Our Precious Promises and Faith Is Already Granted

 Our Precious Faith and Promises are linked Together

2 Peter 1:4 - "Whereby are given unto us great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature."

The Promises excite the Faith

In 2 Peter 1:1-4 precious FAITH and precious PROMISES are linked together. The PROMISES excite the FAITH and FAITH contribute and reckons upon the completion of the PROMISES.  We sometime asked why it is that God's Word seems to fail, and the righteous do appear to be forsaken and the unrighteousness seems to be flourishing. The reason is, not that there is any failure on God's side to fulfill His Promises, but that the promise is left unclaimed by most of us. It is possible to carry around a wallet full of cash and checks, and to die of starvation because they have not yet been cashed. When we have found a promise that just fits our needs, do not rest content until we laid it before God and claim its fulfillment.

In 2 Peter 1:3, everything that is needed for our lives and godliness is already granted to us in Jesus Christ our Lord. We have not to pray to our Father for things which He has not anticipated, but we must claim those which God has already given to us. The one purpose of God's preparation is that we should not only escape the corruption of this world, but become "partakers of His Divine Nature." What a marvellous promise is this, which almost passes human thought and comprehension, that we should become animated and filled by the very nature of God! Note the recurrence of the phrase "these things" in the verses. When they abound in us we cannot be idle or unfruitful. Faith apprehends everything else--manly courage, knowledge, sell-control, patience, godliness, kindness, and above all, love. To be deficient in "these things" is to be short-sighted .

The Apostle says that the soul which has incorporated into itself these qualities of character will be welcomed into the Eternal Kingdom. It will enter the Harbor royally, with every sail set and pennant flying, and receive a choral entrance from the eager crowds that await its approach (2 Peter 1:11). Let us be diligent in our appropriation of God's great and precious promises, so that we shall never fail.

AMEN.

Taniela Fonua (AKA) Lapaifonua

What Is True Repentance

True Repentance Overview

Repentance is a condition of remorse, of contrition, of spiritual regret experienced by a sinner who is convicted by the Holy Spirit into realizing that he/she has broken one or more of the commandments of God. Repentance is not the sorrow of, say, a thief who has been caught red-handed with stolen property and is terrified of the consequences. Nor should repentance be confused with the reluctant apology of a person who has been academically proved wrong and cannot somehow gainsay his opponent's arguments. It is also not the regret, or sorrow, experienced by a person who has made a mistake, the results of which have forced him to admit that he was wrong. No, the repentance we are considering in this lesson has nothing to do with misdeeds where no sense of guilt or regret is felt.

ABIDING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD IS HEALTHY

Philippians 4:5-6 -  "The Lord is at hand. In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God."

 What Is Anxiety?

THE WORD anxiety comes from the same root as anger, and suggests the idea of choking. Worry chokes the life of faith. It does not help us to overcome our difficulties, but unfits us for dealing with them. No weapon that is formed against us shall prosper; every tongue that shall rise against us shall be condemned; our bread shall be given, and our water sure. God will perfect that which concerneth us, and His goodness and mercy shall never cease. Roll thyself and thy burden on the Lord, and leave them there. Too many take them back again!

In the darkening autumn evenings of our lives, we light our lamps earlier, or turn on the switch, and there is a burst of light which had been waiting to be called upon. So let us keep a smile upon our faces. As we put off our heavy and rain-soaked clothes in the laundry, so let us leave our anxieties with God, until we have to resume our destined path.

Lord Jesus Is Always At Hand

"The Lord is at hand!" Let us often repeat these words, amidst  the commonplaces of life, as well as when anticipating His near Advent!  Say it when you are irritated and think that there is no reason why you should accept rebuffs and slights so meekly! Say it when you are worried and anxious! Say it, till you come again into that Presence, which is as the light of the morning when the sun rises.

 Hold Fellowship With Jesus

Practice the Presence of God! Hold fellowship with Him! Even in business, or in the midst of daily responsibility, often lift your heart for a moment into the atmosphere of His presence! There is a great difference between faith and its intellectual expression. We must rise above the intellectual into spiritual fellowship with God. It is not for us to excite a transient feeling of love towards God. Our business is the absolute surrender and submission of the heart to Him. Not the rapture of the mystic, but the consciousness of the spirit, which is aware of an unimpeded union with the life of the Infinite. To be ever, tranquilly, joyously, and strenuously, at one with the blessed Will of God, that is the Heavenly Paradise, and each of us, by His grace, may walk with Him in happy fellowship, as Enoch did of old, and then we can make known our requests!

We thank Thee, O Father, that from whatever place Thy children seek Thee, there is a ladder reaching up beyond the stars to Heaven; that Jesus is the Way to Thyself, and we may come to Thee in Him;  AMEN.

Taniela Fonua (aka) Lapaifonua

Amavimus, Amamus, Amabimus ("We loved, we love, we continue to love")

Luke 20:37-38: "The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him."

"What is Death"

The ultimate question of "What is Death" has intrigued and fascinated generations from generations of the "Why" and the "How" to face  it. Death is instrumental to our life, and  we must look forward to meet and welcome it with joy and great anticipation. Death is not a condition but a transition; not an abiding-place, but a passage; not a house, but a doorway. The Scripture refers to it as a birth--"the first-born from the dead" It is an exodus --"after my exodus, " says the Psalmist. The Apostle Peter referred to Death as a striking of the tent that "I must shortly put off this tabernacle;" as the weighing of an anchor--"the time for me to loose-off from the shore is come." Each of these metaphors accentuates and explained to us the fact what  Death is but a momentary act. We are absent from the body one moment, and present with the Lord the next.

"PRESSED ON TOWARD THE GOAL"

Act 22:10 - "I said, What shall I do, Lord? "

Philippians 3:12-14 - "Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on toward the goal."

When Paul was finally tamed and came into the presence of the Eternal God, his whole life was changed immediately. In fact the flash of the Light in the road to Damascus enabled him to see the exalted Savior. Paul learned that he was against and antagonizing the purposes of redeeming grace, and that vision changed his life in all his purposes and actions. From that great moment of truth Paul forgot the things that were behind and endeavored to apprehend that for which he had been apprehended by Christ Jesus. It was this new era of his life that Paul finally realized his ambition to build on the pattern shown him on the "The Beatitudes: Developing Spiritual Character" delivered by Jesus on the mount .

WHAT SHALL I DO WITH JESUS

Introduction

Reading: Matthew - Chapter 27:17-18

Before the Saviour returns to earth every man and woman will have the opportunity of hearing the Gospel. The Bible says “This Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world, and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24: 14) Before that event occurs all of us need to answer this burning question: “What shall I do then with Jesus?” (Matthew 27: 22)

THE RESURRECTION OF YESHUA

The Resurrection of the Dead

The resurrection of the dead is one of the most basic of Christian doctrines; and we accept it as fact that Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus Christ) not only suffered and died for the sins of the world, but that He subsequently rose from the grave by the power of the Almighty God - His Father. Indeed were it not for the Saviour's resurrection, an event confirmed by many irrefutable proofs and hundreds of eye witnesses, the whole catalogue of His mighty works and wonderful message may well have been passed over by the reporters of history.

The Gospel is God's Power Unto Salvation

The World's Population is Basically Lost!

People are not born wise. None of us (including myself) instinctively ‘fears God.’ In fact the very opposite is true. The human heart, yours, mine and everyone else's, is by nature corrupt! That's the stunning Scriptural verdict on the human heart (mind). It is deceitful and desperately wicked

OUR AMEN means the AMEN

"Amen" means "So be it--certainly." 

Revelation 7:12 - "Saying, Amen and Amen!!"
 It is the word constantly translated in the Gospels by "verily." It contains the consent of the heart and the response of the life. Amen means that you appropriate each word that is spoken, that your heart says Yes to it and stamps it with the seal of its consent. Let your life say "Amen" to God, "Amen" to Providence, "Amen" to Redemption, "Amen" to  Heaven.

The Bible and the Issue of Homosexuality Part I

Introduction

Homosexual behaviour is not new. It has been around for thousands of years: and virtually every society has had to come to terms with it. Is it bad? Is it good? Or is it just another way of expressing human affection? Should society ban homosexuality? Or should it be welcomed? Do governments have the right to legislate on the sexual behaviour of consenting adults? Or is homosexuality a private matter which shouldn't concern the church, the government or even God? Popular opinion about homosexuality is very difficult to assess. Try out this question on a few people to see what I mean. 'Would you share a house with a professed homosexual?' Many would be insulted by the question: others wouldn't. The answers, nonetheless, would give you some idea about public opinion on this sensitive moral issue.

Ceremonial Laws of God Part I

Ceremonial Laws

1. Introduction

There are many commandments in the Holy Scriptures which Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel gave mankind through His servant Moses. All these laws are recorded in the first five books of the Bible. As stated below they were initially given to Israel, but were intended for the benefit of all mankind. It is undoubtedly one of humanity's greatest blunders that Yahweh's laws have been rejected by all nations in favour of countless impotent human regulations, most of which need updating every generation. God's Laws were  intended to regulate all life on earth and they fall into several categories:

Ceremonial Laws of God Part II

5. Circumcision

Circumcision is another ceremonial commandment with deep spiritual meaning. It is a physical token, a symbolic sign in the flesh, of total commitment and obedience to the God of Israel. It signifies the absolute degree of holiness the Most High requires of His people. Yahweh said to Abraham:

Genesis 17:

11: “And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.”

Penal Law In Scriptures - Part I

1. Introduction

In almost every country, crime is rising at an alarming rate and the authorities stand helpless in controlling it. Years ago reasons such as poverty, ignorance, bad housing and unemployment were put forward as the main causes for crime. But those arguments carry little weight these days. Modern criminals come from all classes of society: the rich, the educated, the upper classes and those in good jobs. No nation or social strata is exempt: all produce their share of criminals. Indeed the more wealthy, educated and sophisticated a society, the more dangerous the criminal it produces.

Penal Law In Scriptures - Part II

Go Back to Penal Law Part I

3. Penal Laws in Scripture 

What, then, are the Almighty's directions for dealing with crime? After all it's one thing to lay down rules as to how we humans are to behave: it's quite another dealing with those who blatantly break those rules. Believe it or not Yahweh the Almighty God of Israel has given the human race detailed instructions as to how to deal with criminals.

Penal Laws in Scripture - Part III

Go Back To Penal Laws Part I and Part II

5. PRESENT CHAOS

(5.1) The World Is Suffering

The World is Suffering because we have rejected God's Divine Law to Guide Us in Modern Times. Crime is advancing in every country and the victims often include the wives and children of the criminal. Rape, murder, child-abuse, adultery, desertion, fornication and homosexuality now go virtually unpunished: or the punishments handed out are farcical to say the least.

The Dietary Laws in the Bible and How they affect us

Vegetarianism

 In this article we examine the subjects of Vegetarianism and the dietary laws in Scripture. Let me deal with vegetarianism first. 

Millions of people do not eat meat for a variety of reasons:

• It is against their religion. (Hinduism)
• Man's original diet according to (Genesis 1: 29) did not include meat.
• Meat from diseased animals can be a danger to one's health, and it is difficult to be sure that the meat bought in the market place is disease free.
• Meat is a major source of cholesterol, a fatty substance found in animal tissues, thought to cause hardening of the arteries.
• Meat is expensive and the money spent on it could more profitably be spent on fruit and vegetables.
• Meat is difficult to digest etc.

Don't You Know God ordained the Marriage Institution?

1. Introduction

The marriage institution was ordained by God at the creation of the world. Though there was no civil ceremony as we know it, that first wedding in Eden was nevertheless as legal a contract as ever there was: because the Almighty  God Himself officiated and the angel host were witnesses. God's own opinion about marriage was that ‘it was not good for man to be alone.’ 

Love Your Neighbor

1.  Love for God

Love is, arguably, the most popular subject in the world today. Millions of magazine articles, books and TV plays are about ‘love.’ But most are about ‘romantic love;’ the well known attraction between lovers and spouses. This article, however, is not about romantic or sexual love. Nor is it about maternal love, that wonderful bond that dwells in the heart of a mother for her child. This file is about love for God and one’s fellow human beings. The Almighty's command concerning this type of love is as follows:

Divorce and Remarriage - Part I

1. Divorce Is on the Increase

We are told that in some western countries one in three marriages (or cohabiting couples who never officially got married in the first place) will end in breakdown, separation or divorce. Because this break-up rate (‘divorce’) is rapidly increasing the general public's opinion about divorce is also changing. No longer is divorce looked upon as a tragic failure on a couple's part, or the breaking of solemn vows. Divorce is now just one of those things. Comments such as this are common: ‘The couple meant well. They tried to make their marriage work, but failed. It’s happening all the time, all over the world: so what!’

Divorce & Remarriage Part II

 Continued From:  Divorce and Remarriage Part I

Divorce

The Almighty designed that sexual intercourse occur only within marriage. But millions of couples have their own agenda and don't want to know. They want to do their own thing and they wilfully break the divine commandments. The Bible says:

Romans 8:7: “The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”