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1 Corinthians 2:9 - "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." Observation: CREATIVE ART IS PRODUCED BY THE SOUL (MIND, WILL, AND EMOTIONS) AND CAN ALSO BE CALLED IMAGINATIVE ART. CREATIVE ART CAN CHANGE A PERSON FOR THE SHORT-TERM, BUT IT HAS NO LONG-TERM EFFECT ON ITS VIEWERS. SPIRITUAL ART FLOWS FROM OUR SPIRIT'S COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE SPIRIT THEN USES THE SOUL AND BODY TO PRODUCE INCREDIBLE WORK. TOO OFTEN WE HAVE SETTLED FOR CREATING FROM OUR SOUL OR BODY WHEN A HIGHER CALL HAS BEEN TRYING TO REACH US. MAY WE LEARN TO CREATE FROM OUR SPIRIT, SEEING SPIRITUAL FRUIT THAT COMES FROM OUR ENDEAVORS. Ephesians 3:19 - "That you may really come to know through experience for yourselves the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge (without experience): that you may be filled (through your whole being) unto all the fullness of God (may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God himself)." THE ANCIENT GREEKS HAD NO WORD FOR "REALITY." TO THEM, "TRUTH" AND "REALITY," IN ESSENCE, WERE THE SAME. INDEED, THE HOLY SPIRIT'S PURPOSE IS TO LEAD US INTO ALL THE TRUTH, THAT IS, INTO THE FULNESS OF THE REALITY OF GOD. PETER DID NOT SUCCUMB UNDER THE CONVICTING POWER OF "RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE" - HE MET THE REALITY OF JESUS CHRIST! ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS, PAUL WAS NOT BLINDED AND DEVASTATED BY A "NEW DOCTRINE" - HE MET THE REALITY OF JESUS CHRIST! WHEN JOHN BEHELD OUR GLORIFIED LORD ON PATMOS, IT WAS NOT A "NEW SPIRITUAL INSIGHT" THAT LEFT HIM SLAIN AS A DEAD MAN -- HE BEHELD JESUS CHRIST! IT IS THIS EXPLOSIVE REVELATION OF CHRIST HIMSELF THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE GRACE OF GOD. "Consider the ROCK from which you were cut, the quarry from which you were mined." - Isaiah 51:1-2 Our adversary has been busy in an effort to distract us and dull our memory of who we are and Whose we are, where we've come from and where we're going. Religious spirits are experts at getting us to fear things we do not understand, compare ourselves to others, and compete with one another. Even as a child, the enemy tried to subvert or supplant our view of who we are and replace it with a corrupt view of our own self, implanting painful or confusing incidents that changed our perception of ourselves. He brought people into our life who treated us as though we were something we are not. They've released the enemy's poison and venom and seeds of poisonous, corrupt theories of who we are in order to blind us to the reality of who God DESTINED us to be. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Psalm 59:9 - "O my Strength, I will watch and give heed to You and sing praises; for God is my Defense." The soul that is not recollected in one appetite alone (the desire for God) loses heat and strength in the practice of virtue. Affirmation: I WILL CONCENTRATE THE STRENGTH OF MY APPETITES ON GOD ALONE. Mark 9:24 - "And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief." Affirmations: I AM NO LONGER TROUBLED BY THE DEMONS OF FEAR AND DOUBT. I REPENT OF MY UNBELIEF. I DRAW UPON THE FORGIVENESS OF CHRIST AND HIS PURITY OF HEART AND THEN I YIELD MYSELF TO CHRIST'S FAITH WITHIN ME. James 3:8 - "But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison." Affirmations: I BOLDLY DECLARE THAT MY TONGUE IS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. MY WORDS ARE SEASONED WITH GRACE, AND MY LIPS ARE CONSTANTLY GIVING THANKS TO GOD! THIS IS WHAT MY TONGUE SPEAKS BECAUSE IT IS SUBMITTED TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

saiah 11:2 - "And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him: the spirit of wisdom, and of understanding, the spirit of counsel, and of fortitude, the spirit of knowledge, and of godliness." Observation: THE VIRTUE OF FORTITUDE IS OFTEN MISTAKEN AS MERELY DRAWING STRENGTH FROM GOD. BUT THEN I BELIEVE I HAVE STRENGTH IN MYSELF, AND THERE IS NOTHING SO WEAK AND FAILING AS THAT. FORTITUDE COMES UPON ME WHEN MY SOUL HAS FOUND ITS ONE UNFAILING SHELTER - THAT IS, WHEN I HAVE SEEN WITH THE EYES OF FAITH, WHEN CHALLENGES COME, HOW MY SOUL HAS FLED INTO ITS ALL-SURROUNDING GOD. HE ALONE IS MY EVERLASTING WALL OF STRENGTH. Acts 6:8 - "And Stephen, full of grace and fortitude, did great wonders and signs among the people." John 1:17 - "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." People who do not know Jesus' heart read His words and consider them too hard. Their problem lies in the fact that they have missed His grace. Both grace and truth are realized in Jesus. When Jesus gives me something that seems impossible, He provides the grace to accomplish it. Hebrews 4:16 - "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Psalm 100:4,5 - "Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations." Satan’s plan is to make us somehow accept, either through our upbringing, our experiences or through Church dogma that certain portions of the life of Christ are untrue or not valid in our case. Every battle we face in life is over the word and whether or not we can build our lives upon the faithfulness and integrity of God. Hebrews 10:23 - "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is FAITHFUL" ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

James 4:6 - "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." Humility is not unworthiness. Humility is being aware of who others are in God's sight and being aware of who I am in Christ and acting on it. Matthew 12:37 - "For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Affirmation: I LET MY WORDS CREATE THE CURRENT THAT SWEEPS ME INTO THE HEART OF GOD. Luke 9:23 - "And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” When Jesus called His disciples, it was for total commitment. They had to be willing to leave everything to follow Him, and so do we. If He is not the Lord of all, then He is not our Lord at all. All Christians are called to be "soldiers of the Cross". All soldiers know that they can be called upon to pay the ultimate price for their cause. For this reason, the soldiers of the Cross are called to take up their crosses and commit to die daily to their own interests in order to serve the interests of Christ. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Hebrews 4:16 - "Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need. " How do we draw near with confidence to the throne of grace?

1. What is a righteousness consciousness? Answer: Righteousness consciousness is the state of being aware of your right standing with God. Righteousness means the ability to stand in the presence of Father God without the sense of guilt, inferiority or condemnation. "But if Christ lives in you, although your bodies are going to die because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because you have been put right with God." - Romans 8:10 "And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. - 1 Peter 2:24 2. Why are we the righteousness of God? Answer: We are righteous because of God's love, because of who we are in Christ not because of our own conduct. our righteousness is not because we have done something to deserve it; but because God has chosen not to hold sin against us. "For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10 "He 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 3. How is it possible to believe that God loves you with the same love that he loves Jesus? Answer: Answer in the scriptures. "He was given over to die because of our sins, and was raised to life to put us right with God." - Romans 4:25 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." - John 3:16 "In our union with Christ Jesus He raised us up with Him to rule with Him in the heavenly world. He did this to demonstrate for all time to come the extraordinary greatness of his grace in the love He showed us in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:6,7 4. Explain how you can develop a righteousness consciousness? Answer: Allow the Holy Spirit to paint a picture on the inside of you by meditationg on God's loving kindness. His grace, and His mercy towards you. "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." - Matthew 6:33 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neaither can you unless you abide in Me." - John 15:4 5. What result or effect does right standing with God have on your relationship with him? Answer: It builds our confidence in God's willingness to use His power in our behalf. We become aware of His love for us and perfect love casts out fear. "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whetever you wish, and it will be done for you." - John 15:7 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us." - 1 John 4:18 INTO ACTION: Affirm and meditate on the indicated scriptures several times daily until the renewing of your mind is made real to your spirit. AFFIRMATIONS: God imputes righteousness to me since I believe the He raised Jesus from the dead for my justification. (Romans 4:24.25) God loves me with the same love that He loves Jesus. (John 17:26) God, who is rich in mercy and love, has quickened me with Christ and has raise me up tobether with Christ and made me sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-6) ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

John 1:14 - "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth." OBSERVATION: Grace gives me courage, strength, and boldness to let my old way of seeing things and my past way of dealing with life be put to death. The, in Spirit, I learn how to live and to "walk" above every natural event. 2 Corinthians 3:18 - "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Affirmations: I ASK THE THE LORD TO SHOW ME HIS PURPOSE FOR MY LIFE AND HOW TO STEP OUT INTO THE GIFTS HE HAS GIVEN ME. THERE IS A MOVE OF GOD THAT IS LIVING IN ME AND THE LORD IS EAGER FOR IT TO BE RELEASED AND BRING GLORY TO HIS NAME. Philippians 3:13 - "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before." Affirmations: I KNOW THAT IF I MEASURE EVERYTHING BY WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN MY PAST, I WILL NEVER GROW BEYOND IT. MY CONFIDENCE RESTS IN WHAT GOD HAS SAID. Hebrews 13:6 - "So that we my boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Joshua 6:2 - "And the Lord said unto Joshua, See. I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king therof, and the mighty men of valour." When the children of Israel entered the Promised Land ten cities stood as obstacles in their way. The first of these cities was Jericho. Israel was not yet an army -- they were simply a group of desert wanderers with a promise. They had no army. Their resources had worn thin from years in the desert. THEIR ONLY WEAPON OF WARFARE WAS THEIR OBEDIENCE TO GOD Joshua 6:20 - "So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city." The Church stands in a similar posture. We are facing a Jericho that is standing in the way. The world systems are unstable. Financial fear is trying to lure the people of God into its fear. There a lot of walls standing in the way of promise. God is positioning His Church to bring down those walls just as He did in Jericho. Those walls will not fall by human wisdom and reasoning. Another church program will not do it. Only the shout of grace will bring it down. The shout of grace in obedience to God was the weapon of supernatural warfare for Israel. When we shout "grace" we are making a statement that unless God shows up we won't be able to move ahead. STANDING BEFORE OUR JERICO WALLS Today as we stand before the walls of our Jericho, we shout out loud the word, "Grace." With that shout of grace will come the dismantling of the walls of those encampments that stand in the way of the promise of God: Gather your mounting bills and shout grace over them. Shout grace into your future. Shout grace over a wayward child. Shout grace over every obstacle that stands in the way of your vision and calling. Stand on the high places of your city and shout grace over the broken and lost. Once we shout the grace of God -- we walk straight ahead and see the glory of God. Under our feet will be the remains of fear and impossibility. Zechariah 4:7 - "What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of 'Grace, grace to it!'" ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Years before I came back to God, I was under the impression that there would be no more church for me. I had these childhood thoughts in my mind that if I went to church again someday people would judge me. If they did ridicule me or look down at me, how could I blame them? In 2003 I was still on the streets of Brooklyn as a connected guy to the Colombo family.To all those who knew me, I was just what I had always been: a mafia-connected thug.But I had a secret. I had been working for the FBI since 1996. I was playing the role of a criminal at this point. The operation was only supposed to last for six months to a year, and here I was in my seventh year. It had taken it’s toll on me, both mentally and physically. I was in the life, but not really – a kind of limbo. I was constantly facing what all of my actions and decisions had done to people. It had taken it’s toll on me, both mentally and physically. I was in the life, but not really – a kind of limbo. I was constantly facing what all of my actions and decisions had done to people. One day stands out for me during this time. I was out with Uncle Manny driving around to construction sites. Uncle Manny was giving me my daily lesson on mafia wisdom. It was the mafia’s form of indoctrination. We were up in the Bronx when I received a call from Eddie G, a Colombo associate who ran a trucking business. Eddie G wanted to know where I was at that moment. I told him where I was at, and he told me I had to come see him at his truck yard on Staten Island. I must have looked upset because Manny asked me what was going on. I told him Eddie G wanted me to go to his yard ASAP. Manny asked me if I wanted him to come with me. Eddie G was Manny’s nephew, so really what good would that do? I was scared right then and I had good reason to be afraid. In the life, nobody wants to get sent for out of the blue. So many thoughts were going through my mind, did they know the truth about me? I got back to my place in Brooklyn and was soon in my car. I called the FBI and the New York office was closed, it was after business hours. I called the Los Angeles office and got ahold of an agent I knew. I told him where I would be going. He told me I did not have to go, but in my mind, I had to, because if you did not come when sent for, it was over. The drive was thirty minutes, which was mostly a blur. I kept thinking, “This is it.” I hoped it would be quick. I thought about my family. Would anyone ever know what happened to me? I didn’t pray, but I thought I could just ask Jesus to forgive me before I died and I would be okay. I pulled into the yard and Eddie was standing outside yelling at some guy. He smiled when he saw me and motioned me over. He told the guy to beat it and then he shook my hand. He said, “Let’s walk and talk.” He then told me he was putting together a fund to buy our capo a truck for Christmas. Instant relief! You never saw anyone give up four grand faster than me that day. That cash was out of my pocket and in his hand in seconds, and I would live another day. Did I learn anything? I guess not, because I kept doing the same thing for years. I felt almost as much dread the day I went to the church in San Marino after thirty plus years of walking away from the one I attended as a kid. I thought that anyone there would know I was a fraud. I thought they would stare and speak under their breath about me. It had been almost ten years since I left New York and my life in the underworld. I had gotten my life on a better track, but it was still empty, missing something. I also carried around a lot of guilt from my former life, which made it hard for me to get close to others. I felt that sharp intake of breath that I had felt on the street with a slight burning sensation in my stomach when I stepped into the church. Once we started singing and then when the sermon started, I knew I was where I was supposed to be. I have never felt so welcome and so at peace as I did that day when the service was over. I found my way to Jesus and I was then fulfilled. I signed up for and began attending Bible study the next week. I read the Gospels, and if you read them you’ll see the people Jesus chose to minister too. He did not pick out the rulers, priests, rabbis or wealthy merchants. He often chose regular people and those looked down on in the society, like a fisherman and a tax collector. I read about Saul Tarsus who would become Paul later in life. He was not who you would think Jesus would pick to be his disciple, yet it was who he picked. Jesus appeared to him on the road. Saul had been a persecutor of Christians, but after his encounter with Jesus, he would be one of his strongest missionaries. I understand Saul. I went from meeting in truck yards, planning ways to make more money for a criminal organization, to today studying and sharing the word with anyone who will listen and spending time with fellow believers. This is my second chance.

"..therefore be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." - 2 Timothy 2:1 God's grace is undeserved, this means that God's goodness is not expressed to each of us because we are good; it is given to us because He is good! Sometimes it's hard to even wrap our minds around this fact. This is because most of us have, in reality, believed that grace is based upon performance and our religious works. However, receiving grace from God has absolutely nothing to do with our performance at all; it is completely based upon undeserved favor. If God's favor were based upon our ability to do right and perform well, then we would not need His grace. We would then believe that because of our own abilities we have been blessed. This is such a deceptive lie of the enemy. He does not desire that we embrace the revelation of God's grace. BONDAGE IN FEELING PERFORMANCE-ORIENTED "And if by grace, then it is no longer of works: otherwise grace is not longer grace." - Romans 11:6a There is bondage in feeling as if you are continually "missing the mark." Performance-oriented people experience difficulty resting in God, which is linked to God's grace. We can spend many years believing that God is disappointed in us if we didn't quite measure up to His standards. We can also be deceived into believing that God's blessings are linked to how well we perform – as if His blessings were dependent upon our "good behavior" or "religious performance." This false belief sets us up for even more failure and disappointment. It becomes cyclical. If we are ashamed, there is no confidence to boldly run to Him for grace and empowerment to transform. Shame and guilt robs us of our confidence to run boldly into God's arms – in fact, it causes us to run away from Him! God knows we will never be perfect. He does not desire perfection due to our own strength for that would be "deserved favor." Grace is undeserved favor. The Lord desires for us to know that He is daily perfecting us through His divine grace. To believe that "it is up to us and our own ability to become transformed" is to believe that "the finished work at the Cross was not effective". Jesus Himself was perfect and, therefore, we are blessed and empowered to live holy through Him. "through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." - Romans 5:2 Many of us have been blinded concerning how to receive God's blessings. The Accuser of the Brethren has lied to us and said that God's blessings are based upon "works" rather than simply because God loves us. Remember God IS love! You cannot separate God from love. He blesses us simply because He loves us. WALKING IN THE SUPERNATURAL AND DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE "Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably..." - Hebrews 12:28 Many might ask what the connection is between grace and the supernatural. We can't walk in the supernatural without His grace! Our faith needs to rest upon Jesus and the price He paid for the sick to be healed, the poor to be blessed, people to be set free, etc. If we focus on Jesus and His ability to heal the sick many of us would experience more miracles. Because we haven't seen the miracles for which we cry out, many times we feel that we didn't "perform" well and, as a result, we will shrink back from stepping out and praying for the sick or for demons to flee, etc. When Jesus came to earth, He brought Heaven with Him. He came so that He could live in us – we became the Tabernacle for the Spirit of God. It is His ability in us that will empower us to experience more of the supernatural. "To them God has chose to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." - Colossians 1:27 RIGHTEOUSNESS "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." - 2 Corinthians 5:21 Some of you may also believe that you are not "righteous" enough for God to use you. When the word "righteousness is mentioned," many people immediately think that it involves more performance and perfect behavior – a list of "do's and don'ts" from God. Righteousness is a gift from God and cannot be earned! (SeeRomans 5:17). Be assured that you are already righteous in Christ. His Spirit lives in you and, therefore, you are qualified to walk in the supernatural! We need to step out and do it! The Accuser of the Brethren has yoked many of us with guilt and shame because when we "mess up," we believe it has affected our righteousness. If you are hearing those words from the enemy, then he has targeted your future. ACHIEVE YOUR FUTURE The Accuser of the Brethren came against many in the Bible who God used mightily. The Bible is full of stories about people who were living in ordinary circumstances and empowered to do the impossible. God sees much in you! He desires for you to boldly run to His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16)right now to receive a fresh empowerment to achieve HisPURPOSE for your life (yourDESTINY in Christ). Don't allow past shame or guilt to hold you back any longer. The Lord desires to release His blessings to you today. Receive it; believe it and it is yours! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

God has already "granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness" so that "you may become partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:3-4). The Bible says that we "grow up into salvation" in the same way we should grow to be responsible adults (1 Peter 2:2). Therefore, our experience of the FULLNESS of all that is available in Christ should be growing as well. There are reasons why some grow into "all things" more quickly than others: First, they know that they have nothing without God (see 1 Chronicles 29:14). Second, they are assured in their hearts that "all things" have already been granted to them by God because He wants them to "become partakers of the divine nature" through Christ. Third, they have learned how to receive of His increase. TWO GREEK WORDS USED FOR "RECEIVE" "...What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?" - 1 Corinthians 4:7 It is very easy to assume, based on this Scripture, a mentality that whatever God gives us we will automatically and unintentionally receive. However, we must understand what it really means to receive, Biblically. There are two Greek words used in the New Testament which are translated "receive," and yet they have very different implications. The first word is "dechomai" (dekh'-om-ahee) and the second is "lambano" (lam-bah'-no). PASSIVE vs. ACTIVE AGRESSIVE Receiving: With a little research, we find that "dechomai" speaks of receiving in a passive way.It is a passive verb which indicates receiving in the sense of welcoming and accepting. "Lambano" is a completely different way of receiving and understanding. "Lambano" is an active aggressive verb which indicates receiving INTO ACTION or taking possession through ACTION. "And Simon answered, 'Master, we toiled all night [trying to catch fish] and took [lambano] nothing! But at Your word I will let down the nets.'" - Luke 5:5 "When He [Jesus] was at table with them, He took [lambano] the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them." - Luke 24:30 Fishermen do not expect fish to jump out of the water and directly in into their boat. They know they must "lambano" the fish, taking them into possession through some kind of action. In the same way, Jesus reached out to lambano the bread, receiving it unto Himself through action. DO YOU "LAMBANO"? "For everyone who asks receives [lambano], and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." - Luke 11:10 Perhaps you were led to believe that you should ask of God and then wait for the answer to fall on you at the right time, as if you were expecting Him to throw a glass of water at you, if He felt like it. However, this scripture says that everyone who asks must take action to receive it. Everyone who asks must "lambano" the answer from God, who is not only willing now but is also waiting for us to do so. God holds out provision to us, making it available to all who are in Christ. Then He tells us topray the prayer of faith for it, asking and expecting in agreement with what He's already demonstrated is His will through Christ. Then we must reach out and take what He is offering in order to receive it. God assures us in His Word of His unchanging desire to answer our prayers, and yet He wants us to come asking earnestly, persistently, boldly, and expectantly. Our receiving from God is not meant to be a passive act. God wants to interact with us. There must be action in both His giving and our receiving. If you received Christ as your Savior and the sacrifice for your sins, then you do understand how to "lambano". Everything you receive from God comes exactly the same way: by grace through faith – reaching out to take hold of what He is freely offering. Not a single person has ever received Christ any other way. God acts and we respond. God initiates and we cooperate. INTENTIONAL RECEIVING ...What do you have that you did not [lambano]? If then you [lambano] it, why do you boast as if you did not [lambano] it? 1 Corinthians 4:7 In other words, nothing that you've received from God was automatically and unintentionally received into your experience, so why boast as if you don't know why God apparently gave you more favor than anyone else who is in Christ? Instead of boasting, you should teach others how to "lambano"! "As each has received [lambano] a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace..." - 1 Peter 4:10 This verse gives us permission, and responsibility as good stewards, to use what we lambano from God to serve one another. In doing so, it also illustrates a key on how to lambano. When it says "as," -- it means "in the same way." In the same way you take a glass of water to receive it, you intentionally take God's gifts and use them to serve each other, as good stewards would. So, in the same way, we take all things pertaining to life and godliness through intentional and cooperating action, putting them to use. In other words, do something in expectation that you have taken hold of what you reached out for. Receive it into action! "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received [lambano] it, and it will be yours." - Mark 11:24 This literally means, "Whatever you ask in prayer, lambano it by faith, and it will be yours." Receive it by taking it! The Biblical act of receiving looks like the intentional action of taking. No one takes hold of something all the while wondering if they really have a hold on it. They take hold of it and know that they have it as they are receiving it to themselves. They reach out, grab it, and pull it in. That's how you receive from God. GOOD STEWARDS OF GRACE "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me." - 1 Corinthians 15:10 It is only by the grace of God that we have anything, and yet it is by the action of faith that we make it ours in experience. The grace of God requires our cooperation in order for it to have its full effect in our lives. The Apostle Paul spoke of this very clearly, even implying that God's grace could have been released and available for him in vain if he had not cooperated with it. In the same way you receive a gift, use it -- 1 Peter 4:10 gives you permission to "lambano" a gift from God with the intention of serving others. In fact, doing so makes you a good steward of His fully available and varied grace. When someone needs something, you have access to a warehouse full of "all things pertaining to life and godliness" – all available for the taking. A good steward uses what God has entrusted to their care and produces increase from it (seeMatthew 25:14-30). This is part of the work that God gives us to do, and by doing it, God is glorified (see John 17:4). ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Restoration (Read Isaiah 58 & John 16) Matthew 9:17 - “Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the wine pours out and the wineskins are ruined; but they put new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Only when we allow the Holy Spirit to work within us do we have the power to live a victorious Christian life. And it is He, the Holy Spirit, who does the work of restoring, the fragmented shattered pieces of our lives to something that is far greater than the former state. When the Holy Spirit begins the process, a process of restoration, He has placed us in a: 1. new season; 2. new revelation; 3. new life; 4. new wine. In order to contain the new wine of restoration we need a new wine skin. The Greek word for “new” in this passage “KAINOS” meaning something that has been renewed or made over or something restored. In the restorative process, God take what was there and bring it to a new place so He can pour within it that which He longs to release to us – a new wine. To make a wine skin new, He soaks the old wine skin in water and rubs it with oil. Rubbing with oil is the part of the process that makes us flexible. The oil contains a new anointing. As we alow the Holy Spirit to take us through the process of rubbing, we not only become more flexible to handle all God’s desires to pour into us, but we become able to pour out in a greater measure.) Galatians 1:6-7 6I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. Galatians 3:1 1You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? (Specifically, there are three things God must remove from our lives in order to renew our wineskins: 1. He removes legalism. In Galatians legalism is equated with witchcraft. Paul reminds the Galatians that they were doing great. They were having a good time, growing in the Lord and walking in faith. Then he asks who bewitched them? In other words, who narrowed their minds down to such a degree that they were no longer able to receive the grace of God? Who brought legalism into their midst? Eg.: Is there a situation in your life, family or church that seems completely unchangeable? Are behavioral patterns so entrenched that nothing can shake them loose? If the answer is yes then you are dealing with a legalistic mind-set. We say that nothing is impossible with God but do we believe that nothing is impossible with God? In every area where we do not have this heartfelt assurance, we have a legalistic bewitching structure that narrows God.) John 8:43-44 43“Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44“You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (2. He removes condemnation. Satan is a liar and a thief. He lies to us about our postion with God in order to steal the restoration God has for us. We say things such as, “God can’t restore me because I….am divorced, had an abortion, lied about a friend, had a messed up childhood, took what was not mine, etc.. Getting right with God and forgiving ourselves will break the schemes the devil intended to use to keep us draped in a shroud of guilt, no matter what we have done.) Isaiah 58:6,8-12 6 “Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke?8“Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9 “Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,10And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. 11“And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.12 “Those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up the age-old foundations; And you will be called the repairer of the breach, The restorer of the streets in which to dwell. (3. He removes judgementalism. The law of sowing and reaping applies to condemning other through judgements i.e. if we sow condemnation to others we will be condemned – we too become suseptable to falling into the same sin we accuse others of. Isaiah 58 says that if you will pray and fast and let God determine the fast for you, you will, “put away the pointing of that finger and speaking wickedly”, He will begin to breakforth your light and healing will spring up.” .) ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Hello. I have a question concerning the Seven Heavenly Virtues (which Pope John Paul II put forth in 1992 as fundamentals of Catholicism); Chastity, Temperance, Charity, Diligence, Patience, Kindness and Humility. Can these virtues be applied to the Protestant version of Grace in full? I understand that the concept of Grace is all-inclusive of positive, good things (ie Holy Spirit) - but I would like to understand more of the make-up of the term 'Grace.' I am Protestant, but I don't understand much of the Scripture, so would like to know more.

So this is a very long story but I am going to make it as short as I possibly can. I must also apologize I am new, this is my first post, and I am unaware of the political/religious beliefs/boundaries you all have. I'm also not sure if this was the correct place to post something like this. In June I was diagnosed with an incurable disease and it has basically devastated every part of my life. I have put my life on pause for now as I am on a spiritual journey. My past consists of a very spirit filled family but much tragedy. My family used to consist of a pretty good number of people but because of disease many people died far too early. All of these tragedies happened before I was born but all of the miraculous events also happened before I was born. So the faith I have always had was more like "belief." Which consisted of the basics. Fast forward 25 years, I myself am a chemical engineer, so when I found out I was sick I intially turned to my mind and exhausted every possible option that mankind has to offer which left me back at square 1. I figured I was like the story of the guy who gets lost at sea and prays to God to save him, while a boat and a kayak come up to pull the guy out of the water, he says no no God will save me, he drowns, asks God why he didn't save him and God says, I tried. So I turned to God in September which was in the midst of what can only be described as the worst depression that you can imagine. I lost 30 pounds in a mater of a couple weeks, wasnt eating, was so anxious I couldnt sleep for days, I would pace like a lion at home, constant racing thoughts and I was so suicidal I thought of myself as too worthless to even kill myself, all I would be is a further burden. Fast forward a bit, saw a counselor which helped and started to meet with multiple religious figures and spiritual learders weekly. So I went further into it (faith). My prayer life started to increase and things, coincidences, which I hear don't exist with people of faith, started to happen regularly. Thankfully my family has ties to many still living spiritual people, one in particular, prayed for me and in the middle busted out in tongues which I had never experienced or heard before and he was the only person I had a physical manifestation from after his prayer, 5 or 6 surges, kind of like goosbumps, but very quickly all in a row. I had further medical testing done which could not pick up the previously detected disease, however still left room for error. I took to scripture as I did science, reading and researching, studying all I could. After enough preparation I performed a self-deliverance which rid me of all the voices and constant thoughts in my head. Which I was told sounds like a successful deliverance. I prayed, almost constantly, almost every waking moment of the day I was praying or studying scripture. "Things" really started to happen (which if anyone cares to know I'll post as a response I have a directive for right now). I had joined a bible study group and they had been pushing me to be baptized for weeks and weeks. I was resistant, I was still somewhat suicidal, and when I make a commitment to something as big as baptism I don't quit, and my battle wasnt that I could quit on God, but quit on life. I also wanted it to be genuine, I didn't want to feel like I was using God to get something, which I really was all in all, but I didnt want it to feel thag way. I eventually was baptized in late Oct/early Nov. I started to research about the gifts of the holy spirit, a hot topic I soon learned, not something openly talked about. I wanted these gifts, I coveted them. Not because I wanted more from God but because, - Im not acquainted with any of you but if you have ever had something happen to you that no one can do anything about, where divine intervantion is your only option, and don't say your grandma or even your kid was sick yadda yadda, I know these things are sad, but rhere js something different when it happens to you, something innately different. This caused me to change, my whole perspective on life, you appreciate anything and everything, I havent driven in my car with the music on in 6 months, so I can look outside, feel and smell the air, your desires, aspirations, goals, and dreams all change - but because I wanted to help people. My family had two miracles happen, both to people who sadly died of other things not too long after, but both were miraculously healed of things with no medical expliantion. I not only wanted to be healed but I wanted to spread the love and the possibilities and the power that is God. Just before thanksgiving I began speaking in tongues, so for all you doubters, its real, its not fake, and I have even recorded and looked up some phrases that I noticed I kept repeating, and they turned out to be real words in other languages. These languages changed, from Italian all the way to Japanese. Mind you all I speak is a little bit if German, and fluent English and pig latin....ha. I was practicing this daily, yes you can voluntarily do it, its some not power that takes over your body, I would do it and shortly after I would be exhausted no matter what time it was and I would have vivid dreams if I spoke in tongues before I fell asleep. For me to remember my dreams was highly unusual. Then I started to do it less and almost not at all last week. Then last Friday I decided to do it right before I went to sleep, I didnt do it for very long, just something quick and I ended up having the most intense dream I have ever had. A dream within a dream, which I have never had before, and it had the D....the devil in it. (A pretty detailed summary of that I also have if you're interested and I would be interested especially if someone on here has the ability to interpret dreams). So now what I wrote all of this for, I am looking for a legitimate, credible, person with the gift of healing. Not exactly found in the yellow pages. Don't direct me to any of these televangelists, Binny Hinn, and all his wannabees. These people are frauds, Matthew 10:8 "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give." Jesus was humble, he didn't broadcast his abilities, his apostles did, the believers did, and he didn't turn anyone away. I have found some in my couple months of searching. These are people you won't find on TV or on the news or in a legal investigation. These are humble quiet people in regular houses with no microphones, no radio stations, and lead the average life. The man who prayed over me believes he has the gift of healing. I found an elderly woman who has documented healings near me. I also found out about a lutheran pastor on the East coast after pulling my own pastor's teeth if he knew someone, apparently he knows another but this guy's job could be injeopardy if it got out. Apparently much of the modern church is against people being relieved of suffering at the hand of those blessed with spreading the work of God. I live in the Chicago suburbs, so in that general area would be nice, but this isnt just finding a good pizza place, this is to ascertain a miracle, I'll go anywhere. If you would need to contact me perosnally we can figure that out, not sure how lol, but I don't intend on having anyone's name blasted out who prefers privacy. Thank you for your time, this platform, and your help. God bless.

Is the Old Testament for today - one opinion Posted by Omegaman 2.0 on the January 15th, 2007 I got tired of seeing my last blog, as the latest blog, so I did another to bump my position. I came in at the tail end of a conversation in chat one night, not long ago, it was close to venomous between a few, or at least in seemed to me to be so. As near as I could figure out, it began on a topic like war or the death penalty, or something along those lines. Those topics are still what I would call peripheral theology, yet I cannot deny their importance, because human lives are at stake. What I saw in that chat, was that everyone was under the assumption that their opinion was the right one or the superior one, and felt that their view was justified by scripture. Now, it is great, that everyone is willing to back up their ideas, and form their beliefs, from the scripture. I Try to do that, and just like all of these good people I watched, I too, have opinions, which I have formed from the scriptures. Unlike some of those I observed, I am willing to entertain the notion, that my understanding is limited, and my opinions can be wrong, very wrong. I am going to let some of those opinions show through in this blog, they are not the subject, they are the illustration, feel free to have your own convictions, in fact, you are not only entitled to them, you SHOULD form you own conclusions, for you are accountable to God, not to me, only somewhat to your brothers. At the same time, we should all be open to hearing the opinions and convictions of others. To quote Paul (out of context): 1 Cor 8:1-3 Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies. 2 If anyone supposes that he knows anything, he has not yet known as he ought to know; 3 but if anyone loves God, he is known by Him. Now, in the discussion that night, there was a recurring theme. “That is not in the New Testament”, “We are not under law, we are under grace”. There were others, but the point seemed to be, that we do not have to bother with the Old Testament anymore, the New Testament is what runs the show. Is this notion true? Is the question which Testament we are under? Is it, which parts of the Old Testament, can we dispense with? Or, is it possible, that we should be asking, if the New Testament is an edition to the Old Testament, a clarification, not in any way a replacement? Are there other ways we could ask this question? I have some thoughts on this, and, I have some of my opinion on social topics, woven in as well. If you think that you would like to see it, I would be happy for you to do that. I am afraid, however, that it will not be received well by some, because my opinions are there. They will be unpopular with some, and I accept that. I ask you, to consider, whether you can read my opinions, opinions which I would share openly in chat, without holding them against me personally. It is our responsibility, to love each other, and harbor no ill feelings, yet recognize, that differences of opinion are inevitable. We can agree to disagree, agreeably. If you have that maturity, or if you can isolate good principles from a mans opinions, then by all means, check out my thoughts at the link I will provide. Also, feel free to leave you comments in this blog, about what you read, but be forewarned, I am not going to drawn into a debate in this blog, the one I watched, got too close to ugly. http://www.omegascripture.info/worthystudy/opinions/law-grace_OT 15 Responses to 'Is the Old Testament for today - one opinion' Subscribe to comments with RSS Rebekah David said, on January 20th, 2007 at 2:01 pm Read your link oman . Interesting ideas can not say i agree with them all tho that is okay. I do have a question tho when Jesus was talking about the law i have always understood that to mean the Ten Commandments? is this incorrect? My humble opinion is that the OT is just as important as the NT and have seen the same Lord (of both) making them each very relievant to my life. I will say there are parts of each i do not understand and yet do see them as both compatible and neccessary to understand a small glimpse(and darkly at that)our Wonderful Creator. Omegaman said, on January 26th, 2007 at 2:34 am Thank you for your taking the time to read it Rebekah. I do not expect everyone to agree with me, when they do, I will assume I am wrong. I do not think that Jesus, in referring to the law, is talking about the ten commandments. Observe this familiar passage: Matt 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. Notice there are two things He did not come to destroy. The Prophets, is a reference to the Books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekial, etc. Similarly, the Law, is also a collection of books. It was terminology well known to His audience. The Jews had divided the scriptures into categories, but these are manmade, just as our chapter and verse number system is. Jesus was basically saying “I have not come to destroy the scriptures, but to fulfill them.” There are other similar phrases Jesus used. Luke 24:44-45 “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures There - you see Jesus talking about the Law of Moses. This is probably a longhand version of what He meant by the Law in the previous verse. The Law of Moses, might sound again like the ten commandments to our ears, but it is a referance to the first five books of the Bible. Christians sometimes refer to these as the Pentateuch, to the Jews, it is Torah. The Torah, is obviously more than the ten commandments. When we divide things into categories like this, it is good for some purposes, we like things organized. Consider this. Jesus was always being criticised for things like violating the Sabbath. That, is a violation of law. In the following, you can see that Jesus saw the law as prophetic. Maybe one could make the case that the ten commandments are a prophecy of the Messiah, but I won’t try. Matt 11:13 “For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John. Here is more evidence, that the Law is more than a few “thou shalt nots”: Luke 2:21-24 21 And when eight days were completed before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. 22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every first-born male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” Now all that being said, I think there is a sense in which you are correct. If you think of the Law as rules for behavior, it is obvious that we do not obey the law flawlessly. Whether you limit yourself to just the ten commandments, or the multitude of other commandments in the Bible. Since we do not obey, we need a way to deal with sins. In Old Israel, they depended on the sacrifice of animals. This, was only a picture of what was to come. The blood of a few animals is not sufficient to cleanse us of sins. Faith in God, and His provison for us, is how we access cleansing from sin. I believe all the animals in the world. can not atone for a single persons sin. I do not belive that the sacrifice of a single sinless person, could atone for the sins of mankind. The math just doesn’t work. However, if God Himself were to sacrifice His body, He is of sufficient worth to cover all of mankind. Problem is, in order for God to do that, He would have to have a body which can shed blood and die. This is why the Diety of Christ is a vital doctrine. Pauls refers to the Law as our schoolmaster, as I believe I mentioned in the link you read. It teaches us two things. The first, is that we are not good enough, the second, is that it points out, through prophecy, who would save us from our sins. I know that was way more than your questioned looked for. so I will do a recap after all my typical longwindedness. Your short question: I do have a question tho when Jesus was talking about the law i have always understood that to mean the Ten Commandments? is this incorrect? My short answer: Yes, it is incorrect, lol. Donna Ps25 said, on February 20th, 2007 at 12:02 pm Wow Omegaman, As always God amazes me. My sister told me this weekend she plans to obtain a new tattoo. So I asked her what the Bible said about it. She mentioned well, there are many Christians she knows that have tattoos. I said yes. And so she thinks we can do as society says is correct?? Then she is conforming to the world. I showed her the passage in Lev. 19 about Tattoos, and so we discussed how several items in that passage are still things we consider we should practice today (as Christians) but yet things like weaving 2 types of material together and cutting sides of hair we have never thought twice over. Later that evening, I just happened to check blogs, and this new one had been posted by you. Very interesting that it came together. Thank you for adding in to our study on the topic. It’s now up to her to pray about her decision. Rebekah David said, on April 27th, 2007 at 1:21 pm Thanks oman! (sorry this reply was so late in coming) I appreciated your long version as it really clarified my misconception and also the short recap as my mind got lost thinking about your long version jackie said, on May 24th, 2007 at 12:49 pm Greetings brother, I after many years of bible study am inagreement with you. I would like to to go even deeper about the role of the Jews and what we owe to them. God tells us to pray every day for Jerusalem. This is very important and again why the Old testement is very important to all of us. We are adopted into Gods family. Sorry I hope I didn’t open up any problems. Thank you for sharing your thoughts (well done) 2 Tim 3: 16-17 Have a blessed day nobdy said, on May 27th, 2007 at 4:38 pm Thank you for your blog. In order to understand the new testement and specifically what Yeshua teaches, you must have the Old Testement. Myself, I have never read a scripture written by God that tells me to do away with the Old Testement. I think however, one must discover that which is created by man (Church dogma), and that which is commanded by God. An example of what I mean…..for a very long time and maybe still, catholics were not allowed to eat meat on friday….so who deceided this….God or the pope. It has always amazed me that christians do alot of man inspired things and totally ignore the commandments and the Festivals commanded by God. Another example, it is my belief that the Puritans were not celebrating “Thanksgiving”, but the Feast of the Tabernacle. It is by the Grace of God through our belief in He Who is the Christ that we are saved. How folks think that eliminates the Old Testement and it’s teachings is beyond me. Donna Ps25 said, on June 13th, 2007 at 10:00 pm I’m currently reading an amazing book I’ll recommend by Ray Stedman called ‘Adventuring through the Bible’. It has really opened my eyes to looking at the Holy Book in different ways. He very much ties the OT and NT together. The prophecies, the fullfillments, the reason behind each book and why it was written and to whom. I just started the NT part, but the OT was a wealth of info to me. Joel R. said, on June 28th, 2007 at 12:45 pm I have read your link and it is very ineteresting. Like you said we can have a discussion about meanings and literal translations but the Lord taught us in the OT to be responsible for our own actions, something of a rare occasion in our present time. To ignore the OT, which spawned what are now the three main religions of christianity, judaism, and islam (yes even islam) and to replace it with the NT is rather extreme. Watching the end of the movie is much less enjoyable than watching it in it’s full context. Robert Cartwright said, on July 5th, 2007 at 8:35 am I had an ‘out of body’ experience when I suffered a cardiac arrest. The comment I have to make about,” is the Old Testament relevant for today.” is simple. Yes it is! I say this because I thought and quite rightly that my last breath had been taken from me. I uttered the words, “well I’ve finally bought it Lord and I’ve failed you.” The reply came back, “My ways are not your ways, neither are your ways my ways; I have chosen you with all your faults, you didn’t choose me. I know your faults. Now go back and follow my laws, do this and you will greatly please me.” So where did I go? To the ten commandments of course. Then I began to study different laws and see if they were relevant to my situation and the modern day or if they were directed to the peoples of that period in time. A great deal of wisdom, understanding and discernment are needed to interpret these correctly and that is why we have God’s Holy Spirit who will direct us into all truth and knowlege. We are human and we will continue to make mistakes but remember that God knows us and all our ways. The Old and New Testaments compliment each other and there is a wealth of instruction and hope in the old as well as the new. Prayer is the key to heaven and faith unlocks the door. Enjoy both old and new. Bryan said, on July 29th, 2007 at 11:59 pm Jesus did not come to “replace the law but to fulfill the law”. God does not change and people are not different from thousands of years ago. Societies and mans laws change. What applied to mankind b.c. still applies today. Living by faith instead of the law does not negate the law. God still expects the same from mankind as any other time. RJAVF said, on August 18th, 2007 at 1:51 pm I am aware that not many Christians truely know what OLD TESTEMENT means. Some even those who retun tihe believe that the OT is simply the book from Genesis to Malachi. But the OT in reality refers to ANIMAL / BLOOD SACRIFICES. When we say that we are not under the OT what we must undrstand from this is that we are no longer obligated to use animal sacrifices, or high priest or any of the ” shadows” that represented Jesus. The book of Hebrews chapters 7-10 give a good discription of the old covenant and new. and the book of Acts chapter 15 gives a good indication that we ( NONE HEBREW BELIEVERS IN JESUS) must continue to obey the laws writen in the book which we call the OT. The division of the bible into books of OT and NT is not divine. Its a human doing. God divided His SCRIPTURE into two divisions: THE LAW ( written by Moses) and THE PROPHETS. Now these are the divisions made by God and are divine, and ALL of them regardless of what book we read apply today Marguerite said, on September 4th, 2007 at 3:23 pm Hi, Omegaman, Read your blog, superfantastic, meaty with scripture and none ramming - down - your - throat - style. I have and still do struggle with new and old testasment scripture, but know that Its not about me, its about God. I do stuff wrong, we all do, but I just say, hey God I mucked it up again looks like I really do need you. he just needs us to acknowledge our sin and he gives us his grace. Don’t know about you but I live by faith and Grace and Gods Love alone. I have left the pentecostal church I attended because of legalism, saying we should be right with God and be righteous, but We can never be right with God, He makes us right by sending Jesus Christ to shed his blood for us. That and only that Is being right with God. Be real people, stand for Jesus just as you are. live under Grace, and let him love you into being holy through faith in Jesus and his grace and mercy. Thank you for writing what I feel is inspiring to my walk. Refreshing and Real. May God truley and richly bless you with his Love. marg bobinthegong said, on November 9th, 2007 at 6:15 pm Hi omegaman. I’d say that the old testament is alive and well. I only just escaped from a christian chat room where they were discussing the merits of castrating child molesters and rapists! When I asked what we do with women who do those things, stony silence was the stern reply. Seriously though, I have to agree with you. The old testament is rich with God’s promises, the fulfillment of which we see in the life, death and ressurection of Christ. In truth, I don’t think you can have one without the other. The old testament, taken as a whole, is the story of God’s law, and how utterly we are unable to live up to it. The new testament is about what God did about that. I am what could best be termed a ‘returning backslider’. I have been in the wilderness for many years, but just last week I finally took the Book off the shelf, blew the dust off it, and asking God for a ’sign’, for want of a better word, opened up at Isiaih 41. It got my attention, especially vs 8-20. I couldn’t think of a better scripture for someone in my position. There were no flashing lights, no bells or whistles; just a feeling of assurance that I am loved, that God has not forgotten me, that there is light at the end of the tunnel. My conclusion? The Word of God is a thing of beauty, of promise, of love and grace. Check out John 1:1-5. Jesus is the Word of God. And it says somewhere,(Revelation?) that not one jot or tittle of the word will be nullified, or words to that effect. As for you, Omegaman,(revelation again!), you seem to be a fairly sensible, well adjusted bloke. I think, in my experience, that a lot of Christians forget one of the Lords greatest gifts to us: Commonsense. Grace and peace. Ruth said, on November 11th, 2007 at 8:39 pm After reading most of the blogs on this issue about the Old and New Testaments, I felt strongly moved to chime in. It’s funny– I’ve been reading the books of Exodus, Numbers and Leviticus lately because I’ve grown deeply fascinated with the Tabernacle in the wilderness and Yahweh’s Laws concerning its building and sanctification. All things about the tabernacle symbolize our Lord Jesus Christ: the sacrificial bronze altar, it’s annointing with blood, the priest’s robes, and the curtain that is before the Most Holy Place. One of God’s instructions to Moses was to use the colors red, purple and blue year when making the curtain of the tabernacle [Exodus 26:1-2],when making Aaron’s priestly sash and other things. [The Jews Torah? states that the purple yarn represents the Messiah. Purple as you know, is a mixture of red=earth and blue=heaven. There is so much more symbolism that points to Christ, just as he told his apostles. Is the Old Testament relevant for Christians. You bet. I was able to understand Jesus’ even better after reading about the very detailed laws and procedures that Yahweh gave to the Israelites through wonderful Moses.If we don’t consider the ancient symbols that represented the Savior, I feel the we’ll miss out on a lot.(Exodus 26:1-2). PLEEEZE read the Old Testament books–then look at Revelation 1:9-16). Peace. Ruth Rev Albert said, on November 14th, 2007 at 12:37 am Omegaman In all you have said, you have demonstrated what the church currently suffers from. Not the subject on the Old Testament, but about how every uses the Scriptures to push forward their own opinions. I am truly impressed with your level of Comprehension as one who has stepped back and look at everyone doing their own thing. This day, the day you read this tread, declares the Lord God of the heavens, and his only begotten Son Jesus Christ, the Angel of the Lord will make camp with you; and will endow you with all the Gifts of the Spirit and indeed increase your understand. In God’s word we are commanded to humble ourselves; and God will raise us up. You can never know personally that you are humble, but your demonstrated love through how you deal with others shows your humility. You think about your words before you write them or say them; that speaks about your heart. The Angel with you will teach you how to heal the sick and raise the dead; and will also teach you how the power of healing works; and will move you to show love to everyone that you want to help. Once you desire to help, he will move upon anyone you touch and give you tangible evidence that he is there. Even if you do not believe that he is there, he will not leave; and only when you start desiring to show love to someone by either giving or helping them, that he will move upon the person. And God Bless you

Have you ever been instructed to do something specific by God, a specific event at a specific time? If so, what was it? Did you obey? Were you able to discern the reason? Is this a frequent pattern? Or very rare? Please explain. Thanks much for the responses in advance. May God be glorified.

For as long as I have attended church, it seems to me that I have heard the phrase "tithes and offerings". Sometimes, I have heard the word "gifts" used. In most of these cases, it has been about putting money in a plate, a basket or sometimes a cloth bag. Over the years, I have heard my share of sermons on the importance of tithing. I had attended churches, when I was not even a believer, and when the plate came around, felt a bit uncomfortable, partially because I had no idea what was customary to do. I had wished they had just charged admission like a theater, rather than leaving me to figure out how much money I needed to put in the plate as it went by. Indeed, one of the things you often hear unbelievers complaining about is this constant begging for money, that is associated with attending a church, or even watching some religious guy on TV, it always comes down to money. When I was a new believer, I was fortunate to fall into the hands and teaching of the late Dr. Walter Martin. What a lovely man. He had such a way of communicating. I loved attending his adult Sunday school classes. One thing that sticks out in my mind about those sessions, was that when it came time to deal with the finances, he would say something to the effect: "You Christians know what your obligations are. If you are not a believer, please, keep your money, we just want you to enjoy your time with us today." That always impressed me, I wished that other churches I had been to, had that attitude. When I moved from Orange County years later, I attended a new church. There came a point where they were talking about 'Book Signed Members'. To be a book signed member, you were expected to tithe. At the church, a tithe was 10% of your income, your gross income, before taxes. Many Christians do not understand that a tithe is 10% by definition. In fact, it is - tithe literally means tenth. Well, I wanted to be a book signed member there, but to be truthful, I did not want to give up a tenth of my income. It left me a bit distressed. I told the pastor about my feelings, and he recommended a book to me. I bought the book and read it. The book presented the case that Christians should tithe, should give ten per cent to their church. It had scriptures about tithing, and I would look up the passages and read them in the Bible. The more I read, the less convinced I was about the point that the book was making. By the time I was through, the book had lead me to passages that actually convinced me that tithing was not Christian at all, not called for, not necessary, not related to my life in Christ in any way. The book had the opposite effect on me, than the author intended. I began tithing almost immediately. Why did I do that? The answer is very simple. My flesh, the rebellious part of me, resented being required to pay money that would impact my standard of living. However, the book had driven me to the scriptures, where I discovered, that tithing was a part of God's covenant with Israel, not part of any requirement that He placed upon the church. In other words. I was free from obligation to pay a certain amount of money. This freedom, made me thankful, made me appreciate the fact that God had instead, provided me with my needs, out of which He trusted me to give willingly, an amount that was comfortable and in keeping with my means. This freedom even meant that I did not have to give a dime, if I resented it. The strangest part to me was, that the same amount I resented being required of me, I was now happy to give up. God had done a small work in my heart. Later in my walk, I learned to trust God to supply my needs, just as He promised. Rationally, I cannot explain that I could live in a beach town in southern California (a very expensive part of the country where I grew up), and raise 5 kids on only a workman's hourly wage, letting my wife quit her job. Rationally, it is ridiculous. Never-the-less, we have never gone a day without food, never lacked for a roof over our heads, always had clothes on our backs. Right now, I do not have the money to pay my bills, and occasionally we have gone into default on our mortgage, with foreclosure proceedings begun, but I trust that God indeed, can provide all of our needs in spite of what seems reasonable. So far, He always has. Our church began to undergo a building program. Our pastor came before the congregation to ask us, to prayerfully consider how much we might give above our normal amount, over the next two years, so that the church could undergo a building program, and have an idea of what their budget should be. He asked us to pray about it, and if we heard from the Lord, to commit to that amount. My wife and I did just that, we prayed that night about it, and went to bed. In the morning, my wife asked me if I had any amount that I thought the Lord had impressed upon me. I told her that I did. She said she had also. We compared notes. Myself, I was not expecting to see the same numbers. I told my wife that I thought we should give $4000 dollars over our normal amount, over the coming two years. She said "Oh? I got a percentage, we should give 18% of our income as our total giving!" I wasn't expecting that answer. I was making $12 and hour at the time, working 40 hour weeks. Since I worked 5 days out of seven, that meant I got paid for 5/7 of 365 days each year - approximately 261 paid days. $12 an hour times 8 hours a day times 261 days a year times two years was $50112. I actually worked it out, because my wife and I had two different numbers. Hers was to make our total giving to 18%. I subtracted our ten percent tithe from her 18% total giving number, to arrive at 8% above normal. As it turns out, 8% of $50112 is $4008.96. I took that as close enough to be from the Lord, a skeptic might expect God to be more accurate. It is possible, that the discretion is due to my human side. I came up with $4000, because I felt that the Lord had moved me to giving the money, that I was setting aside for an individual retirement account (IRA), which was $2000 dollars a year. I believe that the Lord spoke to my wife, and gave her a number, in a different way, and that that number roughly corresponded to my number, so that I would see that He was at work. He gave her an even number spiritually, while He worked on my heart about what to sacrifice. Looked at in that light, to numbers rounded off and yet so close together (within about 2/10 of one percent), is pretty remarkable. Somehow, even though it would have been more accurate, it seems unlikely that God would have told my wife "Give 17.79821200510855683269476372924649 %". Maybe God knows I prefer round numbers. But what sayeth the Scriptures? There is much in the Bible, about money, and much confusion about it in the church. Tonight, we will look at a lot of what God has said, regarding money and regarding tithes, and see what He speaks to our hearts. Father, as we open your word tonight, we ask that you open our eyes and hearts. We seek to know your will, and ask that as we go through various verses, that you give us spiritual discernment, that we may know what is from you, and what may be from any agendas we might have. Give us the supernatural ability, to judge what is true, and what is error. Lord, I ask that you use all here, to bring forth understandings, that you want us to have. Give us the courage to speak out, regardless of what others may think, and the wisdom to be open to your voice only. We thank you that you hear our prayers, and have provided this place, where we can gather and learn from each other and from you. We ask these things, by the authority that you have given us, through your Son Jesus, and thank you for what you are doing in our lives. Amen 11/15/2017 - Updating this unfinished feature, should be done in a day or two. If you cannot wait, you can see it at: http://www.omegazine.com/biblestudy/tithe_1.html

This Is Amazing Grace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjXjkbODrro "This Is Amazing Grace" [Verse 1:] Who breaks the power of sin and darkness Whose love is mighty and so much stronger The King of Glory, the King above all kings Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder The King of Glory, the King above all kings [Chorus:] This is amazing grace This is unfailing love That You would take my place That You would bear my cross You lay down Your life That I would be set free Oh, Jesus, I sing for All that You've done for me [Verse 2:] Who brings our chaos back into order Who makes the orphan a son and daughter The King of Glory, the King of Glory Who rules the nations with truth and justice Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance The King of Glory, the King above all kings [Chorus] [bridge:] Worthy is the Lamb who was slain Worthy is the King who conquered the grave Worthy is the Lamb who was slain Worthy is the King who conquered the grave Worthy is the Lamb who was slain Worthy is the King who conquered the grave Worthy is the Lamb who was slain Worthy, worthy, worthy Oh [Chorus]

This is great! What do you think? Summary: Keep standing firm in your freedom. Stop seeking the favor of everyone. Start refusing to submit to bondage. Continue being straightforward about the truth.

I have modified the title of this article slightly as I think it is a great review on Tullian Tchividjian’s One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World. What are your thoughts?

Grace comes to us in two dimensions: vertical and horizontal. Vertical grace centers on our relationships with God. Freeing us from the demands and the condemnation of the Mosaic law, vertical grace gives us hope to the sinner by not only providing eternal life but also freeing us from any requirements to pay back God. Vertical grace is truly amazing! Horizontal grace centers around our relationship with others. Relieved from our guilt and shame, we walk in grace, we’re free from the tyranny of pleasing people. We’re free from their demands and expectations, and they’re free from ours. When we can demonstrate horizontal grace, we accept others as they are. We have no personal agenda to make anyone be someone he or she is not. Horizontal grace is truly charming! The basic commandments by Christ were to love God and love people. I think sometimes we understand grace in the context of God's grace towards us. But we forget to allow God's grace given to us to overflow in our relationships and give us the opportunity to be gracious to others. Charles also is known to have said something to the extent of: "I am more interested in aging with God's grace than aging gracefully. As I get older I want to be filled with more of God's grace and love." I. Two Strong Tendencies that Nullify Grace A. Comparing ourselves to others Examples… Musical Tastes Income Marital Status Number of children B. Seeking to control others Intimidation/Judgment We need to stop trying to be in charge of others lives (Or the Holy Spirit for that matter) Playing the King of the Mountain – don’t do it. II. Four Biblical Guidelines that Personify Grace (Romans 14) A. Remember that accepting others is basic to letting God grow them. B. Releasing others allows the Lord to direct the details we're not qualified to fill. C. Freeing others means we never assume a role (of the Holy Spirit). D. Loving others requires us to express our liberty wisely. What was the taboo issue of the day in the Church in Romans 14? The big issue of the day was eating food and in particular meat offered to idols. Meat would be sold on the market that was offered to an idol. Newer Believers would be exasperated that those who’d been in the faith longer had no issue with food offered to idols. See: Romans 14:1-19 (NLT) III. Suggestions on how to give more horizontal grace? A. Refocus on things that encourage peace. B. Remember that sabotaging saints hurts God’s work. C. Refuse to play God in anyone’s life. God bless, GE Source: Based on a sermon listened today with my wife by Charles Swindoll - The Grace to Let Others Be... February 15, 2013 Edit: Added the section in bold red.

What are your favorite Quotes/Scriptures on Grace?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For reference these are the threads on the subject. This is not the OP. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ To clarify where Jeff VanVonderen is coming from in his book Families Where Grace Is In Place: Building a Home Free of Manipulation, Legalism, and Shame. Highlights – Introduction (Pages 11-15) God bless, GE