Posted by: missionventureministries | June 17, 2012

THE PLANS GOD HAS FOR US – Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

This verse tells us that God knows us and that He has good plans for us; that He is sovereignly directing our lives. His words remind us that God hears our prayers and invites us to seek Him and know Him. During times of uncertainty, this promise is deeply comforting. We cannot see the future, but this verse gives us encouragement and promises that God has a future and hope for each one of us.

God’s plan isn’t always what we thought it was going to be. But God’s plan is always best even if we don’t understand it at the time. We know though, that in all things, God works together for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28) We know that when God shuts a door, he opens another. We know that God is working through every event in our lives to make us more and more dependent on Him for everything we need. We need to realize that God’s plan is not always the easiest in our eyes, but it is always the best.

God sees our tomorrows before they become our ‘todays.’ He sees the beginning of our life and He sees the end, and He sees everything in between. Psalm 139:16 says “All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” God knows the plans He has for us.

Jeremiah says that God has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” For the Jewish people, that meant going back to the Promised Land, for the Christian it means going to be with Him for eternity.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have a hope and a future that goes far beyond the parameters of this life. You have a hope and a future where you will be living in eternity with God. You have the hope that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6) And then those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior and made Him the Lord of their lives will reign with Christ forever! What a great hope we have in God’s promises!

God reassured His people: “The days are coming, when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their forefathers to possess,’ says the LORD.” (Jeremiah 30:3) After the Babylonian captivity, the Medes and the Persians conquered the kingdom of Babylon and the Jews were allowed to go back home, because the word of the Lord always comes true.

Following verse 29:11, Jeremiah continues and gives us another beautiful promise from the word of God: “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13

The Lord knows the plans He has for us and He is patiently waiting for us to come to Him. So how do we do that? We PRAY. Our prayer life, worship habits and personal devotion, are of key importance in every Christian’s life because battles are won in prayer, sin is conquered in prayer, discouragement is defeated in prayer, self is abase in prayer and God is exalted in prayer.

When God is exalted, He will speak to us through the Holy Spirit who is going to be our motivating force. Even when we fail in some of our human efforts, we should not give up and trust in Him to be our Strength. Let’s keep our eyes upon Him and not on the world, and we will be blessed.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)

 

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Posted by: missionventureministries | June 17, 2012

Happy Father’s Day

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Posted by: missionventureministries | June 11, 2012

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105

 

God has spoken to man since creation and His life-giving words are recorded in the Scriptures as the light that directs the path of the believer’s lives.  Throughout the Bible, God’s word is spoken of as being a light of men. “Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men” (John 1:3-4).

Even though the Bible clearly teaches us that the Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path, many make the decision to stumble in the darkness rather than to let the light of God’s Word lead our way. 

Picture two rooms, one is dark and a person is scrounging on the floor for some crumbs to eat when next door there is a room full of light and a banquet to delight on. Where do you want to be? And how do we get there? Here are some questions for us to ponder: 

  • When we get up in the morning, do we make the decision to open the Bible first thing and start the day filled with God’s Word?
  • Do we meditate on God’s Word during the day?
  • Do we seek answers to our decisions in God’s Word?
  • Do we regularly and actively participate in a Bible study with other believers?

As born again Christians we are called and commanded to be the light of the world. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16). We are to be the stewards of God’s Word and to reflect His light so others can also see and be saved.

We need to ask ourselves: How can we expect to be the light of the world if we ourselves are spending the majority of our time stumbling around in the darkness? The answer is that we need to read Scripture, the Light that will guide us. We need to repent of our sins (darkness) and ask God to change us to show us His way through His illuminating Word. Once we do that we can be molded each day more and more into the image of Christ, who is the light of the world. “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12)

The decision is ours to make, are we going to do it our way or God’s way? Are we going to choose heaven or hell? Jesus himself told us: “that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)

The more we learn about God and His love, the less we care about the so-called pleasures of this world. It really is amazing how God works and how He transforms sinners into saints when we live and breathe the Word of God and let Him be the light to our feet and a light to our path.

The Bible is not meant to be read only once a week, or once a month, or once a year, it is our daily sustenance, it is the way we are nourished to become strong Christians to run the race with perseverance and to proclaim and share the Gospel with power.

We need to understand that there is nothing more foolish than to try and navigate through this dark world without the Word of God, without the Light of the world shining out before us, lighting our path and showing us the Way. Jesus is the “Way” (John 14:6) and He is “the Light of the world.” (John 9:5)

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Posted by: missionventureministries | June 4, 2012

TEST THE SPIRITS TO SEE WHETHER THEY ARE FROM GOD – 1 John 4:1-6

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

John is telling us that there are two spirits:

  • God’s Spirit, which is called the Spirit of truth because it inspires truth (vv. 4:2, 6); and
  • The spirit of antichrist, which promulgates falsehood, and does not acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus Christ (vv. 3, 6).

And he warns us how important it is to understand that we cannot believe everyone we hear and that we cannot believe everything that is alleged to come from God, but like the Bereans we need to check the Scriptures. We are to test the spirits, to discern whether a message is the truth that comes from God. So we are not to just accept what some teacher or preacher is saying; we are to examine what is being taught.

We know that God speaks and reveals truth, and the enemy speaks lies and is a deceiver, therefore it is very critical that we be able to discern the difference. If information comes from the Holy Spirit it is life-giving, life-sustaining, life-producing and God-glorifying. If it is not sent and energized by the Holy Spirit, it comes from seducing spirits or false prophets, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This was and continues being a huge problem and those without discernment are being victimized. 

It is very sad to realize that many so-called “religious leaders” are false teachers and people are having a hard time finding a church where the Word of God is being taught faithfully. What appear to be “Christian churches” are teaching things that are not in line with the Bible. They are downplaying or removing altogether the doctrines of sin, repentance, the Trinity, Salvation by grace alone, through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, and the deity of Jesus Christ, and replacing them by more “seeker sensitive ideas.” For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear – (2 Timothy 4:3). These false teachers are teaching their followers doctrines and practices that are not in harmony with God’s word, like “contemplative prayer” and “prayer labyrinths” which are actually taken from new age and Hindu practices are being introduced and accepted by many churches that are moving towards the Emergent Church movement today.

These teachers are hypocritical liars and are teaching doctrines of demons motivated by seducing spirits. This is an enormous problem and the world is literally drowning in a sea of demonic lies. We live in a time when we must be so close to the Father and ask Him to fill us daily with His Spirit of discernment. 

John continues giving instructions on how to know the Spirit of God: “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” When someone comes and affirms that Jesus Christ is God in flesh that is the divine truth taught by the Holy Spirit. “But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” False teachers and demons deny the deity of Jesus Christ and therefore as believers and students of the Bible we recognize them as being controlled by the devil and his lies. So: “Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.” (1 John 2:22)

The false teacher does not believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He may accept Jesus Christ as a great teacher and a great religious leader, perhaps the greatest, but he does not believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior and the only way to God. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).  He believes there are other ways to God. Beware!

The spirit of the antichrist was very much alive in John’s days and today our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). When we think of antichrist, we think of some future person, the beast of Revelation. However, all teaching that presents untruth about Christ is the spirit of antichrist which has been in the world for nearly 2000 years and is yet to come in its final form.

Before we accept any teaching, we need to be sure of the person’s view of Christ, their view of salvation, and their view of Scripture. Do they acknowledge that: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”? (2 Timothy 3:16). Do they manifest a regenerate life? And lastly, do they submit to the Word of God? “By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:6)

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Posted by: missionventureministries | May 28, 2012

FRIENDS BRINGING FRIENDS TO JESUS – Luke 5:18-19

Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. Luke 5:18-19 

When we care about a friend, we will do all that is within our power to help. If they have a need they won’t have to ask twice because we will be there for them ready to assist. 

Friendship is a commitment that involves developing and practicing the virtues of: trust, faithfulness, reliability, integrity and honesty. A friend listens, helps and forgives and most important, a friend brings a friend to Jesus. 

There are many verses in the Bible about friendship but this one is found in Luke 5:18-19 and tells a beautiful story about friends bringing a friend in need to Jesus. The account of this story can also be found in Mark 2:1-12.

There was a man who was paralyzed and could not walk or get around under his own power, he was completely bedridden. This man had four friends, who were very good friends indeed, they believed that if they could just get their sick friend to Jesus, he would be healed. They knew that Jesus had already performed many miracles of healing, so the four friends carried their friend on a mat to the house where Jesus was teaching in Capernaum.

When they got there, they found they could not begin to get through the crowds. They didn’t give up, though; they had faith that Jesus could heal their friend if they could just get him close to Jesus. So they came up with a plan, one that was bold and daring — they took him up to the roof of the house and lowered him through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.

These friends had gone to extraordinary lengths to bring their paralyzed friend to the Lord. Jesus recognized their actions as an expression of their faith, and because of their faith, He told the paralyzed “Man, your sins are forgiven”. This is a very important lesson for us, this man was not only physically but spiritually healed by the faith his friends had in Jesus. There are many instances in the Bible where one person is healed because of the faith of another person, (here are a few of them Matthew 9:2; 9:18; 9:32; 15:28). These examples teach us that our faith can allow God to work in the lives of our family, friends and others.

We need to remember that man’s greatest need is spiritual healing, or forgiveness. The Lord gave this poor paralyzed man what he needed most, spiritual healing. Are you willing to do whatever is necessary to bring your family, friends and others to Jesus for forgiveness, healing and to be saved from an eternity in hell? 

There are millions of people around the world who have never been given an invitation by a friend to come and know Jesus. These people are in desperate need for someone to bring them the Good News which is the message of Jesus Christ. However, before they can understand, someone needs to share with them. Is it going to be you that you will do it? 

The truth is if you are a follower of Christ, if you claim Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and are a born again believer, you are called to share your faith with others.  In fact, Jesus said it Himself: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” Acts 1:8. 

All of us have friends who need Jesus. How much do we really care, and how far are we willing to go to introduce them to Jesus? To whom will you be a friend today?

Partially adapted from author unknown – Source: “Open Windows”

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Posted by: missionventureministries | May 21, 2012

WHAT DOES FEARING THE LORD MEAN? – Proverbs 1:7

 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7

Proverbs tells us that the path to wisdom starts with a fear of the Lord. This healthy fear compels us to surrender our life to the Lord. When we surrender to the Lord and ask for forgiveness, He then washes us and we become pure – “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18)

The fear of the Lord is about reverence toward God, respect for Him, love and appreciation, holding God and His beloved Son in high esteem.

The reason many do not take God’s Word seriously is they have no foundation and are not grounded in the Scriptures. They do not realize that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). As a result of the absence of this kind of fear (respect), when unbelievers read or hear God’s commandments they react indifferently. As the verse so clearly states a fool despises wisdom and instruction, however, faithful service to God and obedience to Christ is rooted in the FEAR OF THE LORD.

Fools do not care how much anyone else knows because they are convinced they know more. They do not seek or appreciate wise counsel because pride prefers its own version of truth. Fools believe other people need instruction, not them. In the Bible, a “fool” is not a mentally deficient individual, but one who rebels against God; who lives as if there were no God, (Psalm 53:1), a vile and corrupt person that is unsaved.

We can avoid foolishness and the mistakes it produces by submitting our lives to godly instruction. Though correction and instruction may not be pleasant experiences, the results are worth the possible embarrassment and worse of all spending an eternity in hell.

The opposite of a fool is a wise person and the dictionary defines “wisdom” as the ability to discern what is true or right. Wisdom is the God-given ability to perceive truth and to implement the will of God through the prompting of the Holy Spirit who resides in each true born again believer.

Wisdom requires a healthy fear of the Lord. We must learn to prefer God’s opinion above our own. We cannot gain wisdom without humility. Why do people scorn wisdom? “Because they hate knowledge and do not choose the fear of the Lord.” (Proverbs 1:29)

If we reject God, we cut ourselves off from our only source of wisdom. We may be wise in our own eyes, but we are extremely foolish if we do not fear the Lord and the consequences of eternity.

Parents need to learn about the fear of the Lord and begin instilling Proverbs 1:7 in their children as soon as possible! 

CHARACTERISTICS OF WISE AND FOOLISH CHILDREN

WISE CHILD (righteous)

FOOLISH CHILD (sinful)

Obedient (Proverbs 23:22)

Disobedient (Proverbs 15:5)

Accepts Discipline, Reproof  

(Proverbs 13:1; 15:5)

Despises Reproof

(Proverbs 13:1)

Discerning

(Proverbs 28:7)

Right In Own Eyes

(Proverbs 12:15)

Brings Joy

(Proverbs 23:24-25; 29:3)

Causes Grief and Distress

(Proverbs   10:1; 17:21, 25)

Righteous

(Proverbs 8:20)

Shameful

(Proverbs 19:26; 28:7)

Honors and Blesses Parents

(Exodus 20:12; Proverbs 31:28)

Despises and Curses Parents  

(Proverbs 15:20; 20:20; 30:17)

Blessed With Long Life

(Proverbs 10:27; 12:28)

Untimely Death

(Proverbs 12:27-28; 20:20)

Moses wrote: “What does the Lord require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord.” (Deuteronomy 10:12)

As we cast our cares upon Him, we can become fearless as David who wrote while his life was being threatened, “I fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” (Psalm 23:4)

Finally, the fear of God results in answered prayer. “He fulfils the desire of all who fear Him.” (Psalm 145:19)

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Posted in 2 Timothy, BIBLE STUDIES, Deuteronomy, Exodus, Proverbs, Psalms, SCRIPTURE | Tags: ,

Posted by: missionventureministries | May 14, 2012

WATCH FOR CHRIST’S RETURN – Matthew 25:13

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matthew 25:13)

The Bible teaches us to watch for Christ’s return (Mark 13:33). Many Christians are waiting for His return but they are not really watching and familiarize themselves with Bible verses that warn us of what is to come (2 Timothy 3:1-5). Those who watch for His return will keep themselves alert, self-controlled and are prepared; they know Scripture and are not deceived by false teachings. Those who are simply waiting may get involved with worldly things and let their priorities regarding Christ take less precedence. Watch out “for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matthew 25:13)

A good example of watching and waiting is the parable of the ten virgins. Those who were watching were diligently preparing themselves for the Master’s coming, heeding the call to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 3:18)

The foolish ones knew the Lord was coming, but they were not prepared and had no oil, they thought that they still had time. The Bible tells us the consequences of those that are not watching and were not prepared with enough oil. “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’  “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hourin which the Son of Man is coming. (Matthew 25:10-13)

The Bible reveals that without the Spirit of God the natural man cannot receive the things of God for they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:9-16). Therefore, without oil in the lamp, there will be no natural illumination, and without the Holy Spirit there will be no spiritual illumination.

Why do we need to have a watchful attitude? Because fallen man is getting worse and if we are not on guard, we might allow ourselves to slip slowly away from a firm commitment to Christ. The reason Paul says that Jesus will come “like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2) is to emphasize how those outside of Christ will be caught off guard. However, for those watching for Christ’s return it will not be a great surprise because “we are not in darkness”, meaning without understanding. We are also not “asleep” like the world is, and therefore we are alert and watching. (1 Thessalonians 5:4-6)

Watchfulness also involves being knowledgeable about the enemy and aware of the environment around him, having understanding of warfare, being alert to dangers and planning for the future. Those who simply wait do not have the comprehension of preparedness.

So the question is: Are we just waiting for Jesus to return, or are we using time productively while watching for His return? Remember a good watchman is mentally alert, disciplined and self-controlled.

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:42-44)

“Take heed; keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come.” (Mark 13:33)

“Therefore, be on the alert . . . in case he should come suddenly and find you asleep.” (Mark 13:35-36)

Jesus said: “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:37)

*******

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Posted by: missionventureministries | May 10, 2012

Blessed Mother’s Day

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

God bless all mothers that give of themselves, care for their family and lift them up before the Lord in prayer. Those that teach them the Scriptures which are able to give them wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)

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Posted by: missionventureministries | April 30, 2012

JESUS DIED ONCE FOR ALL – Hebrews 7:27

Jesus said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). He came to give His life, to die, and His death would result in salvation for those who believe. Jesus died for each one of us, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). There are no exceptions.

Jesus came to save us from the guilt and power of our sins. He came to reconcile us to God and make us saints. “For the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12)

Jesus died to redeem us and ransom us. He died to turn us from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that we might receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 26:18). He died to save us. “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). He is the Lamb of God who was slain as the propitiation for our sins.

The Bible teaches us that Jesus shed His blood one time, never to be repeated. Our Savior’s last words at the cross were: “It is finished” because He had accomplished what the Father had sent Him to do.

The blood of Jesus has perfected forever those who are sanctified by faith in Him. The Bible makes it clear that the precious blood of Jesus was shed once for all.

  • Hebrews 7:26-27 states: “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
  • Hebrews 9:28 “So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. . .”
  • Hebrews 10:10 “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
  • Hebrews 10:12 “But He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God”     
  • Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”     

Millions of people in the world do not realize or believe that: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). And that there is only: “one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all. . .” (1 Timothy 2:5-6)

Just like Jesus rebuked the scribes and the Pharisees in Matthew 23 when He said: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves” (v.15). If Jesus were on earth today, He likewise would be rebuking many false religions and their man made dogmas like He did then. Jesus said: “Beware of the false prophets (teachers, priests, religious leaders), who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15)

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ occurred ONCE, not over and over again as taught by the Roman Catholic institution where the priest supposedly sacrifices the Lord Jesus Christ on the altar each time the “eucharistic elements” are “blessed” by the priest and allegedly become the body and blood of Christ while keeping only the appearances of bread and wine. The Roman Catholic institution teaches in its official dogma that the Lord Jesus Christ actually leaves His throne in heaven at the command of the Roman Catholic priest in order to enter into the “eucharist” and “wine” in order to be sacrificed again and again on the altar of this church. Catholics say and believe that the wafer actually becomes the Lord’s body and the wine actually becomes the Lord’s blood. They call this heresy “transubstantiation”. After the Roman priest performs this blasphemy, he then gives this wafer to Catholics to eat. This is how Catholics supposedly, “receive” Christ.

There is nothing more that Satan likes to see than Jesus still on the cross, defeated and sacrificed over and over again like it is done in the Catholic Church. However, Jesus defeated the devil and freed the believer from him and the punishment of hell that the devil had brought upon all of us. Jesus lives, He resurrected, ascended into heaven and is sitting at the right hand of God the Father where He intercedes for us. (Romans 8:24) THE CROSS IS EMPTY, hallelujah!

Hell is a place prepared for the devil and his angels, but those who do not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and those who teach these heretical doctrines will spend their eternity in the lake of fire. Therefore, remember Revelation 18:4 warnings and “‘Come out of her, my people.”

Read the Bible and become familiarized with the Scriptures so no one can deceive you. Ask the Holy Spirit in prayer to enlighten you and guide you as you read God’s Word and He will. To know if you are reading a God inspired version look up the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-7. If the first two (2) commandments do not read as listed below it is a man altered version of the Bible and you should look for the one that is inspired by God, which reads: 1 Then God spoke all these words, saying, 2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

1.     3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

2.     4 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing loving kindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. (Exodus 20:1-6)

There are many good honest misinformed people in this world that trust their religious leaders and their priest. However, if you do not check the Word of God out for yourself you might be in grave danger of being mislead. We do not know the day or the hour when Jesus will return for His church (which are born again believers – “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” – John 3:3). We also do not know the day or the hour of our last breath, so beware of your destiny. Will it be an eternity with our Lord or an eternity apart from Him in the lake of fire? The choice is ours to make.

Remember Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

He also said: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23)

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Posted in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, BIBLE STUDIES, Ephesians, Exodus, Hebrews, John, Matthew, Romans, SCRIPTURE | Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Posted by: missionventureministries | April 23, 2012

FAITH – WHAT IS IT? – Hebrews 11:1

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

Faith is a response of trust and belief in what is reliable, truthful, certain and real. When the Bible speaks about faith, it always means faith in God.

Faith and hope are closely linked together. Hope is not mere wishful thinking, it is based on the certainty that God will do exactly what He said He would do and He will fulfill every promise He has made. Therefore, the Word of God is the object of a believer’s hope.

Human hope is imperfect because we have limitations and we often fail to do what we said we would do. Supernatural hope, which the author to the Hebrews writes about, is a “hope beyond human hope” because it points to God who is utterly reliable and true to His word and who is all-powerful to fulfill all that He has promised. Hope enables us to persevere when our faith is put to the test. We will experience trials, setbacks, difficulties, and failures in this life, but God will triumph through it all and accomplish His purpose for us. That is why God gives us the gift of hope which “the Holy Spirit pours into our heart” to strengthen our faith and endurance to persevere to the end without wavering (Romans 5:3-5). 

Those that come to God must believe that He is Almighty. To believe in God then means: 

  • Not mere acceptance of  truth, it is faith taking action because of truth, that is, to consciously strive to put truth into effect throughout all aspects of one’s life.

  • More than mere intellectual assent.  

  • More than an outward act of worship.  

  • To act, to take the eternal destiny of our soul and place it into Christ’s hands: “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).  

  • To take action to be imitators of God, and live like Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us. This cannot be done through mere human effort, but must be done by faith in and continued dependence upon the spiritual power that God supplies to the soul who believes.  

  • A life lived by faith, a life lived by human action empowered and sustained by God; a partnership in which the believer is the working partner and God supplies all else. 

  • The God-given conviction that we depend upon God to enable us do all things necessary to please Him. 

  • To reject the arguments and temptations of the sin nature; to turn away from all that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.  

  • It means to take the action necessary to bring every thought to conform to obedience to Christ. 

  • To actively cooperate with the Holy Spirit, who is acting on His part to conform every believer to be like Christ.  

  • To be cautious that one’s faith and thoughts and deed are not like the worlds.  

  • To seek and know the power of faith that conforms our life to be like Christ’s in life, even in the face of opposition, rejection, suffering, tribulation, trial, persecution, and death. 

  • To have faith and believe that He has a reward waiting for the person who perseveres in his or her faith.  

    • The reward of faith is in view in the examples of Noah, Abraham, Moses, and many others. Therefore, faith is vitally important in the life of the Christian. It is by faith that we are saved; we are justified; cleansed, and look forward to the return of Jesus. Faith is where we please God, admit our dependence upon Him, and continually seek to rely upon Him and His grace.

    We need to ask daily for the Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith and hope in the certainty of God’s revelation.

    “Lord Jesus, your word is utterly true and reliable. Give us understanding that we may grow in the certainty of the hope that You have placed in our heart and serve you faithfully all the days of our life.”

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    Posted in Acts, Hebrews, Romans | Tags: , , , , ,

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