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Found 14 results

  1. I have been studying eschatology for more than 30 years now. Originally I believed in a pre-tribulation rapture because frankly it was the only view I had ever heard. One day I was listening to the radio and heard a man mentioning the fact that there were other views on the topic. This got my curiosity up and I decided to study the Bible myself and see if I could discover what the Bible itself actually taught about these things. I was really serious about it. The method I chose to employ was to read the Bible from Genesis through the Book of Revelation and write down every verse or passage that I believed spoke to the issue of the timing of the sequence of the Rapture of the Church with respect to the Great Tribulation. This took me eight months to accomplish. Once I had all of my notes, I copied them onto Post-it notes so that I could arrange them in a chronological sequence if something in the verse or passage had a clue about the order in which it fit with respect to the other verses and passages. This was done on a 4' x 8' sheet of particleboard laid out on a folding table. I tell you this in case you want to try this yourselves sometime to let you know what it takes and what you will be in for. My wife died recently and I myself am aging and have had some recent health issues. This has brought into focus the fact that my own time on earth may be limited. Actually this is true of every one of us, no one knows the time of their own death. You could have a stroke, or be in a car accident tomorrow. In Eschatology, the study of the last things, we usually think in terms of things prophesied in the Bible that are yet to come. Things like the Rapture of the Church, the Great Tribulation, the Second Coming of Jesus, Armageddon, the Millennium, these sorts of things. While many of us believe that Jesus could come at any moment, few of us really live as though we expect that to happen. We understand that it has been about 2000 years so far, and that casts some doubt our hearts and minds about whether he will really come today or tomorrow or even in a week or this year. Though I have always realized intellectually that my personal time on earth, my own life, could end in a moment, it is the events of this last year but it made me thoughtfully confront the reality of my limited time. What this means then is that no matter how delayed Jesus second coming might be, I will likely be face-to-face with Jesus within 10 or 20 years. Eschatology is then therefore not limited to the study of the last things predicted in the Bible, but we each have our own personal last days which are contained within our natural lifespans. Some people say that if it is true that Jesus will not be coming back until after the great tribulation that that removes the motivation to live as we should so that we will be found doing what we should be doing when he does return. I want to say to you that if that is what you think: "Shame on you!" The motivation to live correctly should not be a concern to not be caught failing to live as we should be living when Jesus comes at the end of the age. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our sins. Gratefulness for our undeserved salvation should be more than enough motivation to live within the will of God without concern of the question of when Jesus will return. When we are not living correctly, we have already been 'caught'. The Holy Spirit is inside us if we are believers. God is omnipresent. Whatever we do, we drag Jesus with us. Nothing we do, nothing we say, nothing we think, goes unnoticed by God. So I think then, that for those of us who think that a pre-tribulation rapture of the church is a motivation to live rightly, with that thinking we are inclining ourselves to living wrongly. Rather than to live holy lives out of the gratitude we have for what Jesus has done for us - rather than live as dedicated servants who owe him everything - rather than realize that we are not our own but have been purchased - some of us shamefully take his grace as a license to sin because we know we have been forgiven. We live worldly lives because we think in our hearts that our master is delaying his return, even while we say with our lips He might return at any moment. Those of us who think and act in this manner are self deceived and we are hypocrites. In June of 2014, a couple months ago as I write this, I had the great privilege of delivering a sort of eulogy at my wife's memorial service. Gathered there were friends and family some of whom are believers, some who were not, and some who think they are believers and don't even understand what the difference is. It had been on my wife's heart for years that many of her family were likely destined to suffer in eternity. I know that like me, she was dissatisfied with the fact that it is easy to avoid speaking of spiritual things with loved ones because it feels awkward. Personally I feel shame that I have too often avoided that awkwardness and instead of demonstrating love by informing people of their peril, I have been willing to risk their eternal destiny for the sake of my temporary comfort . This is a great sin and I confess that as such and am attempting to repent of it. The eulogy I gave was the first significant step in telling people to re-examine their hearts and their lives and their need of salvation from their sins . This had been on my mind for years but having so many people as a captive audience at a time when the temporary nature of life was so obvious, was an opportunity that could not be passed up. What I was saying then was not just a recap of my wife's life, it was an expression of things that she had left unsaid. Confronting the fact that no matter how long it is before Jesus returns, it is true that we all have limited time left. So I realized that there are two kinds of the end times. There is the near-term end time which is represented by our limited lifespans, and there is the end times for mankind itself which began while Jesus still walked the earth and which we are in today as well. Both types of end times carry the same implications. Time is short, and there is a dying world out there that needs to understand that. Jesus himself near the end of his life told us to go out into the world and to preach the gospel to everyone. This was not a suggestion. Not just a nice idea. It's not optional. It is a command to every believer. Failing to do this is disobedience. It is sin. It is unloving. Penn Gillette, a self-professed atheist, said to the effect: "How much do you have to hate someone to believe that eternal life is possible and then not tell them how to obtain it?" I think those are pretty profound words on the topic for an atheist. It is too bad so many Christians don't get it. I have been one of them. So, in these last days of my own life I have determined to try to improve in a lot of things, but most specifically two things. The first is to be more active, perhaps even aggressive or at least assertive in evangelism. People need to understand that they are sinners. People need to know that their sin separates them from God. People need to understand that unless Jesus saves them from their sins, that separation from God is a permanent condition. They need to understand that that separation from God is a separation from everything good. Imagine if you will, what it would be like to spend eternity apart from good. Where there is no good, only evil remains. I believe that this concept of hell is accurate. I don't even like to think about it. When I try to imagine it, what I imagine is an eternity of suffering and pain, a despondent existence, a type of suffering worse than anything we have yet experienced in our lives while all the time knowing that this condition will be never ending and could have been avoided. What if life was so bad, that you never wanted to awaken, and you could never fall asleep again? If I really consider this all I can do is loathe my own evil and selfish heart, and at the same time feel an indebtedness and gratitude for the Savior who spares me from the eternity that I deserve and am apparently willing to let others earn for themselves. So, evangelism it is. I have to tell people. If I don't, I am a morally hideous monster. We do not need to have any special calling on our life to be ministers of the gospel. Where are all supposed to be evangelists. We do not have to wait for a leading of the Spirit to talk to a person about these things. We have already been told to just do it. Thing is when we realize what is at stake, we should not even have to be told. So then, the most important task that I have in my last days, the thing that I really want to be found doing when Jesus returns or when I go to be with Him if His return is delayed, it is to be telling others about God's love for them in the person of Jesus Christ who suffered and died for their sins to spare them from an eternity separated from God's love and goodness and filled with despair. When Jesus told us to go out into the world and preach the gospel to every creature he did not say to limit ourselves to evangelism. The purpose of evangelism is to make disciples, to make other followers of Jesus, and to teach them everything he taught us. One of the areas that Jesus taught about, that His apostles taught about, and that both Testaments of the Bible speak about frequently, are the end times and especially about warnings not to be deceived in them. So, because I have spent so much of the last three decades studying this area of Scripture, and because there are so many warnings not to be deceived, I feel a special responsibility to obey Jesus and tell other disciples about this topic because some are underinformed while others are deceived. I may at times sound arrogant due to the confidence I have in my understanding of eschatology, the study of the last things. I admit it, I am opinionated, passionate, and confident. When you put those three things together in one person, you have qualities which others may consider to be arrogance, maybe it is. Nevertheless I cannot in good conscience fail to attempt to pass on what I believe I have learned. I have been preparing questions for a trivia game on the topic of eschatology. While doing this I have been studying and reading the writings of others whose views are different than my own. There is one theologian in particular widely regarded as the foremost scholar on his particular viewpoint of eschatology. I have always had great respect for this man even though I disagree with him. He does deserve respect for his love of the Savior and his hard work and dedication to study. This is true of a lot of ordinary Christians as well. However after just having reviewed one of his books, I am finding so many unfounded presumptions, and faulty exercises and logic, that although I may respect his hard work, I have to reject his conclusions. Maybe I really am arrogant. However, even though I know this is redundant, I have to follow my convictions and make disciples, teaching them everything that Jesus taught his first disciples to teach other disciples in an ongoing chain until his return. Perhaps with this you can understand my focus. I hope that you can be patient with me while I am living out my faith and while the process of my own sanctification continues. I urge you, to also consider the shortness of time and make efforts to reach out to those you come in contact with and make a few disciples yourselves. Thanks for listening.
  2. What is it that makes us decide to trust and believe, not just God, but people? Everything we do as followers of Christ is wrapped around faith, the essence of trust and belief. However, there is added disincentive in the story of Rahab in that these two men who may have entered her house under false pretenses, have now enlightened her that they are spies; that her life is now in danger from the spies and the guards of Jericho. They point out that her only reasonable choice is to hide them, and she does. For us, there is a sudden awareness that her faith in this unknown god and her desire to be rescued by Him has become challenged. What does this added incentive do to your belief system? Ponder once again what Rahab tells the two Israeli spies. Joshua 2:9-10 NASB and said to the men, "I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. 10) "For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. At first, it is deeply personal as she says, “ I know that the LORD has given you the land and that the terror of you has fallen on us,” This paragraph has belief and fear written all over it. While I, Rahab, know that the Almighty has his hand on you, there is a profound and genuine concern on the part of the entire city for their safety, lives, and mine as well. Joshua 2:11 NASB "When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. Does fear promote belief? I know it does not work for me. I may, under duress, comply out of concern for the safety of my family and myself, but I will never come to admire and possibly love you, as Rahab did. The reality is that God's most significant impact on our faith is through signs. The idea that God is okay with that, comes from the verse where she recaps the two notable stories of which the people Jericho were aware. “We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.” It is rapidly becoming evident that Rahab is a smart woman. You don't last long in such a business without the skills of a spy yourself, and she, therefore, strikes a bargain. Joshua 2:12-13 NASB "Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD, since I have dealt kindly with you, that you also will deal kindly with my father's household, and give me a pledge of truth, 13) and spare my father and my mother and my brothers and my sisters, with all who belong to them, and deliver our lives from death." The men hear her out and respond with the words she needs to hear. Joshua 2:14 NASB So the men said to her, "Our life for yours if you do not tell this business of ours; and it shall come about when the LORD gives us the land that we will deal kindly and faithfully with you." Having received a promise of protection, and trusting their word, she provides them with a way of escape. I am going to do something peculiar here, and verse 15 last because I cannot see any practicality to her shouting additional instructions to the men as they rappel down the wall from her window. Joshua 2:15-21 NASB 16) She said to them, "Go to the hill country, so that the pursuers will not happen upon you, and hide yourselves there for three days until the pursuers return. Then afterward you may go on your way." 17) The men said to her, "We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear, 18) unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father's household. 19) "It shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20) "But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear." 15) Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall so that she was living on the wall. 21) She said, "According to your words, so be it." So she sent them away, and they departed, and she tied the scarlet cord in the window. The bargaining is completed. Rahab lets them out through a window and uses the same scarlet cord to signal Israel's troops that hers is a safe house. Suddenly it occurs to me. While the scarlet color may have been associated with her profession, it now represented that scarlet blood that saves us all. Few realize what took place. Consider also the tremendous significance, as Jesus was three days and nights in death, so to the scarlet rope hung from that window. Our redemption through Jesus was signaled all throughout this book we call the Bible, and today, I saw it. What would have happened had the townsfolk of Jericho saw that cord suddenly hanging there? With the armed militia out chasing the spies, did the town now feel safe? I doubt it. The city may have gone on lock-down. How did this rope go unnoticed? That can only be God. Did Rahab and her family demonstrate a strong faith in this God of Israel, and were therefore saved? We don't know any of that. Rahab took a chance and pitched her case, knowing full well that they could turn against her. If what she says is true, then the people within Jericho comprehend the threat that Israel poses. Finding out that two Israeli spies have infiltrated the city just raises the threat level exponentially. The result of the increased threat level is that the family, which may have treated her as an outcast, hurriedly gathered survival supplies and joined Rahab in her home. Joshua 2:23-24 NASB Then the two men returned and came down from the hill country and crossed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and they related to him all that had happened to them. 24) They said to Joshua, "Surely the LORD has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us." Safely back at camp, they related all that had happened. What a story. Oh, and by-the-way Joshua, there is one more thing you might find interesting - “Surely the LORD has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us.” At least that is what Rahab told us. Melted – is the Hebrew word moog, meaning to melt; literally (to soften, flow down, disappear), or figuratively (to fear, faint). Since this is a character study on Rahab, I am going to bypass much of the detail involved in the attack on Jericho. It is admittedly fascinating to learn how Jericho's walls fell. Having seen pictures of the archaeological digs at Jericho, it becomes apparent that they went straight down into the ground. Except for one spot, that portion that Rahab lived in. Joshua 6:20 The NASB states that the wall fell flat. What does that mean? The Hebrew word is taḥaṯ: A preposition meaning under, beneath; in place of. It indicates a position below or underneath some other reference point.” Word Study Dictionary. While the word flat is indeed an option, how do you explain under, beneath or a position below, especially when the passage goes on to say that every man walked straight ahead? We don't return to Jericho in the book of Joshua until chapter six. In the meantime, circumcisions have been performed, and Israel has passed through the Jordan on dry land, just as they did the Red Sea. This time they placed a large mound of stones to commemorate God's goodness and what a coincidence that a large mound of stones has been located in the Sea of Galilee. I suppose the obvious thing to consider here, is that much time has passed and that scarlet cord is probably still hanging out that window. Joshua 6:21-23 NASB They utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man, and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword. 22) Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the harlot's house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her." 23) So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives and placed them outside the camp of Israel. How befitting that the young men who made the agreement should go and gather Rahab and her family. “Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives and placed them outside the camp of Israel.” Albert Barnes commentary states, “These words literally “made to rest outside the camp of Israel” - indicate that being still in their paganism, they were separated from the camp of the Lord. This was only for a time. They desired, and eventually obtained, admission to the covenant of the chosen people of God.” Another instance where we have no details. We know nothing about paganism, but it is probably safe to assume. Since Rahab seems to have a faith in this God she knows little about, we shall see her come to understanding and acceptance. Joshua 6:25 NASB However, Rahab the harlot and her father's household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. And everyone lived happily ever after, well, I would hope so. Sadly we live in reality, but there are three other passages I want you to see. In spelling out the Jewish heritage of Jesus, the gospel of Matthew includes Rahab. Matthew 1:5 NASB Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse. Boaz, if you remember, owned the land in which Ruth had been directed to work by Naomi, her mother in law. Boaz buys the right to marry Ruth, and they produced a child named Obed, and Obed became the father of Jesse, the father of David. Rahab is found in Hebrews 11 because of her faith. Hebrews 11:31 NASB By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient after she had welcomed the spies in peace. And lastly, as an example of how faith works, we have the writings of James. James 2:24-25 NASB You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25) In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? Understanding the ramifications, Rahab accepted the spies, protected them, and sent them safely on their way. So, Rahab then becomes an example for us, of faith and how it works.
  3. Joshua 1:6 - "Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them." True soldiers of Christ resolve to die every day to this world so that they live for the sake of the Gospel. It is time for courage to enable us to lift a sword that never leaves our hands again -- it never gets put on the mantle. Every day is a day of conquest -- every day is a day for King Jesus to be glorified -- it is called courage.Affirmation: COURAGE MAKES ME DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS FOR GOD EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF IMPOSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES. Proverbs 28:1 - "The wicked flee when no man pursues them, but the righteous are bold as a lion." Genesis 1:3 - "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." The first thing God did was speak with His voice. This is a clue for us to see just how powerful the voice is – how powerful OUR voice is. We are created in the image and likeness of God. When we speak through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, there is power to shift atmospheres from darkness to light. Connect with God in the cloud of His glory. Be inspired by His Spirit. Stir the river of His Spirit inside of you and welcome the cloud of His glory upon you. Then speak and shift atmospheres, even your own situations, by proclaiming His divine utterances under the unction and anointing of His Spirit. Don't seek as much to be relevant to men, but rather seek to be relevant to God, pleasing Him. Speak as one sent by Him to shift things on earth so they come under the transforming influence of Heaven. Matthew 17:5 - "While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!'" 1 Corinthians 2:11 - "As for a man, it is his own spirit within him that knows all about him; in the same way only God's Spirit knows all about God." Observation: GOD COMMUNICATES WITH ME THROUGH MY SPIRIT. IT IS GOD'S SPIRIT THAT BEARS WITNESS WITH MY SPIRIT THAT I AM A SON OF GOD. Romans 8:14 - "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  4. In Luke 13, "Jesus saw a crippled woman who had been bent over for 18 years; He called her to Himself and healed her. The ruler of the synagogue was indignant, not because He healed her but because He healed on the Sabbath. Jesus replied, 'Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?'" (vs. 15-17). Think of the people you know who are bound by satan, suffering, and in desperate need of a touch from God. Are we willing to get out of our comfort zone, past our old way of thinking and let go of whatever traditions or ways of man that hold us back from allowing the Lord to use us to bring His Kingdom onto this earth as it is in Heaven? What are we afraid of? Are we afraid of OFFENDING the people around us? Are we afraid that the sick won't be healed? Are we afraid that those bound by satan won't be set free? Are we afraid that those bent over won't be made straight? You see, if we pray and it doesn't happen, we'll be disappointed, feel embarrassed, feel like a failure, or worse, our faith may even be challenged. THE PRAYER OF NO FAITH With these fears brewing in our minds, it's easier to pray, "Lord, if it's Your will..." This is how we rationalize it in our minds. If we pray with that (no faith) phrase as our safety net, then we won't get our hopes up, and if we don't get our hopes up, then we won't be let down. But our hope is in God, it doesn't have anything to do with us, but it has everything to do with Him. Unfortunately, the devil is trying to get us to lose sight of this. It's a very subtle shift, but may we hear what the Spirit is saying. In Acts 5:12, Scripture tells us that through the hands of the apostle's many signs and wonders were done among the people. Hallelujah—that's just what Jesus said would happen (see John 14:12). The only place in the Bible where we see the phrase, "Lord, if You are willing..." is coming out of the mouth of someone stricken with leprosy (Matthew 8:2). For the Hebrews, leprosy was a dreaded condition which left its victims ceremonially unclean—that is, unfit to worship their King (see Leviticus 13:3). BELIEVING IN THE FINISHED WORK OF THE CROSS Jesus told us that if we believe in Him, we will do these greater things. Believing in Him means that we believe He has done it all. Believing in Him means that we can't mess it up and we can't conjure it up, because it's all about Him. It means that we know that we have nothing to add or subtract from the finished work of the Cross in order to gain our salvation or to see a miracle manifested. He has done it all, and all He is asking us is to do is to take His place as His priests. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY http://afministry.ning.com
  5. Joshua 1:6 - "Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them." AFFIRMATIONS: SINCE I AM COMMITTED TO PRAYER AND HAVE COURAGE TO STAND ON GOD'S WORD -- I AM CONFIDENT THAT GOD WILL ANSWER FROM HEAVEN. I REFUSE TO GIVE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF BATTLE AND AM DETERMINED TO RECEIVE MY REWARD. Hebrews 10:35 - "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward." Proverbs 24:16 - "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief." If we lose sight of OUR PURPOSE that God has for us being here we will drift aimlessly into things that are not fulfilling, but leave us empty and confused as to why we are here. Like Caleb (Numbers 14:24), we need a "different spirit" that is exemplary in faith. For he who is born of God "overcomes" the world, possessing and inheriting the promises. (1 John 5:4) Psalm 37:23,24 - "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." Jesus prayed in Matthew 6:10, "Your Kingdom come, Jesus is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us! We must find out what Heaven is saying over our lives, ministries, businesses, churches, cities, and nations. Now is the time for Kingdom increase! We must make sure we steward the increase properly.Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven." Proverbs 4:25-27 says, "Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil." In this upcoming season do not allow circumstances or situations to get you off track. When breakthrough comes we must make sure we are ready to walk in the breakthrough and steward it well. Don't wear yourself out worrying. Remember you don't get stronger in the good times but you grow the most during seasons of trials, tests, and tribulation. Warfare seasons are meant to strengthen us so we can receive our breakthrough. Don't look at where you are, look at where you're going. Make sure you are connected to the right people in this season. Surround yourself with only those who will help you walk in the purposes and plans God has over your life. Align yourself with people who stay in the battle until they inherit the promises and the purpose that God has designed for them! Hebrews 6:12 says, "We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  6. 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. Then, 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." To see God, it is imperative that our vision becomes spiritual and not just sensory. To hear God, we must learn to tune out the clamor of our fears and earthly desires. The Bible was written by individuals who actually beheld the glory of God. To see the glory of God is our call as well. Our spiritual vision is not an imaginary device of the mind, but that which comes from the living union of the Holy Spirit with our hearts. Matthew 5:8 -- "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Affirmations:I ASK THE LORD TO SHOW ME 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 may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  7. Our minds and mindsets need to be renewed by the Spirit. The culture of the day has begun to influence the way many see, think and feel, and the Lord is recalibrating us to see, think and feel as He does, and to bring us back to our first love. He wants to remind us of who we are, who He is, and the mission of seeing the earth filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord and being completely reconciled to His heart. Be strong and courageous! Renounce any agreement with fear, unbelief or a critical spirit. It's time to step out of the crowd and cross the threshold into this new place with the Father. The land on the other side of the threshold is rich and bountiful, and it is yours to live in. You are invited to live in the realm of, "With God ALL THINGS are possible," and you are invited to walk in complete surrender to the Father just as Jesus did. John 14:12 - "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father." Romans 14:17 - "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." AFFIRMATION: Christianity is not about what I put into my life. But what God has already put in my life. The new covenant is:1. I am cleansed by the blood of Jesus. 2. I am filled with the love and Spirit of God. 3. And All God has for me is already inside of me the moment I was born again. Ephesians, 3:16 - "May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His Glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the Holy Spirit {Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality]" AMP Your future comes from God’s possibilities and from His potential - Not the world’s, not your own. His potential and every promise of every possibility flow through the Holy Spirit, into you, and He will strengthen you with His might to accomplish those things so that you can be who you are called to be, to do what you are called to do and to receive what you are promised to be given. The Power and Strength of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life releases Victorious living in Everyday life! This is a key necessity for today as the Lord reveals His Kingdom and CALLING on our lives and its impact through us on others in the world! By faith in His Word and empowerment within the inner man, we live in a place of Power and Strength. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  8. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR EMAIL Very interesting -- the University is standing by their professor and not bowing down to special interest groups! http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/wichman.asp Professor Wichman E-mail Claim: A Michigan professor sent an e-mail telling Muslim students to leave the country. Status: True. The story begins at Michigan State University with a mechanical engineering professor named Indred Wichman. Wichman sent an e-mail to the Muslim Student's Association. The e-mail was in response to the students' protest of the Danish cartoons that portrayed the Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist. The group had complained the cartoons were 'hate speech.' ============ In Professor Wichman’s e-mail, he said the following: =============================== Dear Muslim Association, As a professor of Mechanical Engineering here at MSU I intend to protest your protest. I am offended not by cartoons, but by more mundane things like beheadings of civilians, cowardly attacks on public buildings, suicide murders, murders of Catholic priests (the latest in Turkey), burnings of Christian churches, the continued persecution of Coptic Christians in Egypt, the imposition of Sharia law on non-Muslims, the rapes of Scandinavian girls and women (called 'whores' in your culture), the murder of film directors in Holland, and the rioting and looting in Paris France. This is what offends me, a soft-spoken person and academic, and many, many of my colleagues. I counsel you dissatisfied, aggressive, brutal, and uncivilized slave-trading Muslims to be very aware of this as you proceed with your infantile 'protests.' If you do not like the values of the West - see the First Amendment - you are free to leave. I hope that most of you choose that option. Please return to your ancestral homelands and build them up yourselves instead of troubling Americans. Cordially, I. S. Wichman Professor of Mechanical Engineering ============================= As you can imagine, the Muslim group at the university didn't like this too well. They're demanding that Wichman be reprimanded, that the university impose mandatory diversity training for faculty, and mandate a seminar on hate and discrimination for all freshmen. Now, the local chapter of CAIR has jumped into the fray. CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, apparently doesn't believe that the good professor had the right to express his opinion. ========== For its part, the university is standing its ground in support of Professor Wichman, We are in a war. This political correctness rubbish is getting old.
  9. Romans 12:2 - "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." The place where Jesus was crucified was called "Golgotha", which meant "place of the skull." If I will be effective in spiritual warfare, the first field of conflict where I must learn warfare is the batleground of the mind; ie. the "place of the skull." Joshua 1:6 - "Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them." True soldiers of Christ resolve to die every day to this world so that they live for the sake of the Gospel. It is time for courage to enable us to lift a sword that never leaves our hands again -- it never gets put on the mantle. Every day is a day of conquest -- every day is a day for king Jesus to be glorified -- it is called courage. Affirmation: COURAGE MAKES ME DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS FOR GOD EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF IMPOSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES. Proverbs 28:1 - "The wicked flee when no man pursues them, but the righteous are bold as a lion." 1 Corinthians 2:11 - "As for a man, it is his own spirit within him that knows all about him; in the same way only God's Spirit knows all about God." Observation: GOD COMMUNICATES WITH ME THROUGH MY SPIRIT. IT IS GOD'S SPIRIT THAT BEARS WITNESS WITH MY SPIRIT THAT I AM A SON OF GOD. Romans 8:14 - "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  10. Genesis 1:2 - "The earth was without form and an empty waste, and darkness was upon the face of the very great deep. The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters." Observation: AS I MEET WITH GOD HE COMES LIVING AND BREATHING THROUGH THE SCRIPTURES INTO MY HEART. AT THAT MOMENT THE VERY SAME SPIRIT THAT HOVERED OVER CREATION IN THE BEGINNING IS HOVERING OVER ME, TRANSFORMING ME INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST THROUGH THE WORD. THAT LIVING, BREATHING WORD IS GOD! 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." Matthew 14:27 - "But Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."' Christs assurance, "It is I", literally translated reads, "I Am" - the eternal designation of God. While Jesus indeed comes to the aid of His disciples, He also reveals Himself teanscendent of time's barriers. As such, He proclaims His availability to all His disciples. He is God with us, even to the end of the age! AFFIRMATIONS: Since I am in Jesus Christ all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in me. (Col. 2:9,10) God has put eternity in my heart. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) The Lord is like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I cannot contain it any longer. (Jer.20:9) Matthew 7:25 - "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." Observation: I CANNOT BUILD MY HOUSE "IN A STORM". MY HOUSE MUST BE BUILT DAY BY DAY, BEFOREHAND, BY DIGGING DEEP AND BUILDING ON THE ROCK OF HEARING AND OBEYING THE WORDS OF CHRIST. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  11. Joshua 1:6 - "Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them." AFFIRMATIONS: SINCE I AM COMMITTED TO PRAYER AND HAVE COURAGE TO STAND ON GOD'S WORD --I AM CONFIDENT THAT GOD WILL ANSWER FROM HEAVEN. I REFUSE TO GIVE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF BATTLE AND AM DETERMINED TO RECEIVE MY REWARD. Hebrews 10:35 - "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward." Luke 5:4 - "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets". OBSERVATION: I quit fishing in the same waters I've bee fishing in for so long. I go to new territories and get ready to catch more fish than I ever dreamed possible! Luke 5:10 - "Don't be afraid! From now on you'll be fishing for the souls of men!" Proverbs 24:16 - "For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief." If we lose sight of OUR PURPOSE that God has for us being here we will drift aimlessly into things that are not fulfilling, but leave us empty and confused as to why we are here. Like Caleb, we need a "different spirit" that is exemplary in faith. For he who is born of God "overcomes" the world, possessing and inheriting the promises. (1 John 5:4) Psalm 37:23,24 - "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and He delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  12. Stand firm and do not be moved! As believers, we are rooted and grounded in His magnificent love. Because we are established in His love, we can have a peace that passes all natural understanding. And we have COURAGE, the depth of which is confidence in the Lord. "And that Christ will make His home in your hearts, through faith. I pray that you wil have your roots and foundations in love so that.....you will have the power to understand how broad and long and deep is Christ's love. " - Ephesians 3:17 This place of trust is beyond the natural ability of a person. It comes only through a relationship with the Lord, who will lead us and bring to pass all He has purposed for us (our CALLING in Christ). As we are directed by Him, we can also be assured that He is making every path straight. As believers, we declare that we, "Trust in the LORD with all [our] heart, and lean not on [our] own understanding; in all [our] ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct [our] paths." - Proverbs 3:56 GOD-EMPOWERED BOLDNESS This creates in us PERSEVERANCE THROUGH OUR FAITH as we hear and are led by Him. Holy perseverance is God-empowered boldness or courage that enables us deep within to persevere. One way we can define perseverance is simply to stay the course. This is a powerful blessing from the Lord that enables us to believe the impossible is possible. It is a work of the Holy Spirit within that enables us to have strength to stay the course, regardless of present circumstances or situations. This is what the prophet Isaiah wrote about: "Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice." - Isaiah 41:10 AMP HERE IS THE INCREDIBLE PROMISE: You can stay the course because of the enabling of the strength of the Lord for you and in you! Believe that the Holy Spirit will release an even greater strengthening deep within so that you will stand firm for the promises of the Lord for your life and your family. As you lean into the Lord, you will go from strength to strength with deep courage to believe for the impossible to be possible. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY
  13. http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1036-standing-your-ground-in-fait/h You will triumph every time in Christ when.................................
  14. Recently I read this study, on Psalm 1, and Pslam 150, Started by, ayin jade and Since my interests,and desire to learn is not limited to just 1 psalm, I had been hoping to go on to other psalms, and discuss the entire Book of Psalms, how ever some people do not like that idea, any way, it was suggested to start the topic here, so I have done so,. To see where this started, follow the above links. Hopefully please keep comments and questions ,related to the current Psalm, I hope we can go onto a new Psalm, or 2 or 3 ,each week, A important thing about Psalms, is they all , allways have the effect of, lifting me up, when I am down, afraid or discouraged, (like right now), Reading PSALMS always lifts my spirit up, gives me hope,courage, and faith. from Garry
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