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The “how too,”called,
“Repentance.”
By Robert.B.Dalton.© Menorah Publications.
Australia & New Zealand. 2004.(Revised 2016.)
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* Points of distinction and emphasis, are used by our authorship solely tobring light to our dialogue.
* Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptural references appearing arequotations from the King James Bible ...computer software, E Sword version 10.2.1 © 2013 by Rick Meyers.www.e-sword.net
Copyright © 2016. Australia by Robert.B.Dalton.Apart from the purpose of private study or review forarchive retrieval, no part may be reproduced without theexpressed and written permission of the authors (and/ or)their agents for “Menorah Publications.”
First Edition (June, 1996; revised October, 2004,September 2010, re-edited 2016)
Menorah TM
==========Publications =====http://menorahpublicationsweeblycom.weebly.com/
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The message of “Repentance,” is the message
of “The Gospel.” It all hinges on the fact that ...
“Sin” is the sickness,but “Repentance,” is the cure!
Proverbs 28 Verse 13 “He that covereth his sins shall notprosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shallhave mercy.”
This, is an “in-the-face message,” that is notalways well received. The word to
“wake up,” always tends to jar in itseffect! “Repentance” itself, addresses the issue
of sin. “Repentance,” is the flame that ignites “thefires of revival!” “Repentance,” is the call to ...
“Awake ... wake up, or else!!!”
Ephesians 5 Verses 14-16 “Wherefore He saith, Awakethou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christshall give thee light.”(15) “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, butas wise,” (16) “Redeeming the time, because the days areevil.”
The “how too,” called ... “Repentance.”
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Jesus came, to save us “from our sins ... notfor us to remain in them!!! “Repentance,”means an active “turning away.” It means, that weparticipate with the ...
“Wake-up call!”
The actual proof, is in the doing, “Repentance,”is the message of “Grace.” “The Gospel,” begins
and ends with “Repentance from deadworks!”
God’s Word which is acted upon,following our repentance from “self andself seeking:”
Acts 26 Verse 20(b) “ ... that they shouldrepent and turn to God, anddo works meet for repentance.”
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The teachings of “Repentance,” are the
teachings of “Grace," coupled with three essentialaspects, and they are those of …
“Forgiveness,”“Release” and
“Blessing.”
“If we cannot “Forgive,” we cannot “Release,”and therefore, it is impossible for us to “Bless.” You
cannot give what you have not received ... receiveforgiveness ... give forgiveness!
How can you know the Father’s“Will,” “Purpose” and “Good Pleasure” ...unless you have spent time withHim!!!??”
Do you really believe that you have been forgiven? Ifso, then act like it, pass it on ... forgive others! We areinvolved in a Gospel of participation. He or she who is
forgiven much, “Loves much!”
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Hebrews 12 Verse 14 “Follow peace with all [men],
and holiness, without which no man shall see TheLord:”
Hebrews 12 Verse 1 “Wherefore seeing we also are
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, letus lay aside every weight, and the sinwhich doth so easily beset [us], and letus run with patience the race that is setbefore us,”
Hebrews 12 Verses 2-4
“Looking unto Jesus The Author andFinisher of [our] Faith; who for the joythat was set before Him endured thecross, despising the shame, and is setdown at The Right Hand of The Throneof God.” (3) “For consider Him that endured suchcontradiction of sinners against Himself, lest ye bewearied and faint in your minds.” (4) “Ye have not yetresisted unto blood, striving against sin.”
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We need to take stock and recognise God’schastening as true sons and daughters in order to partakeof His Holiness.
We can follow peace and holiness and meet God’sterms of Blessing. We can, by the prompting of His
“Grace.” The whole of the book of Hebrews, isinstruction for Christians to live in both
“Righteousness and holiness.
Hebrews 5 Verses 12-14 “For when for the timeye ought to be teachers, ye have needthat one teach you again which [be] thefirst principles of the oracles of God; andare become such as have need of milk, and not of strongmeat.”
(13) “For every one that useth milk [is]unskilful in the word of righteousness:for he is a babe.”(14) “But strong meat belongeth to themthat are of full age, [even] those who byreason of use have their sensesexercised to discern both good and evil.”
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There are basically two things that need to occur inthe normal and correct function of life within The Body ofChrist ...
i) Evangelism - touching people with The Love ofChrist.
ii) Fellowship - the communion of Saints.
Let it be said, that without these two vital areas offunction within our lives, the life of The Church, runs intonothing more than the backwash of stagnant pools ofbrackish water.
God desires to keep His Flock safe, whole, feed and
content! Built on the “Solid Rock,” fed, by streams of
“Living Water,” nourished by “pastures green”with abundant growth and health: This is what Paul had tosay concerning what lay ahead for us as new recruits,
1 Corinthians 3 Verses 9-11 “For we are labourerstogether with God: ye are God’s husbandry, [ye are] God’sbuilding.” (10) According to The Grace of God which isgiven unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the
foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But letevery man take heed how he buildeththereupon.”
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(11) “For other foundation can no man laythan that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Hebrews 6 Verse 1(a)“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ,
let us go on unto perfection;not laying again the foundation … ”
Determination requires a concerted effort, why is itthen, that many tend to see our growth stages ofdevelopment like some sort of protracted religiousexercise that needs to be got just right!
1Once we have become schooled and skilled in the
“Foundations of our Faith,” we can applyourselves to a walk which helps us to make a determinedchoice to progress into the
“growth stages of maturity,”
1 Prince, Derek “The Foundation Series.”Sovereign World Publishing Ltd.(Revised edit. 1986.)
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Hebrews 6 Verses 1-2 “Therefore leaving
The Principles of The Doctrine(Teachings) of Christ, …Let us go on … unto perfection; not laying again
The foundation of repentance … from dead
works, and of Faith toward God,”(2) “Of The Doctrine of Baptisms, … and of
Laying on of hands, and of Resurrection ofthe dead, and of Eternal judgment
(The Eternal Godhead.”)
No.1 - “Let us go on …”No.2 - The “how to,” called Repentance:No.3 - The “can do,” Faith from God:No.4 - “Baptism … the waters.”
No.5 - “The Laying on of Hands:”No.6 - “Resurrection of the dead.”
No.7 - “The Eternal Godhead:”
“ ... Going on to perfection ... !”
Colossians 3 Verse 2 “Set your affection on things above,not on things on the earth.”
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2You know, God does not just leave you there, youbelieve and that’s that! He has placed far too much withinyou just to leave you there. The wonderful thing about lifein Christ is that it becomes an ever growing relationship forour betterment.
The whole of Christ’s Church His Body, comes underpersonal tutoring of the Spirit of Grace. He does thisbecause His desire is to see us Blessed far beyond thelevel of potential that we were in at our conversion.
To follow the footsteps of the Master is to follow thePrince of Peace. The more that we desire to be like Him,the more He prunes, to build the Nature of His Characterin us.
He came and laid His life down in order that we might
live. That we might get “to know” and “get togrow” into God by Him.
Hebrews 6 Verses 3-7 “And this will we do, if God permit.”(4) “For [it is] impossible for those who were onceenlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, andwere made partakers of the Holy Ghost,” (5) “And havetasted the good word of God, and the powers of the worldto come,”
2 Dalton, Robert.B & Nicola.J “Relationship ... The Heart to heart”Menorah PublicationsAustralia & New Zealand (2011 edit.)
http://www.menorahpublications.weebly.com/
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(6) “If they shall fall away, to renew them again untorepentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son ofGod afresh, and put [him] to an open shame.” (7) “For theearth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it,and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it isdressed, receiveth blessing from God:”
The rebuke for slothfulness in service, slacknessand offensive behaviour within the Body of Christ comesstraight from the lips of Him who has called you from
“darkness into His marvellous light.” So
why continue to act and live like creatures of “the oldnature!” Either we are walking with God, or we will
steadily walk away from God.
Those that live in the realm of darkness cannot seewhere they are going. So it is quite obvious that they areunable to lead others least they be
“ ... blind leaders of the blind”
and the lot end up in a ditch of deception and
entanglement!
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Some are afraid of truth, knowing that they have nodiscernment. Nor will they venture out into the deep forfear of unknown waters ... remember, Peter was the onlyone who left the comfort and seeming security of the boatbut knowing his Master, cried to Him,
“Lord, if it is thee ... bid me come!”
Let us not get caught in the “companionshipof fear” Being deceived into fearing to launch out pastwhat others have already determined to be the safety of
“the boat, the safety of the status quo.”
We are called to “bring forth fruit ... meetfor repentance.” Fruit which is not “bland bycomplacency” nor “tasteless from fear”because fear has only one effect, it stifles ourpotential for growth!
Jesus’ teaching and instruction continues to lift us outof ourselves and launch out to walk with Him.
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It does no good to just “walk the walk”neither does it profit to “talk the talk!” We
need to walk and talk with the Master and bid othersto so do! James put it aptly as being “... doers ofthe Word!”
John 9 Verses 4-6 “I must work the works of Him that sentMe, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man canwork.” (5) “As long as I am in the world, I AM the Light ofthe world.”(6) “When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground,and made clay of the spittle, and He anointed the eyes ofthe blind man with the clay.”
The eyes of the blind are always anointed to see butdo we reject the direct counsel of the Lord? All unfaithful
branches are pruned off. “Divine separation” takesplace at the hands of the Husbandman.
Let our fruit be that and that only of the Holy Spirit,sweet to the taste and nourishment to all that would
consume of it! The onus; the responsibilityrests with us as to how we develop thatwhich is within.
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God’s promise is that He will use our life as a channelof Blessing to others. We don’t have to make it happen!That’s God’s part, our part is to be available. And as a by-product of this, we receive joy, fulfilment and a meaningfulpurpose for life.
An example of this in creation is the river Jordan as itflows through the centre of Palestine bringing life andvitality to an otherwise arid land.
The river has its source in the foothills of the MountHermon region and courses through into the Sea ofGalilee.
Although not very large, only 10 km by 24 km, this
lake teams with fish and wildlife, being kept fresh by
the waters of the river Jordan, not only flowinginto it from the north, but as it pours out againto the south.
As the river continues on its southward course, it growsprogressively more sluggish, until it eventually enters the
Dead Sea, where it ceases to flow. The Dead Sea,
is an inland catchment that has no outlet, and
because of excessive temperatures, evaporation is high.The Dead Sea is aptly named, for all it produces is saltand other minerals.
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Even fish struggle against being carried into this sea,
for its high mineral content brings immediate death.
Like any watercourse, the river Jordan is a life-giving river only as long as its waters flow. There, it
generously, gives itself away, fulfilling the true
purpose for which it exists.
As with the river Jordan so in the life of a Christian orin a church, our source of life is from Christ.
We are called in that sense, to
“Dip our hearts, in The River of Life.”
We are to stay fresh and bringing life and vitality tothose around us. If we don’t give out of our abundance, ifwe don’t have an outlet, we will cease to flow and becomestagnate dead pools ... good for nothing! And anything thatcomes into contact with us dies! We produce deathinstead of life!
We as Christians will only be a Life-giving channel ofGod’s Blessing as long as we flow generously, givingourselves away as a Blessing to others and thus fulfillingthe true purpose for which we exist ... to glorify our Fatherin Heaven.
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In the wilderness when Moses went to the pool, thepeople went with him it was the intention of their Patriarchto quench their thirst. But the pool was found to be full ofsalty brackish water … Moses called their waters bitter.
From this we get the Hebrew word “Mara,” which
means literally “a stagnate pond so saturatedwith salt that it’s lost its savour.”
It is a smelly polluted pond, and all it does is back upinto the backwaters of the wilderness to die as a putrid,foul-smelling, stagnate puddle.
If we become like these stagnant little ponds in our
personal lives (or as a church;) we become bitterand twisted. And God warns, that youcan be responsible for polluting others,
Hebrews 12 Verse 15 “Looking diligently lest any man failof The Grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springingup trouble [you],
and thereby many be defiled;”
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If we ever become like this, God’s warning is clear,we take the risk of being cut off. Taken away as it clearlystates in ...
John 15 Verse 2 “Every branch in me that beareth not fruithe taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, hepurgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
So if this is ever the case in your life, take the advice
of our Master and ... “repent !!!”
Revelation 2 Verses 4-5 “Nevertheless I have [somewhat]
against thee, because thou hast left thy firstlove.”(5) “Remember therefore from whencethou art fallen, and repent, and do thefirst works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and
will remove thy candlestick out of his place, exceptthou repent.”
Moses was to take a branch and cast it into thesoured water, and God followed that obedience with awonderful sign. As the branch touched the water the taintof sourness was sweetened by its touch. The touch of theleaf, the touch of the branch, the touch of the stem.
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Are our lives being touched by thebranch, the root and the stem of Jesse?
There is only one who does the pruning within TheBody of Christ ... and that’s The Head. The Father, is thehusbandman, and as such, He is The Master propagator,
“Grafting one in and then again,pruning one off!”
Isaiah 65 Verse 8(a) “Thus saith The LORD, As the newwine is found in the cluster, and [one] saith, Destroy it not;for a blessing [is] in it ...”
The call of God does not change, but the mandoes. Isn’t it funny, how all the grapes in a cluster orbunch, look the same! Realising our limitations, isrecognising that without God’s help, we are nothing.
New wine, is first produced by planting the vine. Oncethe grapes have grown and are matured, they areharvested. Then, and only then, can the wine be producedand the process requires the crushing of the grapes ...
under pressure!
In some cultures, the grape is still crushed ...
“underfoot!” Once crushed, it is still a grape butunrecognisable from its original form.
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Its life’s blood, and that of many of its fellow grapesruns through the winepress to fill the vessel and that liquidis now ready for the next stage in the production of wine.
It is all labour intensive, and it all takes just two things
to be of value ... “Time and effort!”
An interesting analogy would suggest, “What if the
grape had a will of its own?” “What if the grape refused tocome down off the vine?”
Well, the interesting thing is, that the sap from thevine would still continue to flow. The net result would be,
that the grape would become so fat, that it would “over-ripen” and become an “overburden” to the vine. Itwould then burst and not be recognisable.
Sadly, it’s life’s juices would be lost to the ground.Such is waste, either way, we
“grow up or blow up!”
Let us never let our “Spiritual Grapes” become
“sour grapes.” “God, always has Hisway!” “The new wine is found in thecluster:”
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Hebrews 6 Verses 8-12 “But that which beareth thorns andbriers [is] rejected, and [is] nigh unto cursing; whose end[is] to be burned.”(9) “But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you,and things that accompany salvation, though we thusspeak.”(10) “For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work andlabour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, inthat ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.”(11) “And we desire that every one of you do shew thesame diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:”(12) “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them whothrough faith and patience inherit the promises.”
Are we producing that fruit in our lives that will,
“Reach the unreached,”Teach the untaught” and
“Church the unchurched?”
If not as the passage from John below indicates, wewill definitely and positively abide alone!
Love always produces the greatest by-product of all
and that is, an abundant harvest of “Love,” “Love”and “more Love:”
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Hypocrisy can never practice what it preaches
because if it did it would lead “sour grapes” into the
light where sugar is produced to sweeten them.
If we are not reaching the lost, we’re pre-occupied
with the cost! Jesus said our “commission,” is “ourmission” and the words still echo even though we maynot listen and those are the words ...
“Go ye ... ”“Speak ye ... ”
“Do ye ... ”
If Jesus took the twelve and turned the world on itsear then what gives us the right to despise the day ofsmall things. Most little seeds tend to grow intoblossoming trees.
Our injunction is to think on God, train on God, get tothe foot of the mountain but it’s only Faith that will get youto the top!
We have been given the privilege inthis very hour to train the few, who willgo out and train the many!
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If we are not sowing to The Kingdom, then we aresowing to ourselves. Let’s sow to The Kingdom of Godand remember the fact that ...
“God loves a cheerful giver.”
John 15 Verses 4-5 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As thebranch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in thevine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.” (5) “I AM thevine, ye [are] the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I inhim, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me yecan do nothing.”
Abide in Christ ... receive from Christ ... As Godgives ... He expects us to do likewise and to bless otherswith that which He gives us ... we should produce
“Fruit, More fruit and Much Fruit !”
It is for the profit of all, not to selfishly keep it forourselves! So, it is vital we remember that when we serveothers, we are serving Christ.
And if we are not serving others, we are not servingChrist but ourselves. Unless your life is changed, there willalways be a question mark over your Love!
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If we are not reaching out, we have come to that
“impasse.” We have in fact lost our “First Love.”When we do abandon our first affections for Christ, no
longer does our love have within it that same “zeal,”“depth” and “meaning” that it had in the simplicityof its birth, but we can return to the place from where we
have fallen. By the act of “turning away, turningaround, and going back!”
The smooth flow of our monotonous, religious grind,
gives no true indication as to the depth of “Lovesintent.” Service often being misconstrued for
relationship, “Lip-service ... “pleasing in thesight of men.”
Stayed religious form that heaps to itself study after
study to learn “all about The Master.” Whilst TheMaster sits ignored and must weep at our ignorance!Christ’s counsel is to ...
Revelation 2 Verse 5(a)
“Remember therefore from whence thouart fallen ...”
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Gradual slipping away is the beginning but as themomentum grows, so too does the depth we slide away!Time heals all wounds ... I think not, to the observant, itreveals the extent to which one has truly slipped.
“Some fruit takes time to ripen, whether it be goodfruit or bad, only time will expose the nature ofthe tare!”
The prodigal remembered his home ... we need to
“remember” and then return. The comingback heals the rift and re-establishes the relationship of
servant now called “friend.”
Immediately we take the action, immediately theforgiveness flows; immediately the relationship isreconciled, immediately the communion grows:
i) Forgiveness.ii) Reconciliation.
iii) Communion.These steps of growth in true repentance are
taking full the responsibility for our actions, actionthat brings you closer to the One who“Loves,” and NOT FURTHER AWAY!
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“Doing again ... ” is a resumption of that
which was previously lost to the hindering of “self-gain.” “Self” is so deeply manipulative, we are oftennot conscious of its manoeuvring’s within our soul.
“Love” allows “life” to be “re-born.” It does
not whitewash as religion does ... clean on the outside but
“full of dead mans bones.”
The Righteousness of Christ washes clean both theinside and out. It does not just wipe the outside of thebowl, it immerses the vessel within itself and scrubs itclean like white, pure snow! If we fail to do this, then I
doubt very much, the presence of the “lampstand,”within the life of an individual.
Either that, or the thing needs cleaning and theirwicks need trimming which is the role of the priesthood, to
keep the “lampstand” aflame, so that folk are “...not only knowing, but growing in Christ.”There is no spluttering in a pure flame, it burns bright for
ALL to see!
It is exposed to the corporate gaze of the priesthood
of “The Body.” But more so our “Great HighPriest,” Jesus our Lord!
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Clean it, trim it or lose it! If we fail in this, then we are
devoid of the Presence of Christ in ourmidst and I dare say, that there is then nolampstand present!
No lampstand, no testimony ... no testimony, nocommitment! If you hear what the Holy Spirit is saying,
then you will want to “overcome.”
If not, then only “self” will react! But Crownedby Christ’s Abiding Presence we partakeof healing, restoration and the vitality ofgrowth from
“The Tree of Life!”
Oftentimes, there are quite a lot of people within theChurch who know nothing of what’s going on! Except the
“selected few!” Why? There needs to be
communication between all members of Christ‘sBody... The Church.
There are no such things as a secrets within the
“House-hold of Faith.”
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Communication relates to ... “the communionof saints” and friend, “communion” means
“communication!” God’s Word states that,
Proverbs 29 Verse 18(a)“Where [there is] no vision, the people perish ... ”
Well, that’s what happens when fellowships get over
into the area of “exclusivism ... ”
Proverbs 29 Verse 19 “A servant will not be corrected bywords alone; for though he understands, he will notanswer the master who mistreats him.”
“Actions speak quite alot louder than words.”
Matthew 12 Verse 25(b) “...Every kingdom divided againstitself is brought to desolation; ...”
When the Church is not out-reaching, she becomeslike a whale beaching. When the Church is not reachingout to the community at large, she is floundering.
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When the Church is not out-reaching, she is turninginward on herself. That my friend is a very sad state ofaffairs, as what happens is, the fellowship, instead of
being just that ... “the fellowship of the saints.”Gets over into the area of nit-picking Judgementality andlegalism.
If the Church is not “reaching out,” she’sbeaching out! And everything that fellowship wassupposed to give birth to, dissipates ... it just disappearsfrom view.
Instead of being part of the solutionto the communities problems, sheinstead begins to become “the problem!”
“Proud,” “Self-reliant” “arrogant” and
“Unteachable,” in the guise of a falsematurity.
This leaves the fellowship and it’s individuals openonly to the ravages of prowling wolves that seek to comein with the view to devouring the gullible from amongst
“the flock of God.”
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Repent, and do again the first works ...“Return to your FIRST LOVE ... ChristJesus our Lord and Saviour!”
God’s Word tells us,
Hosea 4 Verse 9 “And there shall be, like people, likepriest: and I will punish them for their ways, and rewardthem their doings.”
As priests of our God and King, do we set example for
those around us? Rebellion has no right in The Church,The Body of Christ.
The Body of His Holiness here on earth is set to carry
out ... “HIS WILL,” “HIS PURPOSE” AND“HIS GOOD PLEASURE.” The Church,is not a convenience set up for us to doour own thing!
We are accountable to our God, and we can be sure,
that what goes around, comes around!!!
Do our words carry forth those words of Life? Or dothey carry with them ... death!!! Are we speaking and beinga blessing, or are we living and speaking out cursing’s!!!??
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Are we taking The Word and applying it to thosearound us reached in The Name of The Lord?
Our desire is to do “Thy will, O’ Lord.” God
did not give the word failure, nothing is impossible withour Lord. The Lord is the Releaser of the captive and He
imparts that self-same authority within the right-placedconfines of
“HIS CHURCH ... HIS BODY!!!”
Psalm 68 Verses 4-11 “Sing unto God, sing praises to HisName: extol Him that rideth upon The Heavens by HisName JAH, and rejoice before Him.” (5) “A father of thefatherless, and a judge of the widows, [is] God in His HolyHabitation.”(6) “God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth outthose which are bound with chains: but the rebelliousdwell in a dry [land].”(7) “O God, when Thou wentest forth before Thy people,when thou didst march through the wilderness;”(8) “The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at ThePresence of God: [even] Sinai itself [was moved] at ThePresence of God, the God of Israel.” (9) “Thou, O God,didst send a plentiful rain, whereby Thou didst confirmThine inheritance, when it was weary.”(10) “Thy congregation hath dwelt therein: Thou, O God,hast prepared of Thy Goodness for the poor.”
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(11) “The Lord gave The Word: great [was] the company ofthose that published [it].”
Psalm 68 Verses 18-20 “Thou hast ascended on high,thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts formen; yea, [for] the rebellious also, that The LORD Godmight dwell [among them].”(19) “Blessed [be] The Lord, [who] daily loadeth us [withbenefits, even] The God of our Salvation.”(20) “[He that is] our God [is] The God of Salvation; andunto GOD The Lord [belong] the issues from death.”
John 12 Verses 24-26 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Excepta corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abidethalone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (25) “Hethat loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life inthis world shall keep it unto Life Eternal.”
(26) “If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where IAM, there shall also My servant be: if any man serve Me,him will [My] Father honour.”
2 Corinthians 9 Verses 6-8 “But this [I say], He whichsoweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he whichsoweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.” (7) “Everyman according as he purposeth in his heart, [so let himgive]; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth acheerful giver.” (8) “And God [is] able to make all Graceabound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiencyin all [things], may abound to every good work:”
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It’s only by our personal restoration of ourrelationship with God that we can touch others ... othersare touched by our relationship.
John 7 Verse 38 “He that believeth on Me, as the scripturehath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
Water always finds its own level and water
always wets that which it touches! When the righteousare in authority ... the people rejoice - the Body of Christ,is meant to be taken into the world, the highways and thebyways.
We as the people of His Hand are meant to be takingwith us those self-same words of life that the Master gave.
Isaiah 55 Verse 7 “Let the wicked forsake ... his way, and
the unrighteous man ... his thoughts: and ... let himreturn unto The LORD, and ... He will havemercy upon him; and to our God, for ... he willabundantly pardon.”
The time for playing at Church is over, we have allbecome familiar with each other and the Church, and ourGod and Father is saying to us,
“Enough is enough!”
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“Familiarity breeds contemptbecause it is birthed in the bed ofcomplacency!”
To quote Rev. John Wimber,
“When we take the power of God intothe market place, we will be too busydoing battle with the enemy ... satan, tohave the time to attack each othersdifferences!” (end quote.)
Let us all serve together, let all things be
done decently and in order for the admonition of all, for
the growth of all, and all taking their rightful place inthe Body of Christ.
God’s call for the Church in this hour is for that of ...
- Sincerity.- Integrity.- and to be Real.(Reality.)
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His focus for this hour is for the reality of theChurch to come forth! The focus is therefore toward theindividual and individuals belong to families and as Dr.James Dobson says,
“The family is the very fabric from whichthe very real Church is cut!”
Christ came to save us from our sins, Himself
without sin, He took our sins upon Himself ... died inour place and rose again from the dead that we might be
forgiven and receive eternal life. God now
offers salvation to us not through any “religion” or
“works” but through personal Faith inChrist.
In order to be saved, we must acknowledge our sinsand repent that is turn from our sins.
We must believe that Christ died for us, and rose
again, we must receive “the Risen Christ byFaith as our personal Lord and Saviourand we must publicly confess Him asour Lord!”
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After we have received Christ, He dwells continuallyin our hearts by Faith and He gives us Eternal Life and thepower to lead a life of
“Righteousness” and “Victory over sin!”
From this we can see that Genesis began with the
CREATION of both Heaven and Earth and ends with
a GRAVE for those that harden their hearts and rejectoutright the promises of God.
But the PROMISE was,
“Victory shall come ... and it did!”
Psalm 14 Verses 1-3 “The fool hath said in his heart,[There is] no God. They are corrupt, they have doneabominable works, [there is] none that doeth good.”(2) “The LORD looked down from Heaven upon the
children of men, to see if there were any that didunderstand, [and] seek God.”(3) “They are all gone aside, they are [all] togetherbecome filthy: [there is] none that doeth good, no, notone.”
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Job 42 Verses 6-7 & 10 “Wherefore I abhor [myself], andrepent in dust and ashes.” (7) “And it was [so], that afterthe LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORDsaid to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled againstthee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spokenof me [the thing that is] right, as my servant Job [hath].”
Verse 10 “And The LORD turned the captivity of Job, whenhe prayed for his friends: also The LORD gave Job twiceas much as he had before.”
In this scripture in the Book of Job, is portrayed anexample of a man amongst men. Job we read, wasemptied and then he poured himself out unto God. He sat
in sackcloth and ashes and worshipped the “LivingGod.” He had full regard for his state of being.
Ignorance of God’s Law, The Wordleaves people careless as to the state oftheir soul before God.
The Law, God’s Word shows us our state inTruth, that we are dirty before a Holyand Living God.
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To attempt to wash ourselves with the Law, or anyother means, other than God’s prescribed method of
confession and repentance leaves us open tothe danger of deception!
Love sets a Holy Standard of cleanliness for each oneof us! Many who suffer from feelings of guilt due to thethings which separated them from God, suffer not so much
from condemnation but are sickened by theresult of the guilt.
Proverbs 28 Verse 13 “He that covereth his sins shall notprosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shallhave mercy.”
Repentance is the heart-filled response toward thatLove; the turning away from a life of separation from Godto one of regeneration, new birth.
In the New Testament, the main Greek words used
are “Metanoeo,” meaning “to have anothermind,” and “Metanoia,” meaning “a changeof mind.”
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“Whoever controls your heart, controlsyour mind ...
Whoever ( or whatever) controls yourmind, controls you!” (Dalton.)
Romans 6 Verses 16-18 “Know ye not, that to whom yeyield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are towhom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedienceunto righteousness?”(17) “But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin,but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrinewhich was delivered you.”(18) “Being then made free from sin, ye became theservants of righteousness.”
A change of mind, denotes a change of moralthought and reflection. Not merely to repent of, nor forsakesin and its separation ... missing the mark, but to changeone’s mind and apprehensions regarding it!
Romans 6 Verses 19-23 “I speak after the manner of menbecause of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye haveyielded your members servants to uncleanness and toiniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your membersservants to righteousness unto holiness.” (20) “For whenye were the servants of sin, ye were free fromrighteousness.”
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(21) “What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye arenow ashamed? for the end of those things [is] death.” (22)“But now being made free from sin, and become servantsto God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the endeverlasting life.”(23) “For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is]eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Hence, to “repent,” in a moral andspiritual sense, means “a turning away,a complete change of direction.”
Acts 17 Verses 30:31 “And the times of this ignorance Godwinked at; but now commandeth all men every where torepent:” (31) “Because He hath appointed a day, in the
which He will judge the world in Righteousness by[that] man whom he hath ordained;[whereof] he hath given assurance untoall [men], in that He hath raised Himfrom the dead.” (emphasis mine).
2 Peter 3 Verse 9 “The Lord is not slack concerning HisPromise, as some men count slackness; but islongsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,but that all should come to repentance.”
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2 Corinthians 5 Verses 20(b):21
“...we pray [you] in Christ’s stead, be yereconciled to God.”(21) “For He hath made Him [to be] sin for us, who knewno sin; that we might be made the Righteousness of Godin Him.”
The fore-runner of the Lord Jesus Christ, John theBaptist, preached repentance; bringing the nation to
repentance, a dynamic message of great impact. Sin isthe work of the devil in soul and John, nonethe less pointed this out, much to the displeasure of theJewish Pharisees.
Men’s desperation for God istantamount to God bringing restorationthrough
“a living relationship,”not man-made religion.
Scripture say’s “He restoreth my soul …”what and awesome sovereign work ofGod!
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Applied repentance is turning it’s “returning toGod,” not a philosophy or religion but
“it is a relational response in theintimacy of Love’s relationship with TheLiving God!”
Luke 3 Verses 3-4 “And he came into all the country about
Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentancefor the remission of sins;” (4) “As it is written inthe book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying,
The voice of one crying in thewilderness, Prepare ye the way of theLord, make his paths straight.”
(distinctions mine:)
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, in His firstutterance toward public ministry and to the disciples, was
of “repentance …”
Matthew 4 Verse 17 “From that time Jesus began to
preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom ofheaven is at hand.”
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Jesus’ last discourse before He left the disciples andwas received up into Glory
was and is that of the Great Commission,
“To Go Ye,” and to “preach repentance!”
Romans 10 Verses 13-15 “For whosoever shall call uponThe Name of The Lord shall be saved.”(14) “How then shall they call on Him in whom they havenot believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whomthey have not heard? and how shall they hear without apreacher?” (15) “And how shall they preach, except theybe sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of themthat preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings ofgood things!”
It must be said, that if your repentance is shallow,
then your relationship with The Son ofGod will be shallow. “You receive as yougive of yourself ... remember Job!”
The ultimate aim of Jesus in His mission to redeemmankind was to win us back into vital relationship with theFather.
He has called all to follow Him,wanting us to emulate or be like Himwho it is we follow.
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Hebrews 2 Verse 17 “Wherefore in all things it behovedHim to be made like unto [His] Brethren, that He might bea Merciful and Faithful High Priest in things [pertaining] toGod, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”
Although Jesus’ Love in itself was not condemning,
nevertheless, it was, and is, full of expectation. “Loverequires total obedience, total allegianceto flourish!”
Romans 5 Verse 8 “But God commendeth His Lovetoward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ diedfor us.”
If your hands are full, you cannottake hold ... “Let go!” and then youreceive.
Self-righteousness entertains the desire for lack ofrepentance. Repentance, under the conviction of The HolySpirit, is not just a sorrowful remorse.
Superficial sorrow is sorrow in response to guilt,sorrow at being found out, sorrow at being exposed inyour real condition.
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To quote Dwight.L.Moody, “It does no good tocover God’s altar with tears whilst theheart goes on into rebellion.” “Judas Iscariotfound that out and went to his death, screamed his wayinto the mouth of the pit.” “It does no good to hold onehand out to the Cross and with the other hand, cling to theblack hand of evil behind you!” “If your sin was baseenough, cruel enough, to tear Jesus from the throne ofthrones and nail Him to the Cross, Loves obedientresponse, even unto death ... the weight of all that on Him,
just what will your sin do to you?” (endquote.)
Isaiah 53 Verse 6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; wehave turned everyone to his own way; and The LORD hathlaid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Not forgetting the prodigal son, as mentioned in ...
Luke 15 Verses 11-32 “And he said, A certain man had twosons:” (12) “And the younger of them said to [his] father,Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth [to me].And he divided unto them [his] living.” (13) “And not manydays after the younger son gathered all together, and tookhis journey into a far country, and there wasted hissubstance with riotous living.” (14) “:And when he hadspent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and hebegan to be in want.”
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(15) “And he went and joined himself to a citizen of thatcountry; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.”(16) “And he would fain have filled his belly with the husksthat the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.”(17) “And when he came to himself, he said, How manyhired servants of my father’s have bread enough and tospare, and I perish with hunger!”(18) “I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him,Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,”(19) “And am no more worthy to be called thy son: makeme as one of thy hired servants.” (20) “And he arose, andcame to his father. But when he was yet a great way off,his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fellon his neck, and kissed him.” (21) “And the son said untohim, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thysight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.”(22) “But the father said to his servants, Bring forth thebest robe, and put [it] on him; and put a ring on his hand,and shoes on [his] feet:” (23) “And bring hither the fattedcalf, and kill [it]; and let us eat, and be merry:”(24) “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he waslost, and is found. And they began to be merry.” (25) “Nowhis elder son was in the field: and as he came and drewnigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.”(26) “And he called one of the servants, and asked whatthese things meant.” (27) “And he said unto him, Thybrother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf,because he hath received him safe and sound.”(28) “And he was angry, and would not go in: thereforecame his father out, and intreated him.”
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(29) “And he answering said to [his] father, Lo, these manyyears do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any timethy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid,that I might make merry with my friends:”(30) “But as soon as this thy son was come, which hathdevoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him thefatted calf.”(31) “And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me,and all that I have is thine.” (32) “It was meet that weshould make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother wasdead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.”
That wandering and self-willed son ...
He stumbled away every step by himself. Now justlike he, we have to reverse it ... we have to come backevery step, every inch ... sometimes with a bleeding andaching heart, our heart desperate for the Father-heart ofGod.
Proverbs 1 Verse 23 “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I willpour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my wordsunto you.”
That coming back is repentance. Itis a home coming, it is a decision for action, the
choice response of “I WILL,” “I NEED TOO!”
“I WANT TOO!”
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Isaiah 6 Verse 5 “Then said I, Woe [is] me! for I am
undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips,and I dwell in the midst of a people of uncleanlips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD ofhosts.”
God’s Word goes on to say ...
2 Chronicles 7 Verses 14-15 “If My people, which arecalled by My Name, shall humble themselves, and pray,
and seek My Face, and turn from theirwicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and willforgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (15) “Now Mine
Eyes shall be open, and Mine Ears attent unto theprayer [that is made] in this place.”
2 Corinthians 7 Verses 9-10 “Now I rejoice, not that
ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed torepentance: for ye were made sorry after a godlymanner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.”
(10) “For godly sorrow workethrepentance to salvation not to berepented of: but the sorrow of the worldworketh death.”
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The Bible tells us that Jesus came into the world to
save it ... to save it from the very things thatwere condemning it.
He came to shed light in thedarkness so that men could view theirdeeds objectively. It is wonderful for thetruth-seeker because he will gravitatetowards the light but it is also dangerousbecause the lover of darkness will seekto put it out.
John 3 Verses 20-21 “For every one that doeth evil
hateth the light, neither cometh to thelight, lest his deeds should be reproved.”(21) “But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his
deeds may be made manifest, that they arewrought in God.”
1 John 1 Verses 7-10 “But if we walk in the light, as he isin the light, we have fellowship one with another, and
The Blood of Jesus Christ his Soncleanseth us from all sin.”
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(8) “If we say that we have no sin, we deceiveourselves, and The Truth is not in us.”(9) “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just toforgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from allunrighteousness.” (10) “If we say that we have not sinned,
we make him a liar, and His Word is not in us.”
To quote, Dwight.L.Moody. “The coming back isrepentance but you must come and when you do, theFather will run out to meet you.” “Our response needs tobe that of putting our hand on our hearts and getting hold
of the thing that has separated us.” “Get hold ofwhat’s been your curse that has chainedyou and bound you for so long.” “Tear itout, calling on the name of the Lord ...tear out root and branch and say toGod, There it is and I will die before Ihave it again!” (end quote.)
Once we begin to understand, we begin to know thatThe Holy Spirit and the Word do totally agree in the ...
- “Indication” ... of sin.
- “Provocation” ... to repent.
- “Objectivity” ... being Faith in Jesus’ Lordship:
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Acts 3 Verse 19 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presenceof the Lord;”
Once the “Blood of the Cross” has been
applied to the life of an individual, you will know from
personal experience that a whole new “priority ofpurpose” begins to take place within your life. Oncethe balance has been restored, God brings about
“change” within your life. Change for the better ... He
will begin to turn your life “upside down” and
“inside out” to the “RIGHT SIDE UP.”
The Nature (Christ’s) ... becomes the state ofour being, from which we now act!
We can and do comprehend that the “Nature”begets the “State” and then and only then can one beproperly endowed to appropriate the correct way to ...
“Act as one who is appropriately grounded in Christ
Jesus, because His NATURE is being outworked fromwithin us.”
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1 John 2 Verse 6“He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also
so to walk, even as he walked.”
This is the call of our King, “REPENT” that is,change your mind, for whenever a man changes hisconception, his thinking is changed, and thereby hisconduct, which thus changes ones character to align with
that of “The Master, the Nature, theCharacter ... of Christ!” There is a “New
Conception of a New Conduct produced by the
New Character which has been birthed from within:”
Acts 4 Verse 12 “Neither is there salvation inany other: for there is none other Nameunder Heaven given among men,whereby we must be saved.”
Romans 10 Verses 9-10 “That if thou shalt confess withthy mouth The Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heartthat God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt besaved.” (10) “For with the heart man believeth untorighteousness; and with the mouth confession is madeunto salvation.”
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Change your mind toward the Kingdom of Heaven ...
it is here, embodied in the Presence ...in the Person of its King! Jesus Christ ourLord!!!
Romans 10 Verse 17 “So then Faith [cometh] by hearing,and hearing by the word of God.”
The New Testament words for “Repent” denote
... “inner decision” and the heart of the matter isexpressed in this change of mind that we agree with thefact of our sinfulness. The Old Testament words denoteoutward action ... which is the expression of the inward
change of mind ... “the act of turning back, the turningaround and facing the situation anddealing with it!”
Hebrew, - “Nacham”Pronounced, - “Naw - Kham”Literally meaning, - “to sigh (in a favourable sense)
... to pity ... to console inagreement with a change ofheart, which shows the outwardevidence by a change of conduct for the better.”
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Numbers 23 Verses 19-20 “God [is] not a man, that heshould lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent:hath He said, and shall He not do [it]? or hath He Spoken,and shall He not make it good?” (20) “Behold, I havereceived [commandment] to Bless: and He hath Blessed;and I cannot reverse it.”
Job 42 Verses 5-6 “I have heard of thee by the hearing ofthe ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.” (6) “Wherefore Iabhor [myself], and repent in dust and ashes.”
Hebrew, - “Shuwb”Pronounced, - “Shoob”Literally meaning, - “to turn back - hence away,
withdraw, retreat or shrink away from - an action- a situation.”
Romans 12 Verse 9 “[Let] love be without dissimulation.Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”
Ezekiel 18 Verses 30-32 “Therefore I will judge you, Ohouse of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith TheLord GOD. Repent, and turn [yourselves] from all yourtransgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.”(31) “Cast away from you all your transgressions, wherebyye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and anew spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?”(32) “For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth,saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn [yourselves], and liveye.”
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(R) ender
(E) ffective
(P) enitence
(E) nthusiastically which is
(N) ot
(T) orturous
Christ Jesus is not on the Cross of Calvary ... He isthe Resurrected Lord. The Centrality of the Crossbecomes the banner and His banner over us is LOVE. Our
focal point, thus becomes, Him who “sticks closerthan any brother” ... The Living, Resurrected Lord... and the nature, the character of Christ Jesus begins to
blossom in our lives as we partake of the fruitsof resurrection life NOW!
The Scripture says, “Godly sorrow workethrepentance.” Godly sorrow produces a reformation
of conduct. Otherwise it is like saying that repentanceproduces repentance.
But repentance must be a change of conduct andends in salvation. Have you forsaken your sins? Or areyou still practicing them?
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If so, you are still a sinner. You may have changedyour mind, but if you have not changed your conduct, it isnot godly repentance.
Poem
When I stand at the judgement seat of ChristAnd He shows me His plan for me,The plan of my life as it might have beenHad He had His Way, and I seeHow I blocked Him here andI checked Him there,And I would not yield my will,Will there be grief in my Saviour’s eyes,Grief though He Loves me still?He would have me rich but I stand there poor,Robbed of all but His Grace,
While my memory runs like a hunted thingDown paths I cannot retrace.Lord, of the years that are left to me,I give them to Thy hand;Take me and break me and mold meTo the pattern Thou hast planned. (Anon.)
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Prayer:
“Forsaking all Lord, I come to You, thank you Jesus fornailing my sins, past, present and future to Calvary’sCross ... Lord, I surrender all. Thank you my Lord for YourSaving Touch,
HOLY IS YOUR NAME.”A-men.
Luke 15 Verse 7“I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in
heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than overninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.”
A-men and A-men!
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The “how too,” called ... “Repentance.”
Revisionary Questions.
Question 1.
The foundational message and all that “TheGospel” hinges on, is the message of what?
Answer.
The message of “Repentance:”
Question 2.
The teachings of “Repentance,” are the
teachings of “Grace.” What are the three essentialaspects of instruction here?
Answer.
i) “Forgiveness,”ii) “Release,” and
iii) “Blessing:”
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Question 3.What two things occur in the normal life of The
Church and those who are part of Christ’s Body?
Answer.
i) Touching people with Christ’s Love.
(Evangelism.)ii) The saints communing together.
(Fellowship.)
Question 4.
What are the “Foundational doctrines,” asfound in Hebrews 6 Verses 1-2 the principles of, TheDoctrines (teaching) of Christ ?
Answer.
No.1 - “Let us go on …”No.2 - The “how to,” called Repentance:No.3 - The “can do,” Faith from God:No.4 - “Baptism … the waters.”
No.5 - “The Laying on of Hands:”No.6 - “Resurrection of the dead.”
No.7 - “The Eternal Godhead:”
“ ... Going on to perfection ... !”
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Question 5.The fruit of our new lives in Christ, is meant to
produce fruit that responds toward others in what manner?
Answer.Producing fruit in our lives that will,
“Reach the unreached,”“Teach the untaught” and
“Church the unchurched?”
Question 6.From this, we understand our commissioning as
Christ’s Disciples to do what?
Answer.
“Go Ye ... !”“Speak Ye ... !”
“Do Ye ... !”
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Question 7.
The steps of “True Conversion,”are the steps of “True Repentance.”What three things can we expect to see in the life of a,
True Disciple of Christ?”
Answer.A ready willingness toward ...
i) “Forgiveness” (no matter who isright or wrong!)
ii) “Reconciliation,” and
iii) “Communion.”
Question 8.God’s Call for The Church in this hour, is for that of ...
?
Answer.
- Sincerity.- Integrity and
- Reality:
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Question 9.What does the book of Proverbs say in regard to folk
who try to “cover up their sin!”
Answer.Proverbs 28 Verse 13
“He that covereth his sins shallnot prosper: but
whoso confesseth andforsaketh [them] shall have mercy.”
Question 10.
The word “Repent,” means to have what?
Answer.
A change of both “heart and mind!”
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Question 11.
“Repentance,” walks hand in hand with
“Conversion.”What does scripture say concerning this?
Answer.
Acts 3 Verse 19 “Repent ye therefore, and beconverted, that your sins may be blottedout, when the times of refreshing shallcome from the presence of the Lord;”(distinctions mine.)
Question 12.If we want to hear clearly from God, how does
scripture say that we can?
Answer.
Proverbs 1 Verse 23 “Turn you at myreproof: behold, I will pour out my spiritunto you, I will make known my wordsunto you.” (distinctions mine.)
“ ... Turn you at my reproof: ... ”“ ... behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, ... ”“ ... I will make known my words unto you.”
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Bibliography of Reference Material.
Brown, Michael. L. “Go and Sin No More.”Regal Publications, Gospel Light.Ventura, California, U.S.A. (1999 edit.)
Dalton, Robert.B. “Old Testament Biblical Theology.”Menorah Publications (1992 edit.)
Finney, Charles. G. “Chrystal Christianity.”Whitaker House (1985 edit.)
Henry, Matthew. “Commentary on The Whole Bible.”Hendrickson publications. (1991 edit.)
Hira, Peter. “School for Ministry.”Vol.2 N.Z. (1985 edit.)“Amplified Bible.”Lockman Foundation,(chapter reference notes.)Zondervan Bible Publishers. (1987 edit.)
Morgan, G.Campbell. “An Exposition of The Whole Bible.”Marshal Pickering (1992 edit.)
Payne, J. Barton. “The Theology Of The Older Testament.”Zondervan Bible Publishers. (1978 edit.)
Thompson, Frank Charles. “Thompson Chain Reference Bible.”B.B.Kirkbridge Bible Company, Inc.(K.J.V. 1964 edit.)
Strong, James. “Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible.”Hendrickson publications. (1995 edit.)
Uren, Bruce.C. “A Friend of God.”Printcorp publications. Tauranga. N.Z.(May, 1988 edit.)
Vine, W. E. “Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old andNew Testament Words.”Thomas Nelson, inc., Publishers.(1985 edit.)
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TM
Menorah PublicationsCatalogue 2014.
Series, “Discovering Discipleship … ”
Hebrews 6 Verses 1-2
No.1 - “Let us go on …”No.2 - The “how to,” called …
Repentance:No.3 - The “can do,” Faith from God:No.4 - “Baptism … the waters.”
No.5 - “The Laying on of Hands:”No.6 - “Resurrection of the dead.”
No.7 - “The Eternal Godhead:”
“ ... Going on to perfection ... !”
The first of a three part series of Bible Studies, theselay the foundation teachings of our Faith based onHebrews 6 Verses 1-2. Good for young disciples, eachlesson is prepared so it can be used as private, group orclassroom study material.
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Series, “Growing Discipleship …”
“The Be- Attitudes, Love‘s Divine Attitudes”Matthew 5 Verses 3-11
1.“Blessed” … “are the poor in spirit.”2.“Blessed” … “are they that mourn.”3.“Blessed” … “are the meek.”4.“Blessed” … “are they which do hunger.”5.“Blessed” … “are the merciful.”6.“Blessed” … “are the pure in heart.”7.“Blessed” … “are the peacemakers. ”8.“Blessed,” “are they which are persecuted.”
If you “be in Christ,” then it stands to reason,that whatever curved balls are thrown to you in this
life, you will “Be-in-Christ’s-Attitude,” and notreact in an inappropriate manner. As hard as that may be!
“Blessed are …” relates to the present tense,to the here and now, not only to the future. But from here,to there and beyond!
This second of a three part series of Bible studies, aredesigned to help understand the development of ourChristian Character in our day to day walk.
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Series, “Overcomers…Discipleship.”
That ye might be ... “partakers.”2 Peter 1 Verses 1-11
1.) “And beside this, giving all diligence ...”
2.) “... add to your Faith virtue ...”
3.) “… and to virtue knowledge;”
4.) “And to knowledge temperance; …”
5.) “ … and to temperance patience; …”
6.) “ … and to patience godliness;”
7.) “And to godliness brotherly kindness; …”
8.) “ … and to brotherly kindness charity(or LOVE.)”
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Our third in the Discipleship series, is
“Discipleship that Overcomes,”
And is titled,
That ye might be ... “partakers.”
These lessons come from the second letter of Peterand work well alongside the previous series entitled,
“The Beatitudes” which cover the development ofour Christian Character.
If a man has come to the place of little or no growth,then surely, he has remained as a babe. If he has notgiven himself over to be dealt with by The Spirit of Grace,then he is marked by the arm of the flesh.
He is still a Christian, but a carnal Christian, a babe inChrist. But if he completely surrenders his will to The HolySpirit, he will rapidly and willingly choose to put down thedeeds of the flesh and become what God’s Word calls a
“ Spiritual man.”
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Copy-right ... personal observations.
To those Brethren, that have laboured long and hard in The Wordof our God ... I take time to Bless them publically for their endeavours topass on that Holy Ghost inspired Word throughout His Church ...
Hebrews 6 Verse 10 “For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work andlabour of love, which ye have shewed toward His Name, in that ye haveministered to the saints, and do minister.”
Therefore, edify The Body of Christ, encourage and exhort; butremember, if you are tempted to call the work of another your own, you arethe one that will in the end be held responsible for your actions. “The Spiritof Grace,” gave the work to the hand of “the scribe,” who faithfully put pento paper. Plagiarism, is not only illegal, it is immoral; above all, we must ...
Romans 12 Verse 10“[Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly
love; in honour preferring one another;”
So I exhort you in The Name of our Lord and Saviour, to feel quitefree to use the material with which The Lord has so blessed us and thosebefore us, bearing in mind that the pre-eminence belongs to
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself ...
Your brother in His service,Robert .B. Dalton.
Matthew 10 Verse 8(b) “ ... freely ye have received, freely give.”
http://menorahpublicationsweeblycom.weebly.com/
e mail [email protected]
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“The stronger the foundation,the brighter the future!”
1 Corinthians 3 Verse 11“For other foundation can no man
lay than that is laid, …which is Jesus Christ.”
Let us join together to,
“Church the Un-Churched,Teach the Un-Taught,”and most of all,
“Reach the Un-Reached ...for Jesus!”
“Go Ye ... !”“Speak Ye ... !”
“Do Ye ... !”
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About the author.
Born and raised in inner Sydney, N.S.W. Australia, Robert was a childwhen the likes of Arthur Stace, Alan Walker and Ted Noffs ministered toSydney in the nineteen fifties.
The Lord spoke to Robert at the age of seven, outside of the oldCleveland Street Congregational Church. For many years, he continued tolive for himself. That is, until The Lord again spoke to him in The Bay ofPlenty in New Zealand. He received Jesus Christ into his life as Lord andSaviour in February, 1980. Being Water Baptised in April, Born Again andFilled with The Holy Spirit in May of the same year.
Bob and Nikki married, in October of 1987 and have an awesomefamily of five plus four of Bob’s older children with altogether and to datenineteen Grandchildren.
Bob has compiled and published materials helpful for growth anddevelopment in Christ Jesus. Sadly, but with great joy, Nikki passed intoGlory to be with our Lord. 21st July, 2014.
Over the years, Bob has ministered as a Pastor/ Teacher andfunctioned as itinerant Preacher with a strong call to Missions.
His desire, is to see more folk, coming out of themselves, and goingdeeper into personal relationship with our Lord and Saviour, The LordJesus Christ.
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