By Missey Butler
Guest Writer
CBN.com -- The month of October is a time when we begin to see and hear the all too familiar haunts of Halloween.
The lovely canopy of autumn begins to tarnish with shadows of a bewitching influence that permeates, as it twists and twines its way around us.
The meaning of the word, “bewitched” is: To attract; to cause to be enamored, as in the casting of a spell over someone or something.
Back in the days of the early church, they too struggled with a notorious “bewitching” problem, one that the Apostle Paul felt the need to address.
We find his rather strong admonishment in the book of Galatians, when he said:
“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? (3:1)"
He of course was referring to the whole “law versus grace” problem. Paul was trying to stress that just as they (the Galatians) had started their Christian walk in the power of the Spirit, so they should be careful to continue to grow by that same grace and power of the Spirit. A subtle shift had gradually started to make its way into the Church. Apparently some of the believers had begun to fall back into “trying” (within their own strength) to keep the Jewish laws.
It is of utmost importance for all of us to remember that we only grow in proportion to God’s work of grace in us by the power of the Spirit.
The Scripture reminds us that it is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord. It is never about following a specific set of rules or attempting to stay justified by mere “mortal” efforts. Those sneaky little “good intentions” that come in the form of: “I’ll do better next time” or, “I’ll never do that again” or, “Maybe if I just pray more, commit more” dialog like that always causes us to end up in utter failure and defeat.
Why? Because we simply cannot keep the Law!
I am convinced that the Holy Spirit’s greatest work in all of us is in teaching us that we can safely trust in the completed atoning work of the cross! We are to fully comprehend the marvelous redemption for our sins, when Jesus breathed those fateful words, “It is Finished.”
What was finished? All human effort! When Christ died upon the cross, we died there with Him! That is to say, all of our humanity died there with Him. And when He ascended into heaven, we ascended with Him! We have been raised to newness of life by our union with Him!
1 Corinthians 6:17 says, "He that is joined to the Lord is one Spirit." Hallelujah! It is no longer we who are walking, but Christ Himself, expressed as you and me.
"I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me ( Galations 2:20, Amp)."
We are simply emptied containers, manifesting the anointed risen Christ for all to see. As we daily walk out this victorious truth, we do it in the face of glaring weaknesses, vulnerabilities and thousands of failures. That’s okay because the more we walk it out by faith, the more we are transformed into His image.
"We know that we have been raised to newness of life by the incorruptible seed of Christ. That we have been set free from all self effort! (No matter what it may look like outwardly!) We have no need to prove anything! Even when we do things we don’t want to do, it is simply another trial of our faith that we can give thanks for and quickly remind ourselves, it is no longer “I” who lives, but Christ living in me (Galatians 2:20)."
As we continue to grow in our understanding, daily stirring up the gift of faith, we more and more realize that we can most assuredly of our own selves do nothing (John 5:30). The challenge before us, than beautifully crystallizes into the simple truth that, "For me to live… is Christ (Philippians 1:21)."
source: CBN - http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/devotions/Butler_Bewitched.aspx?_mid=270627&_rid=270627.2001.814
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Church bombed in Ukraine
by Staff
October 28, 2009
(christiansunite.com) - In the early morning of October 14, a crude homemade bomb was thrown into the Calvary Chapel church building in Kaharlyk, Ukraine.
The building is also the residence of Pastor Wayne Zschech and his family. At approximately 7:00 a.m., Pastor Zschech's wife awoke to the smell of smoke. Fire officials were called to the scene where they put out the blaze, which caused minor damage to the building.
The six people asleep in the church at the time of the attack escaped without injury. The assailants spray painted "Out with Sects" and "OYH," an abbreviated name for a Ukrainian Nationalist movement, on the church wall.
Pastor Zschech later stated, "We pray that the Lord would call people to salvation and that He would build up His body. We rejoice in being chosen worthy to suffer for the sake of our Lord and His Gospel. We do also pray for safety but hold this prayer out with open hands." For more details on this story, visit Pastor Zschech's blog at www.wayne.calvarychapelkaharlyk.org.
Thank God that no one was hurt in this attack. Pray that the perpetrators of this attack will be brought to justice and come to faith in Christ.
source: http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion08676.shtml
October 28, 2009
(christiansunite.com) - In the early morning of October 14, a crude homemade bomb was thrown into the Calvary Chapel church building in Kaharlyk, Ukraine.
The building is also the residence of Pastor Wayne Zschech and his family. At approximately 7:00 a.m., Pastor Zschech's wife awoke to the smell of smoke. Fire officials were called to the scene where they put out the blaze, which caused minor damage to the building.
The six people asleep in the church at the time of the attack escaped without injury. The assailants spray painted "Out with Sects" and "OYH," an abbreviated name for a Ukrainian Nationalist movement, on the church wall.
Pastor Zschech later stated, "We pray that the Lord would call people to salvation and that He would build up His body. We rejoice in being chosen worthy to suffer for the sake of our Lord and His Gospel. We do also pray for safety but hold this prayer out with open hands." For more details on this story, visit Pastor Zschech's blog at www.wayne.calvarychapelkaharlyk.org.
Thank God that no one was hurt in this attack. Pray that the perpetrators of this attack will be brought to justice and come to faith in Christ.
source: http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion08676.shtml
Israel: Hizballah rearmed in southern Lebanon, despite UN force
A top Israeli army official on Wednesday told The Jerusalem Post that Hizballah has managed to set up an arms cache in just about every village in southern Lebanon, despite the presence of more than 10,000 UN peacekeepers tasked with preventing the group's rearmament.
The official said that while the UN force has done an adequate job of not allowing Hizballah to operate in the open, the peacekeepers have demonstrated that they dare not enter local villages, where they are viewed and treated with hostility. As a result, Hizballah has been free to set up bases in nearly every small town and village, putting its weapons well within range of Israel.
That assessment came just a day after a missile fired from southern Lebanon hit the outskirts of the northern Israel town of Kiryat Shemonah. Four more missiles were found at the launch site, located in a small Lebanese village just miles from the Israeli border.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=19861
The official said that while the UN force has done an adequate job of not allowing Hizballah to operate in the open, the peacekeepers have demonstrated that they dare not enter local villages, where they are viewed and treated with hostility. As a result, Hizballah has been free to set up bases in nearly every small town and village, putting its weapons well within range of Israel.
That assessment came just a day after a missile fired from southern Lebanon hit the outskirts of the northern Israel town of Kiryat Shemonah. Four more missiles were found at the launch site, located in a small Lebanese village just miles from the Israeli border.
source:http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=19861
'US better act before Israel attacks Iran'
US congressional leader Dan Burton (R-IN) told the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday that if the US does not get serious about stopping the Iranian nuclear program, it is going to have to deal with a Middle East in flames as the result of a preemptive Israeli strike on the Islamic Republic.
Burton noted that after years of international diplomatic efforts, Iran is still enriching uranium with the expected intention of building a nuclear weapon. This, warned Burton, Israel cannot and will not allow to continue past a certain point.
If Washington does not want the much larger task of calming a Middle East embroiled in war, it should get more serious about the comparatively smaller task of strong-arming the Iranian regime into giving up its nuclear quest, Burton implied.
The congressman's warning echoed that of French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday, when he told London's Daily Telegraph that Israel "will not tolerate an Iranian bomb," and will eventually attack Iranian nuclear facilities if the international community fails to come up with another solution.
source: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=19863
Burton noted that after years of international diplomatic efforts, Iran is still enriching uranium with the expected intention of building a nuclear weapon. This, warned Burton, Israel cannot and will not allow to continue past a certain point.
If Washington does not want the much larger task of calming a Middle East embroiled in war, it should get more serious about the comparatively smaller task of strong-arming the Iranian regime into giving up its nuclear quest, Burton implied.
The congressman's warning echoed that of French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Monday, when he told London's Daily Telegraph that Israel "will not tolerate an Iranian bomb," and will eventually attack Iranian nuclear facilities if the international community fails to come up with another solution.
source: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=19863
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