Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
"Walk not after the flesh" Notes from Pastor Len's message
"Walk not after the flesh" Notes from Pastor Len's message
These are notes from a message I listen to that my husband did on Romans 8:1-6. (Partial notes)
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh...
Who walk not after the flesh...
Flesh: Depending on ones personal strength or great religious efforts in order to overcome sin. We don’t try to overcome sin in our own power. We do not have any power in ourselves. This is why Christians are failing today.
2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)...
The weapon: The Blood of Jesus, the death, the burial, the resurrection of Jesus, the word of God, the name of Jesus, all of it ties into the Cross.
The weapons of the believer’s warfare comes from the Cross.
Great religious efforts will not overcome sin. Great religious efforts will not pull us back from condemnation. What do you mean by that? Going to church, in and of itself. Reading the bible, in and of itself. Having a prayer life, in and of itself. Giving money to the work of God, in and of itself. None of these things will guarantee you victory over sin. Fasting, as wonderful and needed as it is. Prayer, as wonderful and needed as it is.
All of those things I just mentioned are good things. And as a Christian you should and you will do them. But not to get victory over sin. You will do them because victory has already been won for you by Jesus Christ. And that will bring the Holy Spirit into your life and the Holy Spirit will always lead you to pay your tithes. The Holy Spirit will always lead you to not forsake the assembly of yourselves together with the Body of Believers. The Holy Spirit will lead you into obedience so you will pay your tithes, you will go to church, and you will have a prayer life. The Holy Spirit will birth in you a prayer life. You will be a man and women of the word of God because the Holy Spirit will take you to the word, time and time again. The Holy Spirit will convict you when you don’t put time in the word. He will convict you when you are not doing right.
But we don’t do those things to be over-comers. In Christ we are over-comers.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit will work exclusively within the confines of the Finished work of Christ. Our faith in that finished work, our faith in the Cross of Christ guarantees the help of the Holy Spirit and that guarantees us the victory.
If the believer attempts to live for God by any manner other than faith in Christ and the Cross that person is doomed to failure.
God help us today to heed your warnings. God is Holy and He tells us to be Holy. But how we do that is where we run in to problems. We try to do that so often through the energy and efforts of self. We try to walk after the flesh to become holy and it guarantees us failure every time. We will fail, we will fall short in the efforts of self. Because there is no power. There is only human power, which satan has power over, BUT the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is more powerful than the Law of sin and death.
So when we properly place our faith in what Jesus did for us at Calvary, realizing He alone tread the wine press, Jesus alone is powerful to defeat sin and He did it legally. He hung on the Cross and became our sacrifice, our substitute, we should have been on that Cross. Praise God He was our substitute.
We don’t walk after the flesh... We place our faith in what Jesus did at the Cross and Praise God that gives us the help of the Holy Spirit and that gives us victory.
"Walk not after the flesh" PT 2 Notes from Pastor Len's message
These are notes from a message I listen to that my husband did on Romans 8:1-6. (Partial notes)
Why did Jesus come?
Now there is a question that the modern church needs to ask itself today. Jesus did not come to perform miracles alone. As wonderful and as needed as that is. Jesus came to atone for sin and to destroy the power of sin. And to save and sanctify the victims of sin. The Lamb of God came, the Savor came, not to start a new fad or a new gimmick. He did not say show me the money and I will save your soul. Jesus came to atone for sin and to destroy sins power. And to save and sanctify the victims of sin. And that is You and that is me today. Praise God for Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:3-4 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:...
He destroyed the power of sin by giving His perfect body as a sacrifice for sin. This made it possible for sin to be defeated in our flesh. It was all through the Cross. It was all for us. He condemned sin in the Flesh. Because of what He did in His flesh we can have victory in our flesh.
The work of Christ on the Cross can do what our own efforts and abilities could never do. We could never do it in our strength. But Jesus did it. He did not do it for himself, He did it all for you.
There are many gospels out there today. The church needs to come back to the truth of the bible, Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.
When we understand that all things come by & from God to us by the means of the Cross. We are to make the Cross the object of our faith and then the Holy Spirit works mighty in us. Praise God!!
No true Christian wants to do the wrong thing or to sin.
Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
What is carnally minded? It is thinking that we can achieve apart from the help of the Holy Spirit. When we think that we can accomplish these great victories apart from the help of the Holy Spirit, we are carnally minded. When we think we are strong enough to make it on our own, we are carnally minded. When we think that we have got to perform and jump through hoops to be accepted to God, we are carnally minded. Carnally minded is more than watching too much television or something like that. Carnally minded is when you try to go outside the prescribed order and that is Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.
We are saved because Jesus hung on a Cross.
So As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him...Colossians 2:6
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
No Secret Here By Len Paxton
No Secret Here
Recently I have heard it said, “Those who are preaching the Cross as the only way of sanctification think they have some secret truth that no one else has.”
This is my response to that statement in retrospect.
We could go all the way back to the book of beginnings; the book of Genesis, to see that the sacrifice; the blood sacrifice, was the means that dealt with sin, restored fellowship, and it was also the way to approach God, walk with God, worship God etc… In OT times of course it was in type, pointing to the coming redeemer. Jesus Christ; God in the flesh, becoming man and being the perfect sacrifice, fullfilled in totality these types. Now in NT times, in this church age, we look back to the Cross as a finished work. Upon us placing our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ upon the Cross 100% and adding nothing to it, we are then partakers of all the benefits and blessings of that Finished work. This is, in reality how the believer “walks in the Spirt.” (Gal 5:16-26)
Romans 6,7,and 8 are the prolific chapters that detail the great truth of “Sanctification by Faith”, although it is found in the entirety of the Bible. All throughout the NT it is the main theme:” How the believer is to live for God. “
The New Testament is the same in everybodies Bibles, so how do you say it is “secret truth.”? No secret here. One needs to simply read the Word of God and listen to and obey the Holy Spirit. Truthfully, the ones who really claim secret truth and secret knowledge are those who are mainly in the word of faith and modern prophetic movements, who are often heard to say things like, “you just haven’t had a revelation of it yet.” and “their faith is not up to this level yet.” etc and so on. These type of statements are intended to imply and portray a subtle superiority to the rest of the body of Christ. The fact that the word of faith and modern prophetic movements doctrine is false and spurious is the real reason that most of us “just don’t get it.”
On the issue of sanctification, the Scripture is very clear, ” As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him.” (Col 2:6) This is as plain as the nose on your face: Nope, no secret here.
The real reason that some get so angry, so furious, so indignant, is because they want to follow a “mixture gospel” that is so popular nowadays. The Holy Spirit convicts their heart about the truth of the message of the Cross; and, listen, the Holy Spirit will always convict one about the Cross because that is the true message, BUT they simply do not want to hear it. They do not want to give up their fair works of the flesh. They do not want to give up living by law,(which totally blows my mind because they can never live it or keep the law). The reason for their anger and animosity against us is UNBELIEF… They do not believe that the cross is the answer and they feel they must add to it. Therein lies the problem in a nutshell.
When they, (whosoever “they” might be) grow angry; they will accuse the messenger(s) first. They will try to kill those who preach faith and faith alone. (see Genesis 4) Then, with truth silenced and the messenger out of the way, they can continue on their merry path of destruction with no interruptions, or so they think. But thank God, God has always got a voice.. There is always a remnant who are holding to the truth. Today, that remnant are those of us who hold to the truth of Christ and Him Crucified for Salvation AND Sanctification. For that matter, the Cross meets EVERY need we have and ever will have.. Glory to God..
I challenge my reader today: read the word of God. I mean really read it. Not just your favorite verses. Let the Holy Spirit speak to your heart and show you the real truth of the message of the Cross. The message of the Cross is the message of the Bible.. Yes, the Cross is there on every page. No secret about God’s true message..
Turn loose of all your preconceived notions and ideas. Turn loose of your religious traditions. Embrace the message of the Cross. It is the clear message of the Bible and the ONLY message of the Bible.
Like the words to the old, old song says: It is no secret what our God can do……
And He did it all through and by THE CROSS
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
"Merge Left"
As we were traveling this weekend I saw a sign that said: “Merge Left, 2 miles ahead”. Then a little later I saw another sign that said: “Merge Left, 1 mile ahead”. Then a little later another sign said: “Merge Left”. There was still a little more road and then finally you had to “Merge Left” or you would go off the road or hit the car next to you.
The Lord dropped two things in my heart about this. One We need to discern the signs times we are living in. There are some that can look outside and see the signs of what the weather is going to be, but not that we are in the last days. The signs are there.
Matthew 16:3 And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
The signs show:
- We are in the last days.
- The Harvest is ready - Go Forth
- Be Ready - Have your lamp full
There are many scriptures I could put here on that subject, but the next thing He put in my heart was about the leading of the Holy Spirit. As we place our faith in what Jesus did at the Cross we receive the help of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 12:12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
He will teach you... He will led you... He will guide you...
As those signs give you direction so does the Holy Spirit as He leds you and guide you. He keeps you on the right road. He will show you the way to go. He points to Jesus. But unless you are listening, following, etc... you will miss the road you are to be on or you will go into a place you were not intended to be.
The Holy Spirit convicts you of your sin. Even before you commit the sin, He will led you, “Merge Left, 2 miles ahead”. He will continue to remind you, “Merge Left, 1 mile ahead. As so on.
We must listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit and obey. Do not let your heart be harden to His leading.
John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Hebrews 3:7-9 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your hearts...
1 Thessalonians 5:19 Quench not the Spirit. (To disobey is to quench the Spirit)
Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God...
The Holy Spirit is our Guide. He shows us the way, but He also goes with us as helper. He influences us and aids us as we go. He leads us into truth, but this truth needs to be in our hearts, not just our heads. We can have all the head knowledge and still not hear the Holy Spirit. We must listen and obey His leading.
Here are some notes about the Holy Spirit from one of My Husband’s teaching. (these are not full notes, just part of the message)
When we place our faith in what Jesus did at the cross, that gives the Holy Spirit latitude to help us.
The Holy Spirit will not leave us. He is our helper. He holds us up. He makes intercession for us. He pleads on our behave. (Rom. 8:28) He teaches us about Jesus. He leads us to the Father.
The Holy Spirit is practical. He can warn us & prepare us to what is coming. The Holy Spirit is personal, available, adequate, dependable, & wise.
1 Cor. 2:14 The natural man can not receive the things of God, but the Holy Spirit helps us to receive & understand the word.
No one comes to Jesus unless the Holy Spirit draw him.
The Holy Spirit reveals our sin to us. He will show us things that do no belong in our lives.
The Holy Spirit will remind us of the faithfulness of God.
People say that experience is the best teacher. The Holy is the best teacher. Sometimes your experience is deceptive & sometimes leads you away from God & what He wants for you.
The Holy Spirit gives us power to live like we are suppose to live. He will only work in the confines of what Jesus did at the cross. Our faith place in Jesus & what He did give us the power of the Help of the Holy Spirit to live.
These last days are hard & will get even harder. The bible says that men’s hearts will fail them for fear of the things they see happening on the earth.
We need the Help of the Holy Spirit. I encourage you to study and learn about the Holy Spirit and why you need His help. God has provided all we need to be over comers. Walk in Him, believe what was done for you and receive the help of the Holy Spirit.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
“Just like Jesus?”
Sometime we say I want to be just like Jesus. I want to be more like him. But do we really? Is it just words? First I must say we are not Jesus nor are we a god. We are being conformed into His image not becoming Him. The only way this happens and can happen is if we place our faith in what He did at the Cross and then the Holy Spirit will work in us.
Sometimes we sing a song or say phrases without really meaning what the words are saying. Like “I surrender all” Do we really mean that? These scriptures show some of what Jesus went about doing. We say: “I want to be just like Jesus” Do we really mean it or is it just words??
He Preached:
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom...
He did this even though it was taking Him to a place that He would have to die for.
Love as He loves:
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it...
The bible says we are to love like him, do we??? He gave himself for the church... What actions did He take that we are not willing to take because that means we would have to die to self. This is not just for husbands, but all believers...
Touched a Leper:
Matthew 8:2-4 ...there came a leper...And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him...
Do we reach out to others no matter where they are at in life?
He took paths that would led him to help another that by tradition He should not have helped:
John 4:3-9 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. And he must needs go through Samaria. Now Jacob's well was there. ...There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
He had compassion:
Matthew 14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them...
Matthew 20:34 So Jesus had compassion on them...
He sat down and talked with sinners:
Matthew 9:10 And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
Please don’t think this means we can go do the things they do or be like them. We are to live lives that are holy and acceptable unto God. But sometimes we pick and choose who we will talk to or we avoid others that are not christians. Who will tell them??? How will they believe unless they hear???
He offended many:
Matthew 13:56-58 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.
Sometimes the things we are led to say might offend others are we willing to say them anyway???
He went where others have not gone before to help his disciples:
Matthew 14:22-25 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side... But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves... And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
Sometimes God asked us to be the first to step out and go somewhere or do something no one has done before, do we step out or do we stay in the comfort zone???
He took time to be alone to pray:
Matthew 14:23 ... he went up into a mountain apart to pray...he was there alone.
He was willing to give up his life, are you:
Matthew 16:24-25 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
He told his friend the truth:
Matthew 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Sometimes we hold back because someone is our friend and we don’t want to rock the boat. This does not mean we are to play God in their life. But if we are led by the Spirit to say something to a friend do we avoid it???
There are so many other things that could be shared in this teaching, but the point is don’t sing a song or say a phrase without really meaning it. Or don’t be a surface person, on the surface you say, “I want to be just like Jesus”, but in your heart and actions you really don’t...
The bible says to examine yourself:
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you...
Jesus said not my will, but thine...
Matthew 26:39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
We are to be a bond slave, a servant, one whose will is swallowed up in the will of the master. Sometimes we miss out on blessings because we won’t let Him have His will in our lives. You won’t go where He wants you to go, because you have other ideas. You won’t travel or say or do what He wants you to do because you have other ideas or thoughts. That is not the heart of a servant. We need more servants in the church. So many want to be a “Minister”, “Pastor”, “In charge”, but are not willing to just do what God wants them to do. Not all can be in the same office. Who will be like Stephen and serve tables? Read Acts 6, this allowed others to give themselves to prayer and ministry of the word...And the word of God increased because of it.
Only Faith in the finish work of Christ can produce what it takes to be like Jesus. We can not do it on our own, but we can look at our motives, actions, ideas, thoughts, etc... to see if we are in the faith.
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