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The whore has taken over the Sabbath in Shabbat laws. She is destroying Christ's family by teaching it to seek money and lusts on the holy Sabbath. I pray the church comes back to Christ by doing no work for yourself on the Sabbath. Keep it holy. Exodus 20:8-11 8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

God let me kindly do this for myself as a homeless student as He was ushering things in for me this whole time. For this I am thankful. Thankful for this harsh, abrupt, rebranding of my soul. Had too. The weak, frail, masked things of this world I accepted could have got me killed. Would have There was no protection in them. I accepted His leadership in the wilderness, not my own. This in turn has lead to a dramatic increase of love & acceptance. And for that I am thankful 🌹♥️🔥✨😭!

Some bible scripture verses(especially those in the Psalms) can seem legalistic and also sanctimonious. Psalm 101:2-4 2 I will give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. 3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me. 4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know No evil. But in the Colossians , Paul seems to warn people against legalistic behavior. How should Christians view bible passages( like in Psalms) that seem legalistic(and maybe even sanctimonious) with Colossians verses warnings against legalistic behavior? Colossians 2:18-23 18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, [c]taking his stand on visions he has seen, [d]inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and [e]ligaments, grows with a growth [f]which is from God. 20 If you have died with Christ [g]to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish [h]with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. But in the Colossians , Paul seems to warn people against legalistic behavior. How should Christians view bible passages( like in Psalms) that seem legalistic(and maybe even sanctimonious) with Colossians verses warnings against legalistic behavior?

Shalom, everyone! At shiloh357's suggestion, I'm starting this thread to give a BIBLICAL definition to "holy" and "holiness." See, I'm not a huge fan of the "science" of theology. Theology to me is like commentaries; just more human words to confuse the issues. As Paul said, Romans 3:4 4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. So, let's get a running start: First of all, the Hebrew word translated as "holy" is "qaadowsh": 6918 qaadowsh (kaw-doshe'). Or qaadosh {kaw-doshe'} (spelled without the vav); from qaadash; sacred (ceremonially or morally); (as noun) God (by eminence), an angel, a saint, a sanctuary -- holy (One), saint. 6942 qaadash (kaw-dash'). A primitive root; to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally) -- appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy(-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one, self), X wholly. And, Yesha`yahuw (Isaiah) said, Isaiah 6:1-5 (KJV) 1 In the year that king Uzziah (Hebrew: `Uzziyaahuw) died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims (Hebrew: sraafiym = "burning ones" or "poisonous [serpents]") each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy (Hebrew: Qaadowsh, qaadowsh, qaadowsh) is the LORD of hosts (YHWH ts'va'owt? the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. And, just for confirmation, here's the Hebrew (transliterated): Yeesha`yahuw 6:1-5 (JPS Hebrew-English TANAKH) 1 Bishnat-mowt hamelekh Uzziyaahuw, vaa'er'eh et-Adonaay yosheeV `al-kicee', raam v-nissaa'; v-shuwlaayow m-lee'iym et-haheekhaal: 2 Sraafiym -- `omdiym | mimma`al low sheesh knaafayim sheesh knaafayim l'echaad; bishtayim ykhacceh paanaayow, uwbishtayim ykhacceh raglaayow, uwbishtayim y`owfeef: 3 Vqaaraa' zeh 'el zeh v'aamar qaadowsh | qaadowsh qaadowsh YHWH tsVaa'owt mlo' khaal haa'aarets kVowdow: 4 Vayaanu`uw ammowt haccipiym miqqowl haqqowree' vhabayit yimmaalee' aasaan: 5 Vaa'omar owy-liy khiy nidmeeytiy -- kiy iysh Tmee'-shfaatayim aanokiy uwVtowkh `am Tmee' shfaatayim -- aanowkhiy yowseeV kiy et hamelekh YHWH tsVaa'owt raa'uw `eeynaay: Now, some say that "holy" means "set apart"; others say that "holy" means "righteous"; still others say that "holy" means "ceremoniously sacred," but the Scriptures tell me that this word means "clean" or "pure" (for that is how the word is used wherever it is found). So, when we read something like... Leviticus 19:1-4 (KJV) 1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 "Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy. 3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. 4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God." He is simply saying, "You shall be clean, for I YHWH Eloheinuw am clean!" And, then He proceeds to show them how they can be clean. Thoughts?

The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is known to be the unforgivable sin. Question: But what is the only sin that cannot be forgiven? Answer: It is the sin of not believing in the truth of the gospel. And consequently not receiving it. From the Holy Spirit comes absolute truth, all things that are said by the Holy Spirit are truth, ALWAYS. The Holy Spirit only produces good fruits, ONLY good fruits. "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." - 1 John 1:5 "For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." - 1 John 5:7 The gospel of Jesus Christ is the love of the truth that saves all those who believe. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek." - Romans 1:16 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." - John 17:17 The only reason for someone to resist and do not repent of his evil ways is: To love darkness rather than light. "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved." - 2 Thessalonians 2:10 All those who did not receive the love of the truth, that is the gospel of Jesus Christ will not receive forgiveness of sins. The first step is the person must repent, in truth, according to the gospel. "and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." - Luke 24:47 "...unless you repent you will all likewise perish." - Luke 13:5 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." - James 1:22 The condemnation for the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is eternal. The condemnation for the rejection of the truth presented in the gospel of Jesus Christ is eternal. "but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" - Mark 3:29 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." - Mark 16:16 "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." - John 3:19 Jesus said that all sin will be forgiven men, except the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. "but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." - Matthew 12:32 This is speaking against the truth, in this case, the gospel of Jesus Christ. "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you." - John 14:17 Because if anyone does not receive the truth of the gospel they will be condemned, and it is a sin. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." - Mark 16:16 And all sin will be forgiven, except the sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit... Which means it is talking about the same sin. "Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" - Mark 3:28-29 "He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son." - 1 John 5:10 The hardest thing for the people to do is to repent of their evil ways and to embrace the truth of the gospel. "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." - John 17:17 This is only possible through love, which means that only God can make the person to repent, in deed and in truth. "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day." - John 6:44 "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." - 1 John 4:8 And we all know Satan has produced several counterfeit of the gospel of Jesus Christ that has no effect of the truth in the person's life. And this is very dangerous, because the person does not accept truth and as a result is never sanctified through it. They believed a lie that at the end will not save them. People must enter through the narrow gate of truth. It is the only way that actually saves. "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it." - Matthew 7:13 "Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6 Yes, many will reject the love of the truth... Many will believe a lie, many will be deceived. "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’" - Matthew 7:21-24 For this reason: Make sure you have believed and received The Truth. Otherwise, The Truth will tell you: I never knew you.

And many people are doing this, and they do not even know they are doing it. And this is very, very serious because those who deny Him are anti-christs. "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you." - John 14:18 That is why those who do not believe in the power of the Holy Spirit, as written in Scriptures, cannot see the truth. "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." - John 14:26 All those who trust in themselves to find the truth, in their own abilities and wisdom will not find the truth. Why?! Because they are denying the spirit of truth. And we cannot find the truth while denying it. "Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6 Then I cannot say the Holy Spirit does not teach and reveal, because He does, and I have been experiencing it. "Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word." - John 8:55 And it is written as well: "Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’" - Acts 21:11 "for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit" - 1 Corinthians 12:8 "And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all." - 1 Corinthians 12:6 And He gives me joy and peace as well. It is very, very pleasant! And if I asked the Holy Spirit from the Father, then how do you say I have received another spirit?! "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" - Luke 11:13 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them." - Ezekiel 36:26 You shall know them by their fruits. And the Father will not give a serpent to those who asked Him a bread. I see people finding excuses to keep in their sins, but I tell you that if you do not repent then your heart is not for Him. If you know something is not right, and you want to love the Lord Jesus... Then you have to trust in Him by faith. How do you trust in Him?! By doing what He said: Ask, seek, knock. "but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance." - Acts 26:20 You do not want to keep in your bad habits, you want to be free. But if you do not ask, it will not happen. I am not saying you will become free overnight, but if you insist and keep asking, you will surely become more and more free each day. "For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." - Matthew 13:12 For to this you were called, once you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life... Forget the old life completely; unless you have believed in vain. From this point all you want, by grace, is to turn from the flesh and its evil desires. Now we desire to become more and more like Him, and more in the Spirit. This is REPENTANCE. God is not mocked, if you do not repent you will not receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Your heart has to turn to Him, completely. "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." - Galatians 6:7-8 Repent indeed, embrace, and receive the Lord Jesus for real in your life. He wants you 100%. Ask to be immersed and fully baptized in His Holy Spirit. Desire to be His. "I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." - Mark 1:8 You do not want to look back, you do not want to stay in the flesh... Flesh is death. If you are offended by any of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, if holiness offend you, if sanctification offends you, if hating all sins offends you then you do not have His Spirit. "Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit." - 1 Thessalonians 4:8 Only those who are in the flesh can be offended by the fruits of the Holy Spirit. "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish." - Galatians 5:17 "But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His." - Romans 8:9 "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me." - John 8:42 Those who deny Him will be denied. Or you love Him, or you do not. All you have to do is: Repent, and ask for His love. "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" - Luke 11:13 I am not here to speak what carnal men want to hear, I am not here to please the flesh. If I wanted to please the flesh, I would have to go against the Lord Jesus. "So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God." - Romans 8:8 But if you do not hear me, if you insist in denying His Holy Spirit, if you love your sins more than Him. To love sin is a sad end, and is much more painful than denying ourselves. To deny ourselves is a pain that goes away sooner than we expect and is replaced by peace and joy. "For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." - 2 Corinthians 7:10 But the pain and suffering of hell is everlasting. "And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." - John 3:19 And I am not telling you to do this on your own effort. You will find it is impossible to be done by your own effort. You have to seek, and keep seeking, and ask Him. His power, His love will be shed in your hearts and you will love Him, indeed. "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." - John 14:23 "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." - John 17:17 And He will set you free indeed. "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:31-32 "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." - John 8:36 Do not give up, do not deny His power, do not deny His love. Trust in Him, seek Him, and you will find Him. "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14 The Lord Jesus paid a high for this: His blood, His life. He loved you. "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." - Galatians 5:24 Glory to God! Amen. "We love Him because He first loved us." - 1 John 4:19

God Heals at the Gas Station! (Testimony) God loves to work with His children everywhere! Here is a testimony of just that; God working through His faithful servant to heal a man who was clearly in great pain at a GAS STATION of all places! How cool is that?! God is awesome! God bless you all, in Jesus' mighty name!

It's Holy Week. Soon it shall be Easter. And as many know there has of late been a concentrated effort to defame the faith of one of the most staunch defenders of the Christian faith in media. Hank Hanegraaff, known world wide as, "The Bible Answer Man", and president of the Christian Research Institute. An article posing all manner of speculation asking if Hank Hanegraaff has left the Christian faith appeared on the Net the day after Palm Sunday. And since then it has gleaned great attention due to Mr.Hanegraaff's public persona as a man who's ministry has delivered the good news for over 30 years. Having assumed the presidency from the CRI founder, Walter Martin. Who started CRI in 1960. Even Hank Hanegraaff's relationship with Walter Martin has been assailed. As has his faith when opponents , the jealous in my opinion, have attacked Hank for over 30 years with all manner of weapons in the form of false claims, slander, and defamation. The latest however arrives at an all time low. Because the claim that Hank Hanegraaff left the faith has come to his attention, as well as his staff at CRI. And now his friends are concerned with the amount of gossip on the Net. As is his family. I tuned into Hank's broadcast that is available here at WCF on The Truth Network link on our homepage. His show, The Bible Answer Man, begins at 6 P.M U.S. EST= Eastern Standard Time. Below is that opening address to that which persists as false witness against Hank and his leaving the faith. It is posted here in hopes that bots and spiders that roam and capture words for search engines will find this article, gleaned from Hanks CRI homepage, so as to assist in answering back his detractors. Sadly among them are those who claim the name of Christ. And that causes its own curiosity. When did the Christian lose their grace and violate the scriptures concerning false witness? When did the Christian become one with the world of gossip, slander, and defamation? Going so far as to publish an article that makes claims, has no facts, and yet proceeds to ask and then accuse at the same time, did Hank Hanegraaff leave the Christian faith? And why and especially during Holy Week would any Christian hope to smear the good name of a man dedicated to God and Christ? When that man for these last four days of Holy Week has publicly on his broadcast addressed this defamation and slander against his dedication to his Lord. The detractors persisting. Insisting, he is a liar. He has left the faith. He is not Christian. Below is the article Hank posted at CRI today. I hope the Christians here receive this thread as intended. To defend a brother in Christ against the slings and arrows of the enemy. If the slander persists after the man targeted testifies to his commitment to Christ, the faith that should then come into question is not that of the dedicated Christian man Hank Hanegraaff. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen. Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, Have I “Left the Christian Faith”? April 13, 2017 | By: Hank Hanegraaff Through Christian Research Institute staff and friends, I’ve become aware of chatter on the Internet—the gist of which is that I’ve walked away from the Christian faith. Amid Holy Week I pray that those forwarding this notion may have an ever-deeper encounter with our crucified and resurrected Lord. May they and their loved ones be blessed and their faith strengthened. If I have caused any to stumble, I humbly ask forgiveness. My purpose in this post is not so much to respond but to reassure. As I have never been more in love with my wife and family, so, too, I have never been more in love with the Lord Jesus and His body the church. As such, I confess my faith in the deity of Jesus Christ — “the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light, true God of true God, begotten not created, of one essence with the Father, through whom all things were made.” I affirm the doctrine of original sin — “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). I am deeply committed to “the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15) and to the Holy Scriptures, the only infallible repository of redemptive revelation (2 Timothy 3:15–16). I love the Holy Trinity — one God revealed in three Persons eternally distinct. And am deeply grateful that the true and living God invites us to participate in the loving relationships that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have enjoyed throughout eternity. I hold to the glorious reality that Jesus “rose on the third day, according to the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.” I am grateful to the Lord Jesus “who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became man.” I thank God daily that I am a new creation in Christ. For by grace I have been saved through faith, and that not of myself; it is the gift of God, not of works lest I should boast. “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (see Ephesians 2:8–10). “I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come.” While there are many secondary issues genuine believers will continue to debate this side of eternity, I have and will always champion what C.S. Lewis called mere Christianity. “In essentials unity, non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity.” Hank Hanegraaff Holy Week 2017 - FYODOR DOSTOYEVSKY

1. What is the primary purpose for developing a righteousness consciousness? Answer: It is so that we will respond to life as much like Jesus as possible. We have been predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2 "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." - Matthew 5:20 "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 2. How is Jesus able to do only that which He saw the father do and say what He heard the father say? Answer: Because of His awareness of the presence of God within Him; Jesus walked in holiness; Jesus nurtured His holiness through continual fellowship with His Father. "After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone." - Matthew 14:23 "Truly, truly, I say to you, 'the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does, these things the son also does in like manner. For Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes." - Matthew 5:19,21 "I and the Father are one." - John 10:30 3. What are some of the benefits of personal fellowship with God? Answer: Fellowship will cause us to know God and to think and respond the way He does. Fellowship purges us: causes holiness. "That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." -John 17:21 "For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." - 2 Peter 1:4 "Since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh." - Hebrews 10:19,20 4. What is true holiness? Holiness is conduct that is in line with God's standards. "For in Christ there is all of God in a human body; so you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ." - Colossians 2:9,10 "For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." -Romans 8:29 "Leaving your former way of life, you must lay aside that old human nature which, deluded by its lusts, is sinking towards death. You must be made new in mind and spirit, and put on the new nature of God's creating, which shows itself in the just and devout life called for by the truth." - Ephesians 4:22-24 5. List at least two benefits to having a righteousness consciousness? Answers: Will cause us to love others; Will cause us to refuse to participate in anything which serves Satan; Motivates our every action and thought to glorify God. "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me. He who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show Myself to him." - John 14:21 "...every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." -John 15:2,3 INTO ACTION: Affirm and meditate on the indicated scriptures several times daily until the renewing of your mind is made real to your spirit. AFFIRMTIONS: I bring forth much fruit because I abide in Jesus. The fruit I bear is through Christ only. (John 15.5) I am holy since I am in Christ Jesus and Jesus is in God and God is holy.(Leviticus 20:7) I hold fast to the confession of my faith since God is faithful to perform His word. (Hebrews 10:23) ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

"Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:24 "But of Him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom..." - 1 Corinthians 1:30 God is offering to each of us a much higher Wisdom released by the Spirit of God. Now is the time to embrace true Wisdom, Christ Himself. You might be asking how to obtain this much-desired Divine Wisdom—the passionate quest and resounding question throughout human history. The Holy Scriptures clearly reveal the answer. God's Divine Wisdom isn't reserved for the special few, but is available to all Believers who hunger for intimacy with the Lord and sincerely seek to advance His Kingdom. "If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God Who gives to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him." - James 1:5 WISDOM PROMISES "But to man He said, Behold, the reverential and worshipful fear of the Lord—that is Wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding." - Job 28:28 "The reverent fear and worship of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and skill [the preceding and the first essential, the prerequisite and the alphabet]; a good understanding, wisdom, and meaning have all those who do [the will of the Lord]. Their praise of Him endures forever." - Psalm 111:10 "The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline." - Proverbs 1:7 "The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning (the chief and choice part) of Wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight and understanding." - Proverbs 9:10 STEPS TO RECEIVING WISDOM FROM ABOVE First, we must ask for the Wisdom of God—and keep on asking, doubting nothing. Second, and then we must understand that the Lord's Divine Wisdom is entered through two gates, holiness (as expressed in humility) and reverence or fear of the Lord. These are the gates leading to the pathway of Wisdom. God resists the proud but He gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34, 1 Peter 5:5). What is this grace that He bestows upon the humble? It is the grace or divine ability to know Him and His strategies for bringing His Kingdom to earth—the grace for Divine Wisdom. DIVINE WISDOM - THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT It is indeed the Holy Spirit alone who imparts Divine Wisdom. Notice the words of Christ recorded in John 16:13: "But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future." The Teacher who will lead us into Wisdom is God's Holy Spirit. The Spirit alone—not our natural minds—can guide us into all Truth, Truth in the Person of Christ Jesus our Lord. Specifically, the Spirit "will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]." Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten the eyes of your understanding: "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened..." - Ephesians 1:17-18 If we ask in simple faith, believing His Word, God will liberally bestow this much needed Wisdom: "If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him." - James 1:5 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Shekinah Glory (Read Ephesians 2 & 3) Exodus 25:8 & 40:34 8“Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. 34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. (Shekinah is the Hebrew term (SEKINA) in Rabbinic literature which reverently expresses the divine presence. It is derived from the Hebrew word “SKN” which means to dwell, abide, and settle down. The term does not appear in the Old or New Testament. The correlation of Shekina – “that which dwells” with God’s presence is found in Exodus 25:8 and 40:34.) 1 Kings 8:10-11 10It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, 11so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. (When the ark of the lord is placed in the temple in Jerusalem, a cloud representing the Shekinah subsequently falls on the temple thereby symbolizing it’s new habitation.) Psalm 24:3-4 3Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? And who may stand in His holy place? 4He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. Matthew 5:8 - “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." (In the Old Testament the priests were commanded to wear a turban with a gold band attached to it. On the gold band the words “holiness unto the Lord” were engraved which speaks of purity; while the gold speaks of holiness. When God looked from the Shekinah glory at the priest standing in front of Him, He sees him pure and holy. In order to come before the holy presence of God to worship Him we need to have clean hands and a pure heart.) John 1:14 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. Ephesians 2:19-22 19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, 20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit. (Several passages in the New Testament imply the belief that the Shekinah was first incarnate in Jesus (John 1:14) and later in the church (Ephesians 2:19-22).) Ephesians 3:9-13, 20, 21 9and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; 10so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. 11This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. 13Therefore I ask you not to lose heart at my tribulations on your behalf, for they are your glory. 20Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. 1 Thessalonians 2:10-12 10You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; 11just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, 12so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. (Other examples of how the believer is called to experience the Shekinah glory.) Matthew 5:23-24 23“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. (We cannot worship God with sin in our hearts. Just as the priest should not even be spotted in his garments when coming before God, likewise our hearts must be clean and pure from spots.) Leviticus 9:7 7Moses then said to Aaron, “Come near to the altar and offer your sin offering and your burnt offering, that you may make atonement for yourself and for the people; then make the offering for the people, that you may make atonement for them, just as the LORD has commanded.” (Before a priest could offer sacrifices for others, he had to offer one for himself, to be purified from sin.) Psalm 19:12-13; 51:2 12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;Let them not rule over me; Then I will be £blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. (Before we can offer spiritual sacrifices to God, we should examine our hearts from any presumptuous sin and ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse us from any hidden sins lurking in our hearts.) ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

this is a praise topic. God proves His hand is involved by moving when all seems lost. in this, He shows His immeasurable love. He leaves not even a shadow of a doubt, and loves to operate within the realm of "impossibilities". He does not share His glory. let's share examples of how God wins through what seems as losing to mankind. biblical examples and/or personal testimonies are all welcome. me first: Christ Jesus as the suffering servant, loving and obedient Son of God, voluntarily gave His life for all the sins of humanity. through His apparent defeat, we are all victorious. through His death, we have life, and life in abundance. personally, when Christ found me, i was at my utter worst. i had lost all hope in this life and the one hereafter. when i was ready to give it all up, He reached out His hand to lift me up. i died that day, alright.. the Prince of Peace killed me with His perfect love, and that old man passed away.. He makes all things new... your turn!