Hi, a friend of mine recently read me this quoted passage from a book that was read by his entire eldership team a few years back.
I thought it was incredibly relevant and well worth sharing.
The book is "Miracle workers, Reformers, and The New Mystics" by John Crowder
"The reason nearly evey move of God tends to stagnate, is because it judges the last move of God. We become what we judge. If we judge religious people and hypocrites , we eventually become religious hypocrites. Never critisize the old wine skin, just let it be. The wine itself will burst the old jug. And and it will eventually burst yours. There is no quicker way into bondage than falling into spiritual pride and thinking we are on the cutting edge of what God is doing. That we have somehow ascended beyond where the old order got stuck. First of all, we dont know all that the old order had to put up with, and what spiritual ground they broke through on our behalf.
It is important not to adopt a rebellious spirit, and to remember that our battle is not against flesh and blood. Yes, religion is a foul thing. But religious people are often just wounded Christians seeking identity and comfort in the wrong places. To criticize the old guard is often a sign that we are still operating out of rejection, and somehow needing their affirmation rather than the Lord's. Truly mature Christians, who have overcome insecurity, will see people beyond the veil of their religious bondage and empathize with the hurts that landed them there."
One thing we should all be very careful of is to not become so "Anti" something that we forget about being "Pro" the thing God has actually called us to. This, I believe is to have an "anti religious, religious spirit", and is very easy to partner with and equally harmful to the Body. It will continue to keep your eyes predominantly off Jesus and His finished work and rather get you predominantly stuck in dry theology and pointless arguments against fellow Christians.
Those who believe and share the Truth/Revelation of the Gospel that is being understood across the planet in these days, that carries with it transforming Glory to set even the most bound-up captives free, will certainly become the targets of this trap. If satan can get you to fight and argue with fellow believers, then what you know becomes ineffective against his kingdom.
Am I saying, don't share and discuss the Gospel with fellow Christians who dont yet see things the way you have come to? Certainly not. But, if your peace does not rest with them, and they are scuffing dirt and making a mockery of the Good News, then shake the dirt off your shoes of peace and move on - finished! (Perhaps at a later stage try again).
It is so important for us to not get distracted away from the simplicity of the Gospel. Dont get sucked into never ending debates with people that are clearly not interested in changing their view. Their are by far, more that are waiting to encounter the reality of Jesus through the Gospel of Grace than those that satan would use to suck up your time in vain distraction.
Keep His Love Flowing
God Blessed you
Andrew
Showing posts with label religious. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religious. Show all posts
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
"Good news", or just "News"
During the week as i was thinking about how Good God is and His
amazing plan to redeem us back to himself - simply because He thought
we were worth it - that's Huge Love!!, I remembered an article I read
a few months back and read it again.
Its written by Andrew Wommack.
"Many people around the world who embrace “Christianity” have never
heard the true Gospel. They believe Christianity is nothing but a
different set of rules, substituting Christian “dos and don’ts” for
those of other religions. They continue to believe they must earn
their way to God and then do their best to deserve the benefits of
salvation. That’s not the true Gospel.
Accepting Jesus as your Savior with the belief that you are now going
to abide by a certain set of rules, or exchange one set for another,
is not the good news. Why? Because it still depends upon your
performance. And I can guarantee you that the devil will make sure you
know that your performance is not quite good enough. He is the accuser
of the brethren (Rev. 12:10).
The truth that makes the Gospel the “nearly-too-good-to-be-true news”
is that we are accepted by God through what Jesus did for us. The
revelation of God’s grace will deliver you from a performance
mentality to a total trust and reliance upon the Lord. Salvation is
all about God’s faithfulness, not ours! This is foundational for
maintaining a close relationship with God and receiving all the
benefits of your salvation.
Romans 1:16-17 says,
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and
also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
The book of Romans communicates that the Gospel is the power of God.
It’s what produces the life of God in people. However, the word Gospel
has become a religious term that has lost a lot of its meaning today.
Many people associate “Gospel” with anything that has to do with
religion, specifically the Christian religion. But “Gospel” literally
means “good tidings,” or “good news.”
The Greek word euaggelion, which was translated “gospel” in
seventy-four New Testament verses, was so rare in writings outside of
the New Testament that it’s only found twice in extra-biblical
manuscripts. The reason for this is because this word not only meant
“good news,” but was actually describing “nearly-too-good-to-be-true
news.”
Much of “Christian culture” today associates the Gospel with these
statements: “You’re a sinner. If you don’t repent, you’re going to
hell.” Now, these are true statements. There is a heaven and a hell, a
God and a devil, and you will go to hell if you don’t repent and
receive salvation, but even though all of that is truth, it’s not
“good news.” It’s not “the Gospel.”
As a matter of fact, it’s the complete opposite of what Paul was
teaching. Roman 2:4 says it’s the goodness of God that leads us to
repentance, not judgment and condemnation. That is what Paul was
talking about, and that is “good news.”
The Gospel is directly related to the grace of God. That’s the only
way this forgiveness of our sins can be obtained. It isn’t through our
holiness or good works. God doesn’t take the “good” people and save
them; He justifies (extends salvation toward) the ungodly (Rom. 4:5).
This causes many problems for religious people. They say, “Wait a
minute! I believe you must do this and that to be holy.”
Religion—false religion, man’s concepts—teaches that right standing
with God and His blessings come as a result of our own goodness and
works.
Religious teachers say, “You must come to our church. You must pay
your tithes, read your Bible, and pray more, to mention a few. Then,
if you do all these things just right, God will accept you.” That’s
anti-Gospel! It’s against the “good news” of God’s grace because it’s
putting the burden of salvation on your back—and you can’t bear it.
Nobody can save themselves.
That’s basically the false “Gospel” that religion preaches today. They
may talk about the one true God and use terminology like “God the
Father.” They may even mention that Jesus is the Savior of the world
who died for our sins. But at its core, it’s another “Gospel”—which is
no Gospel at all (Gal. 1:7).
The Gospel isn’t only the belief in salvation, but it’s also the
understanding of the means by which this salvation is obtained. “If
you’ll act good and do good, then you’ll be good” isn’t the true
Gospel. Notice what Paul said while addressing the very first
ministers’ conference at Ephesus:
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto
myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry,
which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the
grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
Another way Paul could have said this is, “I am testifying of the
Gospel—which is the good news of the grace of God.” The words “Gospel”
and “grace” are terms that can be used interchangeably. The good
news—or Gospel—is the grace of God.
Even the word salvation is misunderstood. Evangelical Christianity
says that salvation is a one-time occurrence, an experience when your
sins are forgiven. That’s true, there is a moment when you pass from
death to life, but that is not all that happens. It’s an incomplete
definition. Salvation isn’t limited to the initial born-again
experience.
Salvation is everything Jesus purchased for us through the atonement.
Sozo, the Greek word from which “salvation” was translated means more
than forgiveness of sin; it also means healing, deliverance, and
prosperity. It’s a word that summarizes everything that Jesus provided
for us through His death, burial, and resurrection.
James 5:14-15 vividly illustrates how salvation includes both healing
and forgiveness of sin:
“Is any sick among you? let him call for this elders of the church;
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save [sozo] the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be
forgiven him” (brackets mine).
Salvation is a package deal and it’s all accomplished by the grace of
God, not our works. However, Satan is always trying to deceive us. He
is the one who wants us to believe we must earn things from God. He is
the one causing us to doubt the Lord’s willingness to use His ability
on our behalf, and unfortunately, the church is often reinforcing that
belief.
I’ve had many believers come up to me in the prayer lines asking, “Why
am I not healed? I’ve fasted, prayed, and studied the Word. I pay my
tithes and go to church. I’m doing the best I can. What does God
demand?” When I hear that, they have just given me the answer to their
question. They aren’t pointing to what Jesus did; they are pointing to
what they have done, and that always leads to failure.
Most people believe that God moves in their lives proportional to
their performance. That was the error Paul was dealing with in the
book of Romans. When Paul came along and said “I’m not ashamed of the
Gospel!” he was saying “I am not ashamed to tell people about the
goodness, grace, and mercy of God. The Lord loves us in spite of who
we are and what we’ve done.” Now that’s “good news!”
The religious folks of Paul’s day thought this was terrible. They
believed what he was preaching was heresy. People needed to recognize
and relate to God based on how sorry they were. God wasn’t happy with
them or the way they were acting. They were just worms in His sight.
Sound familiar?
On the surface it looks like a humble position. In reality, it’s
actually making a person’s relationship with God dependent on self.
“Look what I have done for the Lord, how holy I’ve been, and how much
I’ve denied myself.” This is actually a very self-centered,
self-dependent way of approaching God that never produces any fruit in
your life.
Religion wants to make sure that people know they are sinners and on
their way to hell. However, the truth is that they already know that.
Romans 1:18-19 says,
“For the wrath of God is revealed [not going to be, but already is
revealed] from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be
known of God is manifest in them; for God hath [past tense] shewed it
unto them” (brackets mine).
God’s wrath has already been revealed intuitively inside of every
person. Each individual has within them the knowledge of God’s wrath
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. So when someone
wonders If I just tell people about the goodness of God, what will
make them understand that they are sinners in need of salvation?
Paul’s answer was that they already knew. In their hearts, people
already know that they aren’t good, but sinners in need of salvation.
The point is that you don’t have to bombard people with the fact that
they are sinners; deep in their hearts they already know. You may need
to spend some time on that issue in order to make your point and
strike that chord in their hearts, but not by condemning them and
restricting them to religious dos and don’ts. Paul was saying, “That’s
not the true approach.”
It’s the Gospel—the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news that God has
provided. It’s salvation for us by grace that empowers men to receive
the forgiveness of their sins, the healing of their bodies, the
deliverance from Satan’s oppression, and more. We don’t need to
convince people they are sinners; we need to show them the way out.
That’s the Gospel!
Do you need to be healed? The power for healing is in the Gospel. Do
you need to be prospered financially? The power for financial
prosperity is in the Gospel. Do you need to be delivered from the
power of demonic influence, from depression, from yourself, or from
something else? The power for deliverance is in the Gospel! The Gospel
is the power of God. It’s “nearly too good to be true.”
God Blessed you!
amazing plan to redeem us back to himself - simply because He thought
we were worth it - that's Huge Love!!, I remembered an article I read
a few months back and read it again.
Its written by Andrew Wommack.
"Many people around the world who embrace “Christianity” have never
heard the true Gospel. They believe Christianity is nothing but a
different set of rules, substituting Christian “dos and don’ts” for
those of other religions. They continue to believe they must earn
their way to God and then do their best to deserve the benefits of
salvation. That’s not the true Gospel.
Accepting Jesus as your Savior with the belief that you are now going
to abide by a certain set of rules, or exchange one set for another,
is not the good news. Why? Because it still depends upon your
performance. And I can guarantee you that the devil will make sure you
know that your performance is not quite good enough. He is the accuser
of the brethren (Rev. 12:10).
The truth that makes the Gospel the “nearly-too-good-to-be-true news”
is that we are accepted by God through what Jesus did for us. The
revelation of God’s grace will deliver you from a performance
mentality to a total trust and reliance upon the Lord. Salvation is
all about God’s faithfulness, not ours! This is foundational for
maintaining a close relationship with God and receiving all the
benefits of your salvation.
Romans 1:16-17 says,
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of
God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and
also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
The book of Romans communicates that the Gospel is the power of God.
It’s what produces the life of God in people. However, the word Gospel
has become a religious term that has lost a lot of its meaning today.
Many people associate “Gospel” with anything that has to do with
religion, specifically the Christian religion. But “Gospel” literally
means “good tidings,” or “good news.”
The Greek word euaggelion, which was translated “gospel” in
seventy-four New Testament verses, was so rare in writings outside of
the New Testament that it’s only found twice in extra-biblical
manuscripts. The reason for this is because this word not only meant
“good news,” but was actually describing “nearly-too-good-to-be-true
news.”
Much of “Christian culture” today associates the Gospel with these
statements: “You’re a sinner. If you don’t repent, you’re going to
hell.” Now, these are true statements. There is a heaven and a hell, a
God and a devil, and you will go to hell if you don’t repent and
receive salvation, but even though all of that is truth, it’s not
“good news.” It’s not “the Gospel.”
As a matter of fact, it’s the complete opposite of what Paul was
teaching. Roman 2:4 says it’s the goodness of God that leads us to
repentance, not judgment and condemnation. That is what Paul was
talking about, and that is “good news.”
The Gospel is directly related to the grace of God. That’s the only
way this forgiveness of our sins can be obtained. It isn’t through our
holiness or good works. God doesn’t take the “good” people and save
them; He justifies (extends salvation toward) the ungodly (Rom. 4:5).
This causes many problems for religious people. They say, “Wait a
minute! I believe you must do this and that to be holy.”
Religion—false religion, man’s concepts—teaches that right standing
with God and His blessings come as a result of our own goodness and
works.
Religious teachers say, “You must come to our church. You must pay
your tithes, read your Bible, and pray more, to mention a few. Then,
if you do all these things just right, God will accept you.” That’s
anti-Gospel! It’s against the “good news” of God’s grace because it’s
putting the burden of salvation on your back—and you can’t bear it.
Nobody can save themselves.
That’s basically the false “Gospel” that religion preaches today. They
may talk about the one true God and use terminology like “God the
Father.” They may even mention that Jesus is the Savior of the world
who died for our sins. But at its core, it’s another “Gospel”—which is
no Gospel at all (Gal. 1:7).
The Gospel isn’t only the belief in salvation, but it’s also the
understanding of the means by which this salvation is obtained. “If
you’ll act good and do good, then you’ll be good” isn’t the true
Gospel. Notice what Paul said while addressing the very first
ministers’ conference at Ephesus:
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto
myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry,
which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the
grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
Another way Paul could have said this is, “I am testifying of the
Gospel—which is the good news of the grace of God.” The words “Gospel”
and “grace” are terms that can be used interchangeably. The good
news—or Gospel—is the grace of God.
Even the word salvation is misunderstood. Evangelical Christianity
says that salvation is a one-time occurrence, an experience when your
sins are forgiven. That’s true, there is a moment when you pass from
death to life, but that is not all that happens. It’s an incomplete
definition. Salvation isn’t limited to the initial born-again
experience.
Salvation is everything Jesus purchased for us through the atonement.
Sozo, the Greek word from which “salvation” was translated means more
than forgiveness of sin; it also means healing, deliverance, and
prosperity. It’s a word that summarizes everything that Jesus provided
for us through His death, burial, and resurrection.
James 5:14-15 vividly illustrates how salvation includes both healing
and forgiveness of sin:
“Is any sick among you? let him call for this elders of the church;
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save [sozo] the sick, and the Lord
shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be
forgiven him” (brackets mine).
Salvation is a package deal and it’s all accomplished by the grace of
God, not our works. However, Satan is always trying to deceive us. He
is the one who wants us to believe we must earn things from God. He is
the one causing us to doubt the Lord’s willingness to use His ability
on our behalf, and unfortunately, the church is often reinforcing that
belief.
I’ve had many believers come up to me in the prayer lines asking, “Why
am I not healed? I’ve fasted, prayed, and studied the Word. I pay my
tithes and go to church. I’m doing the best I can. What does God
demand?” When I hear that, they have just given me the answer to their
question. They aren’t pointing to what Jesus did; they are pointing to
what they have done, and that always leads to failure.
Most people believe that God moves in their lives proportional to
their performance. That was the error Paul was dealing with in the
book of Romans. When Paul came along and said “I’m not ashamed of the
Gospel!” he was saying “I am not ashamed to tell people about the
goodness, grace, and mercy of God. The Lord loves us in spite of who
we are and what we’ve done.” Now that’s “good news!”
The religious folks of Paul’s day thought this was terrible. They
believed what he was preaching was heresy. People needed to recognize
and relate to God based on how sorry they were. God wasn’t happy with
them or the way they were acting. They were just worms in His sight.
Sound familiar?
On the surface it looks like a humble position. In reality, it’s
actually making a person’s relationship with God dependent on self.
“Look what I have done for the Lord, how holy I’ve been, and how much
I’ve denied myself.” This is actually a very self-centered,
self-dependent way of approaching God that never produces any fruit in
your life.
Religion wants to make sure that people know they are sinners and on
their way to hell. However, the truth is that they already know that.
Romans 1:18-19 says,
“For the wrath of God is revealed [not going to be, but already is
revealed] from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of
men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be
known of God is manifest in them; for God hath [past tense] shewed it
unto them” (brackets mine).
God’s wrath has already been revealed intuitively inside of every
person. Each individual has within them the knowledge of God’s wrath
against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. So when someone
wonders If I just tell people about the goodness of God, what will
make them understand that they are sinners in need of salvation?
Paul’s answer was that they already knew. In their hearts, people
already know that they aren’t good, but sinners in need of salvation.
The point is that you don’t have to bombard people with the fact that
they are sinners; deep in their hearts they already know. You may need
to spend some time on that issue in order to make your point and
strike that chord in their hearts, but not by condemning them and
restricting them to religious dos and don’ts. Paul was saying, “That’s
not the true approach.”
It’s the Gospel—the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news that God has
provided. It’s salvation for us by grace that empowers men to receive
the forgiveness of their sins, the healing of their bodies, the
deliverance from Satan’s oppression, and more. We don’t need to
convince people they are sinners; we need to show them the way out.
That’s the Gospel!
Do you need to be healed? The power for healing is in the Gospel. Do
you need to be prospered financially? The power for financial
prosperity is in the Gospel. Do you need to be delivered from the
power of demonic influence, from depression, from yourself, or from
something else? The power for deliverance is in the Gospel! The Gospel
is the power of God. It’s “nearly too good to be true.”
God Blessed you!
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