Teaching Biblical Wisdom For Today

Being One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:41:00 +0000

Every Sunday in the Creed we affirm that we believe in “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.” What does this mean in real life? Too often we treat the Creed like one of those terms of agreement you have to click on before the website will let you on to a website. We rattle through the Creed dutifully, not giving it too much thought.

The Creed is not just an intellectual formulation of our faith. Every word in the Creed has a practical application to our lives. The Creed is not simply a centuries-old list of dogmas we affirm with a nod of the head. The Creed doesn’t just tell us what to think; it tells us how to think and, therefore, how to live. The Creed is not a dead document, but a springboard to a more vibrant spiritual life.

Our society is riddled through with false philosophies that contradict our Catholic faith. The Creed gives us clarity. It helps us analyze these false ways of thinking. The false philosophies are not something we adopt consciously. Instead, they are a set of assumptions that lie at the root of our secular society and then filter through every aspect of our lives. We are influenced by these false beliefs constantly through advertising and through all the media messages we receive from the multitude of secular sources every moment of our waking lives.

Through four articles during Lent, I’ll be exploring 12 different “isms” — 12 false foundational philosophies that are woven into our popular culture. These philosophies infect many of our decisions as Catholics. We’ve sucked up the secular culture without even knowing it, and we think things through from a worldly point of view. We often make decisions and take actions based not on a deeply Catholic way of thinking, but on a secular mindset.

Lent is a time of reflection and repentance, so these articles may help us turn toward God in a new and profound way during Lent.

The 12 “isms” are gathered into four groups of three, and these 12 false philosophies are countered by the four marks of the Church: One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic.

The first of the false philosophies which underlies our society is syncretism. A person is syncretistic when he gathers his beliefs from a range of different sources. The syncretist follows a pick-n-mix philosophy. His belief system is a melting pot of information picked up on the Web, some insights from his education, a smidgen of religion here, some pop psychology, stuff picked up in travels, popular ideas from TV and new media. The syncretist rejects any unified and integrated belief system, picking up ideas and abandoning them as they seem attractive at the time.

Syncretism is linked with the second “ism”: individualism. Individualism exalts the individual over any authority structure, institution or belief system. The individualist is the sole arbiter of what is beautiful, true and good. The assumption undergirding individualism is that every person’s judgment is just as valid as the next person’s. No one, therefore, has a right to tell anyone else what to do. Because there is not greater authority to decide what is wrong, no one must judge another. Judging others is perceived as intolerance, and for the individualist, this is the worst sin.

Think of these three “isms” as three sisters. Sister Syncretism is a fat and lazy girl who simply takes on whatever belief system seems attractive at the time. Sister Individualism is a strident campaigner for her own rights and her own independence against all authority structures. The third sister is a sweet and attractive girl. She is called Sister Sentimentalism.

Sister Sentimentalist decides everything according to her emotions. She wants everything to be nice and wants everyone to feel good. She doesn’t want anything nasty to happen. The sentimentalist is “saddened” when things are harsh and intolerant. With such a longing for happiness and light, the sentimentalist seems the sweetest of the sisters. However, when things don’t go her way (especially when someone makes an objective judgment), Sister Sentimentalist can become strident, like her sister the individualist.

These three secular “isms” are determined by one shared attribute: All three elevate individual judgment over all authority. Therefore, the three ugly sisters are countered by knowing and living the truth that the Catholic Church is “One.”

Syncretism is replaced by a unified teaching authority that draws all truth together, sifts through it, discerns error, teaches truth and organizes it all in one, integrated belief system. The unified teaching authority of the Church draws each individual into a harmonious grouping, valuing each individual as an eternal soul, but also calling each individual into one, integrated body of Christ in the Church. Being “One” in the Church also subordinates sentimentalism. Our emotions and feelings are important, but they are secondary motives for our actions and beliefs. Unity or “being One” brings our strong but unreliable emotions into their proper relationship to the unified truth.

How do we turn away from syncretism, individualism and sentimentalism to be “One”? We do so through our daily submission to the unified authority of the Church. We are encouraged to study and understand other belief systems and draw good things from them, but we do this while constantly learning more about our own unified faith.

Being One means that our individual lives and emotions are harnessed to a greater, unified cause. To be One we are constantly subjecting our own individual beliefs, desires and goals to the greater unity of the Catholic Church.

Critics might say that this turns us into religious zombies, simply going along in mindless obedience to the will of our overlords. Not so. It is within true unity that we link our own individual lives to something far greater and older and better, and through this transaction our lives open out and we participate in God’s greater plan for the world.

What are the practical ways to become “One”? Praying the Divine Office unifies us with all other Catholics who are praying with us each day. Most of all, we become “One” as we worship together at Mass. Mass is the place where we are unified in the mystical body of Christ. It is there that we see the Church being One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic, and it is there that we join our lives in that same unity.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

A Time To Lent

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:45:00 +0000

In the early days of the Church, Lent was a time in which new converts began their journey of faith and conversion prior to receiving Baptism. Later, all the faithful were invited to participate in this period of spiritual renewal. Thus “the participation of the whole community in the various stages of the Lenten journey underlines an important dimension of Christian spirituality: the fact that redemption is available not just for the few, but for everyone, thanks to Christ’s death and resurrection.”

The time leading up to Easter is a time of ‘metanoia,’ a time of change and penance, a time which identifies our human lives and our entire history as a process of conversion, which begins to move now in order to meet the Lord at the end of time.

The Church calls this period “Quadragesima”, a period of forty days which has precise references in Holy Scripture. Indeed, “forty is the symbolic number with which the Old and New Testaments represent the most important moments of the People of God’s experience of faith. It is a figure which expresses a time of expectation, purification, return to the Lord, awareness that God is faithful to His promises; . . . a time within which we must make our choice, shoulder our responsibilities without further delay. It is a time for mature decisions.”

Noah spent forty days in the Ark during the Flood, then had to wait forty days more before he could return to dry land. Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai to collect the Commandments. The Jewish People spent forty years wandering in the desert, then enjoyed forty years of peace under the government of the Judges. The inhabitants of Niniveh made forty days penance to obtain God’s forgiveness. The reigns of Saul, David and Solomon, the first kings of Israel, lasted forty years each. In the New Testament, Jesus spent forty days praying in the wilderness before beginning His public life and, following the resurrection, He spent forty days instructing His disciples before ascending to heaven.

The liturgy of Lent has the aim of facilitating our journey of spiritual renewal in the light of this long biblical experience. Above all, it helps us to imitate Jesus Who, in the forty days He spent in the wilderness, taught us to overcome temptation through the Word of God. . . . Jesus went into the wilderness in order to be in profound contact with the Father. This was a constant aspect of Christ’s earthly life. He always sought out moments of solitude to pray to His Father and abide in intimate and exclusive communion with Him, before retuning among mankind. But in the ‘wilderness’ . . . Jesus was beset by temptation and the seduction of the Evil One, who suggested a messianic path, a path which was far from God’s plans because it involved power, success and dominion, not love and the total gift of self on the Cross.”

The Church herself is a pilgrim in the “wilderness” of the world and history. This wilderness is made up of “the aridity and poverty of words, life and values, of secularism and the culture of materialism which enclose people within a worldly horizon and detach them from any reference to transcendence. In such an atmosphere the sky above us is dark, because veiled with clouds of selfishness, misunderstanding and deceit. Nonetheless, even for the Church today, the wilderness can become a period of grace, because we have the certainty that even from the hardest rock God can cause the living water to gush forth, water which quenches thirst and restores strength.”

During Lent may we discover fresh courage to accept situations of difficulty, affliction and suffering with patience and faith, aware that, from the darkness, the Lord will cause a new day to shine forth. And if we have been faithful to Jesus, following Him on the way of the Cross, the luminous world of God, the world of light, truth and joy, will be ours again.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

The Church and the World

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:24:00 +0000

To be honest, I can’t help but be excited at the persecution the Catholic Church has been getting lately. It’s as if the culture went from giving us the silent treatment to screaming at us. And I’m very proud of the united efforts of our US Bishops (and Cardinals—congratulations Cardinal Dolan!) who continue to boldly speak the truth both to the government and to the people in the pew.

It is the Church’s nature to be missionary. The Church is Christ present in the world. Secularists would like our faith to remain confined to our buildings. Little do they know our buildings only exist to give us a rooftop to shout from.

In the 17th chapter of Acts, the early Christians were described as thus: “These people have been creating a disturbance all over the world!” (Acts 17:6) It is the Church’s job to create a disturbance, to not go along with the status quo. Whether it’s on the issue of contraception, abortion, gay marriage or other issues, the world tells the Church, “Why don’t you mind your own business?”

They don’t realize that the actions of the world is the business of the Church because Jesus has conquered the world with His blood and is now it’s king. And the Church has been given the authority (and the responsibility) to act in the power of His name through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

That power and authority is not subject to whims of governments, parliaments, and empires. Since the birth of the Church, many civilizations have risen and fallen, but the Church remains. The Catholic Church has never “kept it’s nose” out of worldly affairs and it’s not going to stop now. This is her mission, the reason she exists.

To be silent is to be dead.

St. Peter wrote, “Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you.” (1Peter 4:12) The only honor the world gave Jesus Christ was a crown of thorns; we shouldn’t expect anything different.

He goes on to say, “But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ.” (1 Peter 4:13) And so when I hear about all the anti-Catholic stuff going on in the country today, I rejoice. It means the devil is getting desperate and the American Church is doing something right.

Not only do I rejoice, but I look forward with expectant hope at how Christ will save the day. As he said to His Apostles, “In this world you will have hardship. But be courageous, I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33)

I don’t think it is a coincidence that, in the midst of this persecution, the Church is about enter into an intense time of prayer and fasting. Let us pray together that the Holy Spirit will continue to give the Church the courage she needs to boldly proclaim the Gospel to the world.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

The Conventional Church is Ending

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 18:21:00 +0000

Something startling is happening in American churches: We are witnessing the end of church or, at the very least, the end of conventional church. The United States is fast-becoming a society where Christianity is being reorganized after religion.

In recent decades, untold numbers of people have left the Roman Catholic Church. In a 2008 survey, Pew research found that one in 10 Americans now considers themselves an ex-Catholic. The situation is so dire that the church launched a PR campaign inviting Catholics to "come home," to woo back disgruntled members. There was a slight uptick in Catholic membership last year, mostly due to immigrant Catholics. There is no data indicating that Catholics are returning en masse and much anecdotal evidence suggesting that leaving-taking continues. Catholic leaders worry that once the new immigrants become fully part of American society they might leave, too.

The end of church, however, is not merely a Catholic problem. For decades, mainline Protestants have watched helplessly as their membership rolls dwindled, employing program after program to try to stop the decline. In the last 15 years, conservative Protestant denominations have witnessed significant erosions in membership, money and participation -- with some of the greatest drops in groups like the Southern Baptist Convention that once seemed impervious to decline. In a typical week, less than a quarter of Americans attend a religious service, down from the half of the population who were regular churchgoers a generation ago.

There are successful individual congregations -- Catholic or Protestant, mainline or evangelical, liberal or conservative, small or large -- everywhere. But the institutional structures of American religion -- denominations of all theological sorts -- are in a free-fall.

The religious market collapse has happened with astonishing speed. In 1999, when survey takers asked Americans "Do you consider yourself spiritual or religious," a solid majority of 54 percent responded that they were "religious but not spiritual." By 2009, only 9 percent of Americans responded that way. In 10 years, those willing to identify themselves primarily as "religious" plummeted by 45 percentage points.

In the last decade, the word "religion" has become equated with institutional or organized religion. Because of crises such as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the Roman Catholic abuse scandal, Americans now define "religion" in almost exclusively negative terms. These larger events, especially when combined with increasing irrelevance of too much of organized religion, contributed to an overall decline in church membership, and an overall decline of the numbers of Christians, in the United States.

There may be hope, however, regarding the future of faith. Despite worry about the word, "religion," Americans are extremely warm toward "spiritual but not religious" (30 percent) and, even more interestingly (and perhaps paradoxically), the term "spiritual and religious" (48 percent). While "religion" means institutional religion, "spirituality" means an experience of faith. Large numbers of Americans are hankering for experiential faith whereby they can connect with God, the divine, or wonder as well as with their neighbors and that lead to a more profound sense of meaning in the world. Maybe Americans once called this "religion," but no more. Americans call it "spirituality."

Some Americans want to be spiritually left alone, without complications from organized religion. But nearly half of Americans appear to hope for a spiritual reformation -- or even revolution -- in their faith traditions and denominations. Congregations that exhibit a vibrant spiritual life embodying a living faith in practical ways succeeding, even in the religion bear market. These sorts of communities are models of what might be possible to renew wearied organizations. But the macro-structures of American faith -- denominations -- have yet to hear this message. They are still trying to fix institutional problems and flex political muscle instead of tending to the spiritual longings of regular Americans.

"Spiritual and religious" expresses a grassroots desire for new kinds of faith communities, where institutional structures do not inhibit or impede one's relationship with God or neighbor. Americans are searching for churches -- and temples, synagogues, and mosques -- that are not caught up in political intrigue, rigid rules and prohibitions, institutional maintenance, unresponsive authorities, and inflexible dogma but instead offer pathways of life-giving spiritual experience, connection, meaning, vocation, and doing justice in the world. Americans are not rejecting faith -- they are, however, rejecting self-serving religious institutions.

The end of conventional church isn't necessarily a bad thing. Christianity after religion, a faith renewed by the experience of God's spirit, is closer to what Jesus hoped for his followers than the scandalous division, politics, and enmity we have now. Will there still be Christianity after the end of institutional religion? Yes, there will be. But it is going to be different than what Americans have known, a faith responsive to the longings of those who are expecting more spiritual depth and greater ethical integrity rather than more conventional church. Indeed, I suspect that the end of church is only the beginning of a new Great Awakening.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

Angels and Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:14:00 +0000

By the ministry of the angels and through the sacred humanity of our Lord, Christ brings about on earth what God wills in heaven. This is what happened to the Virgin in Nazareth. This is what happened in the agony of Gethsemane.

In the spiritual life, God sends super intelligent messengers from beyond the narrow confines of this visible world to help us take on the mind of Christ and to act in his power.

Angels ascend and descend on Christians just as on the humanity of Christ. Their words communicate deep things into our hearts unimaginably more expansive than are the limited horizon of thought open to merely human speech.

St. John of the Cross says that their messages from heaven actually wound us with a deep ardent love of God that does not easily go away to change us, to help us find the only One who can satisfy our heart’s desire.

There is nothing like love to free us from ourselves, from the prison of our own preoccupations. Their ministry is to guide us out of our big fat egos so that we might find Christ and cleave to Him in faith.

One of the biggest obstacles to prayer is our bloated sense of self. It really is a problem of being full of oneself. A primordial hostility towards the true God lives in our hearts and compels us to seek and to fashion idols that appeal to our imaginations, that we seem to understand, that we think we can control.

In our arrogance and ignorance, we easily convince ourselves that what we imagine God to be God is. When we do this we have made an idol out of the self because we have limited God to the product of our own fantasy. Whereas prayer should be a humble conversation with the Living God, when the ego is worshipped as an idol, prayer is reduced to an interior monologue in which we exhaust ourselves going round and round in circles - not unlike what is envisioned in various systems of reincarnation. Such prayer is nothing more than talking to oneself. It is fruitless self-occupation.

Here, self-preoccupation is a very consuming kind of worship. Preoccupied with our own concerns, experiences, thoughts, memories, fantasies, feelings, plans, ambitions, grudges, and desires; there is no interior silence for us to listen to God, to allow his silence to humble us in ours, to hear his creative voice so that it might produce a new work in us. The shell of our ego is so thick that it would have imprisoned us forever had not Christ pierced it by allowing himself to be pierced through by our sins.

Why does God send us angels? God has desire to bless us with every spiritual blessing through Christ so that we might become the praise of his glory. Angels help us realize this most high calling because their messages help us see the truth about God and about ourselves.

Through their ministry of which we are rarely directly aware, we see ever more deeply that the life of the Trinity, the inner life of God, is a constantly going out from "self" in an eternal ecstasy of unimaginably rapturous love: the immortal life of God is pure vulnerability, pure desire for union, pure benevolence for the other, pure self-surrender, pure reciprocity -- but in all of this a holiness, a wisdom, an inexhaustible incomprehensibility before which every created intellect must bow and the powers of all imagination must kneel.

By the hidden ministry of the angels, God desires that we, mere frail creatures though we are, share in this eternal life, his own life. In the image and likeness of this unfathomable God, marred by sin but restored by Christ through his suffering and death,

He constantly sends angels in secret ways to free us from ourselves and to lead us into a place where we can find Him to share his life with Him.

God's holy messengers - both angels and men - in speaking the truth to us, wound us with a love by which we see that we are only most fully ourselves when like the Living God we give the gift of ourselves in love.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

Dealing with Sin

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:06:00 +0000

Yahweh wants to help us deal with sin but He waits for us to come to Him, to invite Him, to welcome Him. Advent is a time for doing just that. Opening our hearts to the Lord with contrition filled prayer is the most important thing we can do to prepare for the joy of Christmas. Not to do so is to prefer to live in self-contradiction, a cold dark misery not worthy of human dignity.

To live in sin is a self-contradiction: it is to cleave to a word of doubt in our lives that stands against all that is truly human so that we permeate our culture with death and sew malice in our civilization. We are made to live in the truth with integrity, that spiritual harmony with Yahweh, the world and ourselves. Sin contradicts all of this. This absence of love, this misery diminishes our capacity to live with ourselves, the world and God.. To believe this fantasy is to turn in on oneself, fight against oneself, to be consumed in self-occupation. The fantasy proposes that the obedience of love by which we live by love is oppressive; therefore, we should protect ourselves and secure our destiny by our own cleverness and industry.

In the logic of sin, love is not a gift but a tool -- it must be calculated. This project is the opposite of being human, a destiny attained by trust in Yahweh alone. Yet this lie is so spell-binding, I cannot free myself from its enchantment by my own power and resources. Stifling, crushing, perverting, defacing, subjecting to futility all that is good, true and beautiful about being human, this lack of interior harmony can become a un-spiritual cacophony. Without the ability to relate in truth, we cannot give the gift of ourselves in love to Yahweh, and without Him we are unable to give ourselves in love to all those with whom He has blessed us in this brief moment we share together in this world. Made in the image and likeness of Yahweh who has entrusted Himself to us, we contradict our existence when limit ourselves to mediocre, insipid substitutes for the love we were made to share together.

This self-contradiction causes guilt. Engaging in various forms of mental hygiene to alleviate guilt does not make the disease go way. No method for meditation or psychological technique can free us from the self-contradiction in which we are trapped. Since all that is natural is subject to the futility of the self-contradiction in which we live, we need a power beyond and above our nature to free us from the misery that enslaves us.

Sin, the cause of guilt, has a horrific social dimension. This this self-contradiction is contagious -- if I do not seek the antidote and I refuse the only medicine that can heal me, it kills not only me personally, but also those I most love, wounding them in ways "I am sorry" can never heal. Brutal, cruel, dehumanizing - this hostility threatens to break hearts, ruin lives, and shatter families. This cancer, this living death, robs us of the capacity to love -- and without this capacity, what are we?

Lent is a time when we deal with the reality of sin in our lives by repentance and faith in Jesus, our Lord. In the face of our self-contradiction, Yahweh sent his Son to save us. The Word became flesh and revealed the meaning of our hostility on the Cross. He is the antidote for death and the medicine of immortality. In prayer, we submit our self-contradiction to the Cross, the Sign of Contradiction. In this mystery of divine contradiction – the Word of God who is Love speaks to our lack of love, his mercy overcomes our misery.

Here, the wisdom of Blessed John Paul II is powerful: If we open wide the doors of our hearts to the Redeemer, He pierces our hearts and moves us with saving sorrow. Contrition filled prayer deals with the contradiction of sin and the guilt it causes – this holy sorrow moves us to repent of what we have done and failed to do, to confess our sins, to beg for mercy and to do penance -- which is to live in the truth of what the Lord has done for us, to make straight a pathway in our hearts and to prepare the way for his coming.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

The Holy Spirit and Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:00:00 +0000

Christ baptizes in the power of the Holy Spirit and his fire animates the Christian life with hope. The Holy Spirit who moved over the waters of creation, who overshadowed the Virgin Mary, who descended on Christ at his Baptism, who carried the Crucified's last wordless cry for our sake from the depths of his heart and into the Heart of the Father, who animates the Risen Body of Christ and who burns in the hearts of the apostles and the martyrs; He is the source of a hope so great no power in the heavens above or on the earth below can overcome it.

This hope conceived by the Holy Spirit makes sense of all the questions that riddle the effort to really live. It spouts in the face that restless longing which can find no lasting peace in this world. It rises against the burden of guilt that weighs down in shackles of all kinds of self preoccupation and escapism. It stands firm before the doom of death which hangs over all that is good, noble and true in frail humanity. This hope is rooted in the truth about the mystery of man because it is rooted in the mystery of the Son of God become the son of Mary. He who freely gave Himself for our sake reveals the truth about human dignity and the greatness of the calling with which it is entrusted.

The primordial riddles running through this present moment are all of them answered anew by the risen presence of Word made Flesh who is the source of the Holy Spirit. The Fire of God, who the Light that shines in our darkness communicates, produces a superhuman confidence which does not fear conversion. The soil of our humanity is cultivated with supernatural power and our mortal existence made to flower with the fruit of divine life.

Christ was born in the flesh so that we might born in the Holy Spirit to live life to the full. The Fountain of Life from whom the Lord and Giver of Life flows, He longs for the Father's work of love begun in us to be brought to completion. His Spirit-baptizing presence--born into our lowliness, crucified by our misery, and raising our humanity on high by the power of God--mysteriously opens up the freedom needed to fully give one's life as a gift to God, to fill every moment of it with as much love as possible.

Trials, hardship, persecutions, renunciations, temptations, and sacrifices only extend and deepen the unfolding frontiers of this holy freedom, this fullness of life, this life lived by love. Such is the invincible God-given confidence of the baptized. They who have received the Gift of the Holy Spirit are continually invited to manifest this supernatural trust in God in ever more profound ways even in the face of death itself. When they welcome the Holy Spirit and obediently avail themselves to the work He accomplishes in them, they become living signs of what total trust in the Lord's presence can do and they bear witness that not even death can steal the life that that is given for the sake of God.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

Going Deeper Into Our Hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:56:00 +0000

Towards the beginning of the Confessions of St. Augustine, he asks the Lord to enter his heart. This house he explains is too small and too cluttered to be a dwelling place for God, but when the Lord enters in, He has the power to expand this sacred chamber of our being and to purify it. He makes it into heaven -- that spiritual place where He reigns over all.

The soul is meant to be a kind of heaven, a place where the reign of God is on earth as He is in Heaven, where his will is done, and where his Kingdom comes. St. John of the Cross interprets Jesus's word in Luke 17:21 "the Kingdom of God is within you" as referring to "the substance of the soul." The substance of the soul, this is the depths of what and who we really are.

This truth is deeper than anything we are able to do - what we do merely expresses this deeper truth. So God not only wants to permeate all our actions - He wants to permeate our being with his transforming presence, infusing the very heart of who we are with the excessive love He has waited to reveal from all eternity. This means the place God dwells in us is deeper than all psychological operations conscious or unconscious. This means the Kingdom of God - the gift of his mysterious presence which makes all things new - this is something deeper than spiritual "thoughts" or "experiences" or "feelings."

It is something much deeper than any mental state or euphoria. It is true that to feel his presence or to be able to think beautiful thoughts about Him, such moments in prayer are no small grace. These moments bathed in (sometimes ecstatic) wonder are always a great gift. Yet when we do not feel Him, when it feels like He is most absent, if we have been faithfully searching for Him, He is in these moments even closer to us. Indeed it is in those painful moments when our hearts ache to see Him in the face of our weakness that we do not mistake the gift for the Giver.

In the very misery which haunts our hearts He longingly waits for us - thirsty for our trust, hungry for our company. His appetite is insatiable. How long will we put off this Love which is more present to us than we are to ourselves? And what is the misery which engulfs us but the abysses in our hearts which were meant to be filled with love but in which love is absent?

Growing in deep prayer means seeking Him in these places in our hearts and believing that we will find Him. Deep prayer is about trust in divine mercy. It is a seeking informed by the conviction that God has implicated himself in our misery and aches for us to entrust to Him the painful burdens which we cannot bear on our own. He does so for no other reason than He loves us and longs for us to be free -- because once we are free, He can finally share the gift of friendship He has longed for us to have from before the foundation of the World.

Yet He knows our hearts and that of which we are afraid. So He has descended into our misery that we might find the courage to face it and with Him triumph over the absence of love threatening our existence. The Risen One has won the right to dwell in these places by his death. So it is before the Cross that our misery meets its limit in the limitlessness of God's mercy

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

Contemplation

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:51:00 +0000

One cannot do theology without rediscovering that which the ancient Christians called contemplation. What is contemplation? It means to behold. For the ancient Christians, there was not a huge distinction between reading Scriptures, meditation, study, prayerful reflection, and contemplation. The Latin terms could be used almost synonymously because reading without meditation or study or prayerful reflection or contemplation was for them inconceivable. They sought a certain kind of knowledge, studied for a particular science, a wisdom not of this world informed their search. Good theology remains rooted in this search today.

Pope Benedict's Introduction to Christianity discusses how the ancient view of theology and contemplation was rooted in a particular understanding of the truth which rarely informs contemporary conversations. They envisioned the truth to be that which frees us to be more fully human, for fully alive. A kind of light which helps us find what it means to be truly human in the darkness of our inhumanity. They sought that which would make them thrive, that would free their potential to more fully live and more deeply love. They sought a freedom causing truth. Organizing, memorizing, regurgitating, applying pieces of information – our contemporary prejudice verum quia factum-- they would have thought more of an art than actual knowledge. Knowledge, wisdom did not consist, for them, principally in knowing how to do something.

Yet such art was not unrelated to the truth they sought to know. Possession of the truth they believed liberated the human spirit in fact could be obtained through the facts contained in the Bible or even to a lesser degree in the teachings of a great saint was the whole reason they read, studied and commented on the Sacred Page. But study was never about limiting oneself to mastering these facts alone. Rather, the propositions of our faith and the events of salvation history they saw as part of a greater whole through which the glory of God was peaking out of them.

The great Christian thinkers, the contemplatives approached the sacred text as if gazing at pieces of stained glass arranged by a master hand, exquisite shards of color which disclosed their wonder only when illuminated by an outside light shining through them – a great rose window. In this view of knowledge, we seek this illuminating truth by which things are understood not in terms of their usefulness, but more in terms of themselves. What shines through the truths of our faith, what these truths bear is the Light that shines in the darkness. Such truth is not something one produces but searches for and something finds only when it discloses itself to you. To know, for them, would be to see, behold, gaze at what is with wonder. Verum est ens – Truth is what is – truth is what exists.

This is how they approached Christ in prayer. They sought Him as the Way, the Truth and the Life. Study of the Sacred Page was the soul of their theology because they would look for the Word which the words of the Bible bear and communicate to us. All of Scriptures resound with this Word who only fully expressed Himself with his last wordless cry of abandonment and trust on the Cross. This Word, this truth, this reason, this harmony, this glory, this mediation of God the Father; this is the source of all life and our only salvation in the face of death. This Truth exposes the lie of sin and establishes us in integrity when we surrender to it.

To search for this saving Truth one must read, ponder, meditate, prayerfully consider, open the heart, beg in compunction, repent, convert, contemplate, gaze at, appreciate the connections and take in the whole of who Christ is and what He has done for us. In the midst of this effort, He discloses his living presence in an undeniable way.

This encounter, this event in one’s life, this eternal event which has invaded our history is transformative. It is to be made vulnerable by the One who was vulnerable unto death. It is to be pierced to the heart by the One who was pierced for us. When one knows how much he is loved by the Truth a love of the truth explodes in the heart. Life is never the same again. Then and only then does one know anything the ancient Christians believed was theology. Then and only then has one contemplated like the Christians who came before us.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

Kingdom Vision

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 05:08:00 +0000

Yahweh is raising up His Sons & Daughters this hour. Equipping them with the same mind that be in Christ Jesus. This is so strategic to our birthing process. For whatsoever a man thinketh in his heart so is he . When we had Prophetic Midwife AnJanette Garner come last week and do a Summit on birthing , birthing did take place. And in fact a process even before they arrived had begun. The key is to birth out the HEAD first .. What is the hardest part of the labor and delivery ?? Birthing the Head and the shoulders. The head is of course Christ in us , and the shoulders prophetically represent Government of Yahweh. If we birth out the Head- Christ Jesus in us - and have His mind , thoughts and ways of thinking ; then borth out His Government , we shall have His Divine Order .

This is all aspects of the Apostolic that is increasing in the earth today . We want to see and flow in signs , wonders, miracles that is as well a fruit of the Apostolic. You don't have to be called to the office of Apostle in order to flow Apostolically. You can be called to other offices but receive the flow and mantle of Apostolic to empower your Ministry and Call. I have been challenged this week since my encounter in the delivery room of Yahweh. The enemy came in an attempt to slow down what next by using some familiar weapons, but they shall not prosper . For I as you have a mandate , and God will have His way .

For we are pregnant with purpose, Destiny, Kingdom Vision .. To bring what so ever is in heaven, bring it to earth.. We are the womb, we are the carrier and releaser of the Kingdom of Yahweh. I have birthed out the head, but now I am to birth out the shoulder-- the Apostolic - Government of Yahweh. This will bring Divine Order .. This will carry out the thoughts of Christ, see them through to manifestation. After this the rest of the Body- Ministry, call, Vision, will come out as a WUSH... not even a Push ...

Those of you that have had babies know that after the head and the shoulders, the rest of the baby just kind of slides on out .. This can only happen after a series of events, a process in birthing. Including transition that many can lose sight of what is happening in the Spirit during this time, for nothing seems to be happening that we can see, but in the spirit the baby is aligning and realigning ..

Men of Yahweh you are birthers as well, and you too can share in this experience as you travail and intercede releasing what God has planted deep within you as well. God is looking for wombs, to birth His Promises , His Kingdom from. It all started with a womb- look at Mary , she was a vessel, a womb , hand picked by Yahweh to carry His most precious seed- Christ Jesus the Saviour of the World. The earth then became the womb that was used by God to birth Christ from a man to Redeemer .

Jesus was in the Garden Gethsemene and he birthed out the grace to endure the path that was before Him, the journey to becoming our Redeemer and Saviour. Once crucified, he was resurrected, birthed forth from death to life -- from being clothed with graveclothes to being cloathed in resurrection, dunamis power.... It is all about a womb, and a vessel saying yes-- I will carry your seed Lord and I will birth it out , and yes i will dress it as you say and dedicate it to yoru service and nurture it even after the birthing out and see it raised to maturity, until it can stand and sustain on its own...

Yes there is an aspect of His Kingdom within you , and it is aligning , crowning, readying to come forth. The head will crown first.. This is when God is removing those defeated, victim mentality thoughts, poverty mentality, he is crowing the head with royalty and removing that crown of thorns, and being cursed mentality.. The head- Christ Jesus must emerge first, this is the Divine Order.If not, we are out of order and it will not all fall into place as we long to see.

For His Glory will come forth where His order is , for yet another thing that Jesus came to do when he destroyed works of darkness, he as well destroyed disorder. For this is a perversion to the Will of God concerning how we get to Destiny, which is supposed to be about the fulfillment of God's plans and not ours. I said before many are out of order wanting the glamour and notoriety of a Big Ministry and Title, and not spent the time birthing out Christ within them. Out of Order ...This is a new Day, he is doing things a New Way. Saints of Yahweh let Him birth what he desires to birth through you and let Him do it His way . You don't tell the physician how to do His job when you laying in the delivery room pushing ... So why can we even believe it is ok to tell the Great Physician how to assist you in the birthing .. just Push and Wush,,, he will take care of the rest..
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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

True Christians

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:58:00 +0000

Are you so blind that you accept whatever you hear, see or understand so easily to be Christianity, even if it does not look, sound or appear to be of God?

Are you so easily swayed or duped by those who come loosely wearing the guise of religion that you fall or are taken in by what they are presenting as truth?

Are you fooled and/or beguiled by the jargon of the day that those who are seeking power and recognition as your redeeming leaders that you cannot see the immorality, injustice, deceit, schisms; and schemes that have been laid to ensnare you?

Why do you accept pompous liars, traitors and prideful men who do not the truth neither knows it to reign over you? Will you not seek Yahweh's face in these matters? Do you yourselves believe them rather than His Word? Did you forget that righteousness exalts (upholds) a nation, and sin brings reproach to any people? How can one say that they love Him whom they have not seen, yet hate (choose to ignore or despise) his brother (fellowman) that they see on a day-to-day basis: I tell you that you do not the truth!

Look hard sons/daughters at the disastrous thinking, doctrine or philosophy that you are accepting from those individuals…Did not Jesus's apostle instruct you to think on things that were pure, just, honesty, lovely, true, of a good report, virtue and if it had any praise? Shun, turn away from such who are themselves polluted and know Me not. These are corrupt individuals who contaminate the truth with lies and deception. They profane My name blasphemously and believe they are right in all their ways; from such depart says the Lord.

Tell them that to be a Christian one must be Christ like

True Christians have received the gift of God: eternal life through Jesus Christ

True Christians are born of Spirit and of the water: you must be born again!

True Christians are blood-washed and sealed by the Holy Ghost of God

True Christians walk in the love of God, they do not behave badly

True Christians love God with their all; and their neighbors as themselves

True Christians will obey the leading of My Spirit, voice and my Word

True Christians live by faith (trust, hope) and not by sight (what they see or can do)

True Christians not only have faith in God, but faith in Jesus his only begotten Son

True Christians will not lie to others, they will do the truth

True Christians keep the Word of God and observe to do it

True Christians serve the Almighty Everlasting God whole-heartily; they do not give eye service

True Christians are followers of Christ and fishers of men (soul winners of God’s kingdom)

True Christians have relationship with God the Father, Son & Spirit; not religion

True Christians are not puffed up and do not attract attention to themselves

True Christians are humble and yields to the Spirit of God

True Christians seek God’s face, guidance, love, joy; and peace

True Christians strive to live holy; they do not live as if God never even exists

True Christians renders to Caesar’s what is Caesars and give God what belongs to God

True Christians uphold the law of the land

True Christians display the grace of God in their words, actions and deeds

True Christians are transformed by renewing their minds with word of God

True Christians uphold justice, fairness, equality; and wholesomeness

True Christians are not seekers of vain glory trying to pocket all they can for themselves or for those who are like them, but are eager/willing to be helpers one to another

True Christians will not shut up their bowels of mercy, but move with compassion just as the Lord Jesus did

True Christians seek to be true worshipers of God, worshiping Him in spirit and in truth

True Christians put their trust (confidence) in the Lord and not in flesh (humankind)

True Christians are not selfish; they do not seek to have it their way

True Christians never cease to pray always

True Christians are doers of the Word and not hearers only

True Christians strive to do the right thing (are just, upright before God/man)

True Christians seek to do good rather than evil

True Christians are faithful to God and with men

True Christians have forgiving hearts

True Christians do not hold grudges against others

True Christians care for those who are weaker than themselves

True Christians are not adulterers, idolaters and/or rebellious to God

True Christians are not conformed to this world; but are being conformed into the image of Christ Jesus

True Christians are not fault finders or accusers of the brethren; they do not sow seeds of discord

This is the word of the Lord for the Body of Christ; “He that has an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the church!”

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

Taking responsibility for our actions: good and bad!

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:02:00 +0000

As I look at the world around me both locally and globally, I see how many people are still not taking responsiblity for their own actions but waiting for other people or situations to change. The constant talk is "wait till this happens, then they will see" or "I will do this when he/she stops doing that".

As long as we keep up the blame game we will continue to be disempowered! nobody is going to save us or change things for us, only we can change ourselves. Yes, we read this and tell ourselves that we know we cannot change another, yet we still try our hardest to do so. All we end up with are heartaches, headaches and a**eaches.
No one is going to come in with a magic wand ad make your emotional distress go away or your addictions, money worries, relationship diffciulties or even illnesses. They have their own rubbish to deal with.

Until we start taking full responsibility for our actions, thoughts, beliefs, attitude and relations with others, we are stuck in a self-imposed prison.

It doesn't matter what your story; you can change it. let go of the victim mentality, let go of the blame, let go of the need for attention. Accept what has gone before you cannot go back and change it, look at what you can do and start anew. tHis time with an Integrity and honesty that empowers you leavign you feeling in complete control of your life and no one else. You are responsible for everything that happens...accept that to be true, even when you don't like to admit it is so!
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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

The Apostolic Five-Fold Church For A Modern World

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 02:43:00 +0000

Our world has changed. Many are living pay check to pay check. Our savings is gone. Our 401Ks have become 201Ks. Our homes have decreased 40% to 50% in value and everything else has increased in cost. Muslim terrorist hate our nation, culture, God and will kill us whenever given the chance. Job losses continue to increase while the federal government is growing bigger.

We are dangerously close to an economic meltdown similar to the Great Depression. Bankers got their bail outs as the FEDS print more money like never before and the taxpayers will foot the bill. Health care has been nationalized. At the same time, pastors are quitting the ministry and churches are losing their buildings. Bad news is abundant. Folks it’s apparent that playing church is over and only the real deal will survive.
Making the apostolic transition will be key to your victory.

The revelation about apostolic ministry came to me around 1989. Others may have received insight earlier but that’s about the time the Holy Spirit began dealing with me. Over the last 20 years many have taught various things about apostolic ministry and sadly some promoted it like any other passing fad. Well, today, the fad is over and the apostolic model of ministry is just as important as ever. I would say it’s vital to the strengthening of every local church and believer. It is also important to you as a minister of the Gospel of the Kingdom and as an individual that wants to make a difference with your life. You need apostolic grace and we will speak more about that later.

In the beginning of our transition into a more effective model of ministry we prayed, counseled with other leaders, compared notes, studied the Scriptures and were able to draw some biblical conclusions. Among them was the understanding that the pattern for an apostolic local church model was found within the New Testament. Imagine that! What we discovered was the apostolic church was the only model for a New Testament church. This challenged our thinking because the only model we had ever experienced was a pastoral only model of ministry.

Within the pastoral-only model the pastor pretty much did all the ministry functions. Those of you that are still stuck in the pastoral-only model know what I am referring to. The only requirement of the people was to faithfully attend services, serve where needed (or begged) and pay tithes while waiting for the rapture.

Today, we know our former model of ministry was flawed and only prepared people for heaven and not much here on the earth. They were spectators who came to church for blessing-only. This is why the pastoral model of ministry doesn’t work and churches are not surviving the attacks of our generation. The truth is that Christ wants to prepare His Church to be builders, restorers and governors. I spoke about the apostolic nature in my book “Effective Ministries and Believers.” These three words capture the apostolic nature of the Church and its founder. Jesus is the apostolic high-priest of His Church.

As time progressed we learned there were no churches pioneered by pastors but apostles. This forced us to study the differences between ministry functions of an apostle contrasted to that of the better known pastor. We also needed to know how that affected us as individual believers. What we found was apostolic grace is very different and when working together with the other five-fold ascension gifts equips and empowers everyone to do what God has called them to do as particular members in the body of Christ and imparts a sent-one mindset to invade, occupy and influence the world for Christ. This grace produced a spiritual strength in the believers that we had not really seen before. These words equip, empower and sent are not apostolic buzz words but the results of apostolic grace working on the lives of believers.

In the beginning we faced many struggles. I regard it as a fight for freedom to liberate us from the bondage of religious spirits that have dumbed down the Church for the last two thousand years. Since most of us were brought up in pastoral-only churches we struggled to gain an understanding of apostolic churches with apostles as set-men. Other than historical references we had little modern models to draw on. In fact many were told there were no modern apostles. We have, however, learned some things. We don’t know it all but the apostolic model is coming together bit by bit as we walk it out. My prayer is apostolic local church models will be built throughout the world and make it easier for those coming up to glean from.

Today we understand that apostolic churches are founded or led by apostles who work together with other apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers within the local church to equip believes for the work of ministry. This is a foundational statement and repeated much today. The question however is “What is the work of ministry?” After years of preaching and teaching this I believe the work of ministry is tailored to the individual. We are all unique with particular gifting and grace on our lives. It takes time to discover ones specific purpose but apostolic grace really helps people find it.

The work of ministry includes duties within the local church but most importantly ministries outside the local church. It’s outside the church that apostles equip God’s sons and daughters to be successful and make a difference with their lives.

To help us understand this we should look at the nature of the apostolic church. First let me contrast the pastoral church. A church takes on the nature of its leader. If that leader is pastoral then that local church will take on the nature of a pastor, loving counsel and compassion for example. These are great qualities but we need warrior training to punch through the spiritual opposition we face on a daily basis. We also need to be trained in governing. Please pastors don’t get mad at me for saying things like this because I love you and want to help you come into your highest calling too. Study the apostolic out. Read everything you can get your hands on. Learn from those that have actually built something. Avoid the network apostles that work for Jezebel. Study all of the five-fold ministry gifts so that you can teach their differences to those in your ministry. When the people understand their differences then they can draw out of them. You can’t draw the pastoral grace out of a prophet for example.

Today the Holy Spirit is challenging us again. We must strengthen the local church and raise strong spiritual warriors for Christ. As already said I believe the nature of the apostolic church model revolves around three important functions: building, restoring and governing. All three of these are part of the reconstitution of all things found in Acts 3:21. The apostolic Church cannot escape this mandate. The Greek word for reconstitution is apokatastasis. Spend some time and study this out. When you do it will open a whole new world of ministry and understanding of purpose to you.

Most of you know our nation is headed toward tough economic times. This doesn’t mean you should become fearful. If you do then something is wrong with your biblical foundation. Fear doesn’t come from the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail.” As a believer that puts Christ Kingdom first you will have an advantage over the heathen. Your advantage is your ability to understand truth, use the Word of God to govern your life and your dependence on the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you in all truth. Remember, you can do all things through Christ that strengthens you. Believe for increase and opportunity. This will be your chance to shine. Use your training in God’s Word and make a difference with your life.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

Yahweh Desires You to Remain in Him by Apostle Paul E Jones (Pentecostal Broadcasting Network)

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:13:00 +0000

Yahweh Desires You to Remain in Him by Apostle Paul E Jones (Pentecostal Broadcasting Network) on Myspace

From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones

Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People

www.upcim.org

Our Faith Is Emerging by Apostle Paul E Jones (Pentecostal Broadcasting Network)

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:56:00 +0000

Our Faith Is Emerging by Apostle Paul E Jones (Pentecostal Broadcasting Network) on Myspace

From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones

Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People

www.upcim.org

A Whole Legacy by Apostle Paul E Jones (Pentecostal Broadcasting Network)

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:36:00 +0000

A Whole Legacy by Apostle Paul E Jones (Pentecostal Broadcasting Network) on Myspace

From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones

Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People

www.upcim.org

After You Believe, What Next?

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:16:00 +0000

Some will say “I’ve gone to church all of my life, I’ve always believed in Jesus” while others will say “Oh yeah, I believe Jesus Christ rose from the dead on the third day so that I could have eternal life through Him” However, is belief in the resurrected Christ alone enough to gain salvation? Let’s turn to the scriptures and find out. Acts 16:31 says “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” This is one of the scripture most people will use to justify that belief is enough to gain salvation.

Yes, you do need to first believe on the resurrected Christ in order to be saved. However there are actions that must go along with your belief. As a side bar, did you know that demons believe? (James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.) Are these demons saved because of their belief? Absolutely not. So that means there is more to this “salivation thing” than just believing, because if belief was enough, the demons would be saved too. Right? Right!

Understand that Calvary’s cross is the bloodline of the gospel (good news). However once you believe on the resurrected Christ (as many Christians and non-Christians say they do) you must take on the Name of Jesus by being born into His family. For instance, when someone is physically born into this world, they take on the DNA of their mother and father. It’s not enough for that baby to exist inside of the womb without being pushed through the birthing canal in order to gain life outside of the womb. So it is with being spiritually born again. I can’t just believe on Jesus, I have to go beyond the belief by being born of water and spirit in order to fully take on the identity (DNA) of the resurrected Christ.

Let’s turn to John 3:3-7 which says “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” The core message of Apostolic Doctrine teaches us that you must be born again of water and Spirit. But first you must repent of your sins.

You see, repentance is the road to biblical salvation. You must first have a broken and contrite heart and ask the resurrected Jesus to forgive you of all of your sins. This is where the sinner’s prayer (as some call it) stops. The sinners prayer does not go on to lead the person to the born again experience. Instead, these religions who believe in the sinner’s prayer feel that after you “repeat words” and “pray for forgiveness” you obtain salvation. However this is in stark contrast to Apostolic teachings for we believe in what Jesus taught while here on earth which is to YES believe, YES repent but then you must be baptized in water and spirit in order to see the kingdom of God. Just as Jesus was literally buried in a physical tomb, so we must be buried with Jesus in baptism fully emerged in water. Just how Jesus physically rose from the dead conquering death and grave, so we must rise out of the water into newness of life with Christ.

You see, everything Jesus did on earth, we get to do. Easter is not just about Jesus rising from the dead, it reflects on the very act that you and I did when we were baptized. And just how a baby is given his fathers last name, so we are to take on the Name of Jesus only at our spiritual born again experience when we are baptized. This my brothers and sisters is Apostolic Doctrine.

Acts 2:38 gives us a clear summary on how one is born again. “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” There you have it folks, you have repentance (like we talked about earlier) baptism in water in the name of Jesus Christ (born of water) and then you have the receiving of the Holy Ghost (born of Spirit). So in conclusion, yes you must believe on the resurrected Christ. However you must put that belief into action by repenting and being spiritually born again of water and spirit in order to have total salvation. This is the true Easter message. You see, we have gotten away from what Easter really means. We teach about the woman going to the tomb, we teach about the angels telling the women that Jesus is no longer dead but alive, but we tend to miss the point Jesus was trying to make when He got up out of the grave. I am grateful for wonderful traditional Easter messages and they are pretty much valid and true. However, we must go on to teach the story in its entirety by getting people to recognize that each of us must have our own personal Easter experience. That experience is when we get to be born of water and of Spirit which ultimately gives us eternal life.
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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Its time for a friendly reminder on exactly what we believe in. What is the real meaning of Ephesians 4:5 when it states there is only One Lord, One Faith, and One Baptism? Why is it important to us today in 2011.

If we look around we will find on every television channel, every religious book, every church both great and small, teachings that more or less state there are multiple ways to get to heaven. Multiple God’s, multiple denominations and regardless of which one you belong to “we” will all end up in heaven together.

Matter of fact, so many people are going to heaven that the only ones left to go to hell are the devils and his demonic angels. I’m sure if we search far or near, we will even find a religious organization that teaches Satan will eventually get salvation and we will all become one big happy family again just as God planned for it. Ohhhh my dear brother and sister is this far from the truth. When we read scripture, it never states that there are multiple ways to God. The bible has one central theme and that is God is one (The Oneness of God),

He and He alone is the giver of the One Spirit that we are all to be baptised in, and only through His precious name Lord Jesus Christ are we to be baptised. Finally in Him and through Him are we to have faith in. I could go on and on about various belief systems but I wont. Instead I want to break down in easy simple terms why its important to stick with what is taught in the Word of God concerning faith in Him.

ONE LORD

Over seven hundred times in the Old Testament, the Jewish name of God was JEHOVAH THE LORD. When the word “LORD” was spelled with all capitals, it always meant “JEHOVAH.” Acts 2:36 – “Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus both Lord (JEHOVAH) and Christ (Messiah).” Jesus was asked in Matt. 22:36-38 and in Mark 12:28-30, “What is the first and greatcommandment of them all?” In Mark, Jesus quoted Deut. 6:4, “Hear, O Israel. the LORD our God is one LORD.”

As we can see clearly from scripture, the only Lord that we are to worship and adore and give homage to is the Lord Jesus Christ. He indeed is the One Lord Ephesians is referring to.

ONE FAITH

The world today recognizes many faiths. The true church, which started on the day of Pentecost, was Apostolic and preached the Apostolic doctrine. Jude, in verse three, admonished all to “contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints.” Who delivered this faith? Peter, having the keys to the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 16:19), delivered the saving message to the Jews and later to the Gentiles (Acts 10). The Jews, under great conviction, cried out to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What shall we do?” Peter said. “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. The promise is unto you and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:38, 39)

Clearly we can see from scripture that the only faith is The Apostolic faith that was taught beginning in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost up until 2011. Apostolic (root word Apostle) is not a “denomination” or “organization” (although the world has this classification to label oneness Pentecostals). It is the doctrine that was taught by the Apostles which was given to them by Jesus himself. Acts 2:42 – “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine. No other scripture clearly names or identifies any other doctrine that should be taught BUT the Apostles (or Apostolic) doctrine. You have a right to question why your church is NOT teaching the Apostles doctrine since scripture clearly says that this was the only doctrine in name that was taught after Pentecost. If you want to be in line with scripture, you MUST have the faith of the Apostles.

ONE BAPTISM

All of the recorded baptisms in the Bible after the Day of Pentecost were done in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Apollos baptized the Ephesians wrong (Acts 18 and 19). Paul came to Ephesus and re-baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus and they received the Holy Ghost and spake in tongues (Acts 19: 1-6).

Friend, God makes no exceptions. If you have received the Holy Ghost and spoke in tongues, then to have Bible salvation, you must be baptized in Jesus’ name. Acts 4:12 — “Neither is there salvation in any other name” (Jesus).

ONE GOD AND FATHER

To add to today’s listen, I want to share with you that we are proud to be Oneness Pentecostals. Why? Because there is only ONE God and Father. Not 3. Only one. Despite what Mamma Majumba taught you in Sunday school, there is only One God. That one God and Father in Ephesians 4:6 has a name. His name is Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus is God! Yes Jesus is the only deity that you should worship. Isaiah 9:6 — “Unto us a child is born, a son is given. His name shall be called the Mighty God and theeverlasting Father, . . . I’m just trying to get doubters to believe and reinforce to those that already believe that Jesus is truly GOD!

In conclusion, I hope and pray that your faith was renewed in knowing that we have a right to believe in One Lord. We have a right to believe in the One Faith which is the Faith of the Apostles. We have a duty and command to baptise in the One Baptism that scripture refers to which is the baptism in Jesus Name! Its bible. How can you help but believe it?

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

Understanding the Oneness of God 2

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:56:00 +0000

The point of this blog is to share with you the importance of knowing that we worship only ONE God, what the One God’s name is and how we can refute any other teaching concerning multiple God’s or persons/personalities that make up the Godhead. This blog post will help you in your daily witness and give you a clear understanding through scripture the basic foundational belief that the bible is built upon, that being, worship of one God.

The Word of God gives us wisdom and understanding. When we look to the Word, we find truth in and through its holy pages. There, however, have always been a counterfeit, namely pagan traditions and teachings that consistently have taught things that are contrary to God s Word.

The Oneness of God is a vital subject. There is no subject more important than who God is. If we are going to walk in the knowledge of Christ, we must know how many God’s there are. Before we find out who God is, let’s first gather an understanding of the major belief systems that exist throughout the world today.

Polytheism: Is the belief in many gods.

Monotheism: The belief in One God.

Atheism: Believe there is NO God at all.

Trinitarianism: Believe in 3 persons or personalities (and some believe in 3 God’s) which all 3 are co-equal and co-eternal. All 3 are supposed to operate as 1 God. So to the Trinitarian, they will tell you they believe in one God, however their knowledge is that the 1 God is 3 persons, namely Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Separate yet equal and all eternal.

Let’s start to build a very simple foundation. Deuteronomy 6:4 clearly states the foundation of what the bible is built upon. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:” So to add to scripture and say there are 3 is incorrect. When Jesus was asked what is the first commandment, Mark 12:29 says “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord” So here it is plain from scripture, there is no possible way that there can be 2 God’s or even 3 God’s in the Godhead. There is clearly only one. We has Oneness Pentecostals DO believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, however the bible does not teach that they all are “persons” but that they are 3 manifestations of One God (One Person). Jesus is the Father in creating the world, the Son in redemption, and the Holy Ghost in the heart of the believer/the church.

Even though we just read from scripture that there is only one Lord, there is a popular belief in some if not most church’s today that there are 3 persons in the Godhead. That is false! Trinity is not even found in the bible so let’s throw that word out all together. We who know the truth are to be able to refute that with scripture. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are not 3 separate persons. They are not co-equal, co-existent and co-eternal. If Jesus is co-equal and co-eternal with God and the Holy Spirit, why did he say in John 14:28 “for my Father is greater than I. “

Please revisit the whole “co-equal” statement in the Trinitarian doctrine. If Jesus said that the Father is greater, than that means Jesus considered himself lesser than the father. However, when we get a clear understanding of scripture, we know that Jesus is 100% human (the lesser of the Father) and 100% God/divine which now we can see that Jesus according to the Spirit is the great Father, however the flesh of Jesus (human) is lesser than the Father (since flesh cannot be equated to divinity). Romans 1:20 shares with us that the Word of God is very plain and that there should be no excuse to try and complicate it.

Isaiah 44:6 says I am the first and I am the last, beside me there is no other God. Clearly from scripture, this tells us that God is one. We find out that Jesus is the God of Isaiah 44:67 because Jesus says himself in Revelation 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” Which , stands for the present. Which was, stands for the past. Finally which is to come stands for the future. This scripture is proof that when Isaiah was prophesying, he was referring to Jesus, the Almighty God, both past, present and future God who is our Savior.

Isaiah 43:10 says before me there was no God formed before me or after me.

Isaiah 43:11 besides me there is no other Savior. We find out who this Savior is in Luke 2:11 when the Angel said that the Savior is Christ the Lord. So here we have an Old Testament prophecy being fulfilled in the New Testament and finally find out the Name of the Savior. It’s Jesus Christ. Isaiah 44:8 asks us a question, is there a God beside me? There is no God I know not any.

Isaiah 44:24 says that God stretched forth the heavens alone!! What does alone mean? If three really exist is it even possible for the someone to be alone and by them self? Absolutely not. God created the heavens all by himself with no other help from a second or third person in the Godhead. Isaiah 45:5 says I am the Lord and there is none else (God never used the word “we”).

Malachi 2:10 says have we not all one father? Hath not one God created us? Zechariah 14:9 says there shall be one Lord, and his name one! Isaiah 9:6 says his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. We find out the name of God in Matthew 1:21 which says thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people. Jesus Christ is NOT the second person of the Godhead or trinity. He is the only one that is in the Godhead.

I want you to take a look at this scripture for some infallible proof about God’s name. When someone attempts to tell you that Jesus Christ is not God (only the Son) take them to these scriptures. We all can agree that the name of Jesus was not revealed in the Old Testament. It is revealed only in the New Testament. However Jesus can be found in every book of the Old Testament (just not by Name). Turn with me in your bibles to Exodus 23:20-21 “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.”

Observe closely Saints, the name of God is going to be found in an Angel. Now turn to Matthew 1:20-21 to see when this Angel finally revealed God’s name. “But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” Let me sum this up for you. The Lord said in Exodus 23 that His name was in an Angel. We find the Angel in Matthew 1:20-21 revealing the Name of God which is Jesus, the one who will save his people from their sins. How awesome is this to know. So when someone says to you “Well how do you know what God’s name is”? Tell them God himself said that his name would be found in an angel and the angel released this name in Matthew 1:21.

James 2:19 shows us that there is one God and that even the devil trembles at the one God.

John 1:1 says the Word was God. Then John 1:14 says the Word was made flesh. The flesh is a reference to Jesus.

John 4:24 says that God is a Spirit. Right there is proof that there is no way God is a “person”. God is a spirit. You can’t see a spirit. However in order to see God (with your own natural eyes) he had to be revealed in flesh. 2 Corinthians 5:19 says God (which again is a Spirit not person) was IN CHRIST!!!!! So now we can see God with our eyes. Why? Because He manifested Himself in flesh.

52 times throughout the bible, God is mentioned as the Holy One (not holy 2 or holy 3).

Ephesians 4:4-6 states the following, there is ONE body, ONE spirit, ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all.

The message of the church is still Jesus and Him crucified. You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. The Son of God came to offer salvation and redemption and hope. Jesus is the substitute, the sacrifice who was sinless. Revelation 4:2 tells us how many thrones are in heaven and who is sitting on this throne. Remember, there are not 3 thrones, nor is there 1 throne with 3 persons playing “musical chairs”. Behold a throne was set in heaven and ONE sat on the throne. CLEAR! 1 Throne, 1 sitting on the throne and that’s Jesus.

In conclusion, the central theme of the Bible is that there is only ONE LORD. To add 2 more to this 1 Lord (to make it three) contradicts scripture. When you look at the Old Testament, whole nations were deceived into worshipping multiple gods. Even in the New Testament church, the new Christians tolerated teachings from the surrounding pagan nations. Christianity is exclusive in that we are commanded to follow and worship only one God. God knew that His people were going to be faced with the challenges of pagan tardyons, that’s why he drilled it into our heads throughout the bible to let us know not to fall for those erroneous man made doctrines. There is but only one. The bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it.

I will leave you with this scripture, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Colossians 2:8-9

Remember, Jesus is the Almighty God! It’s all in Jesus!
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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

It Is Written

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:48:00 +0000

Recent statistics provide undeniable evidence that the society in which we live has been “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14). In a 2011 survey conducted by the Barna Group, 48% of those surveyed agreed with the statement that “if a person is generally good or does enough good things for others, they will earn a place in heaven.” An even larger number (59%) said that Christians and Muslims worship the same God, just with different names and beliefs, while 43% agreed that “the Bible, the Koran, and the Book of Mormon are all different
expressions of the same spiritual truths.”

A 2010 poll conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life revealed that 76% of respondents believed many religions can lead to eternal life. From those who agreed with that statement, 53% identified Hinduism as a possible path to eternal life, 52% said the same of Islam, and an alarming 42% of participants believed it was possible for atheists to spend eternity in heaven.

This lack of acceptance of biblical teaching does not end with individuals. Several churches in large metropolitan areas (including Atlanta) recently held special services in which the sermon and Sunday school lessons focused upon Muhammad, the founder of Islam, and copies of the Koran were placed in the pews alongside the Bible.

The reason so many people have views contrary to the Word of God stems from the fact that we live in a society in which the Bible is increasingly viewed unfavorably. The average of Gallup polls taken in 2005 – 2007 shows that only 31% of respondents viewed the Bible as the actual Word of God to be taken literally, while 19% were willing to go so far as to say that the Bible simply consisted of “ancient fables, history, [and] legends recorded by man.”

In order to fulfill the mission of the church to reach our world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we must stand firm against the tide of secularism and attempts to undermine faith in God’s Word by openly declaring the truth as revealed in Scripture.This is the dual purpose of the upcoming doctrinal conference at Atlanta West:
to strengthen the doctrinal foundations of our organization, and to reach out to those in our city who have a love for God but lack complete revelation of His truth.

Prior to the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus Christ was led into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. He was first challenge to transform a group of stones nearby into bread, certainly an effective appeal to Christ’s flesh, as He had been fasting for forty days. Next, Satan attempted to provoke Jesus into jumping off a cliff and summoning angels to His rescue, an appeal to the human weakness of pride. Finally, Jesus was taken to the peak of a towering mountain and shown all the kingdoms of the world, a temptation of the eyes and lust for power inherent within human nature.

Each time Satan presented the most attractive objects in his arsenal, Jesus responded by quoting the Word of God. His responses began with a simple statement: “It is written” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10).
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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

Understanding the Oneness of God

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:44:00 +0000

Trinitarians (as well as all other world religious people) will ask you some questions concerning the Apostolic Pentecostal Oneness belief that Jesus is God and God is Jesus. They will attempt to use certain scriptures to justify their thinking why titles the Father, Son, Holy Ghost are 3 persons (thus the non biblical word Trinity is conceived from). As a believer of the Apostolic Faith and member of Gods true Body of Christ, you should instantly be able to point these individuals to scripture (not your doctrine manual or organizational creed etc. etc). That said, below are some common questions that people will ask you and that you and I should be able to answer them straight from the Word. (Credit is given to my Pastor for the excellent Sunday Morning sermon he preached on the Godhead and David K Bernard in writing the book The Oneness of God).

Side Note: If you are a Trinitarian reader of this blog, I believe it was God ordained that you came here to read about God’s Truth found only in the Word of God. I understand it is very hard to let go of a tradition that you’ve been taught for so long, and at times you might take offense when someone shows you something different from what you were taught. By no means is this article to condemn you (as long as there is life there is hope). That said, ask God to show you if these scriptures are indeed true and to be followed. I promise you, God will reveal an answer that will cause you to go to the next level in God.

Question: If Jesus is God, than who was Jesus praying to in the Garden of Gethsemane?

Answer: Jesus had a perfect “dual nature”. He was fully God (the Father) when He healed the sick, raised the dead, delivered demonized people, calmed the sea and wind, multiplied the bread and fish, put a coin in a fish’s mouth, turned water into wine, etc. He was fully Man (the Son) when he wept, thirsted, hungered, slept, etc. In the Garden, His flesh (the Son) cried out to the Spirit (the Father) to be delivered from what was coming. Because of Him being God, Jesus KNEW when He would die, how He would die, where He would die, etc. He KNEW!!! While being God, He could handle that (and everything else…), but as Man, His flesh rebelled against it. The prayer in the Garden was to put His flesh under subjection to the Spirit.

Do the prayers of Christ indicate a distinction of persons between Jesus and the Father? No. On the contrary, His praying indicates a distinction between the Son of God and God. Jesus prayed in His humanity, not in His deity. If the prayers of Jesus demonstrate that the divine nature of Jesus is different than the Father, then Jesus is inferior to the Father in deity. In other words, if Jesus prayed as God then His position in the Godhead would be somehow inferior to the other “persons.” This one example effectively destroys the concept of a trinity of co-equal persons.

How can God pray and still be God? By definition, God in His omnipotence has no need to pray, and in His oneness has no other to whom He can pray. If the prayers of Jesus prove there are two persons in the Godhead, then one of those persons is subordinate to the other and therefore not fully or truly God.

What, then, is the explanation of the prayers of Christ? It can only be that the human nature of Jesus prayed to the eternal Spirit of God. The divine nature did not need help; only the human nature did. As Jesus said at the Garden of Gethsemane, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Hebrews 5:7 makes it clear that Jesus needed to pray only during “the days of his flesh.” During the prayer at Gethsemane, the human will submitted itself to the divine will. Through prayer His human nature learned to submit and be obedient to the Spirit of God (Philippians 2:8; Hebrews 5:7-8). This was not a struggle between two divine wills, but a struggle between the human and divine wills in Jesus. As a man Jesus submitted Himself to and received strength from the Spirit of God. (David K Bernard The Oneness Of God)

Question: If Jesus is God, who was He talking to on the cross when He was about to die?

Answer: “There were not two sons – a divine son and a human son – but there were two natures – deity and humanity – fused in one person. The divine Spirit could not be separated from the human nature and life continue. But in His agonizing process of dying, Jesus suffered the pains of our sins. Dying became death when He yielded His Spirit.

In other words, what Jesus meant when He cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” was that he had taken the place of sinful man on the cross and was suffering the full punishment for sin. There was no abatement of suffering because of His deity. Since all have sinned (Romans 3:23) and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), all mankind (except for the sinless Christ) deserved to die. Christ took our place and suffered the death that we deserved (Romans 5:6-9). Jesus was more than a courageous martyr like Stephen and more than an Old Testament sacrifice, because He died in our place and experienced for a time the death we deserved. On the cross, He tasted death for every man (Hebrews 2:9). This death was more than physical death; it also involved spiritual death, which is separation from God (II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:14).” (David K Bernard The Oneness Of God)

Question: If Jesus is God, then who is the voice we here from Heaven?

Answer: Three times in the life of Jesus a voice came from heaven: at His baptism, at His transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9), and after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (John 12:20-33). We have just explained that a voice does not indicate a separate person in the Godhead but only another manifestation of the omnipresent Spirit of God.

In each of the three cases, the voice was not for the benefit of Jesus but for the benefit of others, and it came for a specific purpose. As we have discussed, the voice at Christ’s baptism was part of the inauguration of His earthly ministry. It was for the people’s sake, just as the dove was for John’s sake. The voice introduced Jesus as the Son of God: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). The voice at the transfiguration unquestionably was for the benefit of the onlooking disciples, for the message was, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5). The third manifestation of the voice occurred when a group of Greeks (apparently Gentile proselytes) came to see Jesus. Jesus explained that the voice was not for Him but for the people (John 12:30). (David K Bernard The Oneness Of God)

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

3 Tricks of the Devil

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:39:00 +0000

In this short but profound blog, I want you to know the three things the devil will use to trick you into sin. 1 John 2:16 says “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” When you operate in carnality, you are most certainly operating in one of these three areas. Satan will attempt to destroy your soul with sin. This is why it is so important to put on holiness attributes.

Satan will use the lust of the flesh to destroy you. Some example of the lust of the flesh would be adultery and fornication. In these examples, the body (flesh) craves what does not belong to you (another man or woman). To go even a step further, when you can’t find a person to gratify the flesh, you in turn start to find things in ungodly magazines and ungodly websites that promote “flesh on parade”. A horrendous cycle then starts which seems you can’t get out of its gripe. But God has equipped every believer with the power to withstand this trick of the enemy.

Satan then will try to use the lust of your eyes. A major example of the lust of the eyes would be covetousness. Covetousness is wanting or desiring something that is not yours or does not belong to you.

“Jesus admonishes us to “take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” Luke 12:15. Paul instructs us to “put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” Col. 3:5. The parable of the rich fool shows how dangerous a covetous attitude can be Luke 12:16-20. (What are you willing to let keep you out of heaven By David Padfield)

Finally Satan will use the pride of life to destroy you. A wonderful researched example of the pride of life would be “vain craving for honor and applause, or the stubborn mind-set that will not allow one to repent of and confess their sins.” (What are you willing to let keep you out of heaven By David Padfield) Pride causes people to stay unrepentant. No repentance equals no forgiveness of sin. No forgiveness of sin means no access to heaven. Why operate like this when Jesus freely died just so that you can have the right to eternal life.

In conclusion, there is hope! “……but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2:17. So we see that if we do God’s will (which is found in His Word) we will abide with Him forever (which means your eternal heavenly destination). Here is one sure way to protect yourself from the enemy. We all know this scripture, but sometimes with the trials of life, we need to be reminded of how we can win this battle. Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

The Belt Of Truth: Jesus Is The Truth John 14:6
The Shoes Of Readiness and Peace
The Breast Plate Of Righteousness – Jesus Is Our Righteousness Jeremiah 23:6
The Shield Of Faith – Having Faith in Jesus alone Acts 17:11
The Helmet Of Salvation – Biblical Salvation Born Of Water and Spirit John 3:7
The Sword Of The Spirit – Holy Ghost Infilling Acts 1:8
As you start your day, I encourage you to put the Word into action and make a concise effort by the power that is within to conquer the flesh and give no room for Satan to have any glory in your life. God is to get All THE GLORY and you can be sure in this when you walk in the Spirit.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

What is a Good Church To Be Apart Of?

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:32:00 +0000

Did you know the average person who claims they go to church, really does not go to a true church? They might worship in an edifice built to look like a house of God but in all honesty, the activity that goes on within the four walls of the edifice are total opposite to the True Church of Jesus Christ. How can we tell the difference between the True Church and the False Church? What about people who say they go to church but still lie, steal, gamble, fornicate, murder, backbite, and casino hop? Are they saved???

The church of today will say YES they are saved so long as they have simply accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Is acceptance enough? I mean, the bible does say if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Christ rose from the dead you shall be saved. Notice the words in bold. The scripture does not say you ARE saved, it says you SHALL BE (future tense) saved. So this leads us to believe that there is way more than just believing in order to have TRUE salvation.

First thing first, if a Pastor is NOT preaching the gospel which is the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16), on a consistent basis and telling the congregation to follow John 3:5 and Acts 2:38 every service, that church is not preaching the truth. We die to our flesh by repenting of our sins. We are buried with Christ through Baptism in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are resurrected to new life when we come out of the water and receive the promised gift of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues as the spirit gives utterance. If a person is in a church that does not preach this, one would need to leave and find a church that teaches the biblical form of salvation.

Remember, the reason of the existence of the church is to save souls. Spread the gospel (good news). Prepare for the coming of the Lord. If the correct plan of salvation is not being taught, there is no reason for that particular church to be in existence and in all honesty, those that attend that particular church are just getting their emotions fed. Its called the “feel good gospel”. That type of gospel has no salvation, it does not offend or step on peoples toes, it does not prick any one’s heart to cause true repentance. That type of church causes sinners oto stay in sin and and does not require sanctification (Leviticus 20:7).

In these churches, light and darkness mix together (even though the bible says what fellowship does light have with dark 2 Corinthians 6:14). In other words, all 66 books of the bible are optional and basically a “cafeteria religion” is being promoted from the pulpit to the pew. I’ll take this, I’ll take this, but no thank you to that, no thank you to thank, and oh, I’ll take half of that.

I don’t blame sinners for going to the club, casino, and living it up in sin. That’s what sinners are suppose to do. The people that are seen in clubs, casinos, and living ungodly lives during the week when they are not in church are NOT SAVED!

There is no way you can claim salvation and still enjoy the pleasures of your flesh and the world and not even attempt to change. Everyone is to blame. The pastor is to blame for not teaching the truth to the congregation, and the blind dumb sheep are to blame for not picking up the Word and read it on their own. Ultimately everyone is going to have to individualy give an account for their deeds. So guess who goes to hell? Both the Pastor and his entire unsaved congregation. The bible says NONE BUT THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL SEE GOD (Matthew 5:8)! The bible says for without holiness no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14).

The bible says be ye holy for I am holy (1 Peter 1:16). If a person does unholy and unrighteous deeds, we can clearly deduce from scripture that they will be left behind when the rapture comes and ultimately will go straight to hell where both body and soul will be tormented day and night (Revelation 21:8). Whats worse is, for modern day Christianity, Hell doesn’t exist.

We know this because no one preaches it. When is the last time you heard Eddie Long, TD Jakes, Joel Osteen teach on Hell? The only time you hear the word hell in the pulpit now is with silly cliches ”After all the hell I’ve been through this week, I still have joy”. “I told the devil to go back to hell”. Bishop so and so preached the hell outta that sermon”.

You see, Pastors preach what the congregations want to hear, sinners remain sinners while faithfully attending a church that does not cause them to live a life of holiness, and ultimately, when the trumpet sounds and the dead in Christ rise, entire congregations are going to be left behind.

Dont believe me? Read matthew 7:13-14Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. What does that tell you. The MAJORITY are on a path leading to destruction and only A FEW are headed toward eternal life. Thats what your bible says.

Play with God if you want. My eternal soul is too precious to be played with. Why sit under fables and riddles (Titus 1:13-14)? Why preach a lie and cause people to this its truth (Romans 1:25)?

Dear Saint, I have some good news, REAL GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!

As long as there is life there is hope. God is such a patient God that He desires all should come unto repentance and that none should be lost (2 Peter 3:9). The Holy Ghost is real, He is moving about the earth wanting people to come. After the Spirit calls, God promises to fill you with His Spirit so that you can live a victorious life through the only saving name, Lord Jesus Christ. Its time for people to be leaders and not followers. If no one else wants to be saved, make up in your mind that you will be saved if it kills you!

When people ask why “so and so” is going to the club and singing on the choir, share with them that according to the bible, you have been commanded to come out from amongst them and be separate saith the Lord and that my advise would be to do the same if you plan on going to heaven (2 Corinthians 6:17).

When someone cant believe their eyes when “so and so” is in the casino, advise the person that according to the holy bible, it is written for me to be a good steward of my finances in tithe and offering and I plan on being faithful to Gods money by making sure I don’t take gambles with the worlds way of “getting rich” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Tell them that your God promises to supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory so there is no reason for anyone to trust in the worlds system of doubling or tripling money (Philipians 4:19).

That said, I pray that if your Pastor is out of the will of God and not preaching The Truth (or any Pastor for that matter) you need to find a bible believing truth preaching church. Never mind religious organizations, never mind denominations, if they are teaching the Gospel (death, burial, resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, that salvation is only found in Jesus who is God almighty, and that the only way to have biblical salvation is being born of the water and spirit) then that’s the church you or anyone for that matter needs to be a part of.

I’m passionate about The Truth and I’m even more passionate about bringing sinners to The Truth. I pray that you receive this email in Love in the mighty name of the One True Living God, Lord Jesus Christ who is God Almighty wrapped in flesh.

Time out! Its time to call a “time out” and really level with ourselves. We are mere weeks away from the book of revelation being thrown wide open and “the real” end time events start to happen. Yeah, wars and rumours of war, famine, pestilence, earthquakes are all part of end time events. But you havent seen nothing yet when the anti-Christ final appears IN FLESH and attempts to cause the whole world to worship him.

Guess what, the majority is going to worship the beast and his image. Why am I going to play with your soul and not tell you the truth?

Why would anyone want someone to stop promoting true holiness and separation from the world. Stay blinded if you want, you’ll find yourself at the throne of the anti-christ. Instead, try saying to yourself and to God “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”! Dont be fooled people, stop following after these strange gods, become a part of the true church and pick up your cross and follow Jesus.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

I am Pentecostal

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:18:00 +0000

The church we are apart of began on the day of Pentecost. Thats right, it did not begin 25, 50, or even 100 years ago. Some have a limited view of Pentecost and feel they can only trace their Pentecostal roots as far back as Azusa Street in Los Angels CA. The church did not begin on Azusa street. It began in Jerusalem as prophesied on the day of Pentecost. Pentecost is not a denomination nor an organization. It is an experience. We are Pentecostal because we have experienced the Pentecostal outpour of the Holy Ghost which filled us within just like it did on the day of Pentecost. We are Apostolic in doctrine. We believe and teach exactly what the Apostles taught from the day of Pentecost and this same doctrine is taught and believed today by thousands. Ephesians 2:20 says “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.” Our heritage is biblical, sound, and unwavering. I can say without a shadow of a doubt I am proud to be an Apostolic Pentecostal and you should be proud too. Never shy away from your belief. Never be ashamed. We are a part of the original church. Below you will find 10 reasons why I am a Pentecostal as taught by Pastor Johnny Godair Sunday morning 12/11/2011. Yall know I take plenty of notes in church and love reporting back to the Saints everything I learn. Be blessed in Jesus Name.

1. I AM PENTECOSTAL BECAUSE THE OLD TESTAMENT CLEARLY SPEAKS OF PENTECOST.

Did you know that even Jewish people, yes Jewish people in the Old testament observed Pentecost. There were 7 major feast that were observed. Passover which was a celebration of the Children of Israel exodus out of egypt. Pentecost which was 50 days after passover. It was a celebration full of jubilation. Feast of Trumpets. Trumpets blow to call God’s people unto repentance, awake from sin and rest. Feast of Tabernacles was to give thanks at harvest time. Feast of dedication was to commemorate the reconstruction of the temple. Feast of Purim was to celebrate the deliverance of the Jews from Haman and finally the feast of new Moons was to celebrate peace and give God a burnt offering. Now that you have a Jewish Old Testament summary of all the different feast, we can clearly see that Pentecost always signified joy. Something how the Holy Ghost is given on this day in the New Testament and with the Holy Ghost you and I both know power and joy unspeakable comes with it.

2. I M PENTECOSTAL BECAUSE THE PROPHETS FORETOLD ABOUT THE DAY OF PENTECOST.

Isaiah 28:11-12 ^“For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.” Stammering lips refer to speaking in tongues. The word “this” refers to the Holy Ghost and how the Holy Ghost gives rest to the weary and it is refreshing.

Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:” Holy Ghost is foretold by the prophet Joel and this came to past on the day of Pentecost.

Ezekiel 36:27 “And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Promise foretold by Ezekiel that the Spirit will be put WITHIN you (referring to the Holy Ghost).

Isiah 2:3 ^“And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” Isaiah tells us th word of the lord would come from Jerusalem. This is the exact place were Pentecost took place. Jerusalem. To confirm this, go to Luke 24:47 where Luke tells us that it will all begin at Jerusalem. John 14:17 tells us that the Spirit of Truth will be IN YOU.

So we have Isaiah, Joel, and Ezekiel who are all Old Testament prophets which point us to Pentecost.

3. I AM PENTECOSTAL BECAUSE JESUS SPOKE OF IT.

John 14:17-18 ”Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” I think we can stop right there. Jesus himself foretold to us the day of Pentecost. The Spirit did not dwell within the believers until Pentecost.

4. I AM PENTECOSTAL BECAUSE THE APOSTLES EXPERIENCED PENTECOST FIRSTHAND.

Acts 1:13 “And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.”

Acts 2:1-4 “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

All of this took place as a fulfillment of Gods plan thus the birthday of the Church.

5. I AM PENTECOSTAL BECAUSE MARY THE MOTHER OF JESUS WAS PENTECOSTAL.

Acts 1:14-15 “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)”

Isnt it something how the Catholic Church revere Mary the Mother of Jesus, pray to her, but dont even want the same Pentecostal experience she had. How in the world can you pray to Mary and not experience what Mary herself experienced????? If we are going to honor Mary in any way, it should be because she yielded her will to God’s will and thus SHE experienced Pentecost just like the other 120 in the upper room. If if was good enough for Mary, then it should be goo enough for YOU TOO.

6. I AM PENTECOSTAL BECAUSE THE WHOLE FIRST CENTURY CHURCH WAS PENTECOSTAL.

Acts 2:4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (This was the 120 in the upper room which were a part of the first century church).

Acts 10:44 “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.” (This was the Holy Ghost being poured out on the Gentiles, now a part of the first century church).

Acts 19:6 “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.” These were the disciples at Ephesus now part of the first century church.

Acts 8:14-18 “Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.” The Samaritans are now a part of the First Century church to when they received the Holy Ghost.

7. I AM PENTECOSTAL BECAUSE THE HOLY GHOST CHANGES YOUR LIFE.

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

8. I AM PENTECOSTAL BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU PEACE OF MIND.

Romans 15:13 “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”

9. I AM PENTECOSTAL BECAUSE THE HOLY GHOST WILL GIVE YOU JOY.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 “And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost” Holy Ghost joy was given on the day of Pentecost. Jubilation, shouting are all associated with Pentecost.

10. I AM PENTECOSTAL BECAUSE OF ITS KEEPING POWER.

Galatians 5:16 “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org

2012- Time For New Beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (Apostle Paul E Jones) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 05:33:00 +0000

2012 will be a year of changes and surprises, some unsettling, but many uplifting and inspiring. As the year progresses, many events are set to unfold which will demonstrate very clearly that a large number of people are successfully and effectively releasing themselves from the bondage of fear and from the unloving attitudes fear encourages. Humanity cannot and will not now slip back into the old ways that led to repression, conflict, and war. We are on a magnificent evolutionary path, motivated by love and compassion for all beings, and you will not be turned back or diverted from it.

Needless to say, there are still many who favor the old ways and hope to continue using them to prevent humanity from making changes that are essential for our spiritual evolution, but they will not succeed. Their power and influence are declining rapidly, much to their surprise and dismay. They are in a state of confusion, are unable, and will remain unable, to resolve their many points of disagreement, making it impossible for them to continue holding the reins of power with which they have controlled so many for so long. Their disarray will lead to their collapse, and people of honor and integrity will move into positions of leadership to contain and resolve the many damaging crises that have been causing so much suffering worldwide.

Attitudes are changing all over the world as realization dawns on more and more of you that the old ways of threat, bluff, confrontation, and dishonesty in attempting to repair and heal damaged relationships are totally ineffective. This has always been the case, but now people are finally saying “There must be a better way!”, and they are discovering that indeed there is – open honest discussion which includes full disclosure of the needs and desires of all parties with absolutely no hidden agendas. When discussions take place in this kind of atmosphere, with all working compassionately and empathetically together, there are truly no insoluble problems anywhere on the planet,

A time of great opportunity for all on earth to move into life-styles with which they resonate completely is approaching, because the loving attitudes that so many of you have now adopted make it inconceivable that anyone would be coerced into doing work which is unsuited to them. Additionally, abilities, skills, talents, and competencies will no longer be judged competitively, so there will be no authoritarian hierarchical organizations where respect and honor is paid to the position held. Instead all will be equally honored and respected, regardless of job title or qualification, solely for who they are – beloved children of God, and sisters and brothers to each other.

The divisiveness of the old ways is ending. All on the planet deserve loving acceptance and respect without judgment or evaluation of their skills, their position in the community or organization, their race, their culture, their beliefs, or their life-styles. And because you are releasing your old unloving and divisive attitudes this will occur easily and spontaneously, as all sense of threat or disapproval disappears, to be replaced by fascination and a desire to understand and, when appropriate, engage with unfamiliar cultures and beliefs, instead of avoiding them.

These changes will inspire amazing creative ventures in which all who feel attracted to them can take part. All will be encouraged and assisted to develop skills and competencies in any field that appeals to them, and there will be mentors available to guide and inspire all to uncover and develop skills and talents which previously had lain hidden within them. A new age full of amazing and brilliant creative ideas and concepts is dawning, in which all will be able to participate effectively and competently, and this will give rise to unprecedented happiness and satisfaction everywhere on the planet.

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From the Desk of Apostle Paul E Jones
Bringing revival, renewal and restoration to all God's People
www.upcim.org