Tag: Holy Spirit

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CHRIST’S HUMAN NATURE

September 14, 2020
FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

CHRIST’S HUMAN NATURE

Please find time to prayerfully and unhurriedly read verses 1-18 of Hebrews chapter 2. Here are the first 4 verses(emphasis mine):

“Therefore we must give the MOST EARNEST HEED, to the things we have heard, LEST WE DRIFT AWAY. For if the word spoken through angels, proved steadfast, and every TRANSGRESSION AND DISOBEDIENCE received a just reward, HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God AlSO bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?”

Heb. 2:1-4, NKJV.

SYNOPSIS OF CHAPTER: “This chapter opens with a warning against INDIFFERENCE. It is the first of many admonition scattered throughout the book, which evince the author’s [apostle Paul] anxiety for the SPIRITUAL WELFARE of his readers. From the nature of the exhortations we learn that, unlike the Corinthians, the DANGERS threatening them were NOT MORAL DELINQUENCY but a GRADUAL DRIFTING AWAY from the things they had heard, COUPLED WITH a lack of desire to apply themselves to a SERIOUS study of the Word.

“The larger part of the chapter is devoted to a discussion of the HUMANITY of Christ. In the first chapter the author brought indisputable proof of the DEITY of Christ. In the second chapter he shows that it is NEEDFUL for Christ to BECOME A MAN IF He is to be a merciful and faithful High Priest.

“How else could He deal gently with the weak and erring? He MUST be TEMPTED IN ALL POINTS LIKE AS WE ARE for it is only by passing through the EXPERIENCE to which [all] men are subject that He can succor [save, deliver, empower] those who are weak!

“This section contains a warning against the SUBTLE SINS of apathy and carelessness. Paul was greatly concerned about the SPIRITUAL condition of the people. There were TROUBLOUS TIMES AHEAD for the church. Persecution would soon break out anew; in a very few years the Roman armies would take the city, the Temple would be destroyed, and the Christians would be compelled to flee for their lives.

“Despite this, THE CHURCH WAS NOT FULLY AWAKE. They were ADRIFT with no anchor. Their condition was critical, and MOST SERIOUS OF ALL, they did not sense their danger!” (Andreasen, The Book of Hebrews, 79, 80).

This is same condition we are facing today! The very signs taking place right now in America and the world are already announcing, in trumpet tones, that we entering the prophesied early time of trouble! Are we adrift or are our hearts and minds firmly anchored in the Rock, Christ Jesus and His Word—“It is Written,” “unto the law and the prophets,” “to the law and the testimony.”  Bless all, NMF 

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Devotionals

THE ‘ARMOR’ WE ARE ‘WEARING’ NOW DETERMINES WHAT SIDE OF THE COMING FINAL CONFLICT WE WILL TAKE

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE ‘ARMOR’ WE ARE ‘WEARING’ NOW DETERMINES WHAT SIDE OF THE COMING FINAL CONFLICT WE WILL TAKE

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. [How?]. Put on the WHOLE armor of God, that ye may be ABLE to stand against the WILES of the devil. For we wrestle NOT against flesh and blood, but AGAINST principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this WORLD, against SPIRITUAL wickedness in high places. (Continue to verses 13-18). Now this:

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Devotionals

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ‘PURGING’ AND ‘PURIFICATION’

August 7, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ‘PURGING’ AND ‘PURIFICATION’

“When He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in high.”

Heb. 1: 3., NKJV.

“Christ by Himself purged our sins.’ These words introduce Christ as High Priest. The word ‘our’ is not found in the best manuscripts, and is to be omitted. The reading therefore is that Christ ‘by Himself purged sins,’ or better ‘made purification of sins. It is true that Christ purged ‘our’ sins, but the author [Paul] takes a more INCLUSIVE view, though later he will fully discuss ‘our’ sins.”

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Devotionals

CHRIST’S CROWNING AND GREATEST GIFT TO MANKIND

July 20, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

CHRIST’S CROWNING AND GREATEST GIFT TO MANKIND

“And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He May abide with you for ever.”

John 14:16, A.V.

“Christ declared that, after His ascension, that He would send to His church, as His crowning gift, the Comforter, who was to take His place. This Comforter is the HOLY SPIRIT—THE SOUL OF HIS LIFE, the efficacy of His church, THE LIGHT AND THE LIFE of the world. With His Spirit, Christ sends a reconciling influence and a power to take away sins.”

“God has instructed me to tell you and all His people to be VERY CAREFUL not to resist the working of the Holy Spirit—the Comforter that Christ sends. FEAR TO TAKE THE FIRST PRESUMPTUOUS STEP OF RESISTANCE.”

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Devotionals

CHRIST PROMISED THE HOLY SPIRIT: WHAT FOR?

July 15, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

CHRIST PROMISED THE HOLY SPIRIT: WHAT FOR?

“I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever: even the Spirit of truth.”

John 14: 16,17, A.V.

“Before offering Himself as the sacrificial victim, Christ sought for the MOST ESSENTIAL AND COMPLETE GIFT to bestow upon His followers, a gift that would bring within their reach THE BOUNDLESS RESOURCES OF GRACE.[John 14:16-18 quoted].

“Before this the Spirit had been in the world; from the very beginning of the work of redemption He has been moving upon men’s hearts. But while Christ [the incarnated Creator] was in earth, the disciples desired no other Helper. Not until they were deprived of His presence would they feel their need of the Spirit, and then He would come.

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Devotionals

FROM CONFORMED TO TRANSFORMED

July 13, 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

FROM CONFORMED TO TRANSFORMED

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

Romans 12:2, Authorized Version (KJV)

“God’s promise is, ‘Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with ALL your heart.’ Jer. 29:13. The whole heart must be YIELDED to God, or the CHANGE (or transformation) can never be wrought in us by which we are to be RESTORED to His likeness (image).

“By nature we are alienated from God. The Holy Spirit describes our condition in such words as these: ‘Dead In trespasses and suns;’ ‘the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint;’ ‘no soundness in it.’ We are held fast in the snare of Satan, ‘taken captive by him at his will.’” Eph. 2:1; Isa. 1:5, 6; 2 Tim. 2:26.

“God desires to heal us, to set us free. But since this requires an ENTIRE TRANSFORMATION, A RENEWING OF OUR WHOLE NATURE, we must yield ourselves WHOLLY to Him.

“The warfare against self is the greatest battle that was ever fought. [As Paul said, ‘I die daily.’ Selfish, self-centered, self-pleasing self must die].
He calls the unconverted heart as “the old man,” and the truly converted in heart and mind as “the new man in Christ Jesus.”

“The government of God is not, as Satan.would make it appear, founded upon a blind submission, an unreasoning control. Rather, it appeals to the intellect and to the conscience. ‘Come now, and let us reason together’ is the Creator’s invitation to the beings He has made.”  Isaiah 1:18.

“God does not force the will of His creatures. He cannot accept an homage (acts of worship) that is not willingly and intelligently given. A mere forced submission would prevent all REAL DEVELOPMENT OF MIND OR CHARACTER; it would make man a mere automaton (robot).

“Such is not the purpose of the Creator. He desires that man, the crowning work of His creative power (created on the 6th day of creation), shall reach the HIGHEST POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT. He sets before us the height of blessing to which He desires to BRING US THROUGH HIS GRACE.

“He invites us to give ourselves to Him, that He May work His will in us. It remains for us to CHOOSE whether we will be set free from the BONDAGE OF SIN, to share the GLORIOUS LIBERTY of the sons of God!” SC 43, 44. 

May the Holy Spirit guide, enlighten, convict, convince and empower you to do God’s will!   NMF 

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Devotionals

LESSONS FROM SOLOMON’S ADULTERY-IDOLATRY-APOSTASIES

June 9 2020

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

LESSONS FROM SOLOMON’S ADULTERY-IDOLATRY-APOSTASIES. “

“For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his god, as was the heart of his father David.” 1 Kings 11: 4, NKJV.(See verses 1-13).

“Pity the Man who was Envied. (See Eccl. 1:14). Many envied the popularity and abundant glory of Solomon, thinking that of all men he must be the MOST HAPPY. But amid all that glory of ARTIFICIAL display the man envied is the one to be MOST PITIED. His countenance is dark with despair. All the splendor about him is but to him mockery of the distress and anguish of his thoughts as he reviews his MISSPENT life in seeking for happiness through indulgence and selfish gratification of every desire.” E.H.White, Signs of the Times, Feb. 7, 1878.

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FMM

The Battle for the ‘Present Truth’

Image by LoggaWiggler/Pixabay

Friday Morning Manna
June 5, 2020

Nathaniel Fajardo

email:[email protected]

The Battle for the ‘Present Truth’

“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in present truth.” 2 Peter 1: 12 (see verses 1-11), Authorized Version

Jesus Christ, God Creator in the flesh (John 1: 14; 1 Tim. 3: 16) declared, “I am the way, the truth and the life,” John 14: 6. “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, If you continue (abide) in My Word, you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know truth, and the truth shall set you free.” John 8: 31, 32.

In the plan of salvation the “good news” of the gospel is that Creator of man, condescended in the incarnation to become the Savior of mankind, fallen by sin and hopeless captives of Satan, by delivering, “setting them free” by His life example as a man, “tempted in all points as man is tempted yet without sin,” and by His death on the cross as their substitute and surety from, not in, the power and bondage to sin which is “the transgression of the law (1 John 3: 4). Hence the specific name given Him at His birth, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins.” Matt. 1: 21. Notice here that while Jesus died for the sins of the world, He saves His people from their sins! That is the truth.

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