Thursday, June 18, 2026

 

Come unto me

Paul Little believed, “Witnessing is the deep-seated conviction that the greatest favor I can do for others is to introduce them to Jesus Christ.” The Lord Jesus said Matthew 11:28-30 ESV - Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The matter is urgent. The way to be saved is to come to Jesus. To come, to Jesus means to pray to him, to trust in him, to rely upon him. Each man who trusts in another may be said to come to that other for help. Thus to trust in Jesus is to come to him. In order to do this I must give up all reliance upon myself, or anything I could do or have done, or anything I do feel or can feel. Nor must I feel the slightest dependence upon anything that anyone else can do for me. That is what my Saviour means when he says, "Come unto me." The exhortation is very personal. "Come unto me," says he. Don’t come to ministers to consult them. nor come to sacraments to observe them, nor come to the Bible to study its teaching— He invites us saying, "Come to me." To trust in a crucified Saviour is the way of salvation. Some flatter their souls that they have ascertained the truth! But the fact is, it is not the truth which saves. It is the truth as a person—it is Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life, whom we need to apprehend. Our confidences must rest entirely upon him. "Come unto me," saith Jesus; Come unto me, and I will give you rest." The exhortation is in the present tense. "Come" now; do not wait; don’t wait to feel something, don’t wait until you feel you are fitter or better to come. He says Come Now! Don’t fiddle about! This invitation demands a spontaneous acceptance. Come just as you are. "Come unto me," says the Lord Jesus Christ. He does not say, "Come when you have washed and cleansed yourself." Rather you should come to be cleansed. He does not say, "Come when you have clothed yourself and made yourself beautiful with good works." Come to Him now as you are. "Nothing in my hands I bring: Simply to thy cross I cling." Why should you come to Him? I. HE IS THE APPOINTED MEDIATOR. "All things are delivered unto me of my Father." God, even the Father, your Creator, against whom you have transgressed, has appointed our Lord Jesus Christ to be the only way of access for a sinner to himself. He is no amateur Saviour. He has not thrust himself into the place or position on His own initiative. He is officially delegated. Christ is the only authorized person in heaven and earth who can save you. "There is no other name, given among men whereby we must be saved." II. HE IS A COMPLETELY ADEQUATE MEDIATOR, "All things are delivered unto me," he said, "of my Father.” You want pardon; it is delivered unto Christ of the Father. You want change of heart; it is delivered unto Christ of the Father. You want righteousness in which you may be accepted; Christ has it. You want to be purged from the love of sin; Christ can do it. You want wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It is all in Christ. "It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." He is "full of grace and truth." III. HE IS AN INCONCEIVABLY GREAT MEDIATOR. Matthew 11:27 ESV - 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. He is great, so good, so complete. No one knows him but the Father. He is too excellent for our puny understanding to estimate his worth. None but the infinite God can comprehend his value as a Saviour. Only the infinite can understand the infinite. "God only knows the love of God,"and only the Father understands the Son. IV. HE IS AN INFINITELY WISE MEDIATOR. He is a mediator who understands both persons on whose behalf he mediates. He understands you. He has summed and reckoned you up, and he has made you out to be a heap of sin and misery, and nothing else. The glory of it is that he understands God, whom you have offended. .. and he knows the Father. Oh! what a mercy that is to have one to go before God for me who knows him intimately. He knows his Father's will; he knows his Father's wrath. No man knows it but himself. He has suffered it. He knows his Father's love. He alone can feel it—such love as God felt for sinners. He knows how his Father's wrath has been turned away by his precious blood; he knows the Father as a Judge whose anger no longer burns against those for whom the Atonement has been made. He knows the Father's heart. He knows the Father's secret purposes. He knows the Father's will is that who ever sees the Son and believes on him shall have everlasting life. He knows the decrees of God, and yet he says, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give, you rest." V. HE IS AN INDISPENSABLE MEDIATOR. There is no other that can approach God. It is Christ for your Saviour, or no Saviour at all. Salvation is in no other; and if you will not have Christ, neither can you have salvation. John 14:6 ESV - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Trust your souls with Jesus, and your souls are saved. He suffered in your place, he suffered instead of all that trust him. If you rely upon him by an act of simple faith, the simplest act in all the world, immediately you so rely you are forgiven, your transgressions are blotted out for his name's sake.


# posted by Groseys messages @ 10:42 PM
 

Come

The matter is urgent. Oh! that every labouring, weary sinner here might at once come to Jesus and find that rest which the Saviour expresses himself as so willing to give! With all simplicity, then, let me explain to you tile way of salvation, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden."
The way to be saved is to come to Jesus. To come, to Jesus means to pray to him, to trust in him, to rely upon him. Each man who trusts in another may be said to come to that other for help. Thus to trust in Jesus is to come to him. In order to do this I must give up all reliance upon myself, or anything I could do or have done, or anything I do feel or can feel. Nor must I feel the slightest dependence upon anything that anyone else can do for me. I must cease from creature helps and carnal rites, to rest myself upon Jesus. That is what my Saviour means when he says, "Come unto me." 
The exhortation is very personal.
 "Come unto me," says he. He saith not, come to my ministers to consult them. nor come to my sacraments to observe them, nor come to my Bible to study its teaching—interesting and advantageous as under some circumstances any or all of these counsels might be; but he invites us in the sweetest tune of friendship, saying, "Come to me." For a poor sinner this is the truest means of succour. Let him resort to the blessed Lord himself. To trust in a crucified Saviour is the way of salvation. Let him leave everything else and fly away to Christ, and look at his dear wounds as he hangs upon the cross. I am afraid many people are detained from Christ by
becoming entangled in the meshes of doctrine. Some with heterodox doctrine, others with orthodox doctrine, content themselves. They think that they have advanced far enough
They flatter their souls that they have ascertained the truth! But the fact is, it is not the truth as a letter which, saves anybody. It is the truth as a person—it is Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life, whom we need to apprehend.
Our confidences must rest entirely upon him. "Come unto me," saith Jesus; Come unto me, and I will give you rest."
The exhortation is in the present tense.
"Come" now; do not wait; do not tarry; do not lie at the pool of ordinances but come unto me; come now at once, immediately, just where you are, just as you are. Wherever the summons finds you, rise without parley, without an instant's delay. "Come." I know that the human mind is very ingenious, and it is especially perverse when its own destruction is threatened. By some means or other it will evade this
simple call. "Surely," says one, "there must be something to do besides that." Nay, nothing else is to be done. No preliminaries are requisite. The whole way of salvation is to trust in Jesus. Trust him now. That done, you are saved. Rely upon his finished work. know that he has meditated on your behalf. Commit thy sinful self to his saving grace. A change of heart shall be yours. All that you need he will supply.
"There is life in a look at the crucified One;
There is life at this moment for thee."
So sweet an invitation demands a spontaneous acceptance. Come just as you are. "Come unto me," saith Christ. He does not say, "Come when you have washed and cleansed yourself."
Rather should you come to be cleansed. He does not say, "Come when you have clothed yourself and made yourself beautiful with good works." Come to be made beautiful in a better righteousness than you can wear. Come naked, and let him gird thee with fine linen, cover thee with silk, and deck thee with jewels. He does not say, "Come when your conscience is tender, come when your heart is penitent, when your soul is full of loathing for sin, and your mind is enlightened with knowledge and enlivened with joy. But ye that labour, ye that are heavy laden, he bids you to come as you are. Come oppressed with your burdens.
If the load that bends you double to the earth be upon your shoulders? just come as you are. Take no plea in your mouth but this—he bids you come. That shall suffice as a warrant for your coming, and a security for your welcome. If Jesus Christ bids you, who shall say you nay?
He puts the matter very exclusively. 
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden." Do nothing else but come to him. Do you want rest? Come to him for it. The old proverb hath it that betwixt two stools we come to the ground." Certainly, if we trust partly in Christ and partly in ourselves, we shall fall lower than the ground. We shall sink into hell.
"Come unto me" is the whole gospel. "Come unto me." Mix nothing with it. Acknowledge no other obedience. Obey Christ, and him alone. Come unto me. You cannot go in two opposite directions. Let your tottering footsteps bend their way to him alone. Mix anything with him, and the possibility of your salvation is gone. Yours be the happy resolve:—
"Nothing in my hands I bring:
Simply to thy cross I cling."
This must be your cry if you are to be accepted at all. Come, then, ye that labour, ye
horny-handed sons of toil. Come ye to Jesus. He invites you. Ye that stew and toil for wealth, ye merchants, with your many cares, labourers ye are. He bids you come. Ye students, anxious for knowledge, chary of sleep, burning out the midnight oil. Ye labour with exhausted brains; therefore, come. Come from struggling after fame. Ye pleasure—seekers, come; perhaps there is no harder toil than the toil of the man who courts recreation and thinks he is taking his ease. Come, ye that labour in any form or fashion; come to Jesus—to Jesus alone. And ye that are heavy laden; ye whose official duties are a burden; ye whose domestic cares are a burden; ye whose daily toils are a burden; ye whose shame and degradation are a burden, all ye that are heavy laden, come and welcome. If I attach no exclusive spiritual signification to these terms, it is because there is nothing in the chapter that would warrant such a restriction. Had Christ said, "Some of you that labour and are heavy laden may come,"
I would have said "some" too. Howbeit he has not said "some," but "all" "that labour and are heavy laden." It is wonderful how people twist this text about. They alter the sense by mis- quoting the words. They say, "Come ye that are weary and heavy laden." After this manner some have even intended to define a character rather than to describe condition, so they shut out some of those who labour from the kind invitation. But let the passage stand in its own simplicity. Let any sinner here, who can say, "I labour," though he cannot say spiritually labour, come on the bare warrant of the word as he finds it written here; he will not be disappointed of the mercy promised. Christ will not reject him. Himself hath said it, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." And any man that is heavy laden, even though it
may not be a spiritual burden that oppresses him, yet if he comes heavy laden to Christ, he certainly shall find relief. 
the reason why you are solemnly bidden to come to Christ is because:—
I. HE IS THE APPOINTED MEDIATOR.
"All things are delivered unto me of my Father." God, even the Father, your Creator,
against whom you have transgressed, has appointed our Lord Jesus Christ to be the way of access for a sinner to himself. He is no amateur Saviour. He has not thrust himself into the place officiously. He is officially delegated. In times of distress, every man is at liberty to do his best for the public welfare; but the officer commissioned by his Sovereign is armed with a supreme right to give counsel or to exercise command. Away there in Bengal, if there are any dying of famine, and I have rice, I may distribute it of my own will at my own charge. But the commissioner of the district has a special warranty which I do not posses; he has a function to discharge; it is his business, his vocation; he is authorised by the Government, and responsible to the Government to do it. So the Lord Jesus Christ has not only a deepcompassion of heart for the necessities of men, but he has God's authority to support him.
The Father delivered all things into his hands, and appointed him to be a Saviour. But if you want salvation, Christ is the only authorized person in heaven and earth who can save you. "There is no other name, given among men whereby we must be saved." The Father hath delivered all things into his keeping. He is the authorised Saviour. "Come unto me, then, "all ye that labour and are heavy laden." This argument is further developed by another consideration:
Christ is:—
II. A WELL-FURNISHED MEDIATOR,
"All things are delivered unto me," he said, "of my Father. "Sum up all that the sinner
wants, and you will find him able to supply you with all. You want pardon; it is delivered unto Christ of the Father. You want change of heart; it is delivered unto Christ of the Father.
You want righteousness in which you may be accepted; Christ has it. You want to be purged from the love of sin; Christ can do it. You want wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. It is all in Christ. You are afraid that if you start on the road to heaven, you cannot hold on. Persevering grace is in Christ.
"It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." He is "full of grace and truth." Oh! sinner, I wish I could constrain you to feel as I do now, that had I never come to Christ before, I must come to him now, just now. Directly I
understand that:—
"Thou, O Christ, art all I want,
More than all in thee I find."
Why, then, should I not come? Is it because I want something before I come? Make the question your own. Where are you going to seek it? All things are delivered unto Christ. To whom should you go for ought you crave? Is there another who can aid you when Christ is in possession of all? Do you want a tender conscience? Come to Christ for it. Do you want to feel the guilt of your sin? Come to Christ to be made sensitive to its shame. Are you just what you ought not to be? Come to Christ to be made what you ought to be, for everything is in Christ. Is there any, thing that can be obtained elsewhere and brought to him? The invitation to you is founded upon the explanation that accompanies it. "All things are delivered unto me of my Father"; therefore, Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." The argument is so exclusive, that it only wants a willing mind to make
it welcome. Only let God the Holy Spirit bless the word, and sinners will come to Christ, for unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Now note the next argument. Come to Christ, ye labouring ones, because:—
III. HE IS AN INCONCEIVABLY GREAT MEDIATOR.
Where do I get that? Why, from this—that no man knows him but the Father. So great
is he, so good, so full of all manner of precious store for needy sinners. No man knows him but the Father. He is too excellent for our puny understanding to estimate his worth. None but the infinite God can comprehend his value as a Saviour. Has anyone here been saying, "Christ cannot save me; I am such a big sinner"? You don't know him, my friend you don't know him. You are measuring him according to your little insignificant notions. High as the heavens are above the earth so high are his ways above your ways, and his thoughts than your thoughts. You don't know him, sinner, and no one does know him but his Father.
Why, some of us who have been saved by him, thought when we saw the blessed mystery of his substitutionary sacrifice, that we knew all about him; but we have found that he grows upon our view the nearer we approach, and the more we contemplate him. Some of you have now been Christians for thirty or forty years, and you know much more of him than you used to do; but you do not know him yet; your eyes are dazzled by his brightness; you do not know him. And the happy spirits before the throne who have been there, some of them, three or four thousand years, have hardly begun to spell the first letter of his name. He is too grand and too good for them to comprehend. 
Only the infinite can understand the infinite. "God only knows the love of God,"and only the Father understands the Son. Oh! I wish I had a week in which to talk on this, instead of a few minutes! You want a great Saviour? Well, here he is. Nobody can depict him, or describe him, or even imagine him, except the infinite God himself. Come, then, poor sinner, sunken up to your neck in crime, black as hell—come unto him. Come, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and prove him to be your Saviour. The fact that no one knows how great a Saviour he is except his Father may encourage you. Now for another argument. Come to him because:—
IV. HE IS AN INFINITELY WISE MEDIATOR.
He is a mediator who understands both persons on whose behalf he mediates. He understands you. He has summed and reckoned you up, and he has made you out to be a heap sin and misery, and nothing else. The glory of it is that he understands God, whom you have offended, for it is written, "Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son," and he knows the Father. Oh! what a mercy that is to have one to go before God for me who knows him intimately. He knows his Father's will; he knows his Father's wrath. No man knows it but himself. He has suffered it. He knows his Father's love. He alone can feel it—such love as God felt for sinners. He knows how his Father's wrath has been turned away by his precious blood; he knows the Father as a Judge whose anger no longer burns against those for whom the Atonement has been made. He knows the Father's heart. He knows the Father's secret purposes. He knows the Father's will is that whosoever seeth the Son and believeth on him shall have everlasting life. He knows the decrees of God, and yet he says, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give, you rest." There is nothing in that contrary to the decrees of God; for Jesus knows what the decrees are, and he would not speak in contradiction to them. He knows God's requirements. Sinner, whatever it is God requires of you, Christ knows what they are, and he is ready to meet them. "The law is holy, and just, and good," and Jesus knows it, for the, law is in his heart. Justice is very stern, and Jesus knows it, for Jesus has felt the edge of the sword of justice, and knows all about it. He is fully equipped for the discharge of his mediatorial office, and those that put their trust in him shall find that he will bear them through. Often, when a prisoner at the bar has a barrister who understands his work, and is perfectly competent for the defense, his friends say to him, "Your case is safe, for if there is a man in England who can get you through, it is that man." But my Master is an advocate who never lost a case. He has a plea at the throne of God that never failed yet. Give him—oh! give him your cause to plead, nor doubt the Father's grace. Poor sinner, he is so wise an advocate that you may well come to him, and he will give you rest. But I must not weary you, although there is a fulness of matter on which I might enlarge. 
With one other argument I conclude:—
V. HE IS AN INDISPENSABLE MEDIATOR.
The only mediator, so the text says. "Neither knoweth any man the Father, save the
Son." Christ knows the Father; no one else knows him, save the Son. There is none other that can approach unto God. It is Christ for your Saviour, or no Saviour at all. Salvation is in no other; and if you will not have Christ, neither can you have salvation. Observe how that is. It is certain that no man knows God except Christ. It is equally certain that no man can come, to God except by Christ. He says it peremptorily; "No man cometh to the Father but by me." Not less certain is it that no man can please the Father except through Christ, for "without faith it is impossible to please him." No faith is worth having except the grace that is founded and based upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and him only. Oh! then, souls, since you are shut up to it by a blessed necessity, say at once, "I will to the gracious Prince approach, and take Jesus to be my all in all. "If I might hope you would do this early, I could go back to my home and retire to my bed, praising God for the work that was done, and the result that was achieved. Let us reiterate again and again the gospel we have to declare, the very
essence of the gospel it is which we proclaim. Trust your souls with Jesus, and your souls are saved. He suffered in the room, and place, and stead of all that trust him. If you rely upon him by an act of simple faith, the simplest act in all the world, immediately you so rely you are forgiven, your transgressions are blotted out for his name's sake. He stands in spirit among us at this good hour, and says, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden"; and he gives you these arguments, which ought to convince you. I pray they may. 
He is an authorized Saviour, and a well-furnished Saviour. He is the friend of God, and the friend of man. God grant you may accept him, and find the boon which he alone can bestow.

# posted by Groseys messages @ 9:07 PM
 

J Edwin Orr

"We don’t have to convince an unwilling God to come and refresh us with His presence. He’s for it. But, He cannot be manipulated. But when sincere hearts who know they cannot do His work nor His will without Him, humbly pray, He will answer." ~ Dr. J. Edwin Orr (1912-1987)


# posted by Groseys messages @ 10:42 AM

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

 

Rate of male offending.

• Recent Australian research shows one in 20 men are 'motivated offenders' (individuals who report both an interest in and offending against children). Alarmingly, these men are 3 times more likely to work with children, compared to other Australian men. • There are over 5.8 Million current holders of a Working With Children Check in Australia. Advocates say the system has blind spots and is riddled with loopholes which are easily exploited by offenders.


# posted by Groseys messages @ 7:43 PM

Sunday, June 14, 2026

 

Joel’s revival

JOEL’S CALL TO REVIVAL

By Vance Havner

From Pepper ‘n’ Salt by Vance Havner, originally published by Revell, currently out of print

A sweeping revival – Joel 2:16,17
A weeping revival – Joel 1:13; 2:17
A reaping revival – Joel 2:18-32


# posted by Groseys messages @ 2:09 PM
 

When the brook dries up. 1Kings 17.

Sent from my iPhone


# posted by Groseys messages @ 1:40 PM

Saturday, June 13, 2026

 

Threats against my wife were totally inappropriate and abusive! Demands to address her caused her to be traumatised for 9 months.

Sent from my iPhone


# posted by Groseys messages @ 5:58 PM
 

The gospel message Col 1

A reading of Colossians 1: 1: 5-23.
Paul has assured his readers in the Lycus Valley that when they received the preaching of Epaphras, they had received the true grace of God in receiving his gospel which was Paul’s gospel. This was in the context of their being visited by teachers of other versions of “the gospel” who came with additional “knowledge, rites and seasons”. These were unnecessary because Christ was supreme in creation and redemption and they had been reconciled to God by his Christ.

Firstly, Paul reminded them that Christ is supreme in creation. As the Son of God, he is not only the image of the invisible God but also the whole fullness of God dwells in him. He is both the creator and the heir of all things. Through him all things were created, both on earth and in the heavens. This included what could be seen and not seen. It included all things earthly and all things spiritual. Angels and demons were created through him. Moreover, he is eternal when all other things have their time. He is not only creator, but also the sustainer of all things. He is absolutely supreme in creation (1:15-18).

Secondly, Paul reminded the Colossians that Christ is supreme in redemption. Christ is also the head of the new humanity, the church. By his death on the cross and subsequent resurrection the new humanity had its origin and it’s life. Such is his person, in which the fullness of God dwells, and such is his death on the cross not only have the believers become right before God but also the new creation has been born. All things in heaven and all things on earth have been affected so that the new heaven and the new earth have come into existence by his work, by his physical life crucified. The whole of creation has now the hope of being at peace with God (1:19-20).

Thirdly, Paul reminded the Colossians that although once they used to be enemies with God in their minds because of their evil behaviour, they now are at peace with God because of Christ’s death and resurrection. However, God’s work doesn’t stop there. The ultimate goal is that they will be “holy, without blemish and free from accusation” before God at the day of judgement. The proviso is that they continue in the faith that has been delivered to them by Paul through Epaphras, so they are to stand firm in it. 

They are not to add to that gospel the offerings of the false teachers who are visiting the province. The gospel which was delivered to them by Epaphras is the gospel which has been delivered to the Roman world by the apostle Paul, by the 12 apostles of Christ, by the believers on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem and is the gospel which is proclaimed by the whole of creation itself (Rom. 1: 19 –20). Like the God who preaches it, it is eternal!

# posted by Groseys messages @ 8:48 AM
 

Col 1 28 Him we proclaim

A Modus Operandi for the Christian Ministry by Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey Modus operandi is a Latin phrase meaning “mode of operating” or “method of working.” While joyfully reminiscing about his ministry, Paul reminds those in Colossae about the mystery “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:24-27). In Colossians 1:28 Paul presents a modus operandi for the Christian ministry. Note its mission, manner, and motive. First, there is the worldwide mission of the Christian ministry. Colossians 1:28a reads, “Him we preach. . .” Previously Paul explained, “[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:15-20). The phrase “every man,” that’s repeated three times in Colossians 1:28, reveals that preaching Christ is the worldwide mission of the Christian ministry. Second, there is the wise manner concerning the Christian ministry. Colossians 1:28b reads, “. . . warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom. . .” We are to be wise when so many are otherwise. Colossians 1:9-12 reads, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” This is part of the wise manner concerning the Christian ministry. Third, there is the warranted motive for the Christian ministry. Colossians 1:28c reads, “that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” When something is “unwarranted” it is said to be “lacking adequate or official support, unjustified, not having a good reason, not reasonable or necessary, not appropriate.” The warranted motive for the Christian ministry is to present people “perfect,” meaning “mature or complete,” as it is translated from the Greek word, “teleios.” Paul concludes, “To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily” (Colossians 1:29). These dark and deceptive days we desperately need a modus operandi for the Christian ministry! Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, Author of Don’t Miss the Revival! Messages for Revival and Spiritual Awakening from Isaiah and Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice [Both available on Logos and Amazon ©June 11, 2025, All Rights Reserved


# posted by Groseys messages @ 8:06 AM
 

Col 1 28 Him we proclaim

A Modus Operandi for the Christian Ministry by Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey Modus operandi is a Latin phrase meaning “mode of operating” or “method of working.” While joyfully reminiscing about his ministry, Paul reminds those in Colossae about the mystery “which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:24-27). In Colossians 1:28 Paul presents a modus operandi for the Christian ministry. Note its mission, manner, and motive. First, there is the worldwide mission of the Christian ministry. Colossians 1:28a reads, “Him we preach. . .” Previously Paul explained, “[Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:15-20). The phrase “every man,” that’s repeated three times in Colossians 1:28, reveals that preaching Christ is the worldwide mission of the Christian ministry. Second, there is the wise manner concerning the Christian ministry. Colossians 1:28b reads, “. . . warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom. . .” We are to be wise when so many are otherwise. Colossians 1:9-12 reads, “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.” This is part of the wise manner concerning the Christian ministry. Third, there is the warranted motive for the Christian ministry. Colossians 1:28c reads, “that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” When something is “unwarranted” it is said to be “lacking adequate or official support, unjustified, not having a good reason, not reasonable or necessary, not appropriate.” The warranted motive for the Christian ministry is to present people “perfect,” meaning “mature or complete,” as it is translated from the Greek word, “teleios.” Paul concludes, “To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily” (Colossians 1:29). These dark and deceptive days we desperately need a modus operandi for the Christian ministry! Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, Author of Don’t Miss the Revival! Messages for Revival and Spiritual Awakening from Isaiah and Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice [Both available on Logos and Amazon ©June 11, 2025, All Rights Reserved


# posted by Groseys messages @ 8:06 AM
 

Vindicate me O Lord Against My Slanderers

Dr. F.B. Meyer counsels, "We make a great mistake in trying always to clear ourselves; we should be much wiser to go straight on, humbly doing the next thing, and leaving God to vindicate us. 'He will bring forth our righteousness as the light, and our judgment as the noonday.' In Psalm 105:19 there follow words which, rightly rendered, read thus: 'The word of the Lord cleared him.' What a triumphant clearing did God give His faithful servant. There will come hours in our lives, when we shall be misconstrued, misunderstood, slandered, falsely accused, wrongfully persecuted. At such times it is very difficult not to act on the policy of the men around us in the world. They at once appeal to law and force and public opinion. But the believer takes his case into a higher court, and lays it before his God. He is prepared to use any means that may appear divinely suggested. But he relies much more on the divine clearing than he does on his own most perfect arrangements. He is content to wait for months and years, till God arise to avenge his cause. It is a very little thing for him to be judged adversely at the bar of man: he cares only for the judgment of God, and awaits the moment when the righteous shall shine forth in the kingdom of their Father, as the sun when it breaks from all obscuring mists. 'When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.' Ah! what a clearing-up of mysteries, what dissipating of misunderstandings, what vindication of character shall be there! Oh, slandered ones, you can afford to await the verdict of eternity; of God, who will bring out your righteousness as the light, and your judgment as the noon day." Dr. F.B. Meyer (1847-1929) in Joseph: Beloved, Hated, Exalted (London: Morgan and Scott LTD, 1910), 61-62.


# posted by Groseys messages @ 8:01 AM

Friday, June 12, 2026

 

Intimacy With God  Philippians 3:1-17

Intimacy With God  Philippians 3:1-17
This is the heart and essence of Christianity.
Other religions are content with ornate rites rules, regulations and religion. Christianity is a real relationship.
HONESTY  Philippians 3:7-9
'One day,' says Bunyan, ' as I was passing into the field, and that too with some fear dashed on my conscience, fearing lest yet all was not right, suddenly, this sentence fell upon my soul, " Thy righteousness is in Heaven," and methought withal, I saw with the eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at God's right hand: there was my righteousness ; . . . I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame of heart that made my righteousness worse ; for my righteousness was Jesus Christ Himself, "The same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."'
Moses Exodus 33 18 And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." 19 Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
INTIMACY  8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,        
10 that I may know Him     To Know Christ
1John 1: 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
John 17: 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
Jer:9:23 Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, 24 but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.”
To Know The Power of His Resurrection converting power
To Know The Fellowship of His Sufferings continuing power
To Know The Being Conformed to His Death. Trusting power
INTENSITY   12 but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
He first laid hold of you, then you laid hold of Him.14 I press toward the goal. Hosea 6:1 Come, and let us return to the LORD  3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.
SIMPLICITY  13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   
If we would press on, we must learn to forget the past and its Boastings,   Blemishes,        Burdens
If we would press on, we must learn to focus on the prize. To know the Lord, glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.
If we would press on, we must learn to forge ahead Eagerly,  Earnestly,     Expectantly
 


# posted by Groseys messages @ 7:14 PM
 

For pride and power would one destroy God’s work?

Uploaded Image

# posted by Groseys messages @ 5:50 PM
 

Church discipline

I do not understand why I suspended when the young pastor was the one who lied to the session about us “Not” being reconciled in August 2025 at the chicken place in Penrith.


# posted by Groseys messages @ 4:29 PM
 

DISCOVER  INTIMACY  WITH  GOD
Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
 
We are permitted not simply to know about Him, but to know Him, not only to read of His excellency and beauty in the Book, but to have fellowship with the Apostles, who saw, heard, beheld, and handled the Word of Life.
1 John 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
 
This is the heart and essence of Christianity.
Other religions are content with ornate rites, an elaborate priesthood, an intricate system of doctrine and regulations, but the Christian, taught by the Holy Spirit, refuses to rest in any of these, and in comparison with the Master counts them as so much refuse.
We may know Him personally, intimately, face to face. Christ does not live back in the centuries, nor amid the clouds of heaven : He is near us, with us, compassing our path and our lying down, and acquainted with all our ways. But we cannot know Him in this mortal life except through the illumination and teaching of the Holy Spirit. Let us ask Him to shed His clear beams on the face of Jesus.
 
HONESTY
Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
He realised he cannot save himself.    He realised he needed a Saviour He let his pride go, and traded it all for Christ alone.
'One day,' says Bunyan, ' as I was passing into the field, and that too with some fear dashed on my conscience, fearing lest yet all was not right, suddenly, this sentence fell upon my soul, " Thy righteousness is in Heaven," and methought withal, I saw with the eyes of my soul, Jesus Christ at God's right hand: there was my righteousness ; . . . I also saw, moreover, that it was not my good frame of heart that made my righteousness better, nor yet my bad frame of heart that made my righteousness worse ; for my righteousness was Jesus Christ Himself, "The same yesterday, to-day, and for ever."'
Have you realised this ? Have you experienced this? Are you standing arrayed in this?-for in death, and judgment, and eternity, nothing will avail you but to be clothed in the perfect spotless righteousness of Christ, who was made sin for us, though He knew no sin, that we might be made the Righteousness of God in Him.
 
INTIMACY
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord,                                                                                                                                                          
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
We should never rest until we know Him as we must know our friend, and are able to read without speech the movements of His soul. We should know Him in such a way what will please and what will hurt His pure and holy nature. We should know where to find Him ; should be familiar with His modes of thought and methods of action ; should understand and identify ourselves with His goings forth, as, day by day, He goes through the world healing and saving. What a difference there is between the knowledge which the man in the street has of some public character and that which is found in the inner circle of his home ; and we must surely know Christ, not as a stranger who turns in to visit for the night, or as the exalted King of men,-there must be the inner knowledge as of those whom He counts His own familiar friends, whom He trusts with His secrets.
Moses: Then Moses said to the LORD, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people.' But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, 'I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.'13 Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people." 14 And He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." 15 Then he said to Him, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth." 17 So the LORD said to Moses, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name."
18 And he said, "Please, show me Your glory." 19 Then He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."
Ex 34: 29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.
 
To know Christ in the storm of battle ; to know Him in the valley of shadow; to know Him when He as light irradiates our faces, or when they are darkened with disappointment and sorrow; to know the sweetness of his dealing with bruised reeds and smoking flax ; to know the tenderness of His sympathy and the strength of His right hand-all this involves many varieties of experience on our part, but each of them, like the facets of a diamond, will reflect the prismatic beauty of His glory from a new angle.
TO KNOW The power of His resurrection
As soon as the soul is united to Him by a living faith, you begin to know His resurrection power in your life.  the ' power of His Resurrection.'  The power of the life which resides in Christ pours into the receptive spirit, forthwith it rises from the grave of passion in which it had been imprisoned, escapes from the bondage of corruption by which it was held, and goes forth into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Just as the Christ could not be held by the bands of death, so the soul which trusts Him is emancipated, enthused, raised into an altogether new atmosphere, breathes the life of eternity, is thrilled by the powers of the unseen, and meets all appeals from the lower world with an abundance of life, which is impervious to disease, infirmity, and temptation. Just as a really healthy life may pass through micropes of disease, which would effect the overthrow of less vigorous and buoyant health, so the soul which is infilled with the Resurrection power of Christ, is more than a conqueror in the midst of anything.
TO KNOW The fellowship of His Sufferings
The power of His resurrection life may enter and infill, and in the fulness of your joy you will not stay to count the cost of having fellowship with His sufferings. The experience of suffering will, so to speak, be forgotten in the radiancy of your exultation. As the pain of the woman in travail is forgotten amid the joy of bearing a child into the world, so will the keenest suffering seem but a pin-prick compared with the eternal weight of glory.  It is inevitable that if we are to know much of Christ's Resurrection, and in proportion as we know it, we shall drink of the cup of His sufferings. Every step further into the Risen Life will involve some deeper and more poignant pang of pain. Men will misunderstand us, as they misunderstood Him, men will drop away from us and leave us alone, as they left Him, we shall be compelled to stand in the pillory of hatred and rejection.
To stand with Him in the height, will have its counterpart in our being thrust down into the depth ; to have fellowship under the open heaven of God, with the voice of the Father, and the descending Dove, will certainly involve the being driven into the wilderness to meet the full brunt of temptation. But the soul that really loves Christ will not shrink from the ordeal, it will be glad to enter into His sufferings, because it realises that to know these is to know Him. It is absolutely certain that you may judge your heights by your depths, and gauge the amount of Resurrection Power which is within you by the depths of your sympathy with, and understanding of, the Cross of Christ. You may doubt indeed if you have been admitted into the fulness of the one, unless you have gone down into the depths of the other.
TO KNOW  being conformed to His death,  11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
INTENSITY
but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
PAUL REALISED THAT HIS CONVERSION HAD BEEN HIS APPREHENSION BY GOD.- to hear some men speak you would suppose that the initiative in their religious life had come from themselves, that the first approaches towards God emanated from their own hearts, that they were independent of Him until they voluntarily put themselves within the range of His care and help. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The initiative of the religious life does not come from man but from God. The first steps in reconciliation are not on our side but on His. If we seek God it is only because He has been seeking us from early childhood, and has contrived the span of our life.  When a man turns to God, the first thing he God's Love realises is that throughout the wild wanderings of  manhood, even when he has been most stubborn and rebellious, God's love has never ceased to seek him. The true comparison for the soul is not that it is immured in dark galleries, catacombs, out of which it presently seeks to escape, but that God comes into the intricacies of its rebellion and wandering, calling tenderly and earnestly, awakening it from its stupefaction, shedding on fast-closed eyes beams of light to startle the drowsy sleeper, and eliciting by every method in his power a quick response. We love because we were first loved ; we seek because we were sought ; we leave our far country, not only because hunger impels, but because frequent calls from our Father's house tell us that He cannot be at rest until we are again seated at His table. Paul realised that from his earliest hour, God had As it was by been about his path and his ways.
Finally, he recognised that on the day, ever memorable, of his journey to Damascus, the love of God in the Person of Christ had apprehended or seized upon him.
After all, is not this conversion ? We grasp the hand of Christ because He has grasped ours, we are apprehended to live because His hand has been laid upon us in arrest.
'That I may apprehend that for which also I was apprehended by Christ Jesus.'
And now he must press on.  There is intensity on that word.
Hosea 6:1 Come, and let us return to the LORD; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. 2 After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. 3 Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.
Let us press on to know the Lord!
Jeremiah 9: 23 Thus says the LORD: " Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.
 
SIMPLICITY
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
That word calling frequently occurs in the Epistles  'Ye see your calling brethren, how that not many wise, not many mighty, are called.' And again, ' That ye may know what is the hope of His calling' -the hope to which He calls you. And again, ' Who bath called us with a holy calling.' And again, ' Partakers of a heavenly calling.' And again, ' Ye were called in one · hope of your calling' - to which we have been called in the unity of the Spirit. God's Spirit is ever bringing the Divine call to every soul. It is circling around you in the tremulous vibrating air. If only your ears were attuned to it, you would detect the low sweet voice of God, nearer, clearer, stronger, intenser, more thrilling, more eager. The voice of God calls, calls you.
What is God's goal and mark ?
The Apostle, in his early life, was bent on becoming a Rabbi, one of the elders of the people, the chief of the Pharisee party. He was filled with ideals and hopes, which he bad long revolved in his eager mind ; but as he moved towards Damascus, suddenly he beheld the person of Jesus of Nazareth. All his former hopes and goals came to nothing!  He saw the hollowness of being merely a Pharisee ; the formality, the externalism, the inadequacy of the goal which had hitherto inspired his nature.  And now he became inspired with a new purpose so that from that moment he cried, 'I surrender everything ; my hopes, aims, ambitions, my goals-I cast them all away, as a man casts dross, and till I die, it shall be my passionate desire to realise in my own character, day by day, something
of the beauty and glory which I have seen upon the face of the Man of Nazareth. This one thing I do: I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God.' God's voice is calling you to-day to that, to know Him, to love Him better, to know Him more completely.  Men strive to get money, forgetting that there are no pockets in a shroud; the hearse doesn’t come with a trailer for your goods. Some seek for pleasure, forgetting that the pleasures of this world are fading with age; Some strive after fame and supremacy, forgetting that there must come a moment when their remains will lie under six feet of grass, or a small slot in a forgotten wall.  How much land can a man own? A bit six foot long three feet wide and six feet deep, and now, not for that long, before it is resold by the cemetery.
And then this is a high calling because it summons us to where Christ sits at the right hand of God. It compels us to look upward, and set our affections upon things above, not in things on the earth.
This high calling simplifies your life. Is there anything that presses you and disturbs your peace? It will be over soon.  You are heading to a better place.  Is there anything that reminds you of the failures of your humanity? It is being transformed by the high calling of God to know the Lord Jesus.
'This one thing I do.' The Apostle says we must be discontented with what we have attained and intent on the one goal which lies before us. None of us can doubt that success in life is not attained by genius, but by plodding. A man may be swift as Asahel, of fleetest foot, but if he does not set his mind upon a distinct goal he will be outstripped by a man of slower foot, but more resolute purpose. It is not the hare that runs and sleeps, but the tortoise that plods on towards a determined point that wins the race. It is so in business, in art, in war, and in love. Many men are born into the world who are clever at a number of things, but succeed in nothing. There are others 'who concentrate their minds upon one thing and succeed, though they have not half the genius of their competitors. And ' the one thing ' we must set our minds upon, and pursue with unremitting diligence, is  knowing Jesus Christ. And it is good to know that every incident in life may be made to contribute to our high purpose. Every circumstance may be pressed into our service for the attainment of a more Christlike character. Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”
What is the whole purpose of man? To glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.
 If we would press on, we must learn to forget.  We are all tempted to live in the past, to look up at fading laurels which we have gained, as though they could never be equalled or surpassed; to say, ' We shall never do anything so good as that again, never be able to reach quite so high, or realise quite so much ; to paint so fair a picture, to execute so beautiful a statue.' This is fatal. Never rest upon your past attainments ; forget them. Forget the rapture of your first communion ; the earliest addresses and sermons, which you used to feed and rest upon ; the trophies which attended your earliest effort. Do not quote these things as your highest; do not look back, lest, like Lot's wife, you be petrified, and unable to advance.
And do not dwell upon past sin. There may be things in our past of which we are ashamed, which might haunt us, which might cut our resolve or our strength. But if we have handed them over to God in confession and faith, He has put them away and forgotten them. Forget them, and, leaving the past attainments, and the sin which has blackened your record, reach forward to realise the beauty of Jesus. Do not be content with anything less.
' I press toward the mark for the prize.' What Heaven?’  No, Heaven has been won by the merits of the Lord Jesus. A throne ? A crown? No, for these are the gifts of free grace. What, then, is the prize ? God calls us to the goal, the prize to know Christ and to make Him known!
 
With much help from FB Meyer

# posted by Groseys messages @ 10:29 AM

Thursday, June 11, 2026

 

Matt 16. Opinions

Your Opinion Matters by Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey Adrian Rogers said, “Everyone has a right to his own opinion, but no one has a right to be wrong about the facts.” He also said, “Tolerance was once a good virtue, an entitlement to your own opinion. Now, tolerance is an unreasonable thought that all opinions are correct.” Matthew 16:13-19 provides an account of the exchange between Jesus and His disciples about His identity. Opinions varied then as they do today. This passage reveals three ways opinions need to be addressed. Some opinions need to be challenged. Matthew 16:13-14 reads, “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’” Matthew 16 records what is called “the most significant case of mistaken identity in history.” Paul warns about those who erroneously preach “another Jesus” in 2 Corinthians 11:4. Some opinions need to be changed. Matthew 16:15-17 reads, “He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’” Someone explains, “Jesus commends Peter for this revelation, which was divinely inspired, indicating that human understanding alone was insufficient to fully comprehend His identity.” Some opinions need to be championed. Matthew 16:18-19 reads, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’” “This rock” refers to Peter’s confession of Jesus’ true identity, who is the Rock (1 Peter 2:4-8; Acts 4:11-12; and Psalm 118:22) upon whom the church is built (1 Corinthians 3:11). Stephen F. Olford shared the following in a letter dated April 24, 2000, about his book titled, A Time for Truth: “In this book I warn us to not fall prey to the scourge of post-modernism, which denies absolute truth for the subjective assertion that ‘your opinion is no better than my opinion, so let’s agree to differ since there is no absolute truth!’” R.A. Torrey said, “The truly wise man is he who believes the Bible against the opinions of any man. If the Bible says one thing, and any body of men says another, the wise man will decide, ‘This book is the Word of Him who cannot lie.’” “Let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). Charles H. Spurgeon said, “The Word of God is the anvil upon which the opinions of men are smashed.” Your opinion matters! Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, Author of Don’t Miss the Revival! Messages for Revival and Spiritual Awakening from Isaiah and Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice [Both available on Logos and Amazon © June 4, 2026 All Rights Reserved


# posted by Groseys messages @ 9:14 AM

Monday, June 08, 2026

 

When is it right to refuse to pray with someone ?

When it is wrong to pray with someone: Isaiah 1:15 “When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood." We should refuse to pray with someone when: A. They deliberately lie: such as saying “in my quiet time today the reading was..”. Someone had used that line three times in six months with me. Either he hadn’t read his Bible since the start of the year or he was reading thirty chapters a day to get back to the same passage three times in six months (he had already admitted publicly at a men’s breakfast earlier that year that he had not been reading his Bible regularly). This is an Acts 5 situation where Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit. Consent to pray with them is consent to their act of deceit. B. They don’t care about God’s will only about power and control which they choose not to relinquish, “as this gives their life meaning and purpose.” C. They are divisive and oppressive to others. D. They aren’t living according to the principle of prayer in 1 Peter 3:7 ESV - Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. Such prayer together would involve someone in complicity in their sins.


# posted by Groseys messages @ 6:47 PM
 

Child Exploitation Materials

The extensive use of CEM indicates a person has a sexual interest in children given people usually choose the kind of pornography that resembles their sexual interests.171 When a perpetrator is caught with CEM it is often thought they will go onto contact offend when it is most likely they already have. 172

A recent study found 60 per cent of CEM offenders had committed contact sexual offences against children which had not been identified at the time of their arrest.1



qfcc.qld.gov.au


# posted by Groseys messages @ 10:19 AM

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?


Free Hit Counter