[HOME][Catalog] [Up Way Book Catalog][Up Way Tracts Catalog] [Up Way Publications Sunday School Literature] [Up Way publications Selected Sermons Index] [Followers of Jesus Christ Message of the Month] [F J C Disclaimer of Liability] [Up Way Motto Catalog] [What We Believe and Teach] [Apostolic Internet Seminary Information][AIS Registrar] [Image] [Image] [Message of the Month] UP WAY Publications God's Mercy and His Grace Main Menu ___________________________________________________________________________________________ UP WAY Volume 5 No. CATALOG 8 August 22, 2003 What We Believe... This message was first written by Samuel M. Smith July 22, 2003 ©2003 Up Way Publications. Message of the Month this mercy and grace of God and could be seen as condoning Selected Mercy. All through the Old Testament, we have scenes believers continuing in sin because of the exceeding mercy, Sermons showing the exceeding mercy of God. David, the man after grace and love of God. God's own heart, was a mighty warrior who killed many of Talks to the enemy in battle himself, the most famous being Goliath. But while it is very true that God is gracious and Ministers But he also stayed home from one battle he should have merciful, He is hurt when we do things we know displease Apostolic commanded and while at home, he committed multiple sins, Him and are against His will for our lives. Internet some of which were sins for which the penalty was supposed Seminary to be death. He lusted for another man's wife, used his Romans 6:1-4 and Colossians 3 as well as Galatians 3:27 and royal power to commit adultery with her, tried to cover it Colossians 2:20 do give us liberty in Christ Jesus, but E Mail us up by contriving to have her husband come home and sleep also set responsibilities. We are now under the desire of [Image] with her, but when the husband refused, hatched a plan for love rather than the law of punishment and retribution. his murder so he could marry her himself. Yes, we have an Advocate and a High Priest, but He can be Christian offended by our repeated violations of what we know to be Patriotism But God was not blind nor deaf and He knew what David had right. [Disclaimer] done and had a prophet go to him and tell him of his sin. (Continued on Page 2) Being a man who really did love God, David repented sincerely and in sackcloth and ashes instead of adding to About his sin by having the prophet killed. Georgia Out of that experience and realizing the great mercy of [Image] God, we have many Psalms which speak to the mercy and lovingkindness of God. Numerous places in the Psalms, and especially in Psalm 118, he declares of the Lord, "...His mercy endureth forever." I fear that many times we in this present age forget that we are in a different relationship with God than the Old Testament saints. In the Old testament, Jesus had not yet been born to be the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world that I believe Abraham promised Isaac He would provide in Genesis 22:8. In the New Testament, following Jesus sacrificial death, burial, resurrection and ascension as the Lamb of God (See John 1:29 and 35.), the promised Holy Spirit came to baptize and fill believers, empowering us to become new creatures in Christ Jesus with new natures and desires. What we tend to overlook is that while God is still merciful, loving and gracious just as He was in the Old Testament, often "winking at" or overlooking sin, we under the New Covenant have the advantage over our Old Testament counterparts because we have "Christ in you, the hope of glory," and "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature..." We have the Holy spirit to be our Comforter as well as giving us power, "Dunamis" to overcome all Satan's temptations and wiles as well as new desires to love, serve and please our Lord. The thought I want to be sure and carry through is that often we hear preaching about the mercy of God on the one hand and how willing and ready God is to forgive us of sins much as the Apostle Paul feard the readers of Romans chapter 5 would feel, why not sin more so that God's grace and mercy can abound even more toward us. Especially in certain denomimnational circles, most sermons seem to focus almost exclusively on this mercy and grace of God and could be seen as you compromise on anything really [Image] Truth and Presentation! wrong to win a spouse, I do not (Continued from Page 1) recommend compromise on any real UP WAY salvation issue, but serve it Publications nicely on the attractive plate, Main Menu Laurie, Pat Robertson, Oral don't just throw it on the table Roberts and the list could go on or slap them in the face with it! UP WAY and on. Could it be that they CATALOG present the steak on a nicer Genuine Apostolic Christianity plate with more ambiance than we should be like the perfect steak. What We who preach the whole truth? Some Joy unspeakable and full of Believe... of these men really do bring glory. Our desires and enjoyment Message of thousands to a point of believing are those of new creatures in the Month that they are sinners and need Christ Jesus. Jesus promised salvation and the pricked heart that "And ye shall receive power Selected of Holy Spirit conviction, but [dunamis] after thate Holy Ghot Sermons then, instead of instructing the is come upon you..." (Acts 1:8) Talks to new believers as the original and the Apostle Paul, in Romans Ministers Apostles did to "Repent and be 6:4, says, "Therefore we are baptized every one of you in the buried with Him by baptism into Apostolic name of Jesus Christ for the death that like as Christ was Internet remission [forgiveness] of sins, raised up from the dead by the Seminary and ye shall receive the gift of glory of the Father, even so we the Holy Ghost,"(Acts 2:38), they also should walk in newness of E Mail us are instead told that all they life." and in 2 Corinthians 5:17, [Image] have to do to be saved is to says, "Therefore if any man be in "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ Christ, he is a new creature: old Christian and thou shalt be saved...." things are passed away; behold, Patriotism (from Acts 16:31). Since it is all things are become new." These [Disclaimer] much easier to count "success" by scriptures say that our nature is this shorcut method of making changed when we become a new people believe they are instantly creature in Christ. No only will About born-again Christians by just our desires, our "want to" be Georgia believing, this makes for bigger changed, but also, we will have success stories and because it is the power to overcome the wiles [Image] now more or less considered of Satan as well as to bring orthodox, is the most common glory to God through being practice. empowered to do miracles of healing and other desirable and But what can we who preach the joyful things. truth, the real Apostolic Plan of salvation that really brings Sadly, far too many truly Godly deliverance, salvation, healing, Christian parents, even Apostolic peace and joy do to make our pastors, have children who are delivery of that steak more anything but godly. But stop and pleasing and palatable? I analyze. Did you serve their believe we all tend to be too steak of real Apostolic Christian busy to spend the time we should life attractively on their plate spend on our knees in effectual, of life? Have you made holy fervent prayer. I believe we tend living a joyful way of life or to rely too much upon the fact have you presented it as an that we are preaching "the truth" unpleasant duty and obligation? and I am acquainted with many who Did we throw their steak at them feel that even preparation for a or slap them in the face with sermon is unnecessary because if it? they will "open thy mouth wide" the Holy Spirit will fill it with Sometimes we may wring our hands the right words to speak. The and wonder why. After all, we "only Believe" preachers do pray protected our children from and do study their sermons, and seeing ungodly things on TV, many also study the tactics of didn't allow them to wear successful salesmen. clothing considered by the church to be unholy, never let them go So what is the tactic of a to movies or "dress out" in successful salesman? First, he is shorts for physical education, enthusiastic about his product never let them go to the public and the enthusiasm shows through beaches or swimming pools where his speech and actions. Can you they might see someone of the visualize a successful Cadillac opposite sex in scant clothing salesman driving up to take you and lust or be lusted after by to the Cadillac showroom in a others. So why did our children Lincoln? Not likely. Even though go off into sin as soon as they he might use such an ooccasion to were old enough to go out on tell you how much better the their own? Did we slap them in Caddy is than the Linc, use of the face with the steak instead the negative is not a good sales of serving it to them in a tactic in general. Keeping your delicious, delightful manner? thoughts positive only towards the Caddy and not even mentioning The Bible tells us, through the competition unless your Solomon, "Train up a child in the client brings up the subject is way he should go: and when he is much more effective. old, he will not depart from it.Ó (Proverbs 22:6). 'But I DID train Second, the super salesman tries up my child in the way I believed to keep everything positive. He he or she should go and they agrees with the client on still went bad. Was it in their everything he can. If we genes?'' But how did you present Apostolic Christians would that training? Was it served concentrate on agreeing with all attractively, deliciously? the good things other denominations teach and preach That child will be a powerhouse and then share deeper truths as for God whose parents teach them we feel confident and know that the right way and then allow that our hearers have learned to trust child to flex his or her muscles our Bible knowledge and our by doing right when faced with sincerity. Both are critical. the possibility of doing wrong. Both Bible knowledge AND When the right way is presented sincerity are crucial. Even more as delicious, delightful. Yes, critical is that we show the love do allow your child the of Jesus Christ, His real, opportunity to stumble and fall genuine love and caring, His occasionally but you be there compassion. And here is where we then to pick him or her up and who hold the Apostolic truth so teach them by their mistakes. dear so often fail. We are right and we know we are and sometimes So whether you are seeking to win we come off as "know-it-alls" and souls on the street, your it is all too true that "nobody co-workers, friends, neighbors or likes a know-it-all." We MUST relatives, ir even your own share the truth in love. And children, remember that the most this is where agreeing on every joyful truth can be served in an point possible is important. unpleasant manner and instead of bringing a delightful, joyful and Did you win your spouse by victorious life in Christ Jesus, finding every fault you could can be like the "just right" from the start? Not likely. You delicious steak dumped in the lap complimented that person on every instead of served on an point you could find to attractive plate. "Let your light compliment. You agreed on so shine before men, that they everything yhou could agree on may see your good works, and and may even have compromised a glorify your Father which is in few of your lesser areas of heaven." (Matthew 5:16). disagreement for the sake of -- S. M. S. harmony and winning the love and affection of that special someone. Now, just as I do not recommend that Followers of Jesus Christ Ministries Up Way Publications P. O. Box 1015 Kailua, HI 96734-1015 [Image] | Return to UP WAY [Apostolic Internet Seminary] Return to UP WAY CATALOG Go to UP WAYNEWS Main Menu MISSION STATEMENT Selected Sermons What We Talks to Ministers Believe... Message of the Month | ------------------- Followers of Jesus About Georgia [Image] email [Image] Message of the Christ Fellowship Month Index and Archive Other Apostolic web sites: United Pentecostal Assemblies of the Apostolic Church International Lord Jesus Christ Voice [Image] This page best viewed with netscape 4.6 or higher.[Image] [Image] This page last updated 23 June 2003.