Sun, 25 October 2009
Faith is no longer faith when it becomes religious ideas and doctrines.
Faith is not religion. Many times people say "We have our faith". What
they really mean is this: "We have our religious ideas and doctrines,
our traditions, and our ways of doing things - so don't try to change
them." This is not the Biblical idea of faith. True faith is
not a religious exercise or an ideological or philosophical view. And
it definitely isn’t a formula! The ‘Faith Movement’ often gave the
impression that faith was a technique used to get what you want.
However, the danger with any such system or procedure is that man, and
not God, is usually in control - making it a religious practice.
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Sun, 25 October 2009
Today we will be studying How to Live by Faith. Once again, this will be a practical exposition of faith and how to apply it to your everyday lives. Galatians 3:11 says, “The just shall live by faith.”
Here the apostle Paul is quoting from the Book of Habakkuk to show that
God has always justified men by faith and not the law. The original
Greek reads, “The just by faith shall live.” Literally, “Those whose conduct before God is right, by faith
shall live.” Therefore, your conduct before God must first be “right”
if you are to live by faith. Notice that it says “by faith” and not “in
faith.” You are not asked to live in faith, but rather, by faith - which implies that you use faith to live by. It is a tool for right living before God, and this pleases Him. Hebrews 11:6 states, “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” No
amount of good works can compensate for lack of faith. Faith is the
only thing that gives God His proper place in your life, because it
proves that you have more confidence in Him than in yourself. Faith
not only believes that God exists, but it also trusts Him enough to
know that He will reward those who diligently seek Him - those who
exercise their faith to believe. |
Sun, 25 October 2009
Life Matters TV
presents 'How to Live by Faith', another teaching from Pastor Chris Demetriou at
Cornerstone The Church. For more information visit our website at
www.life-matters.tv |
Sun, 18 October 2009
In
Revelation chapters 2 and 3 God has messages for seven Churches in Asia
Minor. There were many more churches, but God picked out these seven as
examples of what the New Testament Church was like. But God’s message
is actually to us: “Where do we stand? To which of these seven churches
can we compare ourselves? Read Revelation 2:12-17...Pergamos was one of the oldest cities in the region. It had served as the capital of the Roman province of Asia Minor for over twenty five years and was the official seat of the Roman government. It was also an important religious centre for a number of pagan cults. Pergamos was the first city in Asia to build a temple to Caesar and it became the capital of the cult of Caesar worship. Of the city, an ancient writer once said; “it was given to idolatry more than all Asia.” And this may have been referring to the 200 foot-high alter to Zeus in the city centre. The book of Acts makes no mention of the founding of this church. According to Acts 16:7-8, Paul passed through the region of Mysia, where Pergamos was located, on his second missionary journey, but there is no record that Paul either preached the gospel or founded a church there during that time. Most likely, Paul founded this church during his ministry at Ephesus (Acts 19:10) when the gospel was preached throughout Asia. Doctrinally, this was a compromising church. |
Sun, 18 October 2009
In
Revelation chapters 2 and 3 God has messages for seven Churches in Asia
Minor. There were many more churches, but God picked out these seven as
examples of what the New Testament Church was like. But God’s message
is actually to us: “Where do we stand? To which of these seven churches
can we compare ourselves? Not surprisingly, God selected the first one
of the seven to be the Church at Ephesus. This was the Church for which
the Apostle Paul laboured more than for any other Church. Paul worked
with them for about 3 years. If any of the first century churches
should know right from wrong, it was the Church at Ephesus.Some forty years after the commencement of the Ephesian congregation, Jesus issued a letter to these very same people (Revelation 2:1-7). He commended them for many remarkable qualities. They were obedient, energetic, enduring, sound in doctrine, and untiring. However, they had one serious problem - these believers had left their “first love” (verse 4). “Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” The word “left” can mean; ‘to let go’, ‘to neglect’, ‘forsake’, or ‘leave alone’ (abandon). |
Sun, 11 October 2009
Revelation 3:20 reads as follows: "Behold,
I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the
door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me." The Amplified says, “Behold,
I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds
My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with
him, and he will eat with Me.”What a wonderfully sad concept of Jesus - standing at the door knocking, softly yet persistently, seeking entrance. In the book ‘Christ And The Fine Arts’, someone had written about a picture depicting Revelation 3:20 that was found on a stained-glass window in a famous cathedral: ``The picture of a door with no handle portrays the moment when human destiny hangs in the balance, when Divine Love patiently waits upon human reluctance. Here is the perpetual issue between heaven and earth - choice. Here is the continual challenge of Christ to mankind. Here we see the ever-present appeal of love to lethargy. It is a call to decision in stained-glass.'' |
Sun, 11 October 2009
Life Matters TV presents
'The Door with no Handle - VIDEO', another teaching from Pastor Chris Demetriou at Cornerstone
The Church. For more information visit our website at www.life-matters.tv
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Sun, 11 October 2009
Many
believers have never taken ‘ownership’ of what God has given them - of
what they already possess! They have great and powerful tools in their
hands that much of the time are not recognised and seldom used. Yet 2 Peter 1:3-4 declares, “His
divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life (the
natural) and godliness (the spiritual), through the knowledge of Him
who called us by His own glory and virtue, by which have been given to
us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these
(promises) you may be partakers of the divine nature.” The Moffatt translation says, “Inasmuch as His power divine has bestowed upon us every requisite for life and godliness by the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence - bestowing on us thereby promises precious and supreme, that by means of them (the promises) you would participate in the divine nature.” This implies, when we take ownership of (and responsibility for) God’s precious promises we in fact engage in the divine nature. This enables us to live a victorious and prosperous existence (both in the natural and the spiritual).
Direct download: taking_ownership_of_what_you_posses.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 10:30am EDT |
Sun, 4 October 2009
One
of the elements of modern-day Christianity that we may consider
guarding ourselves against is our love-affair with ‘bigness’
(mega-stature). We should be reminded of the need to
"de-spectacularise" the church. Jesus declared that God’s Kingdom comes
quietly, invisibly - spreading its influence like yeast in dough. But
the corporate model of church growth is bigger crowds, bigger
buildings, and bigger TV networks, etc. This seems distinctly contrary
to the Lord’s view.I wonder if 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 does not hold the key to this dilemma… Each time Jesus said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong (New Living Translation). |
Sun, 4 October 2009
One
of the elements of modern-day Christianity that we may consider
guarding ourselves against is our love-affair with ‘bigness’
(mega-stature). We should be reminded of the need to
"de-spectacularise" the church. Jesus declared that God’s Kingdom comes
quietly, invisibly - spreading its influence like yeast in dough. But
the corporate model of church growth is bigger crowds, bigger
buildings, and bigger TV networks, etc. This seems distinctly contrary
to the Lord’s view.I wonder if 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 does not hold the key to this dilemma… Each time Jesus said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong (New Living Translation). |
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Life Matters
Life Matters, with Pastor Chris Demetriou. Recorded live @ Cornerstone the Church, Esher, Surrey.
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