11 August 2015

CAN GOD SPEAK TO US THROUGH FACEBOOK????

By John Ollis

I BELIEVE THE ANSWER IS YES, when the FB post/s lines up with the Word of God. I met with a dear friend recently when we were in Sydney visiting, he made the comment that most of my blogs are all about CHARACTER AND CHRISTIAN LIFESTYLE, I immediately responded I seem to have only one string on my bow, but he encouraged me to continue teaching this  as it is the message we need to hear over and over again, because so few people are listening. There have been many great quotes from some godly men from past generations like:
“I believe the HOLIER A MAN BECOMES, the more he MOURNS OVER THE UNHOLINESS which remains in him. Charles H. Spurgeon.
Dr. Martin Lloyd Jones stated ” If you do not desire to be holy I do not see you have a right to think you are a Christian.
I believe it was John Calvin who said, “An orange tree cannot help but produce oranges”.
The moment we are born again, and the Holy Spirit comes into our life and we become partakers of the divine nature, automatically God’s DNA should start to function in our life. As a 10 year old boy, although I made many mistakes there was a strong desire to live a holy life.
I heard Robert Fergusson the Senior Associate Minister at Hillsong Church Sydney say, that when he came to Christ as a University student in Nottingham England, at that  moment he was born again, he knew he should never swear again, and didn’t ever want to either.
Many of us are a product of a past generation of “thou shalt and thou shalt nots”, but I am not taking about legalism or external expressions of Christianity. When we are born again, and repent there is a turning around. For example as Paul says the things I once loved I now hate, and the things I once hated I now love.
We are now living in a generation filled with COMPROMISE. Another excellent post on FB puts it this way.
THE FALSE JESUS THAT EVERYONE LOVES
This false Jesus is loved by all professing Christians, and by most of this wicked world.
Here are some of His attributes.
He will allow everyone to go to heaven
He came to bring peace instead of division
He doesn’t require obedience
He doesn’t require holiness He only preaches love
He never says anything offensive
He never tells anyone they are wicked
He doesn’t require repentance
He calls everyone His children
He will not send anyone to hell
He wants you to do your own will
His commandments are just suggestions
IF YOU ARE FOLLOWING  THIS FALSE JESUS HIS REAL NAME IS SATAN.
The greatest tool of the evil one is deception,  and to varying degrees the above is believe by many who are professing  Christians today. WE MUST COME BACK TO WHAT THE WORD SAYS.
1 Peter 1:14-16 As obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your CONDUCT, because it is written “Be holy even as I am holy (Lev. 11:44-45) WE ARE COMMANDED TO LIVE A HOLY LIFE, and God never asks us to do something that he does not give us the grace and strength to fulfil.
Heb. 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your CONSCIENCE from dead works to serve the living God.  Every human being  is born with a conscience, but prior to coming to Christ we so weaken it, that we need our CONSCIENCE renewed so that we like Joseph run a mile when we are tempted to sin.
1 Thess. 4.3 For this is the will of God your SANCTIFICATION that you should abstain from all sexual immorality. We are living in disobedience in we do not do the will of God in our lives.
Heb. 12:14 Pursue peace with all people, and HOLINESS without which no one will see the Lord.
I want to see the Lord, gaze upon Him throughout all eternity,  don’t you ?
1 Thess. 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself SANCTIFY  you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul prayed this fro the Thessalonian Christians, I pray it for my self regularly, that every part of me, spirit, soul and body be holy and blames before the Lord today and every day.
One of the reasons there is so much compromise and deception, is because we misinterpret the Scriptures,
Yes, we have been declared holy and righteous, that is our POSITION IN CHRIST, but we must PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS  1John 3:7. It must become a lifestyle.
The word Sanctification has the idea of separation (from the world and separated to the Lord). Like the vessels in the Temple were “sanctified” separated to be used exclusively for temple use, so we must daily decide and declare, that I am separated from the world, and  all I do and say will please the Lord.
Another great post in FB this week was :
A true Christian DESIRES TO BE FREE FROM SIN, not to SIN FREELY.
Now let us look at our personal situation.
We are, born again, God has given us a “new heart”  that wants to please the Lord, but like Paul, the things we don’t want to do we do, and that things we want to do, we don’t always do it. WHAT IS THE ANSWER ?
Peter tells us 2 Peter 1:3-4 that God has given us ALL THINGS that pertain to godliness, through the knowledge of Him who calls us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us great and precious promises, that through these you may be made partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
We must spend :
quality time in His presence DAILY
time daily reading, studying, MEDITATING  in the Word of God
time deliberately reaffirming His Lordship over every part our life
time with a Mentor, let him guide you challenge you, give you specific keys to live a holy life.
Friends, we have NO EXCUSE, let us reject the lies of the evil one, let us BELEIVE AND APPROPRIATE into our lives this glorious inheritance we have in Christ.
IT IS NOT THAT WE CANNOT SIN, BUT NEED NOT SIN,
WHAT A GLORIOUS SALVATION WE HAVE.
Please let me have your feedback and response to this what I consider a very important blog, thank you