Raging Fire Conference–Saturday

1 Corinthians 2:13-16

• If you think you understand the mind of God, you’re probably wrong.  Why would you think you can understand God, when you can’t even understand women?
• “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.  But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.  For ‘who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?’  But we have the mind of Christ.”

Mark 6

• Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
• Because they grew up with Him.  There’s familiarity.  “Familiarity breeds contempt.”

Luke 4:14-30

• 14-15: Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry
• 16-30: Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
• It shouldn’t be this way.  But we still do it today.  Why do we flock to hear a Canadian speaker, when there are others equally anointed here in Wellington?
• Because we all want to catch the anointing we don’t have.  (“The grass is always greener.”)
• Remember the story of the little donkey: he thought all the adulation was for him.  It wasn’t.  It was for the One he was carrying.  AODWD: Any Old Donkey Will Do.
• Jesus wasn’t deliberately provoking the people.
• He was merely proclaiming the Gospel truth, which they weren’t prepared to accept.  Incidentally, this was what eventually killed him.
• He was probably looking for a home base from which to launch His ministry.

2 Kings

• Naaman the Syrian
• Needy people get desperate.
• See my earlier post for the same message.

Raging Fire Friday Night

Preamble

Why are you surprised that people react (manifest odd behaviour) when they are touched by the presence of God?

• What is more surprising is that we survive it.
• “The miracle is that you live through it. “

If we say that we worship and adore Him, why are we reluctant to let Him draw near?

• The reservation is ours, not His.
• (I witness many people laughing, crying out and shaking under The Power).

Holy Roller

• John literally witnessed this.  A man was rolling.  John asked him why.
• “Because I felt as though I was on fire.”

Message

Ephesians 2:5-8

• Grace = gift (charity) e.g. charismatic = gifts of the Holy Spirit
• God’s grace is not the wholesale forgiveness of all sins of the whole Earth without payment.
• His justice was fulfilled by the death of His Holy Son.
• God’s grace is allowing His Son’s righteousness to be credited to you and me, on condition of merely our belief in Christ.
• No belief == no forgiveness of sins.
• No forgiveness == attempting to earn a place in Heaven (through Good Works)
• Good Works == destined to fail (can never erase your sinful nature).  You start at below zero, and can never work your way even up to zero.

How to stay in Grace

• Don’t revert back down to the state of Justice.
• Release your right to “an eye for an eye” through forgiveness.

The Law is Good, but Grace is Better

• “An eye for an eye” was the first Statute of Limitations
• It limited kings from extracting disproportionate vengeance.
• Fulfilled justice by evening the score.
• It’s a fair system, but really, who wants to be treated fairly?  We all want grace!

Matthew 18:21-33

• The Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor
• We all want justice for our debtors, but mercy from our creditors.
• This doesn’t work.  You’re either all one or all the other.

Reinhardt Bonke raised a man (Daniel) from the dead

• Had a vision of heaven and hell.
• The only condition on salvation is forgiveness.
• Pastors will be in hell if they have unforgiveness.

What if horrendous things have been done to you or your loved ones?

• Forgiveness has to be a free gift.
• Unforgiveness will only result in being full of bitterness.
• Forgiveness will allow healing and closure.

Raging Fire Conference

Conference	Raging Fire
Venue	The Hope Centre, Lower Hutt, NZ
Speaker	John Arnott Senior Pastor Vineyard Church Toronto Canada
Date	Thursday 5 April 2012
Notes	Preamble “If you want to have revival, you’re just going to have to put up with the Holy Spirit.” “I am overwhelmed by His nearness to me, and my dearness to Him.” Psalm 16:11 “In your presence, there is fullness of joy.” The God of Love is visiting this church and touching His people. The surprising thing is, we’re surprised. Hebrews 12 “Everything that can be shaken, will be shaken.” Christchurch Christ’s Church Mark 4:30 Jesus speaking “To what shall we compare the Kingdom of God?” God loves small beginnings e.g. mustard seed & Israel So that no man can take the credit for what He has wrought Revival The place of the Holy Spirit (in the Church) is being restored. China – In 10 years, will be a Christian nation.  30,000 Chinese coming to Christ daily. South Korea – 100 years ago, no Christians.  Today, 50% Christian. Indonesia – 40% Christian today. India – 10% and fast approaching a tipping point. Iran – having a revival.  Dan Slade, Partners in Harvest.  1M Christians (out of 70M). Turkey – Iranian Christian refugees. Africa – 50% Christian. Over 1B of us! Out of 7B. The Earth is being filled with the Glory of God.

Leadership Seminar 2

Speaker	Pastor Cornelio Perez
Reading	Acts 19
Synopsis	When Paul went to Ephesus
Message	We don’t need a mega-church to make a difference. Just 12 people can change the world; turn it upside down. But, you don’t want to waste your time and energy with people who are constantly going to contend with you. Need to establish a culture of simple truth: Jackie Pullinger in the Walled City, wouldn’t preach the gospel.  When a drug addict met a former drug addict, they would ask “how’d you do that?” The answer was merely “Jesus.”  She didn’t preach. The next question would invariably be, “I want this Jesus.” We cannot allow people who will not run with the vision, to ruin it for those who will. 1 John 4: Perfect love casts out fear Perfect love covers over a multitude of sins. If we are too conscious of sin in other peoples lives, we are not walking in love. Until we have loved people, we have not ministered.

Glory Streams

Speaker	Pastor Deborah Ann Perez
Rhema Word	The River Matters
Character	General Naaman of Syria
Reference	2 Kings 5:1-9
Glossary	Elisha means “the God of supplication” meaning you can ask Him for things. Naaman means “to be pleasant”.  Unusual to speak so highly of a non-Israelite. Anointing means “shiny from being rubbed with oil” Jordan means “to descend” e.g. to go down. Seven means a definite number but also completeness, and thus an indefinite number.
Message	God can move through people, even in “non-Christian” environments like Syria. Naaman’s leprosy was a serious problem.  A terminal condition. The Israelite slave-girl gave a powerful testimony that moved great men.  She spoke a word of faith. Wouldn’t it be great if people were to say of Align Church Taita, “I know God moves there”? Most people aren’t against Jesus; they’re against Churchianity! Even Muslim women have received prayer in His name. And received healing! A “messenger” brought the prophet’s words to Naaman.  The name of the messenger, at that time, didn’t matter. When we minister the Word, we don’t matter. Naaman had it all worked out the way it should be done. God’s way is not our way. Naaman also had an anger management character flaw.  This is the primary issue, not the leprosy. Naaman came close to losing his miracle. We have to be careful not to limit God. The river matters – we have to do things God’s way. Naaman missed it. We need to be surrounded by people with servant hearts. They caught it. So we can be influenced towards righteousness.  (This was the original intended purpose of Church.) Naaman was restored He was restored to a child-like skin = physical. He was restored to a child-like faith = spiritual. Naaman was healed He recognized he was not healed by any of the deities of Syria He was honest to attribute it to the God of Israel His heart attitude had improved, thus his healing was permitted by God. Elisha accepted no reward Unwilling to sully the Word of God with the riches of a pagan nation. Gehazi attempted to steal the reward. Gehazi ended up with the leprosy.
Summary	Let’s press in until we get a hold of His glory! His ways are not our ways. Leaders can be wrong.  We can miss God.  We can sometimes think that any way (any river) will do. We have to humble ourselves and accept that sometimes we over-complicate things. He always has a plan. Character flaws are strongholds in our life, holding us back from receiving God’s best.

1 Timothy 4

Date	Theme	Theology	Application
Wednesday 21-Mar-12	The Great Apostasy	Some believers will depart from their faith	Whenever biblical basics and foundational truths are absent, there is no strength to resist or discern doctrines originating from demonic subtleties.
Thursday 22-Mar-12	A Good Servant of Jesus Christ	Godliness is profitable for all things	Not only preparation for the Next Life, but living the present life to the full.
Friday 23-Mar-12	Take Heed to Your Ministry	Let no one despise your youth	Recognizing the importance of Children and Youth Ministries – not as baby-sitters, but equippers of a generation that has been destined to stand and confront the enemy in the world’s darkest hour.
Saturday 24-Mar-12	Doctrine of Demons	The devil is a liar	The angel Moroni appearing to Joseph Smith as a being of light is a satanic deception which fundamentally alters the gospel of Christ.
Sunday 25-Mar-12	Practice your Gifts	God is a giver of good gifts	The gift of exhortation can be passed on through the laying on of hands by the elders.
Monday 26-Mar-12	Be a good example	God wants many converts	Others may be saved by my good example. Conversely, others may be lead astray if I fail.
Tuesday 27-Mar-12	Physical exercise	God cares for all of me	He wants me to be healthy. I need to maintain a healthy balance of physical fitness. “Some people are so heavenly minded, they’re of no earthly use.”

1 Timothy 3

Date	Theme	Theology	Application
Wednesday 14-Mar-12	Qualifications of Overseers	God is orderly	A Christian leader must be a paragon of virtue.
Thursday 15-Mar-12	Qualifications of Deacons	God is interested in the mighty and less so.	In order to become mighty, one must first demonstrate ability in smaller things.
Friday 16-Mar-12	The Great Mystery	Christ is God made manifest in the flesh.	The doctrine of the trinity is demonstrated in this verse. Very handy for witnessing to Mormons and JWs.
Saturday 17-Mar-12	Intellect without Wisdom is loss	God is moral – mischief comes at defying this	Cultivating the Intellect at the Expense of the Heart, being at more pains to make our youth clever than to make them good!
Sunday 18-Mar-12	Equal rights for women	God loves women equally	By making one condition of leadership, just one wife, Paul focuses on the equality of women in the marriage.
Monday 19-Mar-12	Alcoholism is bad	God loves a good party	Deacons are allowed to drink! Again, this opposed Mormon doctrine. God desires moderation in all things.
Tuesday 20-Mar-12	Praise and Worship	God loves good music	Paul’s letter contains a poem. We should use our creative passions to glorify God.

1 Timothy 2

Date	Theme	Theology	Application
Wednesday 07-Mar-12	Pray for All Men	God desires all men to be saved	Love my enemies; pray for them and do not curse them.
Thursday 08-Mar-12	Men and Women in the Church	God desires women to learn!	There is a radical doctrine that women do not have souls of their own, taken from this verse. This is patently absurd.
Friday 09-Mar-12	Pray for leaders	God desires peace to reign	Insurrection is the sin of disagreeing with who God has placed in leadership over me.
Saturday 10-Mar-12	Pray with hands lifted	God desires enthusiastic followers	If I can cheer a rugby team, I should be free to cheer for God with the same passion.
Sunday 11-Mar-12	Pray for kings	God sets the times and places of all people – kings and followers	Are elections Biblical? Is government of the people by the people better than monarchy? I don’t know.
Monday 12-Mar-12	Paul’s inexperience with women	God can use anyone – even Paul – to build His Church	I can be as bright as Paul and still have blind-spots in my doctrine, like his about the role of women in the church.
Tuesday 13-Mar-12	Different types of prayers	God desires us to get involved and help others	Different prayer types = different personality types will have different strengths.

1 Timothy 1

Date	Theme	Theology	Application
Wednesday 29-Feb-12	Mentoring	God desires a loving relationship; God instructs me through His Word.	I get confirmation through my peers (e.g. Fiona, Russell). I mentor my children and some workmates.
Thursday 01-Mar-12	Forgiveness, Mercy & Grace	God is loving	Forgive, as I have been forgiven, especially my children.
Friday 02-Mar-12	Sound doctrine	God is interested in the heart attitude, not just the externals.	Understanding doctrine is paramount importance if I desire to teach it.
Saturday 03-Mar-12	Let nothing hinder the Gospel	God’s culture is supreme.	Whakapapa is good; but obedience is better.
Sunday 04-Mar-12	Grace is greater than Law	God is the Law Giver. He is Holy and Just. His miracles can overrule His laws.	My own desire to condemn men, I must curb, in order to extend the grace that I have been given.
Monday 05-Mar-12	We need to preach the Good News	God desire all to come to a saving knowledge.	My previous ignorance was a valid excuse for unbelief, provided I accepted the Truth when presented with it.
Tuesday 06-Mar-12	God alone is wise	God is eternal, immortal, invisible & wise.	My (and Paul’s) wisdom are as nothing compared to His.

Boundaries Sermon 2 – SELF Defence Class!

Carrying on from: Boundaries Sermon 1 Tuk’s series on Spiritual Warfare Empower series on 1 Timothy 1 From our previous lesson on Boundaries, we discovered that there are some things which it is good to protect. e.g.1. Thou shalt not steal, implies a God-given right to private property ownership. e.g.2. Thou shalt not murder, implies a right to life. But a Right always implies a Responsibility. e.g.1. Ownership of property requires a duty of care (responsible to ensure your property does cause anybody harm). e.g.2. Sanctity of life requires a duty of care – it takes a village to raise a child.	From Boundaries, these were called our FAB = Feelings, Attitudes & Behaviours. The way that God made us. As long as we are in alignment with God’s Word, then our soul is worthy of preservation, because God made it that way. The following serves as a James-created guide only; it’s not Scripture. Soul = our lives. The “ghost within the machine.” Emotions = our upbringing. Those experiences which shaped our personalities. Loves = our future. Those things which we choose to cling to. Feelings = our present. Because these are temporal (temporary) should be measured carefully. But can be an accurate first glimpse into what God wants for my life. The closer we get to God, the more accurate our feelings should become.	Even when faced with impossible odds, never give in. You and God make a majority. I Samuel 14:6b . . .for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few. Psalm 91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at they right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. II Chronicles 32:7-8a Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for . . . all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. Romans 8:31b . . . If God be for us, who can be against us? I John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Satan is not god. He can’t be everywhere. He isn’t omnipresent. He has a lower-archy (opposite of a hierarchy) of helpers. The Bible talks about 1/3 of angels chose to fall with Lucifer. The Good News is: a)2/3 of angels are still loyal to God; and b)Jesus has already defeated him. We’re just mopping up after the battle.	Give example of feeling spiritual oppression in bed, shortly after conversion to Christianity. I had never ever felt anything like that before, when I was in his camp. He only needed to make an appearance, when he was losing me. This picture is good, but not great, because Jesus didn’t just turn away from Satan, but actively resisted him with Scripture.	Apologia = reasoned account, not an apology. We’re not sorry that we’re saved. We’re glad. If they won’t accept your reasoning, you have to let them walk away, like the Prodigal son.
This is a hard teaching. Your fleshly desires do not want to do what God desires you to do. You are at war within yourself. The key to doing what you know is right, is to be led by the Spirit of God. The key to this is to get into the Word.	•The world needs more Lerts! •God sends negative people into our lives as a sort of sandpaper ministry. They smooth off the rough edges. •The only way to evaluate whether they have a point, or you have the right to defend yourself, is “Am I in alignment with the Word of God?” •1 Timothy 1 – Paul mentors Timothy. We all need someone we can trust to bounce off ideas. •Conversely, the best way to learn a lesson is to teach it. If someone (little) is watching your behaviour, it forces you to behave better. •Be: Diligent, Determined, Disciplined!	Christianity is the only true religion of peace. The closer you get to Christ, to more peaceful to become. Islam teaches Holy War against the Infidel. Christianity teaches Love your Enemy. My study of 1 Timothy 1 this week has taught me that Grace is greater than the Law. The Law condemns. A condemned man is angry. An angry man will dig in and become wilful. A wilful man will do harm to himself and others. Grace forgives. A forgiven man is grateful. A grateful man will be generous and obedient. A generous man will help himself and others. I went to see Star Wars Episode 1 3-D with Tane yesterday. It reminded me of some things I had forgotten. The Force as a metaphor for God, is a pretty good one, but not perfect. Only God is good. The Force must be in “balance” which is an Eastern philosophy. Yoda’s mantra that “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering” is not entirely true. “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” is Gospel truth. For a Peace that Surpasses all Understanding, only a living, vital relationship with Jesus can give you this. (Call up the CD.) Altar-call for people desiring to live a victorious life, through overcoming the schemes of the devil for their lives. Or people experiencing opposition from people around them, and need a breakthrough.