Friends, how much do you know the laws of your land? Do you know your rights and responsibilities as a citizen? Have you ever violated any rule? To the offender, ignorance is not necessarily innocence when standing before the judge. In the spiritual kingdom, there are also laws. Every person on the face of the earth right now is either living under the government of law or the government of grace. Understanding the meaning of the New Covenant will enable us to live a life of victory. There is a way of victory for the Christian, and it is by means of the Cross, "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2)"; "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Galatians 6:14). Christianity is at a crossroads today. Churches are either too legalistic or too liberal. Like the Pharisees, some Christians are so religious that they get into the works of the law, which is bondage. They may still profess salvation through faith. However, when it comes to sanctification, they would imply, "Oh, to be holy, you have to follow a list of rules". They may not necessarily verbalize such a statement but they tend to judge others who don't conform or measure up to their so-called spiritual expectations. On the other hand, there are other Christians who promote a message of what I call "lawless freedom". Such people display an attitude of "Since I'm under grace and God loves me unconditionally, I can do what I want for my own benefits and pleasures". All of these teachings distort and twist the true gospel of grace. A revelation of Jesus Christ on the cross will keep your doctrine and lifestyle in proper order. We must not try to live after a system of works and laws, but be led and empowered by the Holy Spirit on the premise of our faith in the finished work of Christ, what He did at Calvary and the Resurrection! To understand themes such as justification by faith, salvation, sanctification, the law and grace as well as walking in the Spirit, which are the foundational truths for living a victorious Christian life, the book of Romans presents some of the greatest teachings on these topics. In this message, we want to focus primarily on Chapter 6. Through this Epistle and other parts of the Bible, God has given us the manual of life, the blueprint for our success and victory. Yet sadly, many Christians do not experience total victory in their lives. Why is this so? Ignorance may be a cause. Another reason could be indifference to the things of God. Of course, using our own strength or willpower to live the Christian life is a futile and fruitless effort. Yet a far more subtle factor why even some dedicated Christians experience spiritual burnout is (listen carefully!) trusting in spiritual disciplines themselves more than focusing on the grace of God. What do I mean? There is an over-emphasis on measuring one's spirituality based on how much Bible study, prayer or fasting one practices. Now, before you throw a stone at me (or at least, the television or computer screen or mobile device that you are using to watch this message), let me say that prayer, Bible study, fellowship and all other Christian habits are very important ... but they are not the primary means through which we are sanctified or are holy. Neither do we overcome the devil or the powers of darkness because of our consecration. We don't say, "Satan, I come against you in the name of Jonathan! I am a prayer warrior, I am a walking Bible. You better obey me!" I know this sounds foolish and ridiculous or even blasphemous but isn't this why some Christians strive to have victory by self effort? It is through the cross of Christ and by the blood of the Lamb of God that demons tremble and hell shakes. When we understand that our position in Christ alone and not in ourselves, then we understand the New Covenant. Otherwise, we revert to law and frustrate the grace of God. It is an insult to God to mix grace and law! On this video, there is an offer featuring two preaching/teaching messages on DVDs and VCDs available as ministry gifts to those who ask. Due to very limited stocks of these materials left, we regret that requests may not be fulfilled at this present time. However, we are pleased to say that you can watch these titles online: A New Heart And Spirit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOvmVyo5MWU Parables Of The Kingdom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD9_EkNyvT8&t=7s
The Gospel Line: Cross Of Jesus Christ, Power Of The New Covenant (Romans Chapter 6) Part 2
Come Into The Ark [English and Hiligaynon / Ilonggo]
March 3, 2024
Hiligaynon / Ilonggo Interpretation by Mark Winston Gabutero Hosting Pastor: Johann Bernajo, Promisecity Church Victorias City Jesus said that before He comes back to earth again, our world will be just like it was in the days of Noah. People are eating, drinking and partying. Many are consumed with pursuing money, power and sex. Now, there is nothing wrong with having the legitimate things in life, such as having food and sleep. But life is not just about fulfilling our physical needs. It is also to follow the Lord and seek His Kingdom. Today, we see all kinds of perversion and depravity. People are not only openly living sinful lifestyles, but want others to accept their behaviours. We are living in a day and age where evil is called good, and good is called evil. We have all kinds of blasphemers, mockers and scoffers of Jesus Christ. There is a spirit of violence that is persecuting those who believe God’s Word and walk in His way. The ark was a type of Christ. He calls us to come into the ark of His presence, protection, safety, shelter, refuge and rest. A storm is coming upon our world. It is a storm of judgment. Society will not get better and better, but rather worse and worse. We are a generation of vipers – sin has increased rampantly. Do we weep over lost souls? Do we warn people to flee from the wrath to come? We are close to the midnight hour, where the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, is coming soon! Are we ready to meet Him? Now is the day of salvation. Some of us are religious. We may even attend church regularly, have a form of godliness but denying its power. We do many good works, but are not resting in the cross and the blood of Jesus for our salvation. Today, we must make our calling and election sure! The door of the ark is still opened right now. But it won't be long before the door will be closed.
Arrested, Charged And Convicted As Prisoners Of Jesus Christ
March 3, 2024
Hosting Pastor: Bishop Mike Berdin, Charismatic Revival Center Fellowship The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul, unveils the power of the New Covenant. He was given the mission to preach and proclaim the gospel to the world. Yet, until his conversion, Paul who was known as Saul at that time, was a hater of the church. He persecuted the followers of Christ, arrested and thrown them into prison. He stood by, approved and consented to the stoning of Stephen unto death. But on the road to Damascus, he had a dramatic encounter with Jesus Christ. He was blinded physically, but his eyes were opened spiritually. Suddenly, he saw a light from heaven. Often, it is persecution and not prosperity that results in lives being transformed. We like to have palace-like experiences in our Christian life. Yet, there are also pits and prisons in this journey of faith. It is opposition that has been a catalyst to spread the gospel. We want the hand of the Lord upon the church, to win the lost and make disciples. Yet, we must be prepared for trials and adversities in order to experience revivals and reap the harvest of souls. In the natural, none of us want to be a prisoner. Yet, we see that the very man who sought to destroy the Church and imprison its disciples, later became imprisoned himself. From a persecutor of the church, Paul became a great proclaimer and promoter of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, as was in the early church, the world still hates and persecutes Christians. It is not just the ungodly who are hostile to us. Often, there is also intimidation from parts of the religious world. Some religious leaders are outrightly false, others are backsliden and apostate. Paul, before his conversion, was zealous toward God, so he thought, until his encounter with Christ that dramatically changed his life. We can choose to be a prisoner of the world, a prisoner of false religion, or a prisoner of Jesus Christ. We may or may not be put in a literal prison, but we will face unjust accusation, ill-treatment and opposition at times. Paul’s life is to pursue, apprehend and attain Christlikeness. He wants to apprehend Christ and also, to be apprehended by Christ. In the natural, to apprehend means to catch, to capture, to arrest. It is to be handcuffed and chained to Jesus, to be a prisoner of His love. As a prisoner of the Lord, Paul bore scar marks on his body as the result of persecutions he has endured. He was in prison frequently, received lashes, beaten with rods and stoned. When the world looks at us Christians, what brand do we represent? No, I’m not talking about the name of our church, our denomination or our ministry. I’m talking about whether we are faithful and fruitful to the call of God, whether we are standing for truth and righteousness, whether we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, whether we are anointed and preaching the cross of Jesus Christ who saves, heals, baptizes in the Holy Spirit and is coming again! Unlike brands of physical goods and services, we do not seek to be popular. Instead, we are often mocked, hated and persecuted by people of this world and even those from false religious institutions. The world wants to silence our voice, but we will not retreat. We are to be bold as a lion. Yet, we are also sheep in the midst of wolves. As we put our faith in Christ and Him crucified, His power will work exceeding abundantly in us. God can work mightily through us as individuals as well as corporately as the church. We have our unique gifts and callings and yet united and interdependent with other members in the body of Christ. Presently, we are living in the church age, or the age of grace. At the second coming of Christ, we will enter into the Kingdom age. We the redeemed, glorified saints of God, will live forever, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Until then, we are wanted! We are arrested, charged and convicted as prisoners of our Lord Jesus Christ! Let us proclaim the mystery of the cross, the revelation of the New Covenant, the gospel of grace!
The Holy Spirit Upon, Within And Through Us [English and Hiligaynon / Ilonggo]
March 2, 2024
Hiligaynon / Ilonggo Interpretation by Melbert Fajarito Hosting Pastor: Carlito Tablero, A Light Shine The Holy Spirit comes upon and baptizes us, operates within us to develop character and produce fruit, empowers and works through us as laborers in His harvest field.