The Upward Call!

The Church is not just an ambassador for the Kingdom of God, the Church is the Kingdom of God in the earth; where the Church is, there is the Kingdom; where the Church is not, there is not the kingdom of God but the dark domain of the devil. The Church consists of the children of God, in whom the power and influence of the enemy has been broken; and they are now the means by which Satan’s works will be unraveled, broken apart, one by one and held in restraint until the appearing of Christ; at which point the devil and all his dominions will be cast into the Lake of Fire. Rev. 20.10 “10The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/Watch the episode on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9wTVZgZhD0

Oftentimes a new believer is only focused on one thing, and that is their relationship with Jesus Christ. Their hearts have been apprehended and they are exuberant about wanting to talk about Him and to come to know Him in greater measure. But at the same time they find themselves with the Bible in one hand, and as a member of a church in the other hand and they really don’t know how to properly relate to either. Following are five useful tips for a young believer…as well as to the not-so-young believer.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/Watch the episode on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDVZCV7jBbs

Covenants are most serious agreements to enter into. They represent binding agreements between God and man. The Bible emphasizes the importance of keeping covenants but also cautions against making such agreements lightly or not aligned with the will of God. It reminds us of the seriousness of broken promises and the consequences of violating covenants, both with God and man. The covenant between man and woman of marriage is also such a covenant to be taken with all soberness and commitment. Failure of Adam to keep his covenant with God had consequences that echoed down through ages unto this day.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/Watch the episode on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzTvz-zacY8

One cannot really understand Biblical covenants, and especially the distinction between to Old Testament covenant and the New Testament covenant, without first clearly understanding the difference between two fundamental truths that may serve as the foundation for all covenants; and those are the principle of ‘religion’ and the principle of ‘life.’ Quite simply, religion is a bondage to a system of Divine worship, while life is spontaneous and the freedom to experience Divine fellowship; religion is what you ‘do’, life is what you ‘are;’ Why is it so important to understand this distinction? It is because God and man covenants and their promises are given and fulfilled upon the basis religion or life; and that the world as a whole has a propensity for religion while knowing little of the principle of life.

Here, the Conclusion has become the Introduction: In conclusion, if we therefore abide in Him, and He in us⎯ which is the essence of salvation for now and all eternity⎯ we are a “new man,” one that has never existed before but now is, and we are becoming His “disciples.” By abiding means we are being taught and refined daily. The perfection of our maturity as a new man, and the end of our discipleship is never reached on earth. There is a perfection by grace as we stand before God clothed with Christ, not to be mistaken with the perfection or completion of His transfiguring work in us transforming us and conforming us to His will. We never so much “are” as we are in the process of “becoming” Christ’s true followers and servants and sons of God.This has been a heavy lesson. It is the meat of the word, not its milk. (1 Cor. 3.2, Heb. 5.12-14) It is intended to challenge to the highest calling of God in Christ Jesus. Milk is easily swallowed, meat must be chewed and entertained before ingesting, but is much more satisfying and enduring.

Of course the opposite of self-control is the lack of self-controlled, which includes behavior that is unrestrained and undisciplined. These words are often interchanged in the Bible, and especially with various translations. And so, I will take some liberty here in the Biblical use of these words to describe the vice of being unrestrained and undisciplined, therefore lacking of self-control. Note that Gal. 5.23 after stating the fruit of “self-control,” the verse ends with “Against such there is no law.” The importance of this is extremely significant. Why is it so significant? Because it brings to the surface the distinction between the Law of the Old Testament written on scrolls to restrain the people, with the moral law of the Spirit written on the hearts of New Testament believers. For example comparing two scriptures:Prov. 29.18 “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.”This scripture clearly show the legalism of the Old Testament and how it “restrains” the people, serving as a covenant between God and Israel, revealing God’s character and standards, but also revealing man’s sinfulness. So it established a legalistic framework of how to worship,, practice certain rituals, proper social behavior, and moral standards. Without this revelation, it is written that “the people cast off restraints,” they become undisciplined, and their behavior breaks the covenant and is unacceptable to God. The disciplinary component of the covenant is then Divinely applied. Now consider the “covenant” of the New Testament as revealed in Rm. 8.1-8,...

The wisdom of the world says the root cause of unfaithfulness are personal issues like: a feeling the something is missing in the relationship; a lack of emotional connection, unmet needs, self-esteems issues, or an opportunity suddenly arises and you feel your desires will be met in another God, or another mate or a different friend, or a different place. This is all the deeper the world can go in understanding unfaithfulness⎯summed up in self-centered wants and fantasies. All those supposed root causes have one thing in common, and that is “you,” otherwise known as: I, me, myself or the ego. In a true relationship the “I” is lost in the union with another, thus becoming we and us. In regards to marriage, it is written “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” (Mt. 19.5); In regards to our heavenly Father, Jesus prayed, “that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be one in Us,” (Jn. 17.21), and in regards to other believers, it is written, “for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3.28)

The essence of worship extracted from this verse is that worship must be “in spirit and truth.” Spiritual worship in the New Testament is quite different than the physical worship of the Old Testament and the two must not be intermixed, even though they very much are today. Those of the Old Testament had never been born anew of the Spirit therefore they only know the worship of the natural man in temples, at sacrificial altars and holy places, but having known nothing of spiritual worship. All worship involves coming into God’s presence in humility and surrender, with an open heart of praise and thanksgiving. However, worship of the Old Testament involves elements of the natural man not found in the New Testament. For instance, Ps. 150.4“Praise Him with the timbrel (tambourine) and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!” Using instruments and dance are of the natural man and are not of the spirit. The New Testament does not mention instruments and dance in worship, or are there any doctrinal statements giving advice on what kind or music may accompany worship. There are no examples of instruments and dance ever being used in any of the early churches. Christians have no Biblical or prophetic command from God to introduce musical instruments or dance in the worship of God. The early church, from which I personally pattern the whole of my spiritual life, used only prayer and singing for both personal and public praise and worship.

These minor sins are like the dirt that accumulates on the feet of one walking barefoot. The feet must be washed regularly. Once when Jesus was with His disciples He poured water in a basin and began to wash the disciple’s feet and dry them with a towel. Peter, feeling so inferior to Christ resisted. Jesus said that if He didn’t do it Peter would have no part with Him. So Peter said in Jn. 13.9, “not only my feet, but my hands and my head as well!” To this, Jesus’s reply is very important, ”10Jesus told him, “Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and he will be completely clean.”⎯ thereby making the clear distinction between being thoroughly cleansed by the bold of the Lamb at salvation and the need for continues cleansing of minor sins.

Romans 8.9-11 is a most powerful passage of Scripture. Here, it is the self-same Spirit, who is also referred to as the Spirit of God, and also the Spirit of Christ, and ultimately as Christ. Whatever the title, the most gripping truth of all three Bible passages presented here, Acts 2.38-39, Jn. 14.16-18, and Rm. 8.9-11 is the fact that He dwells in you! What was then received at baptism is now present in your daily life, and will also be present at your coming death and resurrection; this great mystery is revealed, Col. 1.27, “Christ in you the hope of glory.” “In you” mind you, not in your midst, not in heaven, not surrounding you, not in the temple or church building, but within you, the Spirit of Christ now in union with your own spirit. Just as the fertilized seed in a women needs the environment of the womb to nourish, protect, and give growth to the fetus, this Holy Spirit receives the deposit of the seed of Christ in the heart of the believer, nurtures it, protects it, and gives it growth into becoming a new man.

Our focus here is on the distinction between sin as an evil act and sin as a power or force, as a compulsion to act in its own behalf. The power of sin like gravity, is ever present at work to corrupt the inner nature of man; and when given into, man commits sins by his outward actions. The simple sentence, “I sin,” is a complete sentence because it has a noun “I” and the verb “sin” that implies the action of committing sins. If however, as Paul writes, “…the law of sin in my members,” (Rm. 7.23) here the word sin is a noun, not indicating the action of sinning but of a present power of sin. I believe the word “sin” appears over forty-one times in Romans 5-8, forty times as a noun, which identifies a thing present, such as a power, and only once as a verb, indicating the act of sinning. This is an important fact to remember.

This Episode begins by initiating a more detailed study of the events of the fall of Adam and Eve and its subsequent effect on all humanity. The Episode is an attempt to explore these events more closely, unveiling the truth of what happened in the Garden of Eden; considering both the natural and the spiritual realms in which man is intended to live and experience. To do so there need to be laid a foundation of understanding that is to be built upon, a foundation of some key ideas and Biblical concepts. This introductory Episode of “What Really Happened in the Garden” is too much to be discussed in a single setting. Thus, it is divided into four Episodes, each parts; each part set to answer specific questions. This Episode, Part I, addresses the following questions:What is the significance of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and the Tree of Life? Are they really trees with potent fruit or are they symbolic of something spiritual?If man is body, spirit, and soul, how has the fall affected the total man?

We are now ready to build upon the foundation laid by those six scriptures in Part 1of the previous Episode: Eph. 4.20-24; 2 Cor. 5.17; Col. 3.10; Gal. 6.15; Rm. 6.4; and Rm. 7.6 and now attempt to establish the mystery of how those two wills that seemingly act independently of one another come together as one in the new man. Even as man has two eyes to see, both looking at the same objects and giving direction to our walk, in like manner the new man can see as one in the natural as well as in the spiritual and to make godly decisions in life⎯it is part of his or her new nature. After all, life is intended to be spontaneously experienced, as our souls interact with the natural world through our bodies and also interact with the spiritual world through our spirits, we are made complete as our spirits are now bonded in unity with the Holy Spirit; this was as promised by Jesus in Jn. 14.16 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”

Just how do we “balance” these two wills: the natural will tied to decision making in the worldly environment, decisions that govern the course of our natural lives, and the spiritual will focused on God but also having influence on our natural lives as well as having eternal implications? However, is the word “balance” the proper term to use; for it implies a proportioning of time, energy, and resources between the two different wills: the natural and the spiritual? Is this what we really want to do, to divide up our time, energy, and resources between worldly and spiritual pursuits? Or, is there something greater than balancing the natural and spiritual wills; is there a dimension “in Christ” in which the two wills actually begin to merge into one? Is there a point where the natural will and the spiritual will seem to come into union with one another and we simply live life guided by one new will? Indeed there is. We must look into this matter of wills more closely because so much depends upon it.

I recently noticed a large billboard along the highway that read: “Where are you going? To Heaven or to Hell?” Is this the one thing, the goal for which Paul wrote? Does eternity and eternal life come down to being in the right “place” at the end of time? Is the grand purpose in all creation to save man from the destruction of hell for the bliss of heaven? Absolutely not! This is an extremely narrow and immature view that maligns and demeans the provision of God as revealed in the Gospel of Christ. It is a deception, a distraction propagated by fleshly thoughts and desires and perpetuated by the enemy of our God. It sends man into delusions and fantasies.

That phrase, “the upward call of God” is at the center of this passage of scripture and is at the core of the context of the scripture. In other words, the term “the upward call “ throws light on the surrounding verses and helps to explain the verses before and after its use. The entire passage hinges on the proper understanding of this phrase, the upward call or high calling of God.Because it is stated, “the upward call ‘of God,’” it is clear the one who is doing the calling is God the Father. And to whom is He calling, and why or for what purpose is He calling? These and other questions need answering. And to answer it we must consider the following three verses which will shed light on these questions. For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

Qualifying for the Race — The single qualification to enter this race is having spiritual life; a man without spiritual life, zoe, has no vitality and is unfit and unable to run this race. For the believer, it is written in 1 Jn. 512 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” Therefore God has chosen us in Christ (Eph. 1.4), He is our sole qualification; and furthermore, it is written in Jud. 1.1 “we are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ;” which may more broadly be interpreted as, “being called we have received an invitation to enter that race, and have been consecrated or set apart by God to be a runner in it, and that He watches over us attentively as we run the race before us, able to preserve us to the finish.” Heb. 12.1-2 continues,“let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus.”For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

Ps. 122.1-2 “1I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.2Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!’”Just who is the “I” in this verse; and why is he “glad” to hear the beckoning call from the passerby? Firstly, many, including myself, can identify as the “I” in this verse, perhaps you may also. The reason being is that I too was once the one standing within your gates of Jerusalem. No, I was not in the city Jerusalem, Israel; there is a physical Jerusalem and a heavenly spiritual Jerusalem. (See Heb. !2.22, Gal.4.26) The first is the abiding place for the natural man, the man of flesh; the latter city is the abiding place for the spiritual man, as it is written, Heb. 12.22 “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,…” It was within this latter case I found my feet were “standing” within the gates of religion, just as the hearer in this verse.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

The previous Episode began laying the foundation for understanding just what is the “normal” Christian life. The “normal” that we see today seems to fall far short of the normal Christian life revealed in scripture—where there is a higher standard set. It seems that over time the Church has evolved to what it is today, but its evolution has largely been guided more by the mind of man, in a religious way involving certain doctrines, rituals, and routine; and not after Christ which brings life to the inner man, life that is new and spontaneous. There is a vast difference between Christianity as a religion and Christianity as life. We will now further examine the remainder our Ephesian passage in more detail. For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

About 50 years ago, when I was quite young in the faith, I came across a book written by Watchman Nee entitled, "The Normal Christian Life." I was totally overwhelmed and amazed by the fact that what we may "think" is a normal life for a Christian is not at all normal, especially when compared to Biblical, New Testament, standards. It seems that on the one hand there is the church that has "evolved" over the years, that has become more sophisticated and formal, and today it is a center for the Christian “religion.” Many would describe this church as a good church with a good pastor, good worship and good caring people; perhaps family and community minded. I am reminded of an old saying, “The good is the enemy of the best” meaning that settling for something that is simply “good” and seemingly safe and comfortable can prevent you from striving for something higher, or the “best.” In regards to our faith, it implies that complacency, combined with mediocrity, can be a hindrance from pressing on to greater revelation and life in Christ; to a place where spiritual understanding dispels complacent behavior.

In a divine covenant, God sovereignly establishes the nature of the relationship between Himself and man. God binds Himself by His own oath to keep His promises set forth under the covenant. Still, there are conditions attached to the oath on the side of man; if he does not keep the covenant’s conditions there will be consequences. A clear distinction must be made between the conditions, promises, and consequences under the Old Covenant cut in the blood of goats and bulls and the conditions of the New Covenant cut in the in the blood of Christ. It is as Jesus said at the last supper, “For this is My blood of the ‘new’ covenant,…” Mt. 26.28 By emphasizing the word “new” He was affirming this divine covenant did not just add to the Old Covenant but it superseded it and was to completely replace the Old Covenant. The New is not the reconditioning of the Old like one reconditions a house, but is a replacement of the Old, a house built upon a new foundation, not one of “the Law” but a foundation which is Christ. It is confirmed again in scripture, Heb. 13.8 “In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

Man was created a tripartite being in the beginning and he will always be body, spirit and soul even unto eternity. This means that salvation must, by all means, come to all three components of man or he will be incomplete in eternity--first salvation comes to the spirit in the new birth, then the soul is progressively saved in this lifetime, and finally the resurrection of the body will occur at the return of Christ. If in this age one is saved in spirit and soul, and he dies, what happens to his body? It returns to the earth for it has not yet been redeemed. A soul in this state is Biblically stated to be found “naked” in the afterlife. Those believers now in the afterlife wait with us who are alive for the completeness of salvation, the resurrection of our bodies.

The Law of the Old Testament on the prophetic side was perfect for it undoubtedly pointed to Christ. However, on the moral side the Law held a standard of righteousness no one, not the highest of high priests, could obtain. Sin was made known to them through the law and the need for a savior was made obvious through their inability to keep the Law. So too, my good friend Albert tried as he may to control his character: his temper, attitudes, selfish actions, religious devotion, and so on, but grew increasing frustration that any sense of obedience did not bring any change in character, or any degree of deliverance from the “old man of sin.” Then one day it all became abundantly clear to him, that a life lived in union with Christ is presented as being righteous before God. Legalism brought him no closer to God; but it is obtained “in Christ.”

In brief summary of Jesus’ instructions to His disciples in Mt. 16.24-27, He makes a connection between the “soul of man” and: that of a cross, of losing or saving his soul life, of the soul’s relationship to the second coming of Christ, and finally of rewards according to one’s works. All of this is unique to the salvation of the soul, which is just a one-third part of man; the salvation of the whole man involves the redemption of his spirit and body as well. At first glance the passage seems to contradict the idea of binging saved by grace which is the foundation of the Christian faith, Eph. 2.8-9 “ 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not of works, lest anyone should boast.” And so, we must dig a little deeper to understand just what the soul is and the nature of its redemption.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life,” Jn, 6.63, following a lengthily discourse with His disciples where He made the comparison between the bread Moses gave to their forefathers to eat, which was the manna miraculously supplied as food for the Israelites in the wilderness, with Jesus’ own claim to be the bread of life from heaven. Jesus likened the manna to be of the “flesh,” and to Himself as “spiritual.”” This contrast between “flesh” and “spirit” occurs frequently in the Gospel and is a constant point in Paul’s writings. It is not as though one is evil and the other is good but it comes down to using the right tool for the right situation; it can be a matter of life and death.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

If man was created in the image and likeness of God as was discussed in the previous episode, then our attention must now be focused on those elements of likeness which include man’s spirit, soul and body. With these components of man, he is complete; and like Christ, is able to function in relationship in both this physical world and in the spiritual realm of God. Our opening scripture (1 Thes. 5.23-24,) lays the foundation for this discussion.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

Just what did the Psalmist David mean when he wrote, “What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? Ps. 8.4; Or the prophet Moses who wrote, “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; Gn. 1.26 Men have grappled to understand and rightly interpret these scriptures with down through the centuries, with various opinions and translations. However, there are some concrete generalizations of thought that give real meaning and personal value to these scriptures which are valid and truthful. For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

“Then one day, through a series of events (I believe orchestrated by God), this religious box exploded, blew to smithereens, never to be found again. Somehow, by God’s mercy and grace, I was bored up as on eagles wings and brought to Himself. (See Ex. 19.4) My faith became personal. Being found in Christ, I encountered God in an entirely new and living way. I found life, the life that can only be known by those in fellowship with Jesus Christ. 1 Jn. 5.12-13 expresses it this way, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

Revelation 19.6-9 is a glance into the future for the Church. There is no bride “of” Christ in the earth today. But, there is a bride to be “for” Christ in the earth, one being prepared, a virgin now known as the Church. Many things must take place before this great and glorious event called “the marriage supper of the Lamb” because this event is an object of eternity; and nothing of the earth enters into eternity without a needful time of redemption, transformation, spiritual refinement, testing, and judgment; and a seeing that all is good, very good; for what is not will be separated at the last judgment, that of the Great White Throne judgment, as it is written in Revelation 20.13-15. For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

“3Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God”This podcast attempts to answer the questions: “what is this falling away, or apostasy,” “Who is this man of sin,” and “Where is this temple in which he sits?” And also explain the main characters in this scenario: the dragon, the beast, the antichrist, and the church. For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

This article explores the spiritual warfare between good and evil, drawing parallels between historical events like D-Day and the ongoing battle between the Kingdom of God and the forces of Satan. It traces the establishment of the Church as the spiritual "D-Day," beginning with Christ's victory over sin and death and the birth of the Church at Pentecost. The piece examines signs of Satan's counter-offensive, marked by global moral decay, increased hostility toward Christianity, and a falling away of faith within the Church—a time of apostasy as foretold in Scripture. It calls believers to spiritual vigilance, enduring faith, and a return to the true mission of the Church amidst the growing darkness.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

In the previous episode the fact was made that all kingdoms have both authority and power. In the Kingdom of God all authority and power has been given to Christ who now sits at the right hand of the Father. And now Christ, is relegating this authority to govern the Church upon the earth to the elders of every local church; and He is bestowing this power through the Holy Spirit to accomplish His purposes upon this earth to every believer in the form of some particular ministry (or service), and with the manifestation of spiritual gifts to be used as weapons for spiritual warfare and as spiritual tools for the building up or edifying of the Church. And so, the power to accomplish God’s work upon the earth, and in the Church, lies in specialized ministries given to every believer and spiritual gifts of the Spirit (see 1 Cor. 12.7-11) to be used in ministry. For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

We see at work in the Church are those two forceful capabilities associated with all kingdoms: authority and power. Whether it is the Kingdom of God, the kingdom of Satan, or the kingdoms of the world, all retain the same two forces to makes laws and enforce obedience in order to influence and control its citizens; and all too often attempts to conquer other kingdoms. On the earth nations war against other nations and in the heavenly realm the Kingdom of God is at a great war with the devil and his kingdom; it all had it origin long ago in heaven, Proper understanding of the nature and function of both authority and power in the Church is essential, as well and the role of gender. For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

Jesus proclaimed in Mt. 16.18, “I will build My church,” but Jesus is now in Heaven and the Church is on the earth. However, the church is now spiritual in which Jesus Christ may now connect with the soul of man for fellowship, communication, and the ordaining men and women into specific services for the building up of His Church. The two primary areas are firstly the government of the Church for which He raises up elders to oversee it, and secondly He ordains and sets into place ministries to serve the Church and give it maturity. There are important distinctions between elders and ministries that must be understood. For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

The Church is not a continuation of the Old Covenant Law and Temple system but from a Christian perspective; rather it is the culmination of God’s meticulously planned workings beginning with Adam man from creation, to the promises to faithful Abraham and the patriarchs, to Moses and the Law concerning the nation of Israel, and now it is His highest work through Christ and the Church. This is the progressive unfolding of the manifold wisdom of God down through the ages now being made known by the Church. Each age is a dispensation in which God interacts with His people in a different way, progressive working towards the fulfillment of His master plan. His work is different within each succeeding age, but all work towards a single purpose of bringing a people into intimate fellowship with Himself.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast

Jesus Christ most often spoke of spiritual things in likeness to the natural so His disciples often misunderstood Him. When He cautioned them to, “Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees,” at the mention of the word leaven their minds immediately thought of bread, which they did not bring with them. Jesus however, was speaking of something much more sinister; something very deceptive that could creep into their lives and that of the Church He was to build.At the time of the apostle Paul’s ministry, this leaven of the Pharisees had infiltrated the Galatian Church, as they started to embrace the beliefs and practices of the Old Testament Law. It seems that there is a tendency in man to drift from the spiritual into the natural, from the pursuit of life in Christ Jesus to the pursuit of obedience to commandment and rituals; from the freedom of the Spirit to the bondage of religion. You see, religion is a “no brainer” so to speak, something that requires or involves little mental effort, or most importantly, the “work of faith” to believe in and pursue the spiritual, the invisible and intangible realities of God.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/

The thought of mixture entering into the Church remains a constant concern. Anything foreign to the absolute truth of the Gospel and the testimony of the apostles is an impurity that must be discerned and purge out. This mixture can come from multiple sources, such as false doctrine, false prophets and teachers, worldly influence, culture, as well as a subtle mixing in of other religions and philosophies. Two things for sure, a church in mixture cannot mature falling short of the expectations of Christ, and Satan does not fear it but encourages it for it poses no real threat to him or his kingdom. If another Jesus or a different Gospel were preached today, would you recognize it or may well put up with it?

The words of Paul to the Church of Corinth (2 Cor. 11.1-4) reveal both the grand objective for the Church, as well as a prophetic caution of corruption at its doorstep prone to enter in. Historically, God’s dealings with His creation have passed from the “age of Creation” focused on Adam and Eve, to the “age of the patriarchs” focused on Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to the “age of Israel” focused on the Jew, and presently on the “age of the Church” which will culminate God’s eternal plan for His Creation. Having such a calling and destiny, the Church, must, by all means, be kept pure from mixture “that it might be presented as a chaste virgin to Christ at His return.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/

When Jesus told Peter, “I will build my church,” did He have in mind a more perfect religion, one to rival existing religions in the world, or did He have in mind something of a higher spiritual nature? Distinction must clearly be made between religion and Christianity, as well as between the Old Covenant (Testament) in Moses and the New Covenant in Christ. The concept of life must be looked at from a spiritual perspective.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/

It is an undeniable Biblical fact that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, dwells in the believerindividually and in the Church collectively. Yet it seems the reality of this true miracle escapesus. Not only must we come into this realization now, and allow it to impact our lives today, butto anticipate the Holy Spirit as an eternal habitation.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/Watch the episode on Youtube https://youtu.be/0rMRmGE7Tl8

Man often looks at salvation through a very narrow window, where all he can see is heaven and eternal life—which falls infinitesimally short of God’s plan and purpose in His Son Jesus Christ.In this age Jesus is the Head of His Church, the Body of Christ; and in the age to come thisChurch will become His bride to sit with Him on His throne.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/Watch the episode on Youtube https://youtu.be/sIeb7I4k9qY

If one is given a bow and arrow and a target with a bull’s eye, a purpose is logicallydefined—aim, shoot, and hit the bull’s eye. To shoot arrows randomly is withoutpurpose and certainly without reward. The Father has a divine purpose for Himselfand mankind, and man may randomly seek one way or another, but to hit the mark isthe ultimate in God’s plan and purpose.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/Watch the episode on Youtube https://youtu.be/pxe0qJkXd4k

It is essential to lay the first foundation stone with precision and accuracy, withoutwhich error is distributed throughout the whole building. Regarding the salvation ofmankind we cannot rely on the judgments and estimates of man, but must seek theundeniable and verifiable truth revealed in the Word of God.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/Watch the episode on Youtube https://youtu.be/HCHrSqkx8L8

The believers salvation, calling, and inheritance in Christ is intertwined with, andinseparable from the grace, the purpose, and the inheritance of God; The Father willhave a family of many sons and daughters, the Son will have a Church to become HisBride, and the Holy Spirit will have an eternal dwelling pace.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/Watch the episode on Youtube https://youtu.be/4_EI4pdzzEg

Relationship and fellowship are distinct from one another. One may have arelationship but no fellowship and another may have fellowship without a relationship.Fullness of life is when we have both a true relationship and fellowship with God andwith one another.For other episodes, find us at https://ufsministries.com/podcast/Watch the episode on Youtube https://youtu.be/neSEXlOEvSY