BACKGROUND
SEA
SEA, THE
RIVER
RIVER
RED SEA
RED SEA, PASSAGE OF
EXODUS
RED SEA
I. The Bitter Lakes region
II. The Gulfs of Suez and Aqabah
JORDAN
I. Archaeological sites
II. Topographical features
The
full background to this teaching is available online at this link
FULL BACKGROUND HERE (For serious students)
|
Online links to scriptures (New International Version [NIV] unless otherwise stated) are shown in blue
12. WINNING THE WAR (Part 2) |
b. BELIEVERS
Many new Christians expect, either through wrong teaching or by misunderstanding, that all their problems will disappear, or they will become perfect, once they have committed their lives to Jesus. While Jesus came and made us ‘positionally’ perfect before God, we still have to work the process out ‘experientially’ in our lives. This process of changing our human nature to match our new spiritual nature, is the lifelong walk towards maturity. Even the great apostle Paul, faced the same problem as you and me.
Romans 7:14-25
|
|
Even the best of us have times when we have crises of faith, as Jesus had with the disciples. But we can always take heart because Jesus has overcome the world.
John 16:31-33
|
|
And so we are to be an example to others, living lives that reflect God’s glory.
1 Peter 2:9-12
|
|
And we have been given all the power we need in order to overcome satan and his demons.
Luke 10:17-24
|
|
However, our prime weapon of warfare is still love, for it is through love that we reflect God to others. By avoiding the attraction of the values of the world, we win the battle over it.
1 John 2:9-17
|
|
We have the victory through Jesus, doing the will of the Father, as Jesus did.
1 John 5:3-5
|
|
And we know what God’s will is through listening to our teacher, mentor and guide, the Holy Spirit.
1 John 4:1-6
|
|
When we place Jesus at the centre of our lives we overcome the world and inherit the kingdom of eternal life in Him. Hallelujah!
Revelation 21:6-7
Placing Jesus at the very centre of our lives leads us down the path to spiritual maturity.
|
12 REQUIREMENTS FOR RESTORING GOD’S CHURCH TODAY |
1. To become one in Spirit.
2. To encompass all Scripture.
3. To be obedient to God’s will.
4. Developing a godly character.
5. To become a servant church.
6. Displaying true servant leadership.
7. Presenting the Gospel to the world in a way that reflects God’s grace.
8. Encouraging giving on the basis of grace, not law.
9. Recovering belief in the ability of God to perform miracles today.
10. Supporting and witnessing to the Jews until their believers come into the kingdom.
11. Preaching, teaching and living the gospel of the kingdom.
12. Overcoming the world through love.
|
CONCLUSION: |
Unfortunately, today’s splintered church has generally moved far from the foundations upon which it was originally based into a compromise with the world in which it finds itself. It is too often run along worldly lines of organization and authority, having lost the vision of the revelations upon which is based, settling gently into human ways of thinking and doing things, then wondering why it has lost its effectiveness.
We need to get back to the basic principles of God, illustrated ‘externally’ in the 3 episodes of ‘Dividing the Waters’ in the Old Testament and confirmed ‘internally’ by, in and through Jesus in the New Covenant we live under today.
We need to change drastically in order to become the united bride, clothed in the white linen of righteousness, for whom Jesus is returning at the end of this age.
Revelation 19:7-9
|
12 STEP’S TOWARDS SPIRITUAL MATURITY FOR TODAY’S BELIEVER |
1. Hearing directly from the Lord.
2. Obeying the Word, including the ‘Great Commission’.
3. Fulfilling God’s will for our life.
4. Developing a godly character.
5. Doing as Jesus would do.
6. Serving others.
7. Growing in holiness through God’s grace.
8. Generous giving.
9. Believing in the power of God to do miracles today.
10. Restoring our relationship with the Jews so that they may experience the Jesus living in us.
11. Grasping the vision and living the reality of the kingdom within.
12. Placing Jesus at the very centre of our lives.
|
CONCLUSION |
Most believers will pay ‘lip service’ to these 12 factors as to how to grow in spiritual maturity. The challenge for each one of us, me included, is to make them realities in our life. If it were easy, it would be of little value, either to God or us!
But the call of Jesus is not simply to belief, but to maturity, to commitment, to obedience, even unto death. For Jesus provided the example, even to death on the cross, that we are to follow! The kingdom of God is to be found within! And satan will finally meet his doom!
Revelation 12:11
|
<i>NEXT WEEK:</i> 'NEARER MY GOD TO THEE, NEARER TO THEE' |
A short, 2 week study on THE POWER OF INTERCESSION.
|
A NOTE FROM DAVID |
This series of studies follows the theme of so many of the studies we have looked at together over the years.
Not only do we need to understand them academically, but far more importantly, apply them to our lives.
And remember that the kingdom of God, reflected in a physical form through King David, now lives within us. Isn't that amazing!
|
So until next week.......
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOU BLESS GOD!
His servant and yours
![](http://www.wwj.org.nz/teachings/images/d_tait_sig_tt.gif)
Learn more about us at...
www.wwj.org.nz/about.php
A DAVID'S DOODLING
305. The foolish can seek wisdom, the wise godliness, while the godly grow into the image of Christ.
David Tait
|
Check
out the WWJ website for….
More David's Doodlings: www.wwj.org.nz/dd.php
Waxing Lyrical: http://www.wwj.org.nz/waxing.php If Only I'd Thought of it: http://www.wwj.org.nz/thought.php Laughing at Ourselves: http://www.wwj.org.nz/laugh.php A look at some of lifes curious questions: http://www.wwj.org.nz/why.php
|