The Condition Of God's Liberty

To God be the glory! We just have attended the Care Ministries meeting today, and this afternoon was another meeting with the Pastors in our Barangay/Village about 4 PM and we have finalized our coming activities tomorrow night.

Our Barangay is celebrating its 63rd Foundation Anniversary, and we thank God that the independent Churches have given a one night activities. We are composed of four Evangelical Churches that will conduct a Mini Concert and crusades with raffle draws tomorrow - October 15, 2014.  We thank the Lord for the provisions that we could sponsor for the prizes of the raffle draws, we will give 3 major prizes and twenty plus consolation prizes.

Our Music team is having every night practice, because the other three churches have no musical team, it's from our church that will present the mini concert. Those who can read this post before the event please pray for us.

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The Condition Of God's Liberty

The message I shared last Sunday was about the Liberty that God has promised to those who become followers of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:17 "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

The Greek word for Liberty is "eleutheros" which literally means "not a slave" or "born free" or "free man or woman."

But what the  Apostle Paul - under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who wrote the Corinthian books in the Bible - means of liberty, is not about literal.  This liberty speaks about spiritual liberty, because it says "...where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."

Once we have received the Spirit of the Lord we also received this liberty. In other words, we are no longer a slave "eleutheros." But being free...! Free from what?  We are free from the bondage of sin.

Man is born a sinner, he is born and is bound with sin. In order for a man to be set free from sin, that sin must be broken or removed from him.  And there is no other way for us to be set free from sin except the blood of Jesus Christ. For the Bible says, Jesus Christ is "...the lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)

In other words, forgiveness of sin is offered and is available for all, but it will not work unless its condition is fulfilled.  That means that liberty is not working until the condition is provided, in short cut, you must receive the spirit of liberty. And is simply you cannot receive something that is offered if you do not have the understanding that it is belong to you.



Freedom is a free gift, forgiveness of sin is a free gift. In other words, salvation is a free gift. Jesus Christ is the greater gift of all, and it is because there a gift we must accept it  by faith and no payment is expected. That is why the Bibles says in Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:" KJV.

Justification Is by Faith Alone

Our Mini Concert and Raffle draws last October 15, 2014 was so very successful. We have given 30 consolation prizes and 3 major prizes. We were little bit worried in the afternoon because of the strong rain that lasted about 3 hours, but we praise the Lord it stopped exactly before we started the activities.
 

Tomorrow October 18, 2014 we will have a whole day breakthrough seminar, may the Lord will bless this event and on October 22-23, we will have a Ministerial Sports Fest and Youth Radical First Anniversary and Thanksgiving Celebration. This schedule was changed from October 20-30, 2014 due to advance semestral break.

On October 31, we will have our Fellowship and Revival in Makilala North Cotabato together with the Pastors of Anchored In Jesus Evangelistic Association.

Please uphold us in your prayer.

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Justification Is by Faith Alone
Originally written by Pastor Alberto Rendon 

I have been listening to the teaching  of the Pastor that I am following on the internet. He said that Salvation is by Grace Alone, and not by faith alone, because faith is not alone. I think he missed the point about salvation that is by faith alone and nothing more.



So if Salvation is by Grace alone, it seems that it does not need anything even faith or else salvation is not by grace alone. Right? But it was not biblical because salvation is on two sides. In the side of God, it is by his grace alone that man can be saved, but on the side of man it is by faith alone that he can receive salvation.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephessians 2:8-9

When we say salvation is by faith alone, it is based on the side of man. But in the sense of two sides, salvation is by grace and by faith.

How about works? Works are not necessary for anyone to receive salvation, because salvation is a gift. If it is a gift, it does not need any work as payment, or else the gift should no longer be a gift at all, but a reward because you can receive it as the reward of your works.

If salvation is not received by faith alone because you need to work for it, then, how many volumes of the works you should have to do to merit salvation? Can we give a specific number of works for us to do in order to be saved? If there is a number of works to do in order to be saved, then if you cannot comply all the works required in order to earn salvation, you will never be saved.

That is why on our side, salvation is by faith alone.

At the moment you put your trust in the finished work of Christ for your salvation, you have that faith, and at that moment you have received salvation. Of course you have to hear first the preaching of the gospel of Christ or else you will not put your trust in His finished work for your salvation.

After you have heard and you are convicted by the gospel of Jesus Christ, you have realized that you are a sinner and you are responsible of your sin and you will receive a judgment because of that sin. And now, you realized that you are in need of salvation from the judgment of your sin, and you have seen nothing and no one that can save you from your sin except only Jesus Christ, then you accepted him that he is your personal savior and that he has already paid the penalty of your sin , at that moment you received salvation. At that point, you are on your saving faith.

Salvation is Received On the Moment of Saving Faith

Any moment after a person has received salvation dies, he is saved no matter what he has done because salvation is not based on works but on faith alone. In other words, he has done nothing to merit his salvation before he died except by faith alone in the finished work of Jesus, I believe he is saved it is because he has  already received salvation not because of his works, but through his faith on the finished work of Christ for his salvation. 

It is very clear that salvation is not of your works, but it is by God's grace and through your faith in the finished work of Christ for your salvation.

At the moment you have that faith, God in heaven declared, you are justified.  Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified (saved) by faith, (no additional works) we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:.."

Sanctification is by Faith that produces Good Works

Justification and sanctification are the result of salvation as well as glorification. But sanctification will produce good works to show forth that you have been saved.

The reason the Holy Spirit is given is to aid for your sanctification, for without the Holy Spirit you cannot live a sanctified life.

We do not practice good works because we want to have a sanctified life, we do the good works because they are the results of a sanctified life.

Talking about good works, many people could have done many good works, but without the gift of salvation in their lives, their good works are nothing, but as filthy rags before God. Unless your life has already been sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ, the good works you are doing are not credited in the sight of God, as well.



Justification is Passive and Sanctification is Progressive

The Bible says, you have been declared justified, that means your case has been acquitted, you are no longer a criminal, because you don't have a case anymore, it has been settled. That is what it means passive.

But you still have to follow the rules of being a free man or woman. Following the rules speaks of sanctification, so your role as an acquitted man is to follow the rules, that's moving forward doing the things according to the rules. That is what it means progressive and that is what it means to live a sanctified life.

All of this starts when you put your trust on the finished work of Jesus Christ. And that is what it means faith. You have trusted in Jesus Christ that he has saved you through his death, you have trusted in Christ that you have been forgiven of your sins and you have been cleansed by the his precious blood. 

So in Christ alone (God's grace) and by Faith alone (your trust/faith) that you have been justified or saved. You are not only being justified, but your justified life is being sanctified so that you can produce good works that could be counted as good in the sight of God.

Living by Faith With A Heart For God

Romans 1:17 "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

Previously, I posted an article about the nominal Christians that professed they are Christians because they have a  christian religion, but has no experience of true conversion by the Gospel of Christ.

Today, I want to share about the believer who walk or live by faith with a heart for God, and a believer who live by faith while being with the people that have a heart for God.

There are two kinds of believers of the gospel that I have seen in the Christian life. Beside of being nominal Christians, they are purely Christians not just professing, but living Godly and in obedience especially in time of abundance with the people of God, and when worldly things are prompting to surround him, he gradually compromised.

These believer have been converted by the Gospel, but they have different experiences in their walk with God.

1. A Christian that live by faith with a heart for God.
2. A Christian that live by faith without a heart for God.

However, abundance is dangerous when a believer has no heart for God.

The Blessings of the Lord For the Worshiper

We have many visitors during the night, the reason I did not have many posts this week. 

Do you know what I meant visitors? 

They are the white small moths came from the rice field that enter into our house when the light is on. They can find a whole where they can enter in. 

The tiny hairs of these butterflies are falling while they are flying and very itchy into our skin and I am very allergic with it. That is why it was early in the evening to sleep. 

My wife today bought screen for the windows so that these tiny creatures cannot enter in our house.

The mother of one of the Pastors here in our town has been to be with the Lord and they need our prayers. The schedule of the burial will be on October 18, 2014.   Please pray for the finances and God's sustaining grace for this family.

Today we have our Chaplaincy meeting with all Values Formation Officers and  we will discuss our present task in every Barangay/village. 

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Originally written by Pastor Alberto Rendon - Copyright © 2014

Abraham Was Blessed By the Lord In All Things

The message I shared last Sunday was very interesting because it speaks of our faith in God and in his word that brings God's blessings into our lives. 

Genesis 24:1  "And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things."

According to our text that Abraham was very old already and yet he was blessed in all things. This is what we want to see in our lives, that even when we are old enough we will experience God's fullness blessings. But how could we have that? 

The principle in the life of Abraham, I believe is the same principle that will work for us today, because according to the Bible that Abraham walked by faith and we are also told in the Bible that we are to walk by faith. 

Let's find out the secret of Abraham how he was blessed even he was in his old age.  If we will look deeper into the life of Abraham we will see that he was as worshiper of God. From place to place he built an altar to worship God. He has that heart for God and because of that he longs to worship God. 

To worship God is giving God the honor of everything we have received. It is not just to thank God only, but to give Him the credit in everything we have,  acknowledging that without Him we are nothing.  

The Bible says, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. " James 1:17

We also find out that Abraham was obedient to his God. But his obedience is not that of respect only, but it was the result of his intimacy with God. Many of us our obedience is the result of respect which sometimes does not come from the heart. Obedience that comes from intimacy is another thing from the obedience that comes from respect. 




The Word Of God In Worship

True worship involves fellowship between God and you. It is the given time to give God the honor and credit due to His name and a time to listen from Him of what he is saying. It is the time that we meditate on the goodness of God and His precious word.  That is what God said to Joshua to meditate his word day and night. That could be done during worship. 

The secret of obedience that comes from the heart is intimacy with God. This is what it means walking by faith. In the time of Abraham, there was no law written as their guide to obey God. Abraham has no law to follow, however the Bible says Abraham obeyed God. Where does he get the guide to obey God? It was not from the written law of God, but he got it from his intimacy with God. 

Worship is an outward appearance of intimacy with God, it is a way of coming closer to God, the more we worship God, the more we become closer to Him. Then that is the time that you get God's guidance for you to do. That's how Abraham live in his life until his death, he was closed with God. He was closed to the source of blessings and no wonder he got God's blessings even in his very old age. 

When we worship God, He will use His written words the Bible to remind us of His will as our guide to walk with Him in our daily life if we choose to walk by faith.  And when we are in His presence during our worship we can be blessed with His word that gives us the fresh Rhema Words or spoken words as our direction. Then when we obey those spoken words that's the time the all blessings will follow. That's how the life of Abraham was.

The fact, there was no Bible in the time of Abraham nor a written word of God for Him that time, it was a personal spoken words of God that He heard and he obeyed by faith. Then and there he was out of anything that would destroy his life and even the blessings he has, that's the reason that in his very old age he was blessed abundantly. In other words Abraham was safe with his family because he  chose to listened to God and decided to obey God to direct his life. All of these were revealed through his intimacy with God. And the key is worship.

The Private Worship

Abraham used to worship God alone. He has a private worship to his creator. 

Today average of the believers are used to gather together for worship once a week and this is what we should do. There is a public worship as well as there should be a private worship. And I hope every Christian should learn to worship God privately. 




The public worship has a limitation because it depends to the worship leader, while the private worship has no limit that when you are used to worship God privately, you will enjoy the sweet intimacy with God. And this is the best place and time to worship God - the private worship. This is what Abraham used to be.

The public worship is awesome where we have the fellowship with the brethren, but we know that it has a limitation it is because public worship is more on celebration and is not so much in adoration.  Public worship is controlled by program while private worship is controlled by your heart.  Once we have the heart for God we will really long to worship God and most of the time in private. That is what Abraham did, it is because he has the heart for God. 

Those who have the heart for God is always thirsty for His presence and hungry for His word.  Unless we have the heart for God, worship is not important in our life, to be with God in his holy presence in worship is not so much important, to meditate God's word is not our priority. The reason why we do not seek God first, because we think that He is not important in our life. 

When we have made God as our first need in our life it is the starting point to have the heart for Him. God is the treasure that we ever need. Jesus said, where your treasure is there your heart will be also.  Abraham made God his treasure, the reason that God is always in his mind and wherever he went he built an altar to worship God.