THE INNER ROOM - "Learn and Grow - to Maturity". Please read the 1st Post.

[Bondman]

PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY​

MESSAGE #168

DAILY LIVING FOR SERIOUS BELIEVERS

So my apologies to leadership here and to IR people if it seems like I don't know what I'm doing. I actually really don't!! - simply because I've been Jesus (quite unimportant) bond-slave since 1999 and HE runs my life, not me (to the best of my ability, of course; unfortunately no Christian is ever going to get everything perfectly right).

This actually IS the Christian life in the New Testament, isn't it! We come in SUBMISSION to Him; we SURRENDER our lives to the Lord Jesus; we COMMIT our life wholly to Him; we choose to do HIS WILL at all times, not our own. The ONE Who needs to be on the Throne of our Life is JESUS!! He's the only Captain Who can take you safely through uncharted waters of your life!!

Living any less than this is not Biblical Christianity. Living any less than this means we're still struggling to live life our way, and this will be seriously spoiling the work God desperately wants to do:

(a)THROUGH US to others, and

(b) IN US, (cos He loves us so much!) - for He says that we are HIS Workmanship! Ephesians Ch 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. What a wonderful and amazing truth! He is REMAKING and REFASHIONING us - to actually be like the Lord Jesus!!


ONE PROBLEM: WE can BLOCK OFF His work in us! We do this every time we follow our OWN desires and lusts, living how WE want to live!! That is: not PRAYING, not LISTENING to and for His voice, not daily SEEKING for what HE wants for us. We can easily stay as Spiritual babies forever this way!! Wouldn't you prefer to be GROWING? - growing up in Jesus, towards becoming Mature in Him, and becoming a true Man of God and Woman of God. (You CAN!!)

True, it's not easy to reach this point. So few ever do. Only by DETERMINATION and STICKING TO THE PLAN will you reach this goal.

So you can enter heaven a baby or small child - or you can enter heaven fully grown up in Christ. This choice is solely YOURS!

I pray we may all seek for Him more and more to GROW TO MATURITY!!

- BM, with his Lady

MAY HE GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH​

AND GROW YOU TO MATURITY!​

​

 

[Bondman]

High Moral Character

A Buddhist monk in Sri Lanka, who was acquainted with both Christianity and Buddhism, was once asked what he thought was the great difference between the two. He replied, "There is much that is good in each of them, and probably in all religions.

"But what seems to me to be the greatest difference is that you Christians know what is right and have the power to do it, while we Buddhists know what is right but have not any such power."

The monk was right. True freedom is not the right to do as we please. It is the power to do what is right!

 

[Faithwoman]

Whoo hoo! Praises to our Lord! Bondman you are back!!

Man, did I have withdrawal! The Lord showed me while you were gone that I needed to go straight to him with my morning worries. Just like this morning with so many thoughts in my head. Satan was out to destroy, but he will not!

I am thankful and yes I am one of the roomies that God is showing where to go.. God is opening doors and I have to follow that.. still confusing at times.

ok .. got to scoot.. Bus is rolling out at 10 AM.. got to get some breakfast in me.. both physically and spirtiually before I head out.

Love ya! Hi to the Mrs. for me.

Gosh.. having you back has just uplifted my soul.. I mean I was down.. this morning.. but thought I would check the site.. and here ya were!

Praises to our Lord! I feel I can go on now.. yes.. I will not depend on you.. only our Lord.. but your messages keep me seeking and going!

 

[Bondman]

Hon, it's so thrilling to see the things God has done and is doing in your life.

You've allowed Him to put you into where you need to be for ministry, and is showing you how to do this. You're getting more and more of an outlet into writing for Him - which is something I seriously prayed and wanted for you! Thankyou Lord Jesus!!

You go girl!!!

- BM

 

[Fluffy]

Woohoo! We're back in business!
It looks like the Coffee House is closed, unless someone is wiling to take it over. My computer time keeps getting shorter and shorter!
Still praying for ya'll!

 

[Faithwoman]

Woohoo! We're back in business!
It looks like the Coffee House is closed, unless someone is wiling to take it over. My computer time keeps getting shorter and shorter!
Still praying for ya'll!

Fluffy,
Hi there! I had thought about the coffee house, but God has led my writings to writing a newsletter for the local churches and folks that support Care-A-Van Minsitry. I am now able to bring awareness to the community of the needs right here in our own City! How awesome is that! Man we sure had to be patient for God to lead to that! Bondman was so patient with God in that regard. Thanks for all you have done to support, love and encourage me. I will add you to my email list of Care-A-Van news if that is ok!
Hugs!
Robin

 

[Bondman]

Woohoo! We're back in business!
It looks like the Coffee House is closed, unless someone is wiling to take it over. My computer time keeps getting shorter and shorter!
Still praying for ya'll!

Well, prayer is more important than computer time, hey - so I reckon we'll accept that we get to see you only occasionally. (It's always lovely when you are able to drop in tho!)

Praying for you and family!

Blessings, dear one!

- BM

 

[Bondman]

TRUST and PRAYER

I wrote this short and simple piece some time ago, and just came across it again. I’m amazed at how it really brings one back to the BASICS. Hope it may be of some help to you!


Have you ever felt that you TRUSTED God but... He ‘let you down’. I believe that's happened to many of us. So then your trust in Him maybe took a bit of a dive (or maybe even a major dive…) Which obviously is a real shame!

So what was this really all about? What actually happened? FACT: The reason we can trust God is because He is TRUSTWORTHY! – not because of what He does. Or to put that another way: we trust Him because of Who He IS – not because of what He DOES! Big difference, right.

And it's good to always come back to the amazing word God gave to us in Hebrews Ch 11:6a “But without faith it is impossible to please Him.”

So our faith actually PLEASES Him!! Wow, that works for ME!

- BM




EDIT! Just thought of a saying we had years ago that I think kinda fits in with this:

Let God be God!

 

[Bondman]

PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY​

MESSAGE #169

WINNING OVER TEMPTATION

Every one of us cops temptation. This is about the ones when a thing comes into your mind, quite unbidden. Some of these may be called 'human' temptations (like eating chocolate!) Interestingly they'll also respond to the remedies below.

• DEFINING THE PROBLEM

Spiritual temptation to do wrong can be put directly into our mind by satan. He's quite brilliant at doing this, and he WINS so many times. NO NEED FOR THAT TO HAPPEN TO YOU THOUGH!! The process that satan uses and usually succeeds with is:

1. First he throws the temptation into your mind, strongly. And it will be one that he KNOWS you're susceptible to - he's not so stupid as to tempt you to do something that's way outside your personality or experience. Thus... it's SO easy for you to go on to the next step – and the MAJOR problem here is doing this... before you've even realised that you have!!

2. So right here is THE critical moment, because unless you know what to do, you'll find yourself THINKING ABOUT THE TEMPTATION – and straight into satan's trap you go!! At that moment he knows that he's virtually "got" you.

3. Unless you're an incredibly strong-willed person, you will continue on thinking, and so the temptation will get stronger and virtually IMPOSSIBLE to resist, and before you know where you are, you've DONE it! Oh dear...

• IT'S ALL IN OUR MIND...

So what's the answer? I remember my Grandfather saying to me: "You can't stop the birds from flying over your head, but you can stop them nesting in your hair." Good one Gramps! That's the answer - DON'T let it nest in your hair. That is, you have to STOP the temptation at STEP 1. You MUST NOT go on to STEP 2 - or you're gone!! Here's the CRUX of this whole thing: the moment YOU GIVE IN AND THINK ABOUT THE TEMPTATION, then you're ALREADY in sin, or well on the way to it!!!

• STEPS YOU MUST TAKE

Do I hear someone saying that the above is incredibly hard to do? WELL YOU'RE RIGHT!! - so drastic action is required here. Soon as the thought comes, you MUST stop it - right there and then. Here are some practical things I've done in the past and have shared with many others:

1. I will say: "NO WAY!!!" very strongly, and very determinedly!

2. I will follow that up IMMEDIATELY with a further thought, such as, "You can go jump, satan! I'm not biting today!!" Or with a completely DIFFERENT thought: a Scripture, going through what you want to do tomorrow - in fact the WHAT is of no importance really. What you're doing here is TAKING CONTROL AWAY FROM SATAN, BY TAKING YOUR MIND RIGHT OFF THE TEMPTATION!!

3. If it's proving to be a really STRONG temptation or a very PERSISTENT one, then further and serious action is required. For this I may grab a biro and start writing something! (because ACTION is excellent). Or I will start talking to the Lord - WHICH IS PROBABLY WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE RIGHT AT THE START ANYWAY!!!

• WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY DOING

Alright, what's all this about? - it's about moving your mind a million miles from the original thought, THEN KEEPING IT THERE! I've known people to thump the table, start jumping and down, any action whatsoever to "get away" from that temptation!!

Okay, most of that is what we could call 'human activity', but it IS PRACTICAL and it does WORK!! However, TEACHING and TRAINING yourself TO TURN TO THE LORD is ultimately the BEST WAY TO GO - and here's 'my' verse I use for this, which I've shared with you before: James Ch 4:7 Submit yourself therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. I just say to the Lord, "I am submitted to You. I resist the devil, and he WILL flee from me." I relax and let God deal with it! THIS WORKS!!!

- BM, with his Love

ALWAYS GO FOR VICTORY OVER OUR DEFEATED ENEMY!​

​

 

[Fluffy]

Bondman, where are you in relation to this fire in Australia?????
Praying for you and all CFS members that are in that country and for the firefighters and other first responders!

 

[Bondman]

Bondman, where are you in relation to this fire in Australia?????
Praying for you and all CFS members that are in that country and for the firefighters and other first responders!

Fluffy, I knew you'd hear about our shocking fires and be concerned!

We're 3 to 4 days drive from most of the fires. Victoria is a Southern state, New South Wales closer to us. Our large state of Queensland is a Tropical and Sub-Tropical state.

For some reason, every so often these Southern, Temperate Zone States cop days and days of temperatures well into the 40's C, with high winds, and the countryside goes up like a tinder-box. It seems quite bizarre in many, many ways.

And at the same time Northern Queensland - with is 3 to 4 days drive from us in the other direction - is suffering the worst floods in ages, with a vast area declared a disaster zone.

We do live in a continent of extremes, with now and these past days exhibiting the things that the elements can do in our fair land!

Just for comparisons, the island continent of Australia is almost as large as the USA.

Queensland (below - lightest yellow) is our 2nd largest state. Where we live is in Brisbane, our Capital City (marked), in the South of the state. The flooding is way up in the North where you can see Cairns marked on the map. And the total area flooded there is as large as the whole of South Australia (dark greeny-gray)!! That's astonishing, even for Australia!​

The high temperatures and high winds causing the fires have been in Victoria (light green) and the lower part of New South Wales (darker yellow).​

These high temperatures - which have been taking lives just from the extreme heat alone - have been in a vast area stretching from Adelaide (capital of South Australia) across to Melbourne (capital of Victoria) and up to Sydney (capital of New South Wales). ​

"We bring to You Lord, all the people who've totally lost their homes and everything they own, those who've lost loved ones in the fires, those in authority who have to try and sort out this disaster, and all the firies who have fought so hard for days against these massive, out-of-control fires.​

"At a time like this we see how utterly puny we are in the grand scheme of things, and from there how ASTONISHING it is that You would care for each individual one of us who love You and who You loved enough to do all that it took to save us. All we can do is to commit ourselves and this whole situation to You."​

- BM​

EDIT: Authorities say that quite a number of the fires are the work of arsonists (who usually don't get caught). Incredible, isn't it...​

 

[revlynn]

I've posted a thread on the bushfires in the main forum, but for anyone who has not caught up with it there yet the latest figures are: over 130 dead, 750 houses lost, several small communities totally wiped out, 330,000 hectares burned. Major fires are still burning, so these are not final figures. The scale of the devastation is shattering.

blessings,

Lynn

 

[Fluffy]

Oh, Revlynn, you are right in the middle of it all! I am so glad you are alright!

I posted a prayer on your thread, but Bondman doesnt get out much, and I was concerned for him and his lady.

Thank you, Bondman, for that very educational post! Maybe this time, I can remember what part of Australia your in! :}
This fire is so awful. I know, there are several going at this point. But from this perspective, its all one big incident.

Still praying!

 

[Bondman]

Oh, Revlynn, you are right in the middle of it all! I am so glad you are alright!

I posted a prayer on your thread, but Bondman doesnt get out much, and I was concerned for him and his lady.

Thank you, Bondman, for that very educational post! Maybe this time, I can remember what part of Australia your in! :}
This fire is so awful. I know, there are several going at this point. But from this perspective, its all one big incident.

Still praying!

Thanks, hon!

I heard it described today as Australia's greatest peacetime disaster. That's saying a lot considering that Darwin in the Northern Territory (orange on the map) was blown to bits by Cyclone Tracy in 1974 with estimated wind speeds of up to 300km/h (186mph) - but nowhere near the same loss of life, just appalling property destruction.

Hi to RevLynn!

- BM

 

[Bondman]

WE CAN TRUST HIM!!

Psalm Ch 95:3-4 (Amplified Bible)
3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
4 In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights and strength of the hills are His also.

Deuteronomy Ch 10:17-18 (Amplified Bible)
17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe.
18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger or temporary resident and gives him food and clothing.
​

 

[Bondman]

 

[Bondman]

PRACTICAL NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY​

MESSAGE #170

BLESSINGS AND CURSES

THE OLD TESTAMENT

Deuteronomy Ch 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;

This is just one of a number of passages from the Old Testament that refer to blessings and curses. In this particular verse God connects "life and death" with "blessings and curses" and says: CHOOSE LIFE!! Indeed! Who would want DEATH and CURSES?!!

Christians often quote them, but IN CONTEXT the verse is CLEARLY directed to God's people, the Israelites (Jews, Hebrews). It's also from the Old Testament, the OLD Covenant. Our life-guide today as Christian Believers is the New Testament, the NEW Covenant. On both these counts it's clear the THE VERSE HAS NO APPLICATION TO US WHATSOEVER. So please, PLEASE do not quote it, OR any of the other OT verses on blessings and curses. NONE of this is in the New Testament. NONE of this is part of our Christianity in any way.

But curses are real for Unbelievers. So if someone IS under a curse of some kind, where did it come from? A MAN may most certainly have put a curse on another, BUT... did the POWER of the curse come from the MAN? Of course not!!! On this earth, there are just two SOURCES of POWER in the Spiritual realm (which is where curses exist): God and the devil. When a man curses another - where did the power for this come from? The answer is clear as crystal: from our old foe satan/the devil.

God is the One Who brings BLESSING to those who belong to Him, who love Him and obey Him because of this - NOT because of a "Must"! On the other hand, Satan is the one responsible for any CURSES placed on those who belong to him.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

We need to ask then, can a Christian man or woman or child come under, or be under a curse? The answer is a resounding NO!!!

Curses on Christians from satan is NOT ANYWHERE in the New Testament, end of story! We are NOT subject to curses at all. How come this is so? Quite simply because the NT SPELLS OUT for us that Jesus has TAKEN ALL curses upon Himself that could be used against us, and they no longer have any power - so that effectively, for us, they do not exist!!!

Concluded in the next post...

 

[Bondman]

... Concluded from the previous post.

FOUR THINGS TO KNOW - AND LIVE OUT

Galatians Ch 3:13 Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. So please TAKE IN the FOUR wonderful things the Lord is saying to us here:

1) We're redeemed (and thus completely FREE) from curses! This is because 2) Jesus became a curse for us. So that 3) Blessings may come to us Gentiles by the Lord Jesus Christ, and 4) That we should receive the promised Holy Spirit, by faith!

WOW, IF THAT'S NOT ALL FANTASTIC NEWS, then I don't know what is!!! Because of Jesus' ONCE FOR ALL sacrifice instead for, and in place of us, we have NO CURSES - just BLESSINGS from GOD!!!

NO CURSES - YOU'RE FREE!

There are books written about "Generational Curses" and what we should do about them. Please do NOT follow these books - because for us Christian NO CURSES CAN COME UPON US, for in us dwells GOD in all His awesome POWER! We cannot be CURSED by satan's power, any more than we can be POSSESSED by a demon or demons - no matter what TV preachers and other preachers may try to convince you about this.

FACT: I BELONG TOTALLY TO THE LORD GOD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. HE INDWELLS ME AT ALL TIMES!! IN FACT THE BIBLE SAYS THAT MY BODY IS HIS TEMPLE: 1 Corinthians Ch 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? Do you think for one moment that Almighty God through His Spirit IS GOING TO SHARE YOU WITH A DEMON FROM HELL?!! No, NO, NO!!! (The most that demons can do is aim to affect you from OUTSIDE! - and you can beat them on THIS too: see Message #169.)

No CURSES! Just FREEDOM!! John Ch 8:36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. A serious plea to you - for your OWN sake. Please do not quote verses from the Old Testament out of context. Unless they are CONFIRMED and IN HARMONY with the New Testament - our sole source of guidance for living - then do leave them alone! - or at best take GREAT care with them, okay. (There's actually enough in the NT alone to keep you going for the rest of your life!) BE FREE!

- BM, with his Beloved

WE ARE UNDER NO CURSE - JUST HEAVENLY BLESSINGS!​

​

 

[Fluffy]

So, has the wildfires in Australia been contained or put out? I havent heard any more about it on the news!

 

[Bondman]

Definitely not! Our fires in the Southern States are so large, and much of our vast land so unsettled (just great areas of bush), that it's not possible for man with his current means to put them out. We can only aim to use firebreaks, and aerial water-bombing, combined with ground crews, in order to save property and lives. The rest just burns uncontrolled...


The world's driest continent has a long history of fire, and the trees and plants in our bush are not destroyed by fire. In fact the land will regenerate and come back even better after fire. Our aboriginals commonly used fire to create better conditions to hunt and collect food. We have numbers of plants that require FIRE to open very woody larg seed-pods in order to release the seeds, and which may stay unopened on the plant for many years!

You may have read how whole villages and towns got caught because of the speed and ferocity of the blazes. People were burnt in their own homes because it came like an express train without warning. When a fire is so powerful and the heat so great to cause homes to just 'disappear', wow, that is nature at its most destructive.

We have to rely on weather changes to end fires like this - a wind change to help them do die down by blowing them back upon themselves, or to run out of fuel to burn (uncommon I would have thought), or ultimately rain to properly and finally put them out. (One area did have a little rain.)

Without that, this is far from over: there are many fires still burning out of control. Firefighters, understandably, are exhausted, but are still on the job with containment lines to try and protect homes and settlements. However in many areas people have been warned to continue to remain vigilant.