"The Story" is the gospel and is also called good news. News is about an event that had already happened. The good news is not a good prophecy. A prophecy is about thing that is yet to happen.
The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:6~7 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
I am wondering how many of us on this earth were saved by hearing the Ten Commandments. The Story is not about the Ten Commandments, it is about the good news of what Christ had done! We heard of "this" gospel on Christ’s suffering and what He had done for us on the cross. We believed in "this" gospel and accepted Him as our Savior. We were saved by His grace through faith and even that little faith in us was giv en by Him through grace. As a born again Christian, we are supposed to grow in the Lord by f aith.
Unfortunately, after I was saved, I was turned to a different gospel. The "gospel" of law abiding, self modification, and I had to work hard to maintain my salvation through law keeping (work out my salvation), self effort (for faith without work is dead), so that by doing all these, I could be justified in front of man to please leaders and of c ourse, God. But this, according to the Apostle Paul, is no gospel at all.
I was more and more confused as times went by and everything seemed dry and lifeless because I was seeking my own kingdom and my own righteousness instead of His kingdom and His righteousness. When I failed from my good behavior, some good "intention" brothers would come to me and say the grace of God is sufficient for me and I turned to His grace again. When I started to depend on His grace, I was strengthened. After I have been strengthened, I started to seek my own righteousness again. I stepped in and out of the old and new covenant without knowing that this is called “spiritual adultery”. Spiritual adultery means married to Jesus (Mr. Grace) and still have relationship with Mr. Law.
Whatever results I could achieve were sustained by my own effort. In time, I could see myself more and more “cold” in the Lord, the church termed this is as “back-sliding”, “lost of the first love” and even the bible verse like Matthew 19:30 “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” was used to condemn those who were crowned with the label of “back-sliding” or “lost that first love”. I knew something was wrong and I fasted, prayed and sought God’s face but to no avail. I never knew that everything had been taken care of by Christ on the cross until I was enlightened by grace.
In John 19:30, Jesus cried out,“It’s finished!” Ha, ha... man could use Matthews 19:30 to condemn me, but my wonderful Lord used John 19:30 to set me free! Praise God for His mercy and love, that He enlightened me with His grace at His own timing and set me free from that legalistic environment and all those religiosity which the Apostle Paul said is not gospel at all!
Jesus used this anointed message tape by Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church to set me free from my legalistic background. This tape was given to me by a lovely brother who bought me to Christ in the year 1999. This message tape was recorded in a Sunday Worship Service on 18th of July 1999.
He gave me a "NIV" positive bible on the 21st of September, 1999 and this message tape on the day I came to Christ, and that was 1st of October 1999.
However, I leave this tape on my shelf for three years before I listened to it. The reason for not listening to it was because I could not afford to waste any precious time but to work for Jesus. I was to "not be distracted", I did not want to look to the left and look to the right, because I was told that to work for God is part of the reason why Jesus saved me and died for me on the cross! I was told not to listen to other preachers as they are not my spiritual father. And I was supposed to eat what I was fed in my own spiritual house. I could only say that I was very very obedient then...
It was until I was totally down and out in my spirit; by then, the Lord by His grace, prompted me to listen to this tape which has been leave behind on the shelf for three years. Man, I tell you, faith come by hearing, hearing by the words of CHRIST! The grace of God just melted me and the rest is History. Here I am, first running after the Aroma of our Lord and now, running in the Aroma of Christ!
Come to think of it, I was actually being set free when I started to be disobedient. I mean to disobey man... Hmmm... He who has ears to hear, let him hear !
I suppose this is called Gospel Revolution! How many of us were from that sort of environment, stepping in and out of the old and new covenant, living in Babylon (in Hebrews means confused by mixing)? We should be living our life honoring and glorifying the good news, which is after the cross and in the dispensation of grace under new covenant, instead of living our life honoring and glorifying the good prophecy, which is before the cross and in the dispensation of law under old covenant. We lived a confused life as if Jesus had not yet died for us on the cross.
Because of all these confusions, many of us are still ignorant trying to help Jesus to accomplish His finished work.
The Apostle Paul said in Galatians 1:6~7 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.”
I am wondering how many of us on this earth were saved by hearing the Ten Commandments. The Story is not about the Ten Commandments, it is about the good news of what Christ had done! We heard of "this" gospel on Christ’s suffering and what He had done for us on the cross. We believed in "this" gospel and accepted Him as our Savior. We were saved by His grace through faith and even that little faith in us was giv en by Him through grace. As a born again Christian, we are supposed to grow in the Lord by f aith.
Unfortunately, after I was saved, I was turned to a different gospel. The "gospel" of law abiding, self modification, and I had to work hard to maintain my salvation through law keeping (work out my salvation), self effort (for faith without work is dead), so that by doing all these, I could be justified in front of man to please leaders and of c ourse, God. But this, according to the Apostle Paul, is no gospel at all.
I was more and more confused as times went by and everything seemed dry and lifeless because I was seeking my own kingdom and my own righteousness instead of His kingdom and His righteousness. When I failed from my good behavior, some good "intention" brothers would come to me and say the grace of God is sufficient for me and I turned to His grace again. When I started to depend on His grace, I was strengthened. After I have been strengthened, I started to seek my own righteousness again. I stepped in and out of the old and new covenant without knowing that this is called “spiritual adultery”. Spiritual adultery means married to Jesus (Mr. Grace) and still have relationship with Mr. Law.
Whatever results I could achieve were sustained by my own effort. In time, I could see myself more and more “cold” in the Lord, the church termed this is as “back-sliding”, “lost of the first love” and even the bible verse like Matthew 19:30 “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” was used to condemn those who were crowned with the label of “back-sliding” or “lost that first love”. I knew something was wrong and I fasted, prayed and sought God’s face but to no avail. I never knew that everything had been taken care of by Christ on the cross until I was enlightened by grace.
In John 19:30, Jesus cried out,“It’s finished!” Ha, ha... man could use Matthews 19:30 to condemn me, but my wonderful Lord used John 19:30 to set me free! Praise God for His mercy and love, that He enlightened me with His grace at His own timing and set me free from that legalistic environment and all those religiosity which the Apostle Paul said is not gospel at all!
Jesus used this anointed message tape by Pastor Joseph Prince of New Creation Church to set me free from my legalistic background. This tape was given to me by a lovely brother who bought me to Christ in the year 1999. This message tape was recorded in a Sunday Worship Service on 18th of July 1999.
Message by Joseph Prince on 18th July 1999
He gave me a "NIV" positive bible on the 21st of September, 1999 and this message tape on the day I came to Christ, and that was 1st of October 1999.
This is the best gift I could ever have in my life
However, I leave this tape on my shelf for three years before I listened to it. The reason for not listening to it was because I could not afford to waste any precious time but to work for Jesus. I was to "not be distracted", I did not want to look to the left and look to the right, because I was told that to work for God is part of the reason why Jesus saved me and died for me on the cross! I was told not to listen to other preachers as they are not my spiritual father. And I was supposed to eat what I was fed in my own spiritual house. I could only say that I was very very obedient then...
It was until I was totally down and out in my spirit; by then, the Lord by His grace, prompted me to listen to this tape which has been leave behind on the shelf for three years. Man, I tell you, faith come by hearing, hearing by the words of CHRIST! The grace of God just melted me and the rest is History. Here I am, first running after the Aroma of our Lord and now, running in the Aroma of Christ!
Come to think of it, I was actually being set free when I started to be disobedient. I mean to disobey man... Hmmm... He who has ears to hear, let him hear !
I suppose this is called Gospel Revolution! How many of us were from that sort of environment, stepping in and out of the old and new covenant, living in Babylon (in Hebrews means confused by mixing)? We should be living our life honoring and glorifying the good news, which is after the cross and in the dispensation of grace under new covenant, instead of living our life honoring and glorifying the good prophecy, which is before the cross and in the dispensation of law under old covenant. We lived a confused life as if Jesus had not yet died for us on the cross.
Because of all these confusions, many of us are still ignorant trying to help Jesus to accomplish His finished work.Do you know how finished is His finished work? Look for Grace, Grace can tell you...
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