"...It is no longer I who live, but Christ in me."
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Welcome! May you find encouragement and "truth seeds" that sprout into life in Christ.

"In such a way" - navigating that familiar scenario...

2/15/2016

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"1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.
2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
4 But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles." (Acts 14:1-4 ESV)
I noticed 2 sets of statements about this scenario that reveal 3 groups of people that are commonly found today. I also see the apostles responses.

1. The apostles spoke in SUCH A WAY as to reach the Greeks (they needed empirical evidence) and the Jews (They were legalistic religious guys).
---> Same two group of people that we have today!! We need to be spirit-filled of course, but mindful that we must be aware of the person(s) before us and be diligent to deliver the message of the gospel in such a way that accounts for the ideology of the listener. BE COMFORTED....The spirit steps in once we step out!

2.
The apostles did signs and wonders AND spoke in such a way that Jews and Greeks (remember they represent the same kind of people we have today) BUT some didn't believe and succeeded to "poison the minds" of the BELIEVERS!!
--->
Wow. Yes it can happen. You can do all the right things including perform miracles and many still won't believe. This third group EFFECTIVELY COMBAT the gospel - poisoning the minds.

3. The apostles responses that we should learn from Christ by the Spirit:
  1. They spoke in such a way as to reach diverse groups with the truth
  2. They saw the poisoning and "STAYED A LONG TIME". -perserverance and commitment
  3. They walked in the power of the Holy Spirit. a) speaking with results (verse 1), b) doing signs and wonders (vs 3) c) speaking boldly (bold = not in their comfort zone) (vs 3) d) Were a witness of Christ's word (they knew what He said) and grace (they knew what He did) (vs 3)

Let's be on our knees and at the feet of Jesus that the Holy Spirit may fill us and work these things in our lives. As Jesus said, "Without me you can do nothing." but it "is the will of my Father that you bear much fruit."

Let's do it.

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February 13th, 2016

2/13/2016

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"The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me. What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things. It is not that I don't want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. I am devoted to things and even to service and my own convictions. The attitude of a child of God should always be, 'Speak, for Your servant hears.'" --Oswald Chambers, from My Utmost for His Highest.

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Wait...did say free from everything? 

2/13/2016

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"38 "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses. 40

"Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you:
        41 'BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH;
             FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS,
             A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE,
            THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.'"" (Acts 13:38-41 NASB)
Whoah, wait a minute! Did He say we can be free from all things? What kind of things!? Well, in vs 39 He says the stuff in the law of Moses (the commandments) that we try to live by but doesn't make us free. Remember in Romans

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Can a man seek God the wrong way and it be okay?

2/10/2016

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"For a majority of the people...had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed.
For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good LORD pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the LORD, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness."
And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people." (2 Chronicles 30:18-20 ESV)
How can this be? A nation comes before God and violates his holy directions and God rewards this with a healing?

We see some beautiful dynamics here; Hezekiah in a sense is

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A Beautiful Work Of Life

2/1/2016

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Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
make my joy complete fnby being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Do nothing fnfrom selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Have this attitude fnin yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be fngrasped,
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death fnon a cross.
For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
Philippians 2:1-13
Looking for consolation? Here it is...
What does God desire? In other words what does He exalt? It's explained here...
What attitude and mindset did Jesus have that will change me life? It's demonstrated here...
Do you know how you are going to do the will of God? It's in here...
How do we desire and thr actual ability to do God's will? Its also written here...

God is good. Read this passage and comment on which verse jumps out at you.
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    Mario Cassase is a follower of Christ. His desire is to be real with the church and encourage her to live in ultimate freedom by knowing the Truth intimately - His name is JESUS, and we need Him to make us like Him, one truth at a time..

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