4. It delivers us also from our evil conscience. There is always a shadow left on our hearts by sin, and a feeling of remorse... It takes the shadow from the heart and the stinging memory of sin from the soul.
5. It delivers from an evil heart, which is the source of all the sin in the life... Salvation frees us from its power and gives us a new nature.
6. It frees us from the fear of death... The death-bed of God's children is to them the portal of heaven...
7. Salvation delivers us from Satan's power and kingdom...
8. Beyond all else, salvation delivers us from eternal death...
-- A.B. Simpson, The Four-fold Gospel
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Salvation Saves and Delivers
I. WHAT IT SAVES US FROM (continued)
2. Salvation saves us from the wrath of God. God hates evil and must punish it somehow. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men. But from this salvation delivers us.
3. Salvation delivers us from the curse of the law. . . Salvation delivers us from this curse through Him who was made a curse for us.
-- A. B. Simpson, The Four-fold Gospel
2. Salvation saves us from the wrath of God. God hates evil and must punish it somehow. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men. But from this salvation delivers us.
3. Salvation delivers us from the curse of the law. . . Salvation delivers us from this curse through Him who was made a curse for us.
-- A. B. Simpson, The Four-fold Gospel
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Intro to A.B. Simpson: The Four-fold Gospel
Today we begin a series of quotes by A.B. Simpson (1843-1919), prolific author and songwriter, editor, healer, college founder, and founder of The Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination. Simpson was the first well-known leader to teach that all of the First Corinthians 12 gifts of the Holy Spirit are available today, including tongues and healing. He taught that healing is in the Atonement. That is, that Christ died for our healing as well as dying for our sins. He taught that we can bring about Christ's soon return by increasing our efforts at world evangelism. The quotes are from The Four-fold Gospel, a book which established Alliance theology.
Let us look a little at what it means to be saved. It is not at all a little thing... Christ said that it was greater to have one's name written in heaven than to be able to cast out devils. What does salvation mean?
I. WHAT IT SAVES US FROM
1. It takes away the guilt of sin. It frees us from all liability and punishment for past offences. Sin deserves punishment. Salvation takes this all away. Is it not glorious to be saved? (to be continued)
Let us look a little at what it means to be saved. It is not at all a little thing... Christ said that it was greater to have one's name written in heaven than to be able to cast out devils. What does salvation mean?
I. WHAT IT SAVES US FROM
1. It takes away the guilt of sin. It frees us from all liability and punishment for past offences. Sin deserves punishment. Salvation takes this all away. Is it not glorious to be saved? (to be continued)
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
He Preached Christ
We read that "when Philip was come down unto Samaria, he preached Christ unto them." He did not preach politics, social reform, community uplift, theories or doctrinal differences, but he preached CHRIST. -- Not a different Christ than He who walked the shores of Galilee, forgiving sin and healing the sick. Not a limited Christ whose power had waned, nor a far-off Christ who could not hear, but the Christ whose power was just the same -- a Christ who had said: "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."
-- Aimee Semple McPherson
-- Aimee Semple McPherson
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Blessing and Protection
The Lord did not promise His blessing and protection to the sinner and the scornful but promised His blessing to "the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. His delight is in the laws of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night."
To those who walk closely to Him and meditate in His law (that is, read His Word, the Bible, and think upon it earnestly), He promises, "and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
-- Aimee Semple McPherson
To those who walk closely to Him and meditate in His law (that is, read His Word, the Bible, and think upon it earnestly), He promises, "and he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper."
-- Aimee Semple McPherson
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Active vs. Passive Faith
The one with "passive" faith says, "I will be prayed for and IF it is His will to heal me, I will be restored to health," -- but right there is an 'IF' small in itself but a most mighty stumbling block to faith.
Had the woman with the issue of blood sat by the wayside saying, "Well, if it is His will to heal me, I am willing. I will just sit here at ease and if He happens to come to me and heal me, all right; if not, all right, but I will make no great effort until He does," do you think she would ever have been made whole? It was her "active faith" that pressed through the throng and touched the Master's robe that brought about her healing.
-- Aimee Semple McPherson
Had the woman with the issue of blood sat by the wayside saying, "Well, if it is His will to heal me, I am willing. I will just sit here at ease and if He happens to come to me and heal me, all right; if not, all right, but I will make no great effort until He does," do you think she would ever have been made whole? It was her "active faith" that pressed through the throng and touched the Master's robe that brought about her healing.
-- Aimee Semple McPherson
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Pentecost (May 19). This was my elder of the day talk and prayer
Who knows what special day today is?
Pentecost, one of the three great festivals of the Christian year, along with Christmas and Easter. It's celebrated in the mainline liturgical churches but is largely forgotten in the evangelical and even the Pentecostal churches. One blog that I read this week called it the "neglected middle child". It is customary to wear red on Pentecost and to decorate churches with red geraniums.
In the Old Testamant, Pentecost was the last of the spring festivals, 50 days after Passover. It was a harvest festival when the firstfruits were brought into the Temple, and it celebrated the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses. All Jews were required to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
It was under these circumstances, when Jews representing many nations and many languages, were gathered in Jerusalem, seven weeks after Jesus's resurrection, that the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles gathered in the Upper Room, and they were empowered to come out of hiding and waiting and to proclaim the Gospel to the nations. As God originally gave the Law on this day, He also poured out His Spirit on all who would believe.
The indwelling of God's Spirit within His people indicates a shift in the way God relates to us, not through our obedience to the Law, but through hearts that are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Today we live in the era of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but do we really understand the advantages of having His presence in our lives?
The New Testament lists 33 things that the Holy Spirit does in us. Here are just a few of them: He helps us. He guides us. He teaches us. He comforts us. He calls us. He leads us. He fills us. He strengthens us. He convicts us. He empowers us. He sanctifies us. He prays for us. He produces fruit in us. He transforms us. He brings joy. He brings freedom. He helps us to obey.
Eph. 5:18 tells us to be filled with the Spirit Greek tense of the verb indicates to keep on being filled.
It's a continual, ongoing action, not something that occureed one time in the past. The will of God for our lives is that we be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit.
He is not here for us to use; we are here for Him to use to bring glory to Jesus through our lives
Many believers never sense the Spirit's presence or access the insight and power available to them. Is God's Holy Spirit your intimate companion, guide, and helper, or is He merely some vague Christian concept? Don't neglect this treasure -- understand that almighty God lives within you!
Most of us missed out on the first tradition of wearing red. We missed out on the tradition of decorating the church with red geraniums. But there's still time to fulfill a third tradition: eating cheesecake to remember the sweetness of God's Word.
Our prayer this morning comes from the lyrics of two songs written by Bob Fitts in 1995, which I just discovered this week:
Let's pray:
My eyes are fixed on You, O Lord, your loving face I see.
I set my heart hard after You. I'll follow faithfully.
To see Your holiness
To be Your righteousness,
O how I need You, Lord.
To see Your majesty, to be You family,
O Lord, I praise Your Name.
Live in me, Holy Spirit, live in me. Let my heart become your habitation. Live in me.
Flow in me, Holy Spirit, flow in me. Let my heart become a healing fountain. Flow in me.
Let your springs of living water set my spirit free. Come redeem, healing stream, heal my need.
Heal through me, Holy Spirit, heal through me. Let my hands become the hands of Jesus. Heal through me.
Shine though me, Holy Spirit, let the glory of my loving Father shine through me.
Heal through me, Shine through me, Let the springs of living water set the people free. Come redeem, healing steam, heal our need, Spirit, breathe. Live in me.
Pentecost, one of the three great festivals of the Christian year, along with Christmas and Easter. It's celebrated in the mainline liturgical churches but is largely forgotten in the evangelical and even the Pentecostal churches. One blog that I read this week called it the "neglected middle child". It is customary to wear red on Pentecost and to decorate churches with red geraniums.
In the Old Testamant, Pentecost was the last of the spring festivals, 50 days after Passover. It was a harvest festival when the firstfruits were brought into the Temple, and it celebrated the giving of the Ten Commandments to Moses. All Jews were required to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
It was under these circumstances, when Jews representing many nations and many languages, were gathered in Jerusalem, seven weeks after Jesus's resurrection, that the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles gathered in the Upper Room, and they were empowered to come out of hiding and waiting and to proclaim the Gospel to the nations. As God originally gave the Law on this day, He also poured out His Spirit on all who would believe.
The indwelling of God's Spirit within His people indicates a shift in the way God relates to us, not through our obedience to the Law, but through hearts that are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Today we live in the era of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but do we really understand the advantages of having His presence in our lives?
The New Testament lists 33 things that the Holy Spirit does in us. Here are just a few of them: He helps us. He guides us. He teaches us. He comforts us. He calls us. He leads us. He fills us. He strengthens us. He convicts us. He empowers us. He sanctifies us. He prays for us. He produces fruit in us. He transforms us. He brings joy. He brings freedom. He helps us to obey.
Eph. 5:18 tells us to be filled with the Spirit Greek tense of the verb indicates to keep on being filled.
It's a continual, ongoing action, not something that occureed one time in the past. The will of God for our lives is that we be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit.
He is not here for us to use; we are here for Him to use to bring glory to Jesus through our lives
Many believers never sense the Spirit's presence or access the insight and power available to them. Is God's Holy Spirit your intimate companion, guide, and helper, or is He merely some vague Christian concept? Don't neglect this treasure -- understand that almighty God lives within you!
Most of us missed out on the first tradition of wearing red. We missed out on the tradition of decorating the church with red geraniums. But there's still time to fulfill a third tradition: eating cheesecake to remember the sweetness of God's Word.
Our prayer this morning comes from the lyrics of two songs written by Bob Fitts in 1995, which I just discovered this week:
Let's pray:
My eyes are fixed on You, O Lord, your loving face I see.
I set my heart hard after You. I'll follow faithfully.
To see Your holiness
To be Your righteousness,
O how I need You, Lord.
To see Your majesty, to be You family,
O Lord, I praise Your Name.
Live in me, Holy Spirit, live in me. Let my heart become your habitation. Live in me.
Flow in me, Holy Spirit, flow in me. Let my heart become a healing fountain. Flow in me.
Let your springs of living water set my spirit free. Come redeem, healing stream, heal my need.
Heal through me, Holy Spirit, heal through me. Let my hands become the hands of Jesus. Heal through me.
Shine though me, Holy Spirit, let the glory of my loving Father shine through me.
Heal through me, Shine through me, Let the springs of living water set the people free. Come redeem, healing steam, heal our need, Spirit, breathe. Live in me.
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