Posted by: missionventureministries | April 16, 2012

BEING A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST – Luke 14:27

Jesus pointed out that: “Whosoever does not bear his own cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:27)

A disciple is someone who has brought themselves under the discipline of his teacher. As Christians we are under the authority of our Teacher, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

A disciple is a person who walks with Christ and the Holy Spirit resides in the believer’s heart and equips them to overcome the pressures and trials of this present life and to become more and more like Christ. Through this growth process a Christian will examine their thoughts, words and actions by the Spirit’s direction and will study the Scriptures desiring to follow in the Master’s footsteps by obeying His commandments and being His disciple. 

THE QUALITIES OF A DISCIPLE: 

    • A disciple’s love for God must be the greatest single consuming passion of a Christian’s life. “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:37) 

    • A disciple must put Jesus before self. “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily,and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23) 

    • A disciple must put Jesus before all things. “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:33) Our love relationship with Jesus isn’t a give-and-take proposition in which we sacrifice some things and hold tightly on to others. It’s everything. Our love for Jesus has to be so real, so perfect and so strong, that everything else disappears in comparison. We must be prepared to surrender everything. Paul said: “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8) 

    • A disciple must be obedient. “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21) 

    • A disciple must share the Lord’s passion for the world. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19)   

    • A disciple loves God’s Word. “But Jesus answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread  alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). As disciples we must read and be nurtured, sustained and equipped by God’s Word.  

    • A disciple abides in God’s Word. “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32).  To abide in God’s word is to remain or to hold fast the teachings of His word. Discipleship is not a simply a decision of belief at some point in our lives, but an ongoing process of following, of obedience to His word. The result of abiding in Christ’s  word is freedom, spiritual freedom from the bondage of sin. 

    • A disciple has a love of prayer. Nothing draws us deeper into a love affair with God than encountering Him through prayer. “Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). Prayer is God’s gift to us. It is where He reveals Himself to us…if you search for Him with all your heart and soul, you will find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29). What an incredible promise this is! 

    • A disciple bears fruit. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Fruit-bearing is the proof of discipleship.

    • A disciple is empowered by the Holy Spirit. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  Disciples learn to live their lives submitted to Holy Spirit’s leadership.

We are not on this earth to please ourselves; we were created and are here to honor and worship our Lord. We must deny our self to be considered His disciple and we must make His will the most important priority in our life.

Mark 10:17-23 tells us about the story of the rich young ruler: “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

As we see from this telling, Jesus loved him, but He did not run after Him and try to persuade him. Have you ever wondered why? Because the conditions of discipleship are not negotiable! Are you ready to follow Him and become His disciple? If you are, follow this link: Information about Salvation

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Posted in 1 Thessalonians, Acts, BIBLE STUDIES, Deuteronomy, John, Luke, Mark, Matthew, Philippians, SCRIPTURE | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: missionventureministries | April 9, 2012

A MAN OR WOMAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART – Acts 13:22

“I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.”

When Paul received his sight, he also received spiritual insight into the Person of Jesus Christ.

From that point on his entire life and preaching were totally consumed with Jesus Christ and the fact that His sacrifice on Calvary completely restored our fellowship with the Father.

Upon his encounter with the Son of God; Paul reached the bedrock of life’s true meaning, he knew why he was created.  Paul knew that he was created to be a friend and a child of God, and to worship Him “in spirit and in truth.” “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” (1 Corinthians 2:2)

For centuries, “it if finished” were the words that millions of confused and sin burden people had longed to hear. Paul never again allowed anything to attract and hold the attention of his mind and heart except the face of Jesus Christ.

Jesus promised us in the beatitudes: “blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God” – “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.” Matthew – Chapter 5

We will live in victory, joy and peace when we learn to maintain a strong spirit of worship in our lives. The lasting characteristic of a spiritual man or woman is the ability to understand correctly the meaning of the Lord Jesus Christ in their lives and the ability to explain the purposes of God to others.

The most important passion of their life is Jesus Christ. Whenever you see this quality in a person, you know that he or she is truly a man or a woman after God’s own heart. Acts 13:22 

When we are in the presence of true men and women of God, there is a fragrance, an aroma of worship and Jesus is always the center of attention.

Mary of Bethany; saw and knew the real Jesus Christ, as few people ever have. When Mary anointed Jesus prior to His sacrificial death and burial, most everyone in the room was shocked that she would waste so much on someone who the world valued so little.

But Mary got it right, she knew why she was created; the fragrance of her sacrifice filled the house and the sweet aroma of her worship and love continues to enrich our lives today.  

We must never allow anything to divert us from the worship of Jesus Christ. It is the true test of whether we are Spirit filled or not. To be un-spiritual means that other things have a growing fascination for us and worship is no longer a priority.

Jesus left all of the splendor, the comfort and worship of heaven. He came to earth to live with poverty, ridicule and hatred. He became the only acceptable sacrifice for our sins when He was tortured to death at Calvary. This is an amazing concept; the King giving His life to save prisoners, rebels and slaves.  

When we get a glimpse of the tremendous price that Jesus paid for our redemption at Calvary, we will live in adoration and worship of Him from morning till night and even in our times of rest.

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Posted by: missionventureministries | April 8, 2012

Christ the Lord has risen today – Matthew 28:6

Christ the Lord has risen today. He died for us and rose again and won the victory. Alleluia!

God has given us perfect hope through Jesus Christ our risen Savior. He has made a way for us to live an abundant life, both now and forever! 

As we celebrate the empty tomb and know our Savior lives and reigns as King, we pray you will rejoice in the beauty of the season, a celebration of the ever lasting hope and life in Jesus. 

May this Resurrection day be a glorious day for you, as we remember what our beloved Savior did for us. 

David and Helena Russell

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.”

Matthew 28:6

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Posted in John, Matthew, SPECIAL MESSAGE | Tags: ,

Posted by: missionventureministries | April 2, 2012

JESUS’ UNFAIR AND CORRUPT TRIAL – Matthew 26:3-5

The arrest, trial, conviction, sentencing and execution of Jesus Christ was and still is without legal precedent. He suffered the death penalty even though Pontius Pilate – the local Roman authority – found Him innocent.  

The Messiah actually underwent two trials with three phases each. First came the religious trial where the charge was blasphemy; then came the civil trial where the charge was incitement to rebellion. 

Jesus was tried before a “kangaroo court”. This is how the dictionary refers to a kangaroo court – (An unfair, biased, or hasty judicial proceeding that ends in a harsh punishment; an unauthorized trial conducted by individuals who have taken the law into their own hands, a proceeding and its leaders who are considered corrupt and without regard for the law). Like all such trials, it was preceded by a conspiracy: “Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. “But not during the festival,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.” (Matthew 26:3-5)  

The conspiracy included the Pharisees, the elders of the people, the Sadducees and the chief priests. These were two opposing camps and there was a great bitterness between them. But they had one thing in common; animosity towards the claims of the Messiah. While Jesus upheld the Law of Moses, He refused to uphold the traditions of either the Pharisees or the Sadducees. This was the reason He was hated by both groups. This hatred gave rise to a conspiracy against the Messiah, which was lead by Caiaphas, the High Priest. The plan was to arrest Jesus in secret, away from the attention of the masses, and kill Him before the people became aware of what had happened. 

Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:11 and Luke 22:5 clearly declare that the conspirators were glad when Judas offered the opportunity to apprehend Jesus. They quickly made a promise to pay him for his services. The amount agreed upon was thirty pieces of silver. Judas was paid out of the “Temple” money that had been designated for the purchase of sacrifices. Little did the conspirators realize that they were indeed purchasing a sacrifice with temple money, for when the Messiah died, he died as the sin-sacrifice for all men. 

The thirty pieces of silver had further meaning. According to Exodus 21:32 “If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of the slave. . .” Thus, the leaders of Israel held the ministry of the Messiah to be the value of a slave. Yet at the same time, unknown to them, these leaders were fulfilling an Old Testament Prophecy. Zechariah 11:12 clearly states that His price would be thirty pieces of silver. Read Zechariah 11:12-13. 

By the time of the Messiah, Judaism had developed a large body of law controlling every facet of Jewish life, which in the Scriptures is referred to as the tradition of the elders (read Mark 7:3-4).  

Within this massive body of law were the commandments that dealt with the manner in which the Sanhedrin was to conduct a trial. 

The main thing that the Pharisees and Sadducees had against the Messiah was His refusal to accept the traditions as being authoritative and binding. Yet they themselves were guilty of the very thing for which they condemned the Messiah. In trying to bring about the speedy death of the Messiah through a kangaroo court, they violated a number of their own laws. 

The twenty two laws of the Sanhedrin which were violated at Messiah’s trial are as follows: 

1.     There was to be no arrest by religious authorities that was affected by a bribe: “Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.” (Exodus 23:8) 

2.     There were to be no steps of criminal proceedings after sunset. (“Let a capital offense be tried during the day, but suspend it at night.” (Mishna = the oral law, Sanhedrin 4:1)). 

3.     Judges or Sanhedrin members were not allowed to participate in the arrest. “Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?” (Luke 22:52) 

4.     There were to be no trials before the morning sacrifice.  

5.     There were to be no secret trials, only public. 

6.     Sanhedrin trials could only be conducted in the Hall of Judgment of the Temple Compound. 

7.     The procedure was to be first the defense and then the accusation. 

8.     All may argue in favor of acquittal, but all may not argue in favor of conviction. 

9.     There were to be two or three witnesses and their testimony had to agree in every detail: (Deuteronomy 19:15) 

10.  There was to be no allowance for the accused to testify against himself. 

11.  The High Priest was forbidden to rent his garments (Leviticus 21:10) 

12.  Charges could not originate with the judges. They could only investigate charges brought to them. 

13.  The accusation of blasphemy was only valid if the name of God itself was pronounced. 

14.  A person could not be condemned on the basis of his own words alone. 

15.  The verdict could not be announced at night, only in the daytime. 

16.  In case of capital punishment, the trial and guilty verdict could not occur at the same time but must be separated by at least 24 hours. 

17.  Voting for the death penalty had to be done by individual count beginning with the youngest so the young would not be influenced by the elders. 

18.  A unanimous decision for guilt shows innocence since it is impossible for 23-71 men to agree without plotting. 

19.  The sentence could only be pronounced three days after the guilty verdict. 

20.  A person condemned to death could not be beaten or scourged beforehand. 

21.  Judges were to be humane and kind. 

22.  No trials are allowed on the eve of the Sabbath or on a feast day. (The Mishna = Oral law says: “They shall not judge on the eve of the Sabbath, or on any festival.”

 

* * * * * * *

 From Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum’s teachings

 

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Posted in BIBLE STUDIES, Deuteronomy, Exodus, Leviticus, Luke, Mark, Matthew, OTHER AUTHORS, Zachariah | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: missionventureministries | March 26, 2012

AND AFTER THIS COMES JUDGMENT – Hebrews 9:27

“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27) 

There are two accounts of a final judgment in the Bible pertaining to every human being that ever lived. One for the believer, those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and made Him Lord of their lives, and one for the unbeliever who rejected the Son of God. 

The judgment seat of Christ, also referred to as the Bema Seat is described in 1 Corinthians 3:12-15, “Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.”

Gold, silver, and costly stones refer to works done for the glory of God, with the right motive, and in dependence upon the power of the Holy Spirit.  

The Bema Seat judgment does not determine salvation. Rather, it is when believers must give an account of their lives to Christ and whose salvation has already been secured by faith in Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10). We should not focus on the Bema Seat as Christ judging our sins, but rather as God rewarding us according to how we lived or lives. Romans 14:10-12 explains: “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”   

In 2 Corinthians 5:10, Paul gives the Corinthian church an illustration of the Bema Seat, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” Paul is teaching us that all Christians will stand before the Bema Seat of Christ. There, believers will be rewarded according to how faithfully they served, obeyed, and followed Christ.   

Some of the things we will likely be judged on are: 

  • Whether we fulfilled our role in the Great Commission. Matthew 28:18-20 says, “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
  • How victorious we were over sin. Romans 6:1-4 reminds us, “What shall we say then? Shall we      continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
  • If we were successful in controlling our tongue. Read – James 3:1-9
  • Whether the fruit of the Spirit was manifest in our lives. Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness  and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  

The Bible mentions Christians receiving crowns for various aspects of the Christian life, one of them being described in 2 Timothy 4:8, “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”  

Another is found in James 1:12: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”  There are three more described in the Bible. In response, believers will cast their crowns before the Lord’s throne saying, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being” (Revelation 4:11).  

It is very important not to confuse the Bema Seat with the Great White Throne Judgment. The Great White Throne Judgment is a trial, set in the future after the Millennium, for all people who have rejected God’s call to salvation. Every person who has lived upon earth and has refused to accept God’s way to redemption from sin, will kneel before their Creator at this time, and acknowledge that He is God – that Jesus Christ is Lord.  

Revelation 20:11-15 describe this judgment: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God,and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”  

At the Great White Throne is where those who died as unbelievers are judged and condemned. Each will then be cast into the Lake of Fire, which will be their place of torment throughout eternity. (Read Mark 9:43-48) 

The Bible clearly presents two options for ETERNITY therefore; we need to remember that we are only a heartbeat away from our choice becoming a reality. 

In Revelation 22:12, Jesus Christ declares: “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”

SO WHERE WILL YOU BE ON JUDGMENT DAY?

REMEMBER YOU ARE ONLY A HEART BEAT AWAY FROM ETERNITY

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Posted in 2 Corinthians, 2 Timothy, BIBLE STUDIES, Galatians, Hebrews, James, John, Matthew, Revelation, Romans, SCRIPTURE | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: missionventureministries | March 19, 2012

LET US WALK IN THE SPIRIT – Galatians 5:25

“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). 

As Christians, we desire to “be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18) because the Holy Spirit is in fact, the very life of each true believer. It is only through Him that we have access in prayer to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). When we worship God, we “must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).  

From the moment we receive Christ, we live in the Spirit; He is always with us, to guide our steps, to bear witness with our spirit and to let us know that we belong to God. The Spirit enlightens our understanding, and when needed, He confronts and corrects us when we get out of His will. 

To live by the Spirit involves active obedience to His direction: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” (Galatians 5:16-17) 
Romans 8:13-14 tells us: “For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.”

When we live in the Spirit and walk in the Spirit and let the Spirit leads us, it will be toward more and more of Christ; for He will kindle in our hearts more love for the Savior, and we become more deeply interested in the work of our Redeemer. The result will be that we will care less for the world and develop a greater love for Jesus and focus only on what is holy and pure. We need to remember that light drives out darkness, love expels hate and holiness removes sin.  

Prayer and Bible study are essential in helping the born again believer to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit from those of deceptive spirits. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will renounce the faith by paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1). 

When we place our faith in Jesus as our Savior, His Spirit comes to live within us. Then He works to transform us, replacing our selfishness with Christ likeness. As we grow in grace and in our knowledge of God, our thoughts, words, and actions become more like our Lord’s. 

To walk means we should be in fellowship with the Holy Spirit. This means a disciplined walk in the things of God. Just as a natural tree requires healthy soil, the right food, careful pruning, a mixture of rain and sunshine in order to bear good fruit – the same is true of our lives. We require good nourishment from prayer, Bible study and fellowship. We require careful pruning by God through His Word. We require times of trial and blessing in order that the fruit of the Spirit might be seen in our lives. If we are evidencing a lack of the fruit of the Spirit in our life it is because we are not walking in the Spirit.

God is interested in every part of our lives, therefore, we need to submit every aspect of our lives to Him; the emotional, physical, social, intellectual and vocational. It’s not enough to say we are born again, because, if we are truly saved, we will want to live in the Spirit. The Spirit that raised us from the dead also leads us into Christ likeness as we walk in-step with Him. We need to let our life be conformed to the Spirit’s direction and enablement.     

We must walk in the Spirit. This means relying on the Helper to produce spiritual fruit in our lives. When Christians exhibit Christ like character in our day-to-day life, we become mature and remain free from the bondage of sin, and we are free to do what we were designed to do, to product much fruit. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) 

To “walk in the Spirit” means to follow His leadership each moment of the day, permitting His power to be in our life, and the result of this walk will be the “fruit of the Spirit” that we will produce. For this reason, let us trust confidently in the Spirit’s power and promise to give us that enablement as we obediently live and walk in the Spirit.

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Posted in 1 Timothy, Galatians, John, Romans | Tags: , , , , , ,

Posted by: missionventureministries | March 12, 2012

WHAT DOES GOD REQUIRE OF HIS PEOPLE? – Micah 6:8

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Can one walk with God? The Bible teaches we can! Micah was one of many who did. He was a prophet to the people of Judah during a time of great wickedness and social injustice. There were false prophets, cruel leaders, violence and corruption. The priests, who were supposed to represent God in the temple and teach people the Word, were greedy and evil. The poor and widows were being taken advantage of and judges took bribes. Businessmen were dishonest in their business dealings and cheated people. It was very similar to our world today. To bring hope, Micah promises a Divine Deliverer, the Messiah, who would rescue the godly from oppression and establish righteousness in the land.

God wants us to think about our behavior and attitude towards Him. We need God’s help, so how do we do it? With a daily walk with Jesus, that is how.

As we study God’s Word, He helps us to live it. God wants us to recall how He has dealt lovingly with us and rescued and protected us in the past. This should give us a clear picture of His righteousness and His devotion to us.

Verse 6 asks: “With what shall I come before the LORD and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?”

We can’t buy God’s favor, nor can we earn His love through extravagance or material goods. God wants us to be devoted to Him. The Hebrew Scriptures reveal that God expected His chosen people to demonstrate His character by their words and actions to people of all nations. God expected them to be models for others by conducting all of their affairs with justice, by acting with loving kindness toward everyone, and by walking humbly, and this is what He requires of us today.

We see how God deals with those whom He has redeemed from bondage. How He has blessed them with love and mercy. How He has disciplined them in order to save them from themselves and how He has brought them into a new life with Him. But that was not enough for Israel; and it is sadly too often not enough for us. In spite of God’s grace towards His people in the OT, they continued to renege on their covenant with Him. They continued to seek their own ways and establish their own gods. Time and again they were disciplined; time and again they turned back to their sinful ways.

We cannot walk with God without a Savior that is why God sent His Son. Through this child, God would lead those covered by the blood of the Lamb out from the slavery of a powerful master. God would lead His people who would accept His Son as Lord and Savior into new life, protecting them, yet disciplining them when necessary every step of the way. All God would ask in return is that once again, they would keep their focus on Him and walk in His ways, showing loving kindness, mercy and grace to everyone around them because they themselves had been shown loving kindness, mercy and Grace by Almighty God.

What will it take for us to wake up? What do we have to do to be righteous before the Lord? We need to humble ourselves and listen because all the while, God is saying the same thing of long ago, act justly, love kindness, and walk humbly with Me, and the Lord will do the rest.

Will we listen to God’s call to goodness? Will we as believers, through the power of His Holy Spirit, act justly towards others, showing them grace while we walk humbly with the God? This is what God requires of us, this is why Jesus came to earth to redeem us. This is what we were created for and this is the only thing that will ever fulfill us.

Micah 6:8 should be a reminder that grace is free and that faithful living is our grateful response. Remember these acts in order to know that in spite of God’s overwhelming righteousness, He is passionately devoted to His people. He said: “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments so as to carry them out, then I shall give you rains in their season, so that the land will yield its produce and the trees of the field will bear their fruit.” (Leviticus 26:3-4) and continues in (v12), “I will also walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.”

Yes we can walk with God by studying His Holy Word and by obeying His statues and keeping His commandments.

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Posted by: missionventureministries | March 5, 2012

YOU HAVE MADE THEM TO BE A KINGDOM AND PRIEST TO SERVE OUR GOD – Revelation 5:10

God’s Holy word, tells us that as born again believers by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ that we are in fact and unquestionably priests unto Him, and that is an irrevocable position. Here are a few scriptures that validate our status before Almighty God: 

Jesus made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father – “from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—  and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5-6) 

  • “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” (Revelation 5:10) 
  • “Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:6)

We come to Him as living stones – “And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4-5) 

We are a royal priesthood – “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” (1 Peter 2:9-10) 

Here are some of the requirements of God’s holy priests: 

1.     Must be born again by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ – Jesus, must be the Lord and Savior of our lives. “Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) 

2.     True priests unto God have a deep desire to know and teach the truth; because they believe what Jesus said: “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32) 

3.     True priests have a deep desire to study God’s Word, spend time in prayer, to meet with other believers so that they can maintain a close, humble, holy walk with God. They have a deep desire to worship God and the Savior “in spirit and in truth.” Psalm 119:11 describes what is in the heart of a true priest of God: “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.”  

4.     As God’s priests we must be faithful to live and teach the truth to our spouses and our children.  There are religious leaders who read from the Bible and pretend to teach the truth, but their kids are wild, destructive, undisciplined brats. “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)” (1 Timothy 3:2-5). Study also Titus 1:6-11.  

5.     Priests have been commissioned by God to share the gospel with hell bound sinners; God will lead us to those people that are ready to listen to the gospel.  “And He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” (Mark 16:15-16)  

6.     Priests unto God are ambassadors for Christ. “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” . . .  “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 20) 

7.     As priest we are messengers of God. “For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 2:7) 

8.     Priests unto God know that their source of strength comes from the indwelling Holy Spirit. “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) 

9.     Priests onto God are to be holy. “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” (1 Peter 1:13-16)

What should a priest unto God do when he or she sins and fails God?  We find God’s gracious answer in 1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  

We need to remember that Jesus is our great High Priest and the Father “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)

God appointed us to be ministers of Christ Jesus to the lost. He gave us the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the lost once they come to the knowledge of the truth may become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:16)

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Posted by: missionventureministries | February 27, 2012

JESUS TEACHES ABOUT TRUSTING PEOPLE – John 2:24-25

“24 But Jesus would not entrust Himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for He knew what was in each person.”  John 2:24-25 NIV

Our Lord knew all men, their nature, dispositions, affections; He, whose eyes are like flaming torches of truth can see deep into our hearts and souls.

He knows who His crafty enemies are, and all of their secret, wicked schemes; He knows who the hypocrites are and where they are located, He knows their true characters. He also knows who are truly His, He knows their holiness, integrity and their love for Him, He also knows their weaknesses. God knows that people will do what they want to do; Christ knows what is in them, He will test every heart. Beware of a dead faith, or a formal profession: carnal, empty professors are not to be trusted, men will pretend and perform for others and themselves, but they cannot fool Almighty God or the Holy Spirit, who searches the heart and motives.

Jesus did not trust Himself with these people, who believed in Him, on the basis of His miracles; He did not take them into the number of His associates; He did not admit them to a close intimate fellowship with Himself; He did not freely converse with them, or spend much time with them; but He soon left them, and went into other parts of Judea, and into Galilee.

Jesus knows all men; good and bad, all wicked, deceitful sinners, and all of their public and private actions; He knows the wickedness of their deceitful hearts. He knew that they would try to destroy Him and His true believers; He knew that some of these people would cry out loudly in the streets; crucify – crucify – destroy and silence this Person who has upset and irritated us by telling us the truth – away with the Son of God and with anyone who will dare to speak the Truth.

Jesus also knows those who are truly His, those people who have made Him Lord and Savior of their lives.  He knows the people that He has washed, saved, sanctified and justified by His sacrifice and blood. Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice,” that is how Jesus knows who the true children of His Father really are, because they are always listening to His voice and obeying Him. (John 10:27)

Jesus knows the tares and He also knows those who are actually the good wheat – He knows His saints and He knows who the hypocrites are and where they have imbedded themselves into His Church family. (Matthew 23:24-29)

* * *

“Millions call themselves by His name and pay some token homage to Jesus, but a simple test will show how little He is really honored among them. Let the average man be put to the proof on the question of whom or what is really important, and his true position will be exposed. Let him be forced into making a choice between God and money, between God and men, between God and personal ambition, God and self, God and human love, and God will take second place every time. Those other things will be exalted above Him. However the man may protest – the proof is in the choices that he makes day after day throughout his life.”  

A.W. Tozer, “The Pursuit of God”

* * *

The shocking fact of our Laodicea church age is that many and maybe most of the people standing in the pulpits with their hand picked “yes men” to back up their deceit and “doctrines of demons” are tares and hypocrites. This entire ungodly entourage is up front, acting out their performances, but in reality, they are hypocrites and frauds.

Most of these people have never been called, appointed and anointed to the ministry by Almighty God.

As men and women of God it is vital that we teach absolute truth, but it is equally important that we absolutely obey and live the truth. How can we know when we are in the presence of a true man or woman of God? The answer is very simple – Jesus will always be the Center of attention.  There will always be an aroma, a fragrance of purity, humility and godly love in the heart, where Jesus is truly reigning as Lord and Savior.

Jesus promised us that when we become true believers in Him and in the salvation that He purchased for us on Calvary – out of our very hearts will flow rivers of living water. When we have His living water of truth and love flowing from our lives, everyone around us will be encouraged and refreshed, and our Savior will be glorified. 

D.L. Russell  – Mission Venture Ministries   

*******   

DISCLAIMER MVM  

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Posted by: missionventureministries | February 20, 2012

NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION – 2 Corinthians 6:2

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” – 2 Corinthians 6:2

The apostle Paul stressed in this verse the urgency of coming to Christ for salvation. It is very dangerous to procrastinate about the decision of where to spend eternity. Each person is responsible to makes their own choice so the sooner one makes a decision to accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior the sooner the person will know that they will spend eternity with Him in heaven and not an eternity apart from Him in the Lake of Fire where there is no hope and no turning back.

Ignoring God once a person has heard the Word and continuing being involved in the pleasures and ways of this world is very risky and presumptuous. Proverbs 27:1 tells us: “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.”  It is a big mistake to boast about what we will do tomorrow because there is really no way of knowing for sure what will happen and this is critical when it comes to putting off being saved.

Another example is found in James 4:13-14: “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

We need to be aware that all our best laid out plans are always subject to the will of God because He is our Creator and He gives life and takes it away. We have been given free will so therefore, we are masters of our own eternal destiny. Because we do not know what will happen, today, tomorrow or next week, it is vital that we yield to the Lord Jesus Christ and accept His free gift of salvation before it is too late.

To be saved you need to get right with God and depend only on His word the Bible and not in man’s doctrines and traditions because the Word of God is unchanging from eternity to eternity. This is what the Bible tells us we need to do:

A. Admit you are a sinner – “There is no one righteous, not even one … for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:10, 23)

Ask God’s forgiveness. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

B. Believe in Jesus – Place your trust in Him as your only hope of salvation. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Become a child of God by receiving Christ – “To all who receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

C. Confess that Jesus is your Lord – “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10)

Call on Jesus and ask Him to save you before it is too late. Jesus promised: “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:8)

Jesus also said: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” (Revelation 3:20-21)

True followers of Christ are transformed by the Spirit and their lives are marked by obedience to the Lord and love for one another.

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