INTRODUCTION: The joy of the saint is counterintuitive to the mind of this world system. In fact, it’s typically diametrically opposite. We don’t express our satisfaction, contentment, peace and joy by the things in our lives or even of this world so much as by the Person of Christ. It’s why this truth resounds so powerfully in our hours of trial and woe:
“the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (NEH 8:10c; PSA 21:1).
This is also why we acknowledge the fruit of the Spirit as something apart from mere human emotion. I can be happy in my circumstances that are favorable – and equally unhappy about those that are not!
But our peace and joy are based on the grace of GOD that runs independently of our circumstances. This allows the saint who is walking in the Spirit to have a life of stability, on the ROCK of our salvation – even when the floor drops out from under their feet!
1 SAMUEL 2:2
"No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God. (See EXOD 15:11; De 3:24; 4:35; 32:4,30-31; 2Sa 22:1-51; Ps 86:8; 89:6,8)
So we continue now in our study of PHILIPPIANS and take half of Chapter 3…
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More and more biblically themed movies are coming out today in contrast with the Hollywood Woke-agenda that promotes decidedly anti-Bible, even anti-moral films. The largest of these studios is Angel Film Productions, a Mormon founded and owned film studio (Sound of Freedom, Truth and Treason, King of Kings (an animated film) and the extremely popular The Chosen series (which I strongly oppose as anything remotely biblical). Another is the Kendricks Brothers Productions that brought us films like War Room and The Forge. Previously we saw an Icon Production film (owned by Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey), The Passion of the Christ – an enormously successful film that Hollywood opposed. While the graphic nature of the film came closer to the historical Passion than any other film produced, it still actually fell short of the real event. It also was laced with various Roman Catholic themes but I find it a useful tool to present to the unsaved to give them a better grasp of the physical sufferings our LORD endured, and follow up with what His sacrifice was really about, and what it accomplished. When I saw a clip for another Angel Studios animated film, David, I liked what I saw visually and thematically, but I was cautious. Would there be Mormon theology laced in this film? As the premier came closer, I saw more and more clips from the film, and looking at the remarks after opening day, it seems this was very well received. The enthusiasm was palpable by adults, young people and children. So we decided to go and see the film for ourselves.
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HOLY CHILD, DIVINE CHRIST and MARY SINGS TO HER SAVIOR
PART ONE by James Fire; PART TWO by Sonny Islas
PART ONE-HOLY CHILD, DIVINE CHRIST
LUKE 1:26-45
26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, "Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!"
29 But when she saw him, she was troubled [disturbed, alarmed] at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was [I.O.W. “what could this possibly mean??”]. 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 "And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name JESUS.
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This resulted in a covenant between Abraham and GOD, that would include Abraham’s physical descendants (in the way of temporal blessings) as well as his spiritual descendants who exhibited the same faith in GOD as Abraham did (and inherit the kingdom of Israel (ACTS 1:6; REV 20) and become equal inheritors with the church and other saints in the eternal kingdom; REV 21 and 22).
This included his personal family line, starting with the son of promise, Isaac. Remember that before Isaac came, Abraham had Ishmael (through Hagar), but he wasn’t the son that GOD promised to come through Sarah; the one that GOD promised would be the vehicle by which all the world will be blessed!
We see how GOD’s promise to Abraham will carry on through Isaac and Jacob, and the twelve patriarchs.
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The term has been around now for a some decades; it's meant to describe anyone who has an irrational, unwarranted fear of the religion of Islam and of its adherents, the Muslim people of the world.
Do we need to fear the global Caliphate? Do we need to fear Sharia Law? Do we need to fear having our Constitutional Rights stripped from us Americans and be penalized for refusing to submit to Allah? Yes, yes and yes.
Now, certainly as Christians we are not to live a life of fear, but a life that is sound of mind, flowing with love and endowed with power (2 TIM. 1:7), and we are to have a deep and abiding fear of the LORD if we ever hope to express wisdom in our lives (PSALM 111:10).
We are not to fear persecution or tribulation (2 TIM. 3:12; REV. 2:10) from hostile forces be they human or demonic, but acknowledge them as a result of living “godly in Christ Jesus” and therefore ordained of God, for His holy purposes and part of His sovereign plan in our lives (ROM. 5:3; 2 THESS. 1:4).
So why then do we want to even address this subject?
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Reviewing ALIEN INTRUSION: non-fiction book by Gary Bates - part 1 I recently finished reading this book by Gary Bates, and the following is a review of his work.
NOTE: I neither endorse nor deny the veracity of testimony given or websites that make assertions regarding "aliens from another world". Personally I do believe (as does Dr. Jacque Valle) that these are beings more spiritual and interdimensional rather than Extraterrestrial Biological Entities (EBE's) from another planet.
I found Mr. Bate's book, ALIEN INTRUSION to be very well written, and engaging; his information is carefully researched and I believe he gives a very responsible perspective on a subject that is highly conjectural and given to speculation yet passionately believed by countless numbers the world over. Mr. Bates not only gives a reasonable response to so-called 'alien visitors from another planet' he also confronts the theory of evolution. If aliens who are several thousand or perhaps hundreds of thousands of years more advanced than us, then evolution must be factual in order to establish credibility to this other-worldly phenomena.
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