Archive for December, 2007

Bitwe, Burundi Oct 2007

Church in Bitwe, Burundi 2007

Pleading the blood of Jesus - Bitwe 2007

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Romans 12:1-2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.

The purpose of salvation is to bring us to eternity.  God prepares us for eternity by transforming our lives through Christ.  Many Christians think the Gospel is merely about forgiveness of sins.  God has a greater purpose.  Forgiveness is the first step in a transformed life.  Forgiveness allows us to leave behind what is past so that we can proceed to change.   continue

Malachi 3:10-12 - “Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.  I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty.  “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

God’s people returned to the Promised Land after 70 years of captivity.  It was a difficult situation, because they needed to rebuild everything, including their homes.  They had to adjust to having more freedom than they did during the previous decades, and freedom means having to take personal responsibility for your own decisions.  In addition, they were very poor, struggling to survive.   continue

1 Corinthians 12:7-8 - ”Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit…” 

The gifts of the Holy Spirit are a very important characteristic of the Work that the Lord performs.  Even so, it is very important to be able to discern between what is from the Lord and what is not from the Lord, and to handle the operation of spiritual gifts properly.  Otherwise, we are doomed to have unnecessary disappointments.   continue

Judges 3:15-23 - “Again the Israelites cried out to the Lord, and he gave them a deliverer-Ehud, a left-handed man, the son of Gera the Benjamite. The Israelites sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab.  Now Ehud had made a double-edged sword about a foot and a half long, which he strapped to his right thigh under his clothing…”

Every time the Israelites fell away from the Lord, the enemies rose up against them and prevailed over them.  In anguish and affliction they would seek God, who would bless them, but not without their first having reconciliation, a renewal of the Covenant that had been made beforehand.  In this passage of Judges, Israel found itself in exactly this situation. They pleaded once more, and the Lord raised up a deliverer for them.

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1 Corinthians 12:7-8 - ”Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit…”

When churches try to have spiritual gifts without wisdom controlling them, horrible results follow.

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James 3:17 lists seven attributes of heavenly wisdom: “it is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”   This sermon looks at these seven traits.

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1 Corinthians 12:7-8 - ”Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit…”

The gift of knowledge is when the Holy Spirit reveals things about the present moment that we could not have known otherwise.  It is not a revelation about the FUTURE – that would be the gift of prophecy, which we discuss in another lesson.  It is a specific revelation about things going on around us, right at this moment, which our eyes cannot see.  The gift of knowledge is a miraculous occurrence, a true revelation, not just human insight, intelligence, or information.  

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1 Corinthians 12:7-8 - ”Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit…”

The gift of knowledge is is a specific revelation about things going on around us, right at this moment, which our eyes cannot see.  The gift of knowledge is a miraculous occurrence, a true revelation, not just human insight, intelligence, or information.  It is when the Holy Spirit reveals things about the present moment that we could not have known otherwise. 

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1 Corinthians 12:7-8 - “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit…”

The gift of knowledge is when the Holy Spirit reveals things about the present moment that we could not have known otherwise.   How does the gift of knowledge occur?  There are three ways: through dreams, visions, and specific revelations(words the Spirit speaks into our hearts).  These should be a regular part of the life of the church.  Not everyone will have these three types of experiences.  Some may have dreams but no visions, while others may have revelations but no dreams, and so on.  All three of these means occurred in the New Testament church as well. 

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