Abba's Own. David R. Lumsden

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ believe in Jesus (not some experience supposedly of the power of God in signs, wonders or miracles, but in Jesus Himself) this side of eternity and Jesus promises you that you will not die for your sin, (Jn 11: 26). Will you receive Jesus, if you have not already done so?

      God’s business plan of soul winning is about bringing the lost sinners to Christ for salvation, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Soul-winning is not about forcing a person to pray a prayer before that person leaves your meeting with him at a church, or elsewhere. It is about waiting upon the Lord Jesus Christ through prayer for the Holy Spirit to move a seeker to believe God through the Word accurately preached by a Spirit-led preacher. Born of the Spirit, a seeker cries out to God with the confession of sin, forsaking of sin, followed by an expression of faith in Jesus Christ for the salvation. He prays a prayer of thanksgiving for the newness of eternal life, and strength to live the new life God’s way, (Hebrews 9: 28-29). One believes on Jesus for salvation, which is a gift of God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ believing in what Jesus has done, i.e. Completed a substitutionary atonement on man’s behalf, not of any acquisition or work of any man for their own boasting before God, or man, (Acts 16: 31; Ephesians 2: 8-10).

      One individual, known to the author, experienced such an aggressiveness, by two individuals in a church, contrary to godly soul-winning, to pray a prayer designed by them before he left the church. They were insistent. After a long experience of this forcefulness, that he was to pray after them, he left the church, went straight to his computer at home and wrote on Facebook; that he would rather be an atheist than ever go back to that church. The comment was heartbreaking for his close but ignorant, friend. A standard theology of historically proven, biblical, Christian, Protestant, conservative, evangelical theology for soul-winning and discipleship for equipping true Christians, to prevent straying, is needed for teaching soul-winners biblical behaviour. The author sets out to develop such a standard theology. A pastor’s theology determines true church growth. Discipleship helps a Christian live a Spirit-led, disciplined and Spirit-controlled Christian life. Only under this kind of control is real happiness and fulfillment in life. Money and alcohol will not build a person up, (Col 2: 7; Eph 5: 18). The case study’s subject faced two brutish pastors who ignorantly approached him, with non-truth, when he was struggling as a Christian. Like the example above, instead of receiving the touch of God, he received a counterfeit, (See Eph. 2:8-9; Col: 2:10; Matt 6. 23; Rom 12: 1-2; Gal. 3: 26; and 4: 6).

      According to the Scriptures, one born of the Spirit and, not of the flesh nor, the will of man will be known by God in Judgment Day as complete in Christ, perfectly fit, blameless, and presentable to God for Heaven. God does not know Anyone, who does not come through faith in Jesus Christ, alone, to God as fit for Heaven. One is only made fit for Heaven through Christ. In Christ, a believer can see this side of eternity by reading God’s Word, that God will welcome the believer into His big home in Heaven. Those, who believe the alternative truth, are at risk of Hades (eternal fire and punishment). In one megachurch attended by our subject, he wrote a letter to the pastor saying he could no longer attend the church; the reason being that one could not find Jesus in that church. Two former members cancelled their membership. They were not known to our subject. They came to him, who led them both to faith in Jesus Christ.

      During one Sunday morning service, Pastor had delivered and explained a message from the Lord recorded in John 1: 12. In the end, as usual, he gave the altar call for the hearers to come to receive Jesus Christ. One lady came forward after the last hymn and closing prayer. She introduced herself, then uttered, “It is hard to find a church in this city where the true biblical Gospel is being preached. Thank you for preaching the true Gospel.” She went on to explain her deep sense of aloneness, before she found her answer in Jesus Christ, (Christ in her, her cure for aloneness, her hope of glory), when she appropriated (application of God’s word in one’s life), John 1: 12 and 1 John 4: 4 for herself. She found Jesus, as her Savior, Lord, Overcomer, Coming King, and ever-present faithful Friend. She was beaming. God had given her new birth.

      Through reading this study, you can find reasons to believe God, discover Jesus, know Him, and be known by Him, now and in Judgment Day; Lord willing, you will understand. You can see the answer to your questions: moral emancipation, freedom from the bondage of sin, willingness to accept God, and new life, complete in Jesus, who prays for the Father to send the Holy Spirit, immediately, into a new believer’s heart, crying “Abba, Father,” to comfort, teach, lead and guide a believer in all truth.

      CON PARAGRAPH

      Every thesis has an antithesis. Nell W. Meriwether says that a good thesis always has an antithesis, which is an opposing viewpoint. She says that the Con paragraph immediately follows the Thesis Statement.⁹

      The antithesis argues that salvation is attained (by works, not a gift) and man must get the Holy Spirit and be filled with the Holy Spirit after salvation, by the efforts of a man getting the Holy Spirit in you. This antithesis is recognized in the expression of such terms as ‘You may be saved, but you do not have the Holy Spirit in you.’ Proponents of the antithesis argue that ‘You do not speak in tongues. ‘Speaking in tongues’ is considered by non-biblical teachers to be a manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit, instead of love for God and others, joy, peace, along with other fruit of the Holy Spirit, (Gal 5: 22-23). They argue that you want to be anointed with oil (canola) because you want to get the Holy Spirit in you so that you can be delivered from demons. The School of Deliverance 101 teaches that you need to get the Holy Spirit in you every day to be delivered from demons each day.¹⁰

      Man sets up his own rules for his completion of salvation, to be pleasing unto God, so he thinks, but that does not honour God and prepare one for eternity in Heaven. One of the outspoken voices on this antithesis is St. Alphonsus Liguori of the charismatic Catholic movement, author of Attaining Salvation: Devout Reflections and Meditations. It seems to Liguori that salvation to the Catholic is in the ‘Journey’ itself as if one earns one’s salvation by taking the journey and his study and service to God are what saves him, as the title of his book suggests. Liguori says, “Holy Virgin, thy prayers can enable me to find my true happiness, which is love earnestly thy Son. Oh, pray to Him for me; in thee I trust.”¹¹ Misplaced trust means a false hope. Any form of salvation by man’s making, i.e. Works, is unpleasing to God. Liguori says, “There is no other way to enter Heaven but by resigning ourselves to tribulations until death.”¹² Liguori in Attaining Salvation says, “This blood and thy intercession, O Mary, Mother of God, are all my hope.”¹³ Mary did not count on herself for salvation. She, too, needed redemption through Christ alone.

      Kurt E. Koch in his book Occult ABC: Exposing Occult Practices and Ideologies writes of the Catholic persuasion and the charismatic movement. Two examples are highlighted; he writes:

      “Ex 30 Some years ago in Kevin Ranaghan’s book, Catholic Pentecostals, I read:

      ‘Baptism with the Holy Spirit leads to a greater love of Mary, a greater veneration of the Pope, a greater submission to the Catholic Church, a more frequent attendance at Mass, and a greater authority in witnessing to these matters.”¹⁴

      The Holy Spirit leads us not into false doctrines, but into all truth, that leads us to adore, revere and worship God, for example, you wake in the morning and as you

      wake He speaks into your heart, “He that hath the Son hath life,” (1 Jn 5: 12a). How grateful we need to be. The Lord is supping with you. What a ‘good morning message, that is, when the Lord sups with you and you sup with Him with ‘I adore You and worship You, Lord my God,’ at the early moments of the morning.

      Ex 31 Another experience written about by Koch, contains a similar lesson. Some years ago, I gave several lectures in a church in Rock Island, Illinois, USA. The pastor told me he had been invited by the Jesuits in New York to come and speak about the gifts of the Spirit. This group of Jesuits belonged to the charismatic movement. СКАЧАТЬ