God's Image

God the Father do not have an image. God created us in HIS IMAGE. God's image is "Father, Son, Holy Spirit". We are Body, Soul and Spirit. Therefore, He has revealed us through His image. In MAN, there are three in one, as God is, who manifests himself at all times in three different persons. People often will create their own image of God as this verse describe: Romans 1:23 "and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." We can reason all we want whether we are "so so", or "so so"..... in reality, we are CREATED IN HIS IMAGE. The Holy Spirit is directly from God. In 1 Corinthians 2:10, God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." The mystery of the God cannot be known by human (spiritually dead) but all that Christians can know of God in this life is revealed in Jesus Christ (spiritually alive). Through the self-revelation of God and His Son, Jesus Christ in the Scriptures, with the help from the Holy Spirit, Christians who is spiritually alive gains everything and loses nothing. The Gospel of John reveals the helplessness of the human mind before the great Mystery which is God and then later, Paul in First Corinthians teaches that God can be known only as the Holy Spirit performs in the seeking heart an act of self-disclosure. Jesus is the mystery of Godliness into time and space for a reason and a purpose which is Spiritual Salvation for Eternal Life. This means that the mystery is less of me and more of God, that my spiritual life deepens and I am strengthened in the knowledge of His grace. Knowledge of the mystery is having the reality of an experience of knowing God personally and consciously. Jesus Christ Himself is the deeper life, and as I plunge on into the knowledge of Christ and His love.

Carnal and Their Fruit.....

That's life.... everywhere we go, there will ALWAYS be certain group of people that will irritates and mock. I have been called "doubter" and other names. I am used to this since I have been mocked when I was a kid for being "different" by being "disable". Carnal Christians are EVERYWHERE. Carnal person is a Christian who still has self on the throne (selfishness). Christ is still in there somewhere, running around, but He is not in charge, and the life is still in chaos. There's no Lordship. For a Spiritual Christian, Self is off the throne (self-less), Christ is on it, and the life is all in order. There's Lordship. Lordship is LOVE. 1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. Matthew 22:36-38 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'This is the first and greatest commandment. As Christ said, Matthew 7:16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Fruit of the Spirit is WHAT?

Regardless how the Gospel is being Spread.......

My wife accepted Christ while watching Jim Bakker's TV PTL ministry. I love it when Paul said in this verse: Philippians 1:17-19 (New International Version) The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. The Gospel is being spread regardless. People are hearing the word "Jesus". Before we were saved, our minds & hearts were planted over the years about Jesus from various source. Its the Holy Spirit that convicted us to accept Christ. The Best Evangelist is the Holy Spirit. After we are saved, we are to discern the spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to proper teachings. Many times, people don't allow the Holy Spirit to guide instead, they follow their desires they think God approves. The Holy Spirit is the KEY..... Weak Christians basically means carnal. "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."--Matt. 26:41. Biblically, Christians are no longer "in the flesh": "You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him" (Rom 8:9). Carnal person is a Christian who still has self on the throne (selfishness). Christ is still in there somewhere, running around, but He is not in charge, and the life is still in chaos. There's no Lordship. For a Spiritual Christian, Self is off the throne (self-less), Christ is on it, and the life is all in order. There's Lordship. Lordship is LOVE. 1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. Matthew 22:36-38 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'This is the first and greatest commandment. Luke 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. 2 Corinthians 8:7 But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us —see that you also excel in this grace of giving. Ephesians 3:17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love. Colossians 1:5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Timothy 1:14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. 2 Timothy 3:10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance.

Disagree......

Grace is about loving other people that we have the freedom to do so but at the same time, don't flaunt our freedom or mock those who disagree. I remembered getting picked on in school for my disability and in order to "survive" the mocking, I laugh with them and they get bored mocking me. Grace is we live in the Spirit AND also walk in the Spirit. The Holy Spirit dwells in us with all the power and gifts of God, necessary to enable us to walk the noble, spiritual, Son-like life with God. With Grace, we can show mercy and help others (Heb. 4:13-16). The cost of discipleship is a price I am gladly pay for the privilege of walking in fruitfulness with others who are in the same burdensome. We all have to come to the understanding that while God wants us to be Spirit-filled that God's loving desire that we should reflect His own holiness and goodness.

More about Emergent Movement

Emergent is a system and method that is trying to replace the Holy Spirit. Emergent thinkers have came up with their own solution of methods from their own perspective rather than God's perspective. When you look for solutions through methods such as Emergent movement is doing, this is not new and this have been approached many times over the years under different categories if we study Christian History. We CAN'T comprehend and solve solutions through methods but we CAN have faith in God's decisions in all situations and solutions through the Holy Spirit. All of us are born with "conscience" and when a Christian who is saved by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, this Christian is NOW living in a new Creature with holy conscience rather than sinful conscience. Grace is about loving other people that we have the freedom to do so but at the same time, respect how they practice their beliefs. As long as our conscience is clear and our heart is pure before God, don't be concerned with issues. I mean, it's like losing ourselves in the pursuit of Christ and let everything else take its place. 1 Timothy 1:5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Methods such as Legalism does NOTHING for my heart. Paul said, "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection ..." (1Corinthians 9:27). The key word here is "discipline." I tell people that legalism (or methods) can't produce a pure heart. Rules (methods) do not help us because they are basically guidelines from "human point of view" that will help you. Jesus had a problem with the pharisees (similar teachers) who were very legalists (creating methods) to help people draw to God instead of the Holy Spirit. The Best Evangelist and TEACHER is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit manifests Christ into us. Christian faith is inward, not outward. It is of the spirit and not of the flesh. The kingdom of God is within you, Christ dwells in your heart, and "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) is the burning core of the Christian faith. So Christianity, the true Christian faith, is inward in nature--we are to be inwardly Christians. This is one of the reason why I am into Reformed theology, people (so called Christians) are focusing on works and methods and Reformed says "NO, the Holy Spirit is our works. A spiritually dead person is without the Holy Spirit, therefore we do not have the "ability" to get saved on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to prick and quicken us to be alive." Faith comes to the believer as a gift from God. It is not something that individuals are capable of coming up on their own. Were faith a work of man's own doing, man would be in a position to take partial credit for his redemption. Faith comes as a result of the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit-He quickens our hearts to believe. Apart from the new birth, there can be no true faith. Emergent movement is not the solution. The real solution is Jesus Christ.