The principles of New Testament salvation are already established in the judgements of the Old Testament. In the end, it is always up to the choices that we make and the path we choose.

The following thoughts help us to shape ourselves so we can be more effective and recover more quickly from disappointments. God has called us to be a positive testimony of his blessings to humanity; this cannot be done if we misunderstand what is actually being offered to us as Spirit Filled people.

The bulk of God's complaints about the priests related to their indifference and unscriptural behaviour towards the weak, the poor, and the sinners. God often directs us to observe the actions of a good shepherd, who often has a completely different mindset than the priest. All animals are important to the shepherd. He will make real efforts to save every lamb... particularly the sick and the weak. The good shepherd also refuses to accept the loss of a lamb; he will look till he finds it. The role of the priest should be the same as the shepherd.

The parable of Lazarus and the rich man contains certain scriptural truths that need to be worked out by comparing spiritual truths with the contents of the parable. The parable contains revelations the being rich is not a guarantee of success with God and being poor doesn't prevent God's great blessing. In the parable the tables are turned with the poor man Lazarus getting God's blessing. Some believe that the references to hell and torment refer to an eternal fiery torture of those who fail, but the parable does not support this view with scriptural truths. Many of the quotes are about the Pharisees beliefs, not the scriptures. It ends with the prophecy of Jesus' death and resurrection and the ongoing denial by the Pharisees of Christ and his power.

The love of God is much more than our version of love and is far bigger than feelings and expressions. Everyone craves love and longs to be loved. It is highly improbable that there is anyone on earth who would avoid love. We can be also sure that there are lots of people that don't feel lovable. Perhaps they don't know how to love, and therefore, they feel unlovable themselves. Many relationships fail because one of the partners hasn't learnt or has never moved past romantic infatuation. We must first learn to love God, then ourselves and then learn to let it flow over into the lives of others.

Qualifier.... This talk and these notes in no way support or allude to the 'secret rapture' nor any other futurist concepts.1. The first aim of this short study is to distinguish the age ending actions bought about by mankind, as opposed to and in conjunction with, the age ending destruction by the hand of God (accompanying the return of Jesus Christ).2. The second is to establish what happens to the saints (overcoming Christians), while God's fiery judgement is in process. Many people seem to be confused as to what happens when these two events collide. Some saints feel that God's people are going to be subject to the fiery judgement of God while others while others feel that God is more loving and merciful than to allow that to happen. There are a few different opinions on these things, but the following is a consistent theme.

Starting with creation and moving through further scriptural revelations, we see a consistent and common theme revealing God's purposes behind human life and the ability to sustain it long term. The Biblical family unit (husband, wife, children) defines the basis for lasting cultural stability and longevity. These values give people the best chance for cultural and spiritual survival through specifically defined relationships. The following are simple examples of God's revealed purposes towards physical relationships.

The kingdom of God doesn't have a flashing neon sign over the entrance gate, nor does it have clearly lit street signs leading to it. The way of God is hidden from all men, because it is not discerned through the natural senses. The natural senses of sight, hearing, touch, etc, reveal nothing. The way of God is a spiritually discerned path and can only be found through the instructions given by God's people. The right instructions bring the right results.

The concept of fellowship relates to coming together for Godly service... we cannot have one without the other. Gathering together is a strong bible principle... and had its beginning in the Old Testament as the peace offering. This offering was not only the most common offering, but included a feast, also symbolising fellowship and oneness with God as well as each other.

We live in a world where opinion continually outweighs provable facts and reality like no other time in history. Not surprisingly there are numerous times in history where the facts and realities have not suited the rulers of the day and have been denied. It was quite common to jail or murder those who dared reveal unpleasant realities. That is why God offers signs and wonders... it gives the honest heart something to build confidence upon, without having to rely on the opinion of others.