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The Bible...
... Is a love letter. It tells us who we are, how we were made, how we were lost, and how we were purchased back. Spending time reading and thinking about it makes people change.
Who Jesus Is....
Jesus is God come to earth as a human. Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I AM". He said, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father". God wanted to relate to us, and He wanted us to be able to relate to Him. Jesus said He doen't call us slaves, but friends. If you've ever wondered what God is like, read about the love and forgiveness of Jesus! Jesus is also 100% human. The Bible says He emptined Himself of His high postion and walked here as one of us. When He walked on earth, He did amazing things as a human, listening to and carrying out the Father's instructions in the power of the Spirit. He said, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you..."
Who We Are
Humans were created by God but we fell away from Him. When we ask Jesus to reside in our hearts, we become completely new creations. We are no longer just God's handiwork, but we are His sons and daughters. The New Covenant is not between us and God, but between God and Jesus, and therefore, absolutely unbreakable. When we step into God's family, we enjoy not just forgiveness, but all the benefits of all the promises found in Scripture because we are IN Jesus... we are literally one with Him. We have the same position before God as Jesus does. We are hidden in Him. We have died with Him, and have been raised from the dead with Him. Jesus showed us who we are and how to live. We have been given the same authority Jesus had on earth, and can do "greater works" even than He did as we believe, listen to the Father, and carry out His instructions.
Grace
God loves all humans more than we can comprehend. When He sent His Son, He demonstrated that love. Many people have received a false impression of God through manmade religion and believe they are not worthy of a relationship with Him. Nobody is worthy of a relationship with God. But Jesus has reconciled us through His death on the Cross in our place. That death ended any sin issues that would separate us from God-- Jesus literally took all our sin with Him to the grave. Now we simply need to receive the gift that is offered to us-- eternal friendship with God-- by asking for it.
The Law was nailed to the Cross and we are freed from its ability to condemn us. The law remains as a guide into abundant living. You can still hurt yourself and others by living outside of its principles, but in Jesus there is no condemnation. An evidence of salvation is a changing life. The foremost change should be a powerful and growing love for people, rather than just compliance to a growing list of "do's" and "do nots".
Love
Love is the greatest commandment. Love should be the defining and unifying characteristic of individual Christians, of churches, and of the Body as a whole. When it comes to those not in the Body yet, love should be our response, rather than judgment and condescension. Jesus' response to those in sin was compassion, love, forgiveness, patience and personal sacrifice. However, to the religious leaders of His day who represented God as angry and judgemental, Jesus's response was vehement opposition. Jesus said they were standing in the Doorway, refusing to enter, and blocking the entrance of others. We have a responsibility to serve, and to represent God as a loving, forgiving Father.
The Holy Spirit
All over the world, the Spirit of God is active. Jesus didn't begin His public ministry until after the Spirit decended on Him. Likewise, He instructed His disciples not to go out until the coming of the Holy Spirit. We have seen many miracles, even in our home. It would be silly to say they don't exist, and dangerous to come to the Pharisee's conclusion that it's of the enemy. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and it is He who creates the powerful likeness of Jesus in us. Gifts for ministry and the expansion of God's Kingdom are "part of the package" that all believers receive the moment we step into God's family and are filled with His Spirit. Paul the apostle said the Kingdom should be advanced by the demonstration of God's loving power, rather than by clever speech. Doctrine can always be argued, but when people are healed, delivered, and when the dead are raised, that's hard to argue with.
Ministry
Everyone who enters God's family is a minister. One of the most important functions for Christian gatherings is to equip its members for ministry. Advancing God's Kingdom here on earth is the most exciting and fulfilling life there is. Our friends have seen 9-year-old children from India pray for lepers with missing limbs and see them instantly restored and healed. We have seen African women pastor churches with 1000's in attendance and every evidence of God's powerful hand in healing and salvation. Our teenage daughter has a ministry in our own living room to teens, and we have seen salvation and miracles right here in our home. We have friends who have raised the dead multiple times, and have seen anything and everything you read about in the New Testament. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.... and this world still needs Him. We are His hands and feet. If you think you are not worthy to minister, you're right. But through Jesus you are both worthy, and equipped to do so. To minister means, as Jesus said, to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and proclaim the Good News. He said, "As the Father has sent me, even so I send you". When we meet together as believers, we should encourage everyone-- young and old, man and woman, rich and poor, and all nationalities-- to go out and partner with God as His sons, and daughters to share the Good News and to bring the light and love of Jesus to the hurting world.
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