Help From Above/Помощь Cвыше

If God chooses to speak through people and do everything through people does He ever do anything without doing it through people?

In order to understand how God works we need to start at the beginning, to look at how God set up things on this earth at creation.

In Genesis 1:26— God’s plan was for man to be the ruler of everything on this earth.  In Genesis 1:28 — God made man the absolute ruler of everything on this earth. Imagine what it would be like if God told you that you have absolute rule over everything on this earth?  You could command animals and they would obey.  You could even command insects and they would obey your command.

In chapter three Adam submitted to his wife and the serpent (Gen 3:17).  Revelation 12:9 identifies the serpent as Satan.  In Job (Job 1:6,7) we find Satan’s claim to authority over the earth is not even questioned.

Luke 4:6 “the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.”

Thus, Adam’s authority had been delivered to the devil.

Romans 6:16: “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

Witness Abraham and Abimelek (Gen. 20:1-17) —  God spoke directly to a heathen king that he needed to ask Abraham to pray for his healing. Abimelech had acted in integrity and God spoke to him.  Why didn’t God just heal Abimelek directly?  I will assert that Job was God’s man and when the story ends the other “comforters” are told to have Job pray for them (Job 42:7,8).

Even when God was going to destroy this wicked earth with a flood, He used a man (NOAH) to preserve the human race by following God’s instructions.

This story is for our benefit to understand how God works.  God promised Abraham that He would bless those who blessed Abraham and curse those who cursed Abraham.  Proverbs tells us that the curse causeless will not come to rest.  Not only that, but God promised to send the curses back on those who cursed Abraham.

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“And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (Revelation 12:15-17)

Who is that woman? What is the flood? In the book of Revelation a lot applies to our generation. When a person reads it and gets confused…Confusion comes when someone was rooted in traditions of men and then he come across the verses that contradict their traditions. Confusion also comes when there is a lack of integrity, which leads to lack of the Lord be able to reveal His Word to you. Revelation from the truth of God’s Word begins with an honest heart. If we lack honesty God will actually withhold the truth from us, He will even send a strong delusion, as in Thessalonians, that you might believe a lie.

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So many times in Christendom we go into habits that distance us from God. We don’t experience God in a personal way because we become very regimented. I want us to look outside of the normal way of what we do service. I don’t talk about being disloyal or lack of reverence. But we need to become attached to God, not detached. Let’s not be “churchy”, but let’s keep it real.

Philippians 2:1-2 “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,  ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”

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Prayer. Message # 2.

I want you to really think with me about the subject of prayer. How should it be performed?

Matthew 6:5-7: ⁵ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. ⁶ But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. ⁷ But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 

Jesus tells His church how to connect with heaven. We don’t need to be like the hypocrites - those who play out. They love the attention from men. They have their reward and missed heaven.

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Eve followed Satan. How enemy deceives us? 1 Peter 5:8-9: “8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

First , be sober - we must not be intoxicated. Our mind has to be cleansed. How? By His Word. We have to watch out for the enemy. Not in fear, because we are not ignorant. He did it before, he will do it again.

People today believe the soul cannot die. We think majority rules, that is popular, so it must be right. But the Bible says otherwise. Ezekiel 18:20: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” If we stay the course of God’s word, we clear up that lie.

It says, if we believe in Christ, we shall not perish, but will have everlasting life, but if we don’t have Christ, we will perish. The enemy taught us, that souls that sinneth will never perish, but will exist for eternity somewhere. Unbiblical, but we laid hold of this. Why? Because it is popular, because some people with higher education teach it.

Christ is the only One Who imparts immortality.

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Many think today that Christ came to do away with the law and the prophets.

¹⁸ For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  ¹⁷ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17, 18).

What did He fulfill?

⁹ Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.  ¹⁰ By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:9-10)

You are not saved by works, but by faith. The law cannot save. Only through the sacrifice can you be forgiven.

What was abolished in the Coming of Christ? Sacrifices and offerings.

“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8).

Christ did not alter the commandments of God. They are still here today.

Paul wrote to Timothy, “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;  ² Preach the word.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2).

What are we preaching? Jesus Christ. He is the Word!

We can’t cut pieces of God’s Word out. We must take the full counsel of God.

Jesus told us, “If ye love Me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15).

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage– with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2). Paul talked about instruction, that comes from the Scripture, which is the Old Testament. He said, “Preach this Word”.

Pastor Don Elswick

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Pastor Don Elswick

Denominations cause people to think, “I can’t go to that church, because I’m this [denomination].” Ephesians 2:19-22: “19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. ”

We are really out not to witness to unbelievers about Christ, but to convert other Christians to our way of thinking. If someone disagrees with you, doctrinally speaking, bear with them in love “to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” [Ephesians 4:13]. The same Spirit that is in the Baptists, is in the Pentecostals, in the Adventists, in Methodists, etc. “There is one body and one Spirit” (Ephesians 4:4).

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