Posted on September 21st, 2011 by Pastor Jeff in doctrine
According to the Bible, when sin entered into this world, the separation of man from God already set in. By God’s love, He made ways to connect with His people once again. He revealed Himself through miracles, prophets, and at the most by sending His own Son to be the perfect sacrifice that will wash away sins. Transgressions so filthy that cannot be removed even with cat urine odor removal (figuratively speaking).
“It is finished”, was Jesus’ last words. Then God tore the veil and made a way for sinners to directly come to Him. God’s love towards people was demonstrated through this occurrence. If only people would come to know that there will never be any other way to come to Him except to receive Christ as their personal Savior, as well as acknowledging Him as Lord.
Posted on May 27th, 2011 by Pastor Jeff in doctrine
Many people have been in question on what the Bible says about body augmentation. In 1 Corinthians 6:20, the apostle Paul firmly states to “Honor God with your body.” Why did the author say that? Because, “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God. You are not your own; you were brought at a price.” (v.19-20a) Read the rest of this entry »
Posted on February 22nd, 2011 by Pastor Jeff in doctrine
“Salvation is of the Lord.” Jonah 2:9
Salvation is the work of God. It is He alone who quickens the soul “dead in trespasses and sins,” and it is He also who maintains the soul in its spiritual life. He is both “Alpha and Omega.” “Salvation is of the Lord.” If I am prayerful, God makes me prayerful; if I have graces, they are God’s gifts to me; if I hold on in a consistent life, it is because He upholds me with His hand. I do nothing whatever towards my own preservation, except what God Himself first does in me. Whatever I have, all my goodness is of the Lord alone. Wherein I sin, that is my own; but wherein I act rightly, that is of God, wholly and completely. If I have repulsed a spiritual enemy, the Lord’s strength nerved my arm. Do I live before men a consecrated life? It is not I, but Christ who liveth in me. Am I sanctified? I did not cleanse myself: God’s Holy Spirit sanctifies me. Am I weaned from the world? I am weaned by God’s chastisements sanctified to my good. Do I grow in knowledge? The great Instructor teaches me. All my jewels were fashioned by heavenly art. I find in God all that I want; but I find in myself nothing but sin and misery. “He only is my rock and my salvation.” Do I feed on the Word? That Word would be no food for me unless the Lord made it food for my soul, and helped me to feed upon it. Do I live on the manna which comes down from heaven? What is that manna but Jesus Christ himself incarnate, whose body and whose blood I eat and drink? Am I continually receiving fresh increase of strength? Where do I gather my might? My help cometh from heaven’s hills: without Jesus I can do nothing. As a branch cannot bring forth fruit except it abide in the vine, no more can I, except I abide in Him. What Jonah learned in the great deep, let me learn this morning in my closet: “Salvation is of the Lord.”
Posted on October 28th, 2010 by Pastor Jeff in doctrine
“We are all as an unclean thing.”
Isaiah 64:6
The believer is a new creature, he belongs to a holy generation and a peculiar people–the Spirit of God is in him, and in all respects he is far removed from the natural man; but for all that the Christian is a sinner still. He is so from the imperfection of his nature, and will continue so to the end of his earthly life. The black fingers of sin leave smuts upon our fairest robes. Sin mars our repentance, ere the great Potter has finished it, upon the wheel. Selfishness defiles our tears, and unbelief tampers with our faith. The best thing we ever did apart from the merit of Jesus only swelled the number of our sins; for when we have been most pure in our own sight, yet, like the heavens, we are not pure in God’s sight; and as He charged His angels with folly, much more must He charge us with it, even in our most angelic frames of mind. The song which thrills to heaven, and seeks to emulate seraphic strains, hath human discords in it. The prayer which moves the arm of God is still a bruised and battered prayer, and only moves that arm because the sinless One, the great Mediator, has stepped in to take away the sin of our supplication. The most golden faith or the purest degree of sanctification to which a Christian ever attained on earth, has still so much alloy in it as to be only worthy of the flames, in itself considered. Every night we look in the glass we see a sinner, and had need confess, “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Oh, how precious the blood of Christ to such hearts as ours! How priceless a gift is His perfect righteousness! And how bright the hope of perfect holiness hereafter! Even now, though sin dwells in us, its power is broken. It has no dominion; it is a broken-backed snake; we are in bitter conflict with it, but it is with a vanquished foe that we have to deal. Yet a little while and we shall enter victoriously into the city where nothing defileth.
Posted on October 3rd, 2010 by Pastor Jeff in doctrine
When Moses was handed the ten commandments in Exodus 20, God did not give them in weight loss tablets but on tablets of stone. The book of Romans tells us that God gave the commandments to make us conscious of sin. The purpose is not to give us something that we will strive for to merit God’s favor but to give us something that would show us how sinful we are and see our need for God’s mercy and grace.
Posted on September 4th, 2010 by Pastor Jeff in doctrine
Having a good lawyer before a judge is essential in winning a case. Like personal injury lawyers Tucson has, we believers have been represented before God and have won against Satan’s accusations. We were represented by Christ who died to pay for our sins. His death, burial and resurrection gave Him victory over sin’s sting, which is death, so now, we can also live with Him as Christ has justified us before the Holy and righteous Judge.
Posted on August 19th, 2010 by Pastor Jeff in doctrine
“He shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord.”
Micah 5:4
Christ’s reign in His Church is that of a shepherd-king. He has supremacy, but it is the superiority of a wise and tender shepherd over his needy and loving flock; He commands and receives obedience, but it is the willing obedience of the well-cared-for sheep, rendered joyfully to their beloved Shepherd, whose voice they know so well. He rules by the force of love and the energy of goodness. Read the rest of this entry »
