Calling

Prayer, Communion, and the Word of God

Posted on September 5, 2012 by mcalmond

Acts 6:4 (ESV) But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

The Apostles here in this text are dealing with something that is important in the life of the Church. It is more important than simply who gets what. It has to do with the fair treatment of all and not just a few or even the many. There were a large group of Hellenists Jews who had converted over to the faith of Christ Jesus. There clearly seems to be a problem between them and the Palestine Jews or locals as it were. However, when you read this text you get the clear sense that the Apostles, yes, had to deal with the problem, but they made it clear that they were not going to carry the burden this problem. Others would have to do that. The reason for this was simply the recognition that they needed to walk as Jesus walked. How did Jesus walk? He walked in close communion in and with the Father God. He was a man of Prayer, of the Word, of Communion and Action.

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Categories: Abiding, Accountability, Anointing, Awakening, Calling, Character, Core Values, Dependency, Fear of God, Hearing The Lord, Holiness, Prayer, Preaching, Relationship, The Power of God, Word | Tags: , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Great Commission, Really?

Posted on May 7, 2012 by mcalmond

Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

When it comes to this text, it seems to me, that too often there is an overly strong emphasis placed upon the word “Go” and not enough emphasis upon the truthful and general call for us all, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, to “make disciples”. In fact, the word “go” is too often treated as an imperative or command in this passage, when in truth it isn’t. Rather it is a present participle. This means that the word go, means going. So when we put it in the context of this passage it speaks more clearly of, as you are going, going forth, or going out, along the way, make disciples. The implied assumption is that you, being a child of the Lord Jesus Christ are already going forth in this world, in your everyday life, and therefore as His Kingdom witnesses, He has a mission for you. The phrase, “Make disciples”, is the imperative or the command here, and not “go”.

It is true that discipleship gets a lot of writing. There are all kinds of books, classes, articles and messages upon this word, disciple, or even attempting to describe and encourage the process of discipleship. In Jesus day it was also a well known concept and practice. Today, this word may more closely resemble our terms for “apprentice” or “mentor”. I personally like the word mentor. It has over the years become very important to me. The idea is that of personally getting involved in the process of training and equipping others to do the same kind of  job or fulfill the same kind of responsibility as the one who is doing the teaching, training, etc.

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Categories: A Genuine Heart Cry, Accountability, Anointing, Authenticity, Awakening, Calling, Commands, Core Values, Discipleship, Exhortation, Grace, Hearing The Lord, In Spirit and In Truth, Mentoring/Discipleship, Mercy, Sacrifice, Training, Transformation | 3 Comments

Holding Fast To The Truth

Posted on April 28, 2012 by mcalmond

Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ESV

In the face of all that is going on around us in the world, let us remain strong in our hope, in our confident expectation regarding the Lord Jesus Christ and His faithfulness, His promises, His Word of Life.

Let us not become those who shrink back, or draw back into fearful compromise, acquiescing to those who would threaten, be offended by the truth, or would attack the message and thus the messengers of the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not surrender our genuine saving faith and its message for the sake of cultural acceptance or relativity, self-preservation, or even of a worldly appeasement, or worldly acceptance and approval.

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Categories: Authenticity, Calling, Christian Maturity, Church, Communion, Confidence, Encouragement, Following Through, Genuineness, Hope, Persecution, Perseverance, Readiness, Sacrifice, Spiritual Warfare, Standing in Faith, Steadfastness, Suffering, Surrender, Tenaciousness, True Love, Victory, Word of God | Leave a comment

What In The World Are We Doing?

Posted on April 19, 2012 by mcalmond

Proverbs 25:2 (ESV) It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out.

There is a very real need to inquire that seems essential for each one of us. Need simply refers to that which is essential for life. We are strongly encouraged in scripture to seek that we might find, to search out that which is hidden with the assurance that as we seek and search we will find, in Christ Jesus. We are commanded to seek first the kingdom of God that all we seek after in and of God’s Kingdom may then be added to us. The problem is that there are far too many who want to do it all for us, simply because they see us as just too ignorant or lazy to do it for ourselves. Then having created this dependency, us on them, they turn around and criticize us for not doing or learning to do for ourselves.

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Categories: Authenticity, Belief System, Bible Translations, Body of Christ, Calling, Changes, Christian Maturity, Church, Core Values, Death, Elitism, Fear of God, Holy Ghost Burdens, Misplaced Dependency, Seeking The Lord Jesus, Suffering, Theology, Wrestling | 3 Comments

Persecuted Christians

Posted on March 31, 2012 by mcalmond

Matt 16:24-25 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ESV

I found my thoughts focusing upon the persecuted Christians throughout the world. Did you realize that Christians as a people group are the single most persecuted group in the world? Did you realize that of all the martyred Christians since the time of Christ Jesus, half of them have been martyred in the last century alone? I am not sure of the exact numbers but I believe that the number range maybe close to 100,000,000 Christians have died for their faith in the last century or so alone, with most of these occurring in the last half of the century and the beginning of this one.

Christians are dying for their simple faith in Christ Jesus every minute of everyday. They are not dying because of their hatred for the western culture or governments. They are not dying because they have some kind of a holy war against others. They are not dying because they are strapping bombs around themselves seeking to destroy themselves and any others they can along the way regardless of who they may be. They are not dying because they are out trying to destroy others for any reason at all. No!

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Categories: Believer, Body of Christ, Calling, Christian Maturity, Commands, Death, Exhortation, Faith, Following Through, Hatred, Hope, Mercy, Persecuted Christians, Persecution, Perseverance, Readiness, Spiritual Warfare, Steadfastness, Suffering, Transcendence, Victory | Leave a comment

A Fresh Vision of Spiritual Covering

Posted on March 11, 2012 by mcalmond

Psalms 27:5 (ESV) For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock.

I want to share with you something that the Lord shared with me. It has to do with Spiritual Covering. While I admit that this phrasing has met with a lot of distortion and abuse over the years, I genuinely believe in the truth and principle of our need to cover those whom the Lord has given us. Covering has to do primarily with protection. It is in this light that I desire to share with you Spiritual Covering.

It was 1985 and my lovely wife was in Sacred Heart Hospital for surgery on a brain tumor. I had been with her for much of the time during her surgery and in recovery with very little sleep. So, I finally went to a nearby motel. As I was at the motel, I suddenly found myself under attack, spiritually. This attack was concerning things that I had long thought were taken care of. I began to cry out to the Lord concerning these things. My question was why I was suddenly vulnerable to these attacks. The presence of the Lord came and was powerful, precious and very comforting. It was then that the Lord began to grant me some clarity regarding that which I was crying out to him about.

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Categories: Abiding, Absolute Dependency, Anointing, Awakening, Calling, Covering, Empowerment, Family, Genuineness, God's Love, Hearing The Lord, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit Seeing, illumination, In Spirit and In Truth, Inner Healing, Intimacy, Paradigm Shift, Prayer, Testimony, Thanksgiving | Tags: , , , | 2 Comments

The Start of Freedom

Posted on March 11, 2012 by mcalmond

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (ESV) But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

We were young, married, were starting a family. We had recently moved away from our, I mean, my drug friends, rented a house, got a new job and was still going to school. Oh yes, we also had a new baby; a baby girl, 9 pounds, 13 ounces full of life and whole. What a joy. What a responsibility. It was late 1972.

We also were going to a mainline church in which I had gotten very involved. I was working with the Junior and Senior High Youth. We were growing forward, beginning again and well, I was still having a hard time with it all. I mean over all we were doing great. However, things were happening that were not good. Drugs were fading further and further away but were not yet gone.

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Categories: A Simple Faith, Authenticity, Being Built Up, Body of Christ, Breaking Forth, Calling, Deliverance, Empowerment, Faith, Foundations, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, God's Love, Inner Healing, Testimony, Word | Leave a comment

Getting Ready, To Begin!

Posted on March 2, 2012 by mcalmond

In so many ways I feel like I am being called back to studying like when I was first starting out in the ministry so many years ago. This is very surprising at 61 and counting. There is so very much floating around within me that apart from the Lord Jesus Christ, it is quite difficult for me to sort it all out, but I love what He is doing in me right now. For weeks now there has been a very real spiritual awakening taking place within me.

Yes, it is all quite exciting, stimulating and invigorating. It is just like being awakened out of a deep sleep. I am so thirsty and hungry for more of the Lord Jesus Christ, His Holy Word, His presence, for He who is my very life and breath. I find that I want to study, pray and prayerfully read more than my eyes and time will allow me. I want to pour through so much material all at once, devouring it and by the grace of God processing it through and through, that the sheer scope of it seems ever so unrealistic, to say the least. But I am pressing on, for I deeply want to and truly know not what else to do but go with Him to His end and for His greater glory, honor and praise.

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Categories: A Genuine Heart Cry, Absolute Dependency, Authenticity, Awakening, Being Built Up, Benefits, Calling, Core Values, Covering, Edification, Empowerment, Encouragement, Genuineness, Gifts of the Holy Spirit, God's Faithfulness, Grace, Growing in Faith, illumination, Obedience, Open Ears, Readiness, Timing | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

The Miracle and Mystery of Regeneration

Posted on February 25, 2012 by mcalmond

I want to write about something that near and dear to me and that’s the truth of the Lord’s miracle and mystery of regeneration. To understand this precious and most holy work of the Lord even a little bit is such a blessing beyond mere words. While in so many ways it is a mystery, it is also a miraculous reality without which no one can truly be saved in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me try to tell you about this wonderful work of God’s awesome and sovereign grace.

It begins for each of us when we were chosen in the Lord Jesus Christ before the world’s foundation was even laid. That’s right, we were chosen (elected) in the Lord Jesus Christ clear back then (Eph 1:4). We were even then blessed of God.

Adam and Eve lived out their existence before the living God and before the fall, that is so very much different from ours. They were pure yet neither righteous nor unrighteous. They were given a single command, to not eat of the one tree in the middle of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

They were naïve and vulnerable, to sin, darkness, and the power of Satan to tempt and deceive them. They didn’t have to walk in faith regarding God, for God simply was and they simply were, because of Him. They walked with Him, talked with Him and fellowshipped with Him daily, in the cool of the evenings. There was no unbelief that had to be overcome, yet. There was no sin nature that had to be conquered, yet. There was nothing in them yet that was fallen and therefore dead. They only had the command of the Lord God Almighty to not eat of this one tree. This command was an opportunity for both faith, faith in God and His Word, and righteousness, the result of adherence or obedience to God’s direct command.

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Categories: Absolute Dependency, Adoption, Calling, Election, God's Faithfulness, God's Love, Grace, His Chosen, Hope, illumination, Imputation, Lies, Mercy, Obedience, Reformed Theology, Regeneration, Resurrection Life, Righteousness, Salvation, Sanctification, Saving Faith, The Power of God, Transformation, Work of God | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments

Monergism

Posted on February 20, 2012 by mcalmond

{The following article was discovered in an older folder by itself within my computer. I am not sure if I wrote it originally but I don’t think so. However, I have honestly re-worked it quite a bit in order to post it here. I am not sure where I may have gotten it from. It may have been when I was originally doing my research on this topic of Monergism years ago. If anyone reads this and recognizes some its basic nuts and bolts and can identify who wrote them originally, I would gladly post an acknowledgment saying so.}

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“It is the Spirit who gives life [quickens]; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me [i.e. believe in me] unless it is granted him by the Father.” John 6:63-65 ESV [text added for clarity]

Definition
The Century Dictionary’s definition of monergism may be helpful:

“In theology, [monergism is] the doctrine that the Holy Spirit is the only efficient agent in regeneration [the new birth] – that the human will possesses no inclination to holiness until regenerated [born again], and therefore cannot cooperate in regeneration.”

Etymology
The word “monergism” consists of two main parts. The Greek prefix “mono” signifies “one”, “single”, or “alone” while the suffix “ergon” means “to work”. Taken together it means “the work of one”.

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Categories: A Compilation of Sources, Authenticity, Belief System, Believer, Calling, Christian Maturity, Confidence, Dependency, Edification, Foundations, God Faith, Grace, Holy Spirit, Hope, Reformed Theology, Saving Faith, Teaching, Thankfulness, Theology, True Love, Word of God, Work of God | 2 Comments

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