Gen 8:22 There is the principle of seed time and harvest time. As long as the sun/moon rise and set, the principle of seed time and harvest time will be there. You reap what you sow!
Gal 6:7-8 There seems to be a mental gap between real life stuff and Christian spiritual stuff. People just don�t connect it properly. Its like when we plant an apple seed in the ground, we expect an apple tree to eventually grow there. The principle of reaping and sowing is reality. We need to have this principle in our spiritual life/physical life. If we want to be successful Christians, we need to get a grip on this and understand the principle.
We need to sow Good Seed.
1) There is a Greatness in Us:
God wants us to prosper. He is not against us but is for us! If we Hear the Word and Do the Word, we will prosper. We need to get this into our hearts and minds. We need to live life believing that there is a greatness in us.
Romans 13:11 Its time to wake up! Our salvation is near to us! The greatness in us is asleep and we need to wake it up. There is a sleeping giant inside of us that God wants to use for His kingdom. We need to get rid of our stinking thinking!!
2) We All Have a Destiny in Christ Jesus:
We were not born to take up space and breath in oxygen! We were born to be an Ambassador for Christ and a person of destiny. Satan knows this and has been trying to kill us and rob us since we were born. Satan knows God will mold us, make us and use us for His kingdom. So Satan tries to destroy us.
We need to say it out loud �We have a destiny�!!!
If we are in Christ Jesus, we all have a destiny. The bible says in Colossians that we are the �called out� ones. Things don�t have to be status quo or stay the same. God heals EVERYTHING!
Gal 6:7-8 Sow good, reap good and sow bad, reap bad. Don�t be deceived because God is not mocked. The only things that matter is whats going into the spiritual realm - the eternal realm. The sowing into the flesh stuff doesn�t last cause the flesh doesn�t last and is NOT eternal. Many of here today will be dead in forty years because the flesh doesn�t last. When we sow into the flesh, it is what Satan wants us to do. We are sowing seed into the devil�s business. We are going against God by doing this.
Gal 6:9 We should not get tired of well doing because we will reap what we sow if we don�t give up. We will harvest what we plant. If we want Joy in our lives then we need to think good thoughts about God, Jesus, the victory and our eternal life in Heaven.
3) God Honors Our Faithfulness:
We must continue to sow to the things of the spirit. We will eventually reap what we sow. We need to WAIT on the Lord and STAY faithful! In due season, at the right time, the Lord will bless us. We are not done.
God is NOT done with us. In due season we will reap a harvest.!
Sunday 9/26/10 Pastor Alex�s sermon-Back to the Basics
Posted : 27 Sep, 2010 08:00 AM
Galatians 6:7-8 Has nothing to do with what this sermon is about. This scripture, in its context, is about how we forgive and restore a fallen brother of sister. These verses are telling us that if we give in to our fleshly desires to reject them we may find ourselves in the same situation and be rejected as well. If we obey Christ and restore this person with love and teaching then we will reap a spiritual blessing for it.
To substantiate the argument of this sermon on a scripture that is taken out of context makes it ludicrous. It is one of the many errors of the prosperity gospel. I agree that God wants us to be prosperous, but not in the sense that we reap what we sow and that we always have to sow into the spiritual realm in order to harvest blessing in the physical or spiritual realm. The Bible is very clear that Christians will suffer persecution and loss. A study of church history will show us that this is the case. Christians are persecuted all over the world today. I doubt that they are preaching a prosperity gospel in those churches.
Our prosperity is that all the things God appoints us to do He will cause to prosper. Joseph in prison is a good case in point. The growth of Abraham's wealth is another. Prosperity does not require hearing and doing the Word. It requires believing and obeying the Word.
Gen 39:3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
Sunday 9/26/10 Pastor Alex�s sermon-Back to the Basics
Posted : 28 Sep, 2010 05:46 PM
PJ,
Is the gospel to the poor any different than the gospel to the rich? Isn't the Gospel of Jesus Christ the same for everyone? There is no promise in the Bible that all Christians will be wealthy. The promise is that those who obey the commandments of God will prosper. That is, they will have success. If we put our Western slant on this to make it mean that we will be rich then we are wrong. The idea of prosperity in the Bible is that we will succeed at what we do when we are obedient to God. It does not mean that we will not be poor or that we will live without pain or persecution. If that were the case then all Christians would be rich and happy.
The problem with the Prosperity Gospel is that it brings dillusions to those who want more. It feeds on the greed of people who think they deserve to have things better than they do because they belong to the King. Preachers get up in their pulpits and spew a deceitful gospel of lies to their congregations and convince them to give until they are completely broke and then they receive nothing in return for it. I know this because I have counseled dozens of people who couldn't figure out why this "gospel" didn't work for them. It didn't work because it isn't true.
This is not to say that it isn't mixed with Truth of that it is possible that a scripture or two will hit the mark, but over all it is a false gospel.
Sunday 9/26/10 Pastor Alex�s sermon-Back to the Basics
Posted : 28 Sep, 2010 06:26 PM
So PJ are you saying that the poor are saved in a way that is different from the way the rich are saved? Was there a cross for the poor and a cross for the rich or something.
Give me some scripture to back up what you are saying. I have never read about a different gospel for the poor. Nor have I ever seen a verse that guarantees a tenfold blessing if I put a thousand dollars in some profits, I mean Prophet's, KFC bucket at the revival. I do remember putting $100.00 in one once and I got a watch with Jesus in the center and the twelve disciples in place of the numbers. Is that what the prosperity gospel is all about?
Sunday 9/26/10 Pastor Alex�s sermon-Back to the Basics
Posted : 29 Sep, 2010 07:18 AM
I Didn't say anyone was saved any differently, But is not the gospel to the poor, you do not have to be poor any more, in a spiritual sense and also concerning financial.
We have a beautiful example of this in the land of Israel, since they have become a Nation again, even thought they rejected the Messiah.
Deserts now produce crops in abundance.
Technology excels in Israel.
Here is two chapters concerning giving and receiving:
1 � Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;
2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.
3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;
4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.
6 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.
7 � Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.
8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.
9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
10 And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.
11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.
12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.
13 For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:
14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:
15 As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.
16 � But thanks be to God, which put the same earnest care into the heart of Titus for you.
17 For indeed he accepted the exhortation; but being more forward, of his own accord he went unto you.
18 And we have sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches;
19 And not that only, but who was also chosen of the churches to travel with us with this grace, which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and declaration of your ready mind:
20 Avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us:
21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
22 And we have sent with them our brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you.
23 Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches, and the glory of Christ.
24 Wherefore shew ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.
1 � For as touching the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you:
2 For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many.
3 Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready:
4 Lest haply if they of Macedonia come with me, and find you unprepared, we (that we say not, ye) should be ashamed in this same confident boasting.
5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
6 � But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;
13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;
14 And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.
Sunday 9/26/10 Pastor Alex�s sermon-Back to the Basics
Posted : 29 Sep, 2010 07:55 PM
OK PJ I agree that we don't have to be poor anymore and the example in the passage you give here is evidence that when the people of the Church come together in a way that they share all things in common so that none of the members are without both spiritual and physical necessities then they will prosper. Unfortunately we see very little of this actually going on in the Church as we know it in this country.
My late wife and I had a very great ministry in the county we lived in in Tennessee. We provided food, clothing, cars and trucks, appliances, and rent money to many of our brothers and sisters who were among the poor. When we thought it would be a good idea to create a network among the churches in the county so that we could provide for the needs of the poor we went to nearly every Pastor in the county and all we got was a "That's a good idea I hope you figure out how to make it work. NOT ONE PASTOR, NOT ONE, was interested in helping the poor Christians in our county. NOT ONE!!!
We are way to comfortable and as long as we think that bringing a few cans to a food drive or tossing a few bucks into a special offering or writing a check at Christmas time is all it takes then we are sorely and sadly mistaken.
Did you know that if everyone on welfare were to tithe they would give more money than all the churches in this country report collecting? Can the poor actually give more than we give? How amazing is that?
Simply put, Christians don't share or they don't share enough. We really have no idea what sacrificail giving and living is do we? The gospel to the poor doesn't have to be that they will not be poor anymore but that they can depend on the goodness of their fellow believer to follow the example of Jesus and give with all their beings.
