right object. The Bible tells us that "faith is the substance," and that (faith is also) “the evidence." The word "substance" may be translated as "the ground" or perhaps, "the confidence." The word "evidence" may be translated as "proof'" or "conviction." Therefore, faith is the ground or the confidence that the believer has towards things "hoped for." It is the "evidence," the "proof," the “conviction," that the believer holds to, even though it is a reality that remains unseen. The Christian must also understand the true meaning of “hope” in the Biblical sense. This is not some whimsical desire that the individual perceives through selfish emotions or desires. Instead, Biblical hope is hope that stems from the surety of a thing, even though we may not know how or when it will occur. So believer … keep on believing!

Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries
 
Sep 3, 2016
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The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 28:17
A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.

Anyone who does violence to the shedding of blood, which refers to murder, will always flee to the very pit he has dug for himself. This is why typically when you see those filled with the devil who kill others, they almost always kill themselves. There is no help for these individuals outside of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Even though some are saved from their sins by God after they have committed awful crimes, they must nevertheless remain in the pit (Prison) the rest of their lives.. Again, there is no help to be offered this sort of person outside of offering them the gospel of Jesus Christ, for there is no other help God will honor.

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis
 
Sep 3, 2016
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Your Word for Today

“That I may know Him, and the Power of His Resurrection, and the fellowship of His Sufferings, being made conformable unto His Death (Phil. 3:10).

When the Apostle said, “That I may know Him,” he was speaking of knowing Christ in a particular way, which is outlined in the balance of the Scripture. That which the Apostle desired to know, and that which we also must desire to know, is the following:

1. “The Power of His Resurrection”: Paul is not speaking of the coming Resurrection of Life, but rather the Resurrection of Christ, which refers to every Believer being resurrected with Him, and resurrected to a “new life” (Rom. 6:4). This is true Resurrection Life, which gives the Believer a power that is absolutely undeniable. However, Resurrection Power to live a Resurrection Life can only come about by following the admonition of the next two points.

2. “The fellowship of His Sufferings”: Whenever Jesus died on the Cross, in the Mind of God, every person who exhibits Faith in Christ and what He did in the Sacrifice of Himself is baptized into His Death. In effect, Jesus did it all for us. Our identification with Him as our Substitute gives us all that for which He died. We were buried with Him by Baptism into death, which means that all of the old life was buried once and for all with Him, never to plague us again. We were then raised with Him in newness of life.

Consequently, when Paul speaks of “the fellowship of His Sufferings,” he is meaning that we are meant to reap the benefits of all that for which he paid such a great price. He suffered terribly to give us what we have. For us not to have all that for which He suffered is, in a sense, an insult thrown in His Face.

3. “Being made conformable unto His Death”: The Cross is the great pivot point of the Plan of God. It was planned by the Godhead from before the foundation of the world (I Pet. 1:18-20). When we “conform unto His Death,” we, in effect, are basing our lives strictly and totally on what He did for us at the Cross, which is the intention here of the Holy Spirit. In this one Verse of Scripture, we have the means given to us by which we can live a victorious life: victorious over the world, the flesh, and the Devil. This is, in fact, the only way it can be carried out.

When we enter into the “fellowship of His Sufferings,” when we are “made conformable unto His Death,” which refer simply to Faith in Christ and what He did at the Cross, all on our behalf, then we will know “Resurrection Life” (Rom. 6:5).”

— Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart
 
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Bread Crumbs “God’s Grace”

God does allow difficult circumstances to arise in our lives. These difficulties may exist for a short period of time or may be a trial of great length. It may seem as though these vicissitudes of life are smothering us. We find it hard to breathe. We find ourselves unsure as to which way to turn. Uncertain, we stand at the crossroads, needing to make a decision as to which way to proceed. We are troubled in our spirit. We are confused in our minds. More than ever, it is vital that we hear from God. In situations such as these, let us always be reminded that God's grace is available to strengthen us. He alone has the ability to help us stand fast until the clear direction is made manifest. One aspect of God’s grace is the help that is supplied by the Holy Spirit as the believer continually expresses faith in Christ. He will supply grace to the humble, to those who continually trust in Him. It is a guarantee that in this life we will have tribulation. But the good news is, in those times when our faith seems to collapse beneath the weight of unbelievable and unbearable circumstances, God will never fail to give grace by which we continue on!”

James 4:6 - But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries