God Has Already Made the Rules
By Pastor Brad Smith [Brisbane]
The human race has notably and frequently gone outside the boundaries that God has defined as safe and life producing. God doesn't need us to form a church based on our beliefs; rather he chooses us through our humble obedience and builds his own church regardless of our opinions. God's plan is more powerful than our perceptions, not limited to our mindset and far greater than our religious comprehension. He makes the rules, he builds the church, he provides the signs, miracles and wonders they are not our call to make, but his. We can say whatever we like, but God's actions speak louder than ours. 1JOH 5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: God's evidence overrules our beliefs... no matter what. Blind faith doesn't work with God... true faith comes with signs following...God has ordained it to be so and wants us to conform accordingly.
The Right People for the Right Time
By Pastor Brad Smith [Brisbane]
God has a plan for us, that's far greater than any doubt or fear that we might face during our natural life. We have been chosen as the right people for this particular age. It is our time... right now. Every living thing that is born upon the earth, has a genetic code already built in. This gives all life the potential to flourish and maximise their existence. However, humans have much greater potential, because we have a spiritual side to us as well. With good nourishment and a healthy life style we can do well physically, but it's the spirit that needs the correct input, because it carries the greatest opportunity for life. Once the Holy Spirit enters our body, it encodes our soul to keep developing to the extent of God's purposes... just like the genetic development of our bodies. God is all seeing and all knowing, thus we are shaped to meet today's needs
Draw Night to God - He Needs You
By Pastor Brad Smith [Brisbane]
Even though God has unlimited power and ability, he has chosen to use people to accomplish his plans. When Jesus was preparing to enter Jerusalem, he told a man he needed his donkey (Mat 22:3)... when he approached the well at Samaria, he told the woman he needed a drink (Joh 4:7). On both of these occasions he could have called upon God or he could have helped himself, but he chose to use the willingness of others to serve his purposes, thus multiplying the available blessing. The parable of the sheep and goats takes this principle one step further. God has actually built his salvation plan around the willingness of others to help him out. This concept is so powerful, that God takes it personally and miraculously responds to those who do his will (there is no way to help God other than helping others). Alternatively, those who won't assist others (refusing to help God), will find themselves on the wrong side of their creator... not the best choice to make.
I Am My Brother's Keeper
By Pastor Brad Smith [Brisbane]
There is a continuing and overriding principle in the scriptures, which requires all of us to demonstrate some level of responsibility towards the spiritual and natural needs of fellow humans. The God designated family unit, is typical of the strong bonding network where people interact and offer love and support to those who are part of their family/church structure. This gives God the best chance to bless, heal and save, those who have a conscience towards truth and a very healthy respect for life itself. Just as Adam and Eve made choices that affected the whole human race to their detriment; God wants us to make the same far reaching decisions, but this time for the betterment of the human race.
Evolution or Creation
By Pastor Brad Smith [Brisbane]
The following is a simple analysis between the plausibility of God creating our current world with purpose and planning in mind. Alternatively, all of the natural world is a meaningless, unplanned randomness, which somehow sees matter and life evolve and appear in incremental stages over a long period of time.
A Clear Conscience
By Pastor Brad Smith [Brisbane]
Lack of worthiness or feelings of inadequacy, need not be a reason for a troubled conscience... rather they are the recognition of God's unfailing superiority. Feelings of insignificance, in the presence of such a great and powerful God is not a sign of failure, rather it is a normal response to true spiritual awareness. The unlimited potential of being God's servant, is far larger than our comprehension. No wonder we can feel out of our depth living up to the calling we have entered into. God is very aware of such inadequacies and our tendency to sin (fall short of the mark). Your sins and shortcomings aren't your real problem, it's leaving them undone that causes the most grief. A clear conscience comes from being right with God and right with your fellow man. Being right with God means that we are doing it his way... despite our feelings or emotions!
The Sure Mercies of David
By Pastor Brad Smith [Brisbane]
The death and resurrection of Christ enabled God to introduce a far better covenant, than the one it replaced. Our covenant begins with the personal anointing (indwelling) of the Holy Spirit. Due to the frailty of human beings, a system is also needed that can successfully deal with our failings and vulnerabilities. To meet these needs, God introduced a covenant dominated by grace and mercy. Mercy =Not getting the judgment you deserve. Grace=Getting forgiveness and blessing you don't deserve. Interestingly enough, God included one of the great, yet little understood blessings of the Old Testament for our ongoing benefit. This mechanism that keeps us free from our shortcomings is called ‘the sure mercies of David'. These mercies are comprised of deliverance from our enemies and deliverance from ourselves... we no longer need to be victims to anything.
We Are No Longer Victims
By Pastor Brad Smith [Brisbane]
When we took up God's offer to live forever by receiving the anointing of the spirit; we also agreed to take responsibility for our own actions. We are also taught that our relationship with God is dependant upon our willingness to be proactive in our life style. This means that we can no longer act as victims of human weakness and other outside circumstances... we need to act and plan accordingly. God has given us the spirit, so we can be led and directed onto the paths of truth and righteousness (John 16:3). We might be subject to the ebb and flow of human failings, but we are not bound nor made powerless by them any longer.
Your Choice
By Pastor Brad Smith [Brisbane]
Firstly, no matter what natural choices you make in life, there is no guarantee of a suitable outcome ever happening. Secondly, all choices end when death comes. Not only do the choices end, but everything you have ever worked for or achieved, all the people you love and are cared by... all permanently vanish. The good news is that God offers a series of choices that are rock solid with guarantees that don't end at death. The first choice is the anointing of the spirit (commonly known as salvation), comes with visible evidence. The second choice is to choose to build your life on values that God blesses (the best life possible for you), or use your natural abilities (not as good and loaded with risks)... God also provides signs to support the benefits of this second choice... if you choose well.
The Manifestation of the Spirit
By Pastor Brad Smith [Brisbane]
Could you imagine the strife that would have erupted if Aaron declared the spirit of God had come to the temple, and the sacrifices had not been consumed by fire and the visible and tangible presence of the Lord had not occurred? Sadly, this is exactly what many of our modern churches are teaching as truth today. They claim the power of God has saved them while the visible presence of God, has been replaced with an invisible, blind faith mantra of self-declaration (I believe... therefore I am). We are told that if we expect the spirit of God to offer a sign, that somehow this is no longer faith, but works... how ridiculous. It is God that does the miracles, not us... God is the one that performs the works, because he has promised to do them. Don't be misled, God has not changed his mind, nor is he the author of any human or scriptural confusion (1Cor 14:33). The bible is still the best source for direction and truth... let's compare the evidence.