16 False Hope & Be Reconciled To God sermons

Matt 7:13-20+var - 16 False Hopes That Will Send Many People To Hell-Kevin Williams -68 min


Matt 5:21-26 -Be Reconciled To God, Settle With Him Out Of Court Before The Judgement-Kevin Williams -51 min

The Evil of Mistaking Preaching for Prayer! ~Charles Spurgeon

"Beware of the evil of mistaking preaching for prayer. The friends who were reputed to be ‘gifted’ indulged themselves in public prayer with a review of their own experience, a recalling of their creed, an occasional running commentary upon a chapter or Psalm, or even a criticism upon the Pastor and his sermons. It was too often quite forgotten that the brother was addressing the divine Majesty, before whose wisdom a display of our own knowledge is impertinence, and before whose glory an attempt at swelling words and pompous periods is little short of profanity; the lecture was evidently intended for man rather than God, and on some occasions did not contain a single petition from the beginning to end. We hope that good men are leaving this unhallowed practice, and are beginning to see that sermons and doctrinal dissertations are miserable substitutes for earnest wrestling prayers, when our place is before the mercy-seat, and our engagement is intercession with the Most High. If each person will offer the petition most pressing upon his heart by the Holy Spirit, and then make room for another, the evening will be far more profitable, and the prayers incomparably more fervent than if each brother ran round the whole circle of petition without dwelling on one point. Compare your topics of prayer to so many nails; it will be better for an intercessor to drive one nail home with repeated blows, than to deal one ineffectual tap to them one after another. Let as many as possible take part in the prayer of the church’s desires; the change of voice will prevent weariness, and the variety of subjects will excite attention. Better to have six pleading earnestly, than two drowsily; far better for the whole meeting that the many wants should be represented experimentally by many intercessors, than formally by two or three." ~Charles Spurgeon

Pray At Prayer Meetings Not Lecture Expositions ~C.H. Mackintosh

"Often our prayers are more like orations than petitions-more like statements of doctrine than utterances of need! It seems, at times, as though we meant to explain principles to God, and give Him a large amount of information. These are the things which cast a withering influence over our prayer meetings, robbing them of their freshness, their interest, and their value. Those who really know what prayer is-who feel its value, and are conscious of their need of it, attend the prayer meeting in order to pray, not to hear lectures and expositions from men on their knees. If they want lectures, they can attend at the lecture hall or the preaching room; but when they go to the prayer meeting, it is to pray. To them, the prayer meeting is the place of expressed need and expected blessing- the place of expressed weakness and expected power…Not infrequently it happens that what we call prayer is not prayer at all, but the fluent utterance of certain known and acknowledged truths and principles, to which one has heard so often that the reiteration becomes tiresome in the extreme. What can be more painful than to hear a man on his knees explaining principles and unfolding doctrines? The question forces itself upon us, “Is the man speaking to God, or to us?” If to God, surely nothing can be more irreverent or profane than to attempt to explain things to Him; but if to us, then it is not prayer at all and the sooner we rise from the posture of prayer the better, inasmuch as the speaker will do better on his legs and we in our seats... Some of us seem to think it necessary to make one long prayer about all sorts of things-many of them very right and very good, no doubt-but the mind gets bewildered by the multiplicity of subjects. How much better to bring one object before the throne, earnestly urge it, and pause so that the Holy Spirit may lead out others, in like manner to pray, either for the same thing or something else equally definite. Long prayers are often very wearisome." ~C.H. Mackintosh

Are you Struggling Against Sin or a Slave of Sin? Tim Conway

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Be Unto Your Name (We are a moment, You are forever)

When It's All Been Said and Done

Winter

Gen 4:1-16 - Cain & Abel, The First Apostate & Martyr-Kevin Williams

The marks and way of Cain, verses the better sacrifice of Abel.

The warning signs of apostasy. If you have them in any way repent.

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Gen 4:1-16 - Cain & Abel, The First Apostate & Martyr-Kevin Williams -69 min

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Leonard Ravenhill Biography: In Light of Eternity

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Are You Free From The Blood Of People You Know? ~Charles Spurgeon

"There was a neighbour of yours—you were on speaking terms with him but you talked not to him about his soul—he is dead. He is gone—his blood cries to God against you! You have relations, relations to whom you could speak with familiarity. You have talked to them of business. You have befriended them, perhaps, in their needs, but you have never said a word to them about escaping from Hell and fleeing to Heaven. When you shall hear the mournful news that they have departed this life—will not their blood cry against you from the ground where they are buried?

You work, young man, in an establishment where you are somewhat respected, and, without intrusiveness you might often say a good word for your Master, but you do not. The blood of your fellows shall cry against you if they perish! Do not think the minister is the only man who is responsible for souls? God has made you all watchmen. All of you, in your spheres, are to be watchers for the souls of men. And, “If the watchman warns them not,” says the Lord, “they shall perish but their blood will I require at the watchman’s hands.”

Oh, it is enough to make us Christians ashamed to think how sinners will confess their god! Hear them at night as they reel home through the streets! They are not ashamed of their lord and master. Hear how they swear and defy Heaven! They are ashamed of nothing for their lord. And yet we, who have Heaven for our reward, and such a Christ to serve, and One so good and gracious to us—look at us—look at us! What poor lovers of our Saviour are we! What poor lovers of the souls of men! I know this is not true of all of you, for there are some of you who love men’s souls. I have delighted to see in many of you that deep earnestness which makes you yearn for the conversion of others. You will sometimes take your stand at the corner of the street, and though you cannot speak as you would, yet, the tears running down your cheeks prove your earnestness.

There are many women among you, too, who have spoken a good word for Christ in strange places, and have never been ashamed of Him. But oh, there are some of you, the members of this Church, over whom the angels of glory might weep, for what do you do for Christ? What do you give to Christ? You are content to go to Heaven, ourselves, but you let your neighbours perish for lack of knowledge...

I do not know whether I have seized hold of any of your consciences, but if I have, may God the Holy Spirit get such a grip of you that He may never let you rest till you say, “Great God, in Your name I will do something, that the next time I hear the bell toll I may be able to say, ‘I did what I could for that man and if his soul has perished, his blood does not lie at my door, for I did tell him the way of salvation, I did exhort him to flee from the wrath to come.’ ” I am afraid none of us are altogether guiltless here. We must all take some degree of sin to our own consciences. I fear against everyone of us, to some extent, the voice of our brother’s blood cries unto Heaven because of our sloth." ~Charles Spurgeon

Interceding in Prayer - Tim Conway (Bible Study)

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A bible study focusing on intercession. Are you interceding for others when you pray?

Ephesians 6:18 - praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Is Facebook Keeping You From Prayer? Ryan Skinner

The infinite ocean of Christ's love - Octavius Winslow (8 min video)

See also: 2 Comforting AUDIO Sermons - Octavius Winslow, A Look From Christ & Leaning on The Beloved

By The Obedience Of One -Kevin Williams

The 3 great imputations of Scripture in the glorious Gospel:

-Adam's sin imputed to all people.

-The believers guilt imputed to Christ

-The righteousness (obedient life) of Christ imputed to the believer

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Rom 5:18-19 - By The Obedience of One-Kevin Williams -69 min

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Will You Trust In Christ Or Yourself (6 min video) David Luciano

Some are trusting in their performance to perform well in not looking at self but at Christ, but they are still looking at their performance to not look at self and not resting in the performance of Christ. It is amazing the wickedness that prideful man will do to try to find rest on their own abilities. You will hurt and beat your head to death but you must give up!


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David was in the I'll Be Honest videos Hopeless Without Christ, Don\'t Play Games yet David himself was still lost and a hypocrite. David finally gave up on himself and trusted in the finished work of Christ a couple of months ago. All Glory to God!

Pictures In The Snow

Prov 6-Be Diligent & Not A Sluggard-Kevin Williams

Fri night Bible Study through Proverbs.
6 things the Lord hates, 7 are an abomination to Him.
Being diligent in all we do and making good use of our time.
Not making promises we cannot keep.

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Prov 6 - Prov 6-Be Diligent & Not A Sluggard-Kevin Williams -62 min

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Jesus Has No Quarrel With His Spouse -Charles Spurgeon

HT: Thoughts on the Way.

"There is no spot in thee." Song of Solomon 4:7

"Having pronounced his Church positively full of beauty, our Lord confirms his praise by a precious negative, "There is no spot in thee." As if the thought occurred to the Bridegroom that the carping world would insinuate that he had only mentioned her comely parts, and had
purposely omitted those features which were deformed or defiled, he sums up all by declaring her universally and entirely fair, and utterly devoid of stain. A spot may soon be removed, and is the very least thing that can disfigure beauty, but even from this little blemish the believer is delivered in his Lord's sight. If he had said there is no hideous scar, no horrible deformity, no deadly ulcer, we might even then have marvelled; but when he testifies that she is free from the
slightest spot, all these other forms of defilement are included, and the depth of wonder is increased. If he had but promised to remove all spots by-and-by, we should have had eternal reason for joy; but when he speaks of it as already done, who can restrain the most intense emotions of satisfaction and delight? O my soul, here is marrow and fatness for thee; eat thy full, and be satisfied with royal dainties.

Christ Jesus has no quarrel with his spouse. She often wanders from him, and grieves his Holy Spirit, but he does not allow her faults to affect his love. He sometimes chides, but it is always in the tenderest manner, with the kindest intentions: it is "my love" even then. There is no remembrance of our follies, he does not cherish ill thoughts of us, but he pardons and loves as well after the offence as before it. It is well for us it is so, for if Jesus were as mindful of injuries as we are, how could he commune with us? Many a time a believer will put himself out of humour with the Lord for some slight turn in providence, but our precious Husband knows our silly hearts too well to take any offence at our ill manners." -C. H. Spurgeon

See also: Song of Solomon Sermon Series- Kevin Williams (Our Current Series)

THE ONE WHO TAKES MY SON GETS IT ALL! (Gospel Tract)

(The current Gospel tract we are using in our evangelism):

There was a famous painter who had a son. Father and son often painted together and were each other's inspiration. When World War I erupted, the son was sent to fight in the war, and was killed. When the father heard of his son's death, he was distraught, the grief tearing him into a thousand pieces. He became a shell of his former self and spent years limping through life.

One day the father heard a knock at the door and opened to find a young soldier standing there who, breaking out in tears said, "Sir, I am the reason your son died."
The father replied, "Well, what do you mean?"
The soldier said, "I was in front of a rifleman, and as the gun went off your son threw himself in front of me and died in my place. I am so sorry, but I want you to know that I esteem your son above all things and all people." He continued, "Look sir, I always wanted to learn to draw, and while we were in the foxholes your son tutored me. I know you're a famous painter and I'm just beginning to learn, but I painted this picture of your son and he means so much to me that I would really appreciate it if you would take this picture."
The father said, "Of course I will!" So the father took the painting of his son and, despite its crudeness, framed it in the best frame he could find and gave it the centre place in his gallery.

A few years later the father died and all the great art dealers of the world came to his house excitedly, hoping to buy from his great collection. The auctioneer said, "The auction shall begin and it shall begin with this piece." The piece was unveiled, revealing the soldier's painting of the great painter's son.
Everyone laughed and scoffed, and some even got angry, saying, "Look, we didn't come across the ocean to have jokes played on us! We didn't come here to bid on this nonsense! Get this out of the way and let the real auction begin!"
But then came a voice from the back; the voice of the young soldier. "Sir, I only have a soldier's pay, but that painting means more to me than anything upon the face of the earth. That was his son, and he died for me. I've only got eight pounds here and a few pence, but I'll give everything. Don't throw the painting away, give it to me. I'll work, I'll do anything, just please give me the painting."
It was then that the auctioneer struck down the gavel and said, "Sold, for eight pounds!"
Everyone sighed with relief and said "Finally, now let's get on with the auction."
But the auctioneer slammed down the gavel once more and said "This auction is over!"
"What! How can it be over?" exclaimed the art dealers.
And the auctioneer stood back and said "I shall now read the last will and testament of the father." He opened the paper and read:
"THE ONE WHO TAKES MY SON GETS IT ALL."

"And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life [eternal]; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. ." (1 John 5:11-12) Do YOU have the Son?

Most people have read on a Christmas card the verse: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" (Isa 9:6). But have you ever stopped to think what it means? This child born in a manger in Bethlehem is "The mighty God" Himself. Jesus is the "everlasting Father" of time; He created time and the world (Col 1:16). He is "everlasting" and has always existed. Jesus is "The Prince of Peace." and so the only way that you will have true life and lasting peace in your heart is to surrender your life to "The Prince of Peace" who desires for you to know Him.

When YOU stand alone before God on Judgement Day the determining factor will be: what did you do with His Son?
Jesus said "that all should honour the Son even as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who sent Him" (John 5:23). To honour is to respect, pay homage to, worship, revere, and Jesus said you must honour Him even as God the Father. Anyone who fails to honour Jesus as their God is dishonouring God the Father and will not enter Heaven.

THERE IS HOPE. Even though "we have turned every one to his own way" (Isa 55:6), God the Father so loved us that He sent His glorious and everlasting Son into the world "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10) Jesus entered into His own creation and as part of God's predetermined plan, the sinless Saviour suffered and died upon a cross to pay the penalty in full for the sins of those who will trust in Him. The Bible says: "He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed " (Isa 55:5).

As an old hymn goes:
Died He for me, who caused His pain
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?"

After perfectly satisfying the wrath of God on our behalf, Jesus rose from the dead and He, at this time, offers YOU COMPLETE PARDON FOR ALL YOUR SIN and THE FREE GIFT OF EVERLASTING LIFE. No amount of doing rituals, good works or trying to clean up your life can make you right with God. To be reconciled to God forever, YOU MUST CEASE from trying to earn your own way to Heaven and rest in that Jesus has done it all, that He has finished the work. As an old hymn goes "My sin, not in part but the whole [all of it], Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more.". Jesus said: "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest... learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS." Mat 11:28-29

----By Kevin Williams, Garrett Holthaus, and Painter's Son story by Paul Washer from an adaption of a previous story (author unknown)

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Are You Clothed With Power? By Paul Washer (excerpt)

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Chosen To Believe -Kevin Williams (Bible Study Tue- Chapel-en-Frith)

In this Bible Study:
-What does it mean to eat of Jesus' flesh and drink His blood in John 6?
-Can someone lose their salvation?
-What does it mean to "come to" Jesus?
-The truth of election, that God chooses who will believe and be saved.

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John 6:30-71 - Chosen To Believe-Kevin Williams -72 min (Chapel-En-Frith Bible Study)

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Is My Pastor Not Preaching Well or am I Not Listening Well? -Ask Pastor Tim Conway

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See also: Is Being Part of a Local Church Important? Don Johnson

Judges pt 2-Model For Prayer & Defeating Sins Like Iron Chariots-Kevin Williams

Sun afternoon devotional Bible Study (Sun mornings sermon Sol pt 28-The Altogether Beautiful Bride-Kevin Williams is HERE)

We continue our short devotional Bible Study through the Book of Judges (Listen to part 1 HERE)
-How to pray.
-Gaining Victory of those sins that seem like iron chariots
-The difference between a besetting sin that a believer is struggling against and 'a favourite sin' that someone is treasuring and making excuses for
-Winning the victory for others through prayer

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Judges 1:9-22 - Judges pt 2-Model For Prayer & Defeating Sins Like Iron Chariots-Kevin Williams -28 min

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Sol pt 28-The Altogether Beautiful Bride-Kevin Williams

Christ is enraptured with delight and is filled with excitement and joy as He describes how beautiful He finds those who trust Him.

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Sol 4:1-7 - Song of Sol pt 28-The Altogether Beautiful Bride-Kevin Williams -53 min

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Watch Our Meeting Live via Ustream 11AM (UK Time)+ afternoon Bible Study

You can watch our Sunday meeting LIVE on ustream. 11AM UK Time.
On this link:
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Judges pt 2. Devotional Bible Study.

Prov 5-Keep Far From The Strange Woman-Kevin Williams

Continuing our Friday night Christ-centred Bible Study through Proverbs
-Keeping far from sexual sin
Do not despise this instruction.

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Prov 5 - Prov 5-Keep Far From The Strange Woman-Kevin Williams - 66 min

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Judges pt 1-The Least Of Your Brother's Help In Battle -Kevin Williams - 24 min

A short devotional Bible Study (24 min) given after tonight's prayer meeting, beginning the book of Judges (the same passage was also taught in our mornings family devotion).
From Judges 1:1-8
-The Christian must actively go to battle against sin.
-The Christian fights from a position of victory, but nevertheless there is still a fight.
-In fighting against sin and temptation, the Christians must seek the Lord for help, in His Word and in prayer AND also seek the help from other believers, bearing one anothers burdens.
-Sin tries to incapacitate the believer, but we must be radical and incapacitate sin. Don't be content with half a victory, be radical, go to war!

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Judges 1:1-8 - Judges pt 1-The Least Of Your Brother's Help In Battle-Kevin Williams - 24 min

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He Who Won't Help His Brother Is A Murderer - Kevin Williams (5 min excerpt)

-When the Bible says "he who hates his brother is a murderer" the Bible defines hatred as seeing a brother in your church in need, but refusing to help them when you are able to do so.
-When people withdraw themselves from a Biblical church and other believers they withdraw themselves from Christ.


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Sol 3:6-11 - Song of Sol pt 27-The Valiant Carriage Of Love-Kevin Williams -67 min

My Hiding Place (song)

Recognizing God's Providence in Life by Mack Tomlinson

"You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit." - Job 10:12

What a great mercy it is from the Lord to have the right perspective about our lives. When a person doesn't have that, they cannot understand or appreciate all that has been done for them by a sovereign and gracious God. Neither can they have a thankful and gracious heart. The bigger perspective is huge and very important. 

It is a humbling and heart-moving reality to step back and look at your journey until now, and then be able to say, "Lord, it is You who gave me life; You have shown me kindness, and in Your providence every moment of every day You have watched over my spirit."

How good is the God we adore--a faithful, unchangeable Friend; let us continually rehearse, as Job did, God's sovereign and intimate rule in all of life.

- Mack Tomlinson

Death Is Coming Turn To Christ -Kevin Williams (open-air preaching Manchester)

Sol pt 27-The Valiant Carriage Of Love-Kevin Williams

Continuing our Christ centred Song of Solomon series:

The love Christ has for His church as it journey's through this world onto it's triumphant entry into Heaven.
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Sol 3:6-11 - Song of Sol pt 27-The Valiant Carriage Of Love-Kevin Williams -67 min

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Unworthy To Wear A Crown In His Presence

"The whole redeemed of God Rev 4:10, "cast their crowns before the throne" Acknowledging that they are unworthy to wear them in His presence" WilliamsKevin Twitter

Will God Throw You Into Hell? By Tim Conway (parable of the net)

"When you've been around people a long time you can tell the difference between religious church goers and those who love Christ"~Tim Conway
Excerpt: Will God Throw You Into Hell? By Tim Conway (19 min)

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Full sermon:The Parable of the Net - Tim Conway.

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Matthew 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Bible Study-Cultivating Assurance -Kevin Williams

-Every Christian is commanded to and has the responsibility to cultivate their assurance of salvation. We look at how we are told to do this.
-The Word of God is sufficient to give full assurance of salvation.
-The importance of trusting in the Word of God despite how you feels.
-We must encourage one another by pointing them to trust in the promises of God's Word.

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2 Pet 1:1-10 - Bible Study-Cultivating Assurance-Kevin Williams -80 min

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(excerpt) You Have No Excuse Not To Come To Christ & Be Saved-Kevin Williams

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Isa 55:1-9 - You Have No Excuse Not To Come To Christ & Be Saved-Kevin Williams -53 min

How Christ Ended the Animal Sacrifices - Matt Haney

"Can you imagine a priest in the Old Testament going up and taking a passover lamb and offering it up and saying, as it's being slaughtered, "It is finished! No more worry about sin, God has provided a total salvation in this one lamb"?
No high priest could ever say that. Why? Because he knew he was going to have to get up the next day right after the passover and offer the morning lamb and at twilight offer the twilight lamb. He could never say it is finished. Only Jesus Christ from the cross could say "It is finished!" And what was He saying? He was saying, My sacrifice on the cross is the only sacrifice needed to forgive sin. He's saying this: Nothing more needs to be added to this sacrifice. When Jesus Christ said in John 19:30 "It is finished!" when He was dying on that cross, He is saying nothing needs to be added. Now when something is finished the one thing you never wanna do is add something to it. If you're familiar with the Mona Lisa, it's a very famous painting by Leonardo Da Vinci. Now imagine if I went up to his famous painting and it was in an art museum and I walked up and said "You know this is a finished complete work, but I want to add to it. Adding is always a good thing right?" And so I get out my paints and my brush and I start adding my own brushstrokes to that finished work. Now am I improving that work? Or am I desecrating it? Desecrating it... that's what sinners do when they try to come to God NOT on the finished work of Jesus Christ, but I am going to come yes with the cross in one hand but with something else in the other hand [spiritual experience, works, baptism, sinners prayer, tongues etc]... You can't bring some supernatural experience to the table and say "I'm saved because of this"." ~Matt Haney

quote from sermon: How Christ Ended the Animal Sacrifices-Matt Haney

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See also: 16 False Hopes That Will Send Many People To Hell -Kevin Williams
& also: Mat 24 - Bible Study -2nd Coming -Kevin Williams

Filled With The Holy Spirit #4 Are Your Hands Clean? -Tim Conway

Are you praying for God to send His spirit, yet have known sin in your life?
The need to pray and pray.
The essentialness of the prayer meeting.

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Assurance of Faith by Andrew Murray

"Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God,and being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform" Romans 4:20,21.

"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and truth. Hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him" 1 John 3:18,19.

"And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He bath given us" 1 John 3:24.

Every child of God needs the assurance of faith--the full certainty of faith--that the Lord has received him and made him His child. The Holy Scriptures always speak to Christians as those who know that they are redeemed and as those who know they are now children of God and have received eternal life. How can a child love or serve his father while he is uncertain whether his father will really acknowledge him as a child? We have already spoken on this point in a previous chapter--but often, by ignorance or distrust, a Christian again comes into darkness. For this reason, we will now deal with it once again with a set purpose.

Scripture names three things by which we have our certainty. First, there is faith in the Word. After that, there are works. And then, in and with both of these, there is the Holy Spirit.

First, faith in the Word. Abraham is to us the great example of faith and of the assurance of faith. And what then says the Scripture about the certainty that he had? He was fully assured that what God had promised He was also able to perform. His expectation was only from God, and what God had promised. He relied upon God to do what He had said. The promise of God was for him his only, but sufficient, assurance of faith.

There are many young Christians who think that faith in the Word is not sufficient to give full assurance. They would gladly have something more. They imagine that assurance--a sure inward feeling or conviction--is what is given above or outside of faith. This is wrong. As I have need of nothing more than the word of a trustworthy man to give me complete certainty, so must the Word of God be my assurance. People err because they seek something in themselves and in their feeling. No, the whole of salvation comes from God. The soul must not be occupied with itself or its work, but with God. He who forgets himself to hear what God says, and to rely on His promise as something worthy of credit, has the fullest assurance of faith. He does not doubt the promises but is strong in faith. He gives God the glory and is fully assured that what was promised, God is also able to perform.

Then the Scripture also names works--by unfeigned love we will assure our hearts. Carefully observe this--assurance by faith in the promise, without works, comes first. The godless man who receives grace knows this only from the Word. But then, later on, assurance is to follow from works. "By works was faith made perfect" (James 2:22). The tree is planted in faith, without fruits. But when the time of fruit arrives, and no fruit appears, then I may doubt. At the outset, the more clearly I hold the assurance of faith on the Word alone--without works--the more certainly works will follow.

And both assurance by faith and by works come by the Spirit. A child of God has the heavenly certification that he is the Lord's. This comes, not by the Word alone, and not by works as something that he does himself, but by the Word as the instrument of the Spirit and by works as the fruit of the Spirit.

Let us believe in Jesus as our life and abide in Him, and assurance of faith will never be lacking in us.

Father, teach me to find my assurance of faith in a life with You, in a cordial reliance upon Your promises, and in cordial obedience to Your commands. Let Your Holy Spirit also witness with my spirit that I am a child of God. Amen.

-Andrew Murray