The Spiritual Birth

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
	Podcast: Play in New Window | Download To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.


John 3:34
For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.

Eternal Life

John 3:14-21
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.” 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

We Must Believe

Believe - who cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him Cleave - to adhere firmly, closely, loyally and unwaveringly

Trust - assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something one in which confidence is placed

Rely - to be dependent, to have confidence based on knowledge

Love Gives Sacrificially

Because God loved he gave his very best.

He didn’t come to condemn the world but to save the world.

If you don’t believe you “stand condemned already”.

Come into the Light

Followers of Jesus will come into the light, exposing their weakness, sin, humanity, and failings. Jesus loves us exactly the way we are but loves us too much to leave us this way! His desire for us is for us to manifest or express his kingdom through our lives.

1 John 1:6
If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

Seeing and Entering the Kingdom of God

John 3:3-8
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Signs equated to the Kingdom of God

John 3:2,3
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Born of Water

Water Baptism is a symbol of the death burial and resurrection of Jesus and when we get water baptized we are saying we are dying to our old man and going to live for Christ. Gal 2:20. It’s a covenant ceremony.

Born of the Spirit

Like the Wind

John 3:8
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

Elijah is our Old Testament example of a man led by the spirit.

1 Kings 18:11-15
11 But now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ 12 I don’t know where the Spirit of the Lord may carry you when I leave you. If I go and tell Ahab and he doesn’t find you, he will kill me. Yet I your servant have worshiped the Lord since my youth. 13 Haven’t you heard, my lord, what I did while Jezebel was killing the prophets of the Lord? I hid a hundred of the Lord’s prophets in two caves, fifty in each, and supplied them with food and water. 14 And now you tell me to go to my master and say, ‘Elijah is here.’ He will kill me!” 15 Elijah said, “As the Lord Almighty lives, whom I serve, I will surely present myself to Ahab today.”

Sixty eight times the phrase “Kingdom of God” appears in the New Testament.   Fifty six times or approximately 80% of the time, the phrase refers to the establishment of a Kingdom in the present that’s near or a kingdom in the heart, right here right now. Approximately 20% of the time, the phrase refers to a Heavenly Kingdom or the Millennial reign of Christ, a future kingdom.

Luke 17:20,21
20 Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, 21 nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”

Matthew 12:28
But if it is by the Spirit of God that I drive out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Jesus cast out spirits because his Kingdom is superior to the kingdoms of this world. Demons are of this world and are subject to the superior kingdom in the same way a corporal will take orders from a General, unclean spirits had to submit to the authority of the king of the kingdom of God.

That same King, if ruling and reigning in our hearts will deputize us with authority to do the very work he did.

John 14:12
12 Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

Romans 14:17
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, The Kingdom of God is expressed wherever Jesus Christ rules the hearts and minds of his subjects. When the believer exhibits self rule they will not express the kingdom.

The challenge today is to come up to the level of being a kingdom man or a kingdom woman. If you believe in Jesus you are saved according to the Word of God. However, there is a lot of work to do until we meet him face to face. Let’s fight the good fight of faith, believing to become kingdom manifesters, kingdom expressers. Let’s allow the king of the kingdom to touch lives through us.
 

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church 45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
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Whatever Happened to the Polarizing Jesus?

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.
Matthew 10:34-39
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father,     a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law— 36     a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’[c] 37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Polarizing - to break up into opposing factions or groupings.

It would seem that many in the Church today, in an effort to keep or attract large crowds, would avoid polarizing truth due to it’s nature. However, Jesus, the one we’re all following embraced and dove head first into speaking and living a life that polarized people.

Do we polarize just for the sake of being polarizing? No, we have to be people of truth and honestly share the concepts of life from God’s word in love.

Ephesians 4:15
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

Relevance
An Example to Us

• Gaderene Demoniac
• Lazarus
• The Old Testament Prophets
• The Cross

I believe God’s called me to be a pastor but in the midst of this calling is maybe a higher calling to identify things in the Church that will keep her from stepping into her destiny.

Fullness in Christ.
I’m called to identify these issues and challenge individuals and leaders to become more Bible centric and Holy Spirit centric in a church that’s seemingly becoming more and more people centric and thus more and more ineffective at reaching multiple generations for Christ.

Reformation is my goal. If you’ve ever read the book of Acts and thought, “Wow, I don’t see that going on at my Church, but I’d sure love to!” Then you and I are in the same vein of thought. Unfortunately for the Church, it seems that many are content to develop systems that attract people at the expense of experiencing God’s power.

Why polarization? Well, if you want to see a stark contrast between something in the life of Jesus and the lives of many in Christian leadership today it’s this subject. Perhaps if we address this issue it will move the Church of Jesus Christ more closely to the original, Jesus himself, and thus bring about a portion of this reformation.

Many leaders today seem to fear polarizing subjects. Why? Well, by their very nature they divide people. When the goal is to attract as many people as possible to the Church speaking about polarizing truth tends to push against this modern Goal.

Did Jesus want a big Church? YES, YES, YES!!!!! However his methodology was radically different from most anything you and I have ever experienced. Jesus, in our modern Church systems would be considered revolutionary, however we must make every effort to follow his example.

Luke 9:23-26
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Who polarizes people?

People who are principled. These people operate by a rule or code of conduct that governs their behavior.

People who are cameleon tend to not polarize. Politicians do not want to polarize the electorate because it will cost them votes. Leaders, who want to attract large crowds at the expense of polarizing truth, take on a political flavor that I find unChristlike.

Why would a leader in a Church not address polarizing issues?

• The crowd validates them as a leader
• How many are in your church?
• The money from the crowd is attractive
• The world and many in the Church judge a crowd as successful and with success comes influence / power.

Warning to the Teachers of the Law

Mark 12:38-40
38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

So, in the Church, if we’re not principled but more driven by a motivation to be politically correct lest we offend the crowd will we ever be able to have integrity within ourselves? Will we ever be able to address difficult issues? Will we ever be able to say, this is the direction we’re going to go? We’d love you to come with us but if not we bless you to go a different direction?

Will you also go? Peter and the other disciples couldn’t go because they were on board with Jesus due to the revelation that He was “the Holy one of God”. John 6:53-69

There is no Church in our country that I’ve ever visited and thought, man they’ve got it! There are some very cool things in the Body of Christ in the U.S.A. yet one thing I’ve noticed we seem to be sweeping under the rug are the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, built his ministry around manifestations of the Holy Spirit!

John 4:48
“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

Jesus Christ the Great Polarizer

The Gaderene Demoniac-
Luke 8:26-40

• For most of us we see this story and see a man who needed help and Jesus helped him and set him free.
• Jesus in this story, because of the supremacy of his Kingdom overturns the kingdoms of darkness.
• People attached to that kingdom will become angry with Jesus when he does this! The demoniac is free but the pigs are dead!!

Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.
What we see is a great miracle but amazingly not everyone is excited about it.

The Pharisees have turned their hearts against Jesus and consequently the miracle only serves to further harden them against him.

They conclude that now they not only have to kill Jesus but they’ll have to kill Lazarus also because he represents the authority of the kingdom of God over their religious systems. John 12:10

The forefathers of the Pharisees also were guilty of killing the prophets. (Luke 11:47-48) Why would they kill them? Their message was true and polarizing so some people didn’t want to hear it. One way to silence a voice is by killing them.

The Cross

The Cross of Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of what happens to polarizing leaders. Everywhere Jesus went he pushed people into the worship column or the “I hate him” column. I can’t see many people seeing Jesus’ ministry and saying, “ho hum”.

In Conclusion: If any man would come after me, he must take up his cross, deny himself and follow me. What good would it be to gain the whole world and forfeit one’s soul or what can a man give in exchange for his soul.

Take up his cross… stand on principled truth that will polarize.

How about you? How about me? Does our life polarize people like Jesus did or have we conformed to a modern religious system where our main goal is fun and the comfort of people?

Jesus, help our generation get back to the roots of our founder.
   

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
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The Power of God is Available

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
	Podcast: Play in New Window | Download To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.   2 Peter 1:3,4
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a Godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

1. His divine power has been given
2. Everything we need for a Godly life is available
3. It comes through knowledge of Him
4. God has called us by his own glory and goodness
5. Through the promises of God we can participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires

1. His divine power has been given

In a spiritual battle, you on your own, are not equipped. You need God to equip you for this kind of thing. One of the ways God’s divine power has been given is through his word.

A. God has given his word
The Word of God that’s personalized and memorized is the Word of God that can be utilized. The    anointing is not on the chapter and verse but on the principle and precept.

One of the tactics of the enemy is to get you to believe a lie.

John 17:17
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

The Word of God has a sanctifying effect. Sanctify means to set apart to a sacred purpose or to free from sin. To progressively take on the image of Jesus Christ inwardly and thus outwardly with our thoughts, attitudes and actions.

Psalm 119:11
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Jesus wielding the word of God
   *The Lust of the Flesh, Hunger

Matthew 4:4
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Deuteronomy 8:3

The pride of life, arrogantly testing the Lord in regard to a satanic attempt to twist Psalm 91:11, 12

Matthew 4:7
7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Deuteronomy 6:16

The lust of the eyes, all the splendor of the kingdoms of the world.

Matthew 4:10b
For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Deuteronomy 6:13

B. Authority has been given

Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Authority over satan

Luke 10:18-20
18 He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

1 John 4:4
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

2. Everything we need for a Godly life is available

God has made resources available through his Word and by his Spirit to allow you and I to live a Godly life.

There are two main points to living a Godly life.

• Not doing the sinful things you used to do.
• Start doing the Godly things you haven’t been doing.

To generate an exhaustive list of sinful and Godly behavior at this point would take the rest of the day. Allow the Word of God and the Holy Spirit speak to you about the sins you need to let go of and the Godliness you need to pick up. I believe he’s already spoken to you about these issues and he wants you to receive grace so you can become the person He wants you to be. The person you want to be.

3. All these resources come through our knowledge of Him

We must spend time in the presence of God if we’re to have “heavenly downloads” of knowledge.

Revelation knowledge is the foundation of the Church

4. God has called us by his own glory and goodness

We have been called out and chosen by God to be his son’s and daughters. What an incredible privilege and responsibility to be chosen by God!

Colossians 3:12
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Because we’re chosen by God and on the receiving end of perfect love, (1 John 4:18) we should manifest in our lives compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Galatians 4:6
Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

5. Through the promises of God, we can participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires

We need to know what God has promised us individually. We can know these promises by the Word of God and they should be confirmed by the Spirit of God.  What has God promised you?

When something better is presented it’s easier to let go of what we have or what we’ve been clinging to that is sinful or a wrong way of thinking. When God’s promise for your life is real, a pursuit begins toward the promise and other things that are of a less noble nature tend to fall off or away from you as you start and continue in your pursuit of the heavenly promises God has given you.

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Galatians 5:16
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

In Conclusion:

1. His divine power has been given
2. Everything we need for a godly life is available
3. It comes through knowledge of Him
4. God Has called us by his own glory and goodness
5. Through the promises of God we can participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires

Our “job” is to get under the spout where the glory comes out. John 6:29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” Our pursuit of God is a faith pursuit. We are pursuing his heart and there we will find all the empowering knowledge we need in order to live upright and Godly lives!
   

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V. If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church45 Thunderbird Dr. Batesville, AR 72501 (870) 793-9124
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Jesus vs. Universalism

By Tony V. Hammack

Abundant Life Today Media
	Podcast: Play in New Window | Download To watch the video, click here.

These notes are best when used in conjunction with the audio or video.   Thesis:
The Bible believing Christian cannot accept the concept of universalism because of what the Bible teaches.

*What is the doctrine of Universalism?
*The Bible, can you trust it?
*Jesus, the narrow way

Universalism

A church or community that calls itself Universalist may emphasize the universal principles of most religions and accept other religions in an inclusive manner, believing in a universal reconciliation between humanity and the divine.

Just as long as you are sincere and devout to your belief system, that’s what matters.  It doesn’t really matter what the object of your worship is.  It can be a moon, God, or a tribal system of worship based on nature, or other religious systems.  Universalism teaches there are many roads that lead to God.

In our politically correct and tolerant society, universalism has increased in popularity. It’s also a way to make peace with all the different belief systems out there thus increasing it’s appeal. (Matthew 10:34)

The Bible, Can you Trust It?

The scientific method is not the proper method to determine the accuracy of anything that has happened in the past.  Evidence must be collected and a logical, rationale decision must be made based on the evidence.

How would you “prove” that George Washington was the first president?

The Court of Evidence

• Artifacts from the time period
• Eyewitness accounts of his existence recorded in written form (because those people are dead now)
• Others writing about him, (like the diaries of England’s Generals).
• No logical person would say, “I can’t prove George Washington existed therefore I can’t believe it happened”

1. The Bible claims itself to be reliable--to set forth accurate, historical, eyewitness accounts

1 John 1:1-4
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

2 Peter 1:16
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

2. It proves to be reliable on the basis of bibliographic, archaeological and historical tests.

There exists better manuscript evidence (a greater number of manuscripts, dated more closely to the original and with few significant variants) for the NT than for all of the other top ten pieces of ancient literature combined. (See Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell, ch. 1).

                                                                                                                      
The Doctrine of Inerrancy
Biblical inerrancy is the doctrinal position that the Bible is accurate and totally free of error, that "Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to God’s Word."

The Bible Claims to be the Word of God

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:20, 21
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

• Evidence supports the Bible’s claim to be the word of God
• All time best seller, most translated book in history of world.
• Predicts the future (e.g., over 300 messianic prophecies)
• Unique in its survival through time and persecution
• Unique in its continuity (40 plus authors from all walks of life, over 1600 years, 3 different continents and languages, writing on hundreds of controversial subjects without contradiction, one unfolding story--reconciliation between God and man.)

World famous archaeologist Sir William Ramsey spent over 30 years examining the gospel writer Luke. He came to the following conclusion (stated in Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell, ch. 1): "Luke is a historian of first rank, not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy, but this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians. Luke's history is unsurpassed in respect of its trustworthiness."

Other ancient historians substantiate the reliability of the NT (Cornelius Tacitus, Seutonius, Flavius Josephus, Younger Plenty, Julius Africanus A.D. 221 quotes Thallus 52 A.D.).

I have made the decision based on the historic evidence and the witness of God’s spirit inside of me to trust the Bible as inerrant. However, even if I had no inner witness I believe a person could trust the Bible as inerrant based on the evidence alone.

Jesus the narrow way

Matthew 7:13-16
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. True and False Prophets 15 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them.

John 10:7-9
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Acts 4:12
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

John 14:5, 6
5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”  6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

We need to pray for our loved ones who don’t know the Lord yet.

John 6:44
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.

Visit with us at Jubilee Family Church this Sunday at 10:15 AM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) and Wednesday evening at 6:30 PM (Central Standard Time U.S.A.) If you can't be with us in person please visit via internet video on Jubilee T.V.

If you live in Batesville please tune into KBAP 88.1 FM to listen to contemporary worship music.

Jubilee Family Church
45 Thunderbird Dr.
Batesville, AR 72501
(870) 793-9124



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