The Great words of the New Testament Series. by Frank Hunring

I have on my various platforms posted videos on the great words of the New Testament , a bible study by the late pastor Frank Hunting. I am aware I have not completed this series so I am here posting a link to the whole Bible Study in PDF form.This si designed for group bible study or individual study. If you don't have a Bible I suggest you use the Bible gateway resource found on the internet to online searchable versions ofc most versions of the Christian Bible. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n0L6U-2WvE282Ws8VHId1HGts-6knfmK/view?usp=sharing

"your life is your prayer"

-->

Parkrose Service  7/8/16 This is an outline of the message I shared this last Sunday at Parkrose Village.

Bible Reading:

Matthew 6

1“Watch out! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. 2When you give to someone in need, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get. 3But when you give to someone in need, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. 4Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

Teaching about Prayer and Fasting

5“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. 6But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

7“When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. 8Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!  

-->

Order of Service 7/8/16

Welcome and Call to Worship : Psalm 106:1-2

Hymn: “turn your eyes upon Jesus”

               “Within the veil”

Announcements:

 

Bible Reading: Matthew 6:1-8

Hymn: “There is a place of quiet rest”

Communion:  


Offering

Church Prayer

Hymn: “What a friend we have in Jesus”


Sermon: “Your Life is your Prayer”

Hymn: “Take my life and let it be”

Vesper:

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace”

 

-->

“Your  life is your prayer”

A  few weeks ago when we were here Barrie was talking about our Church here developing a praying ministry.

At the time I said I might speak on prayer next time so that is what today is about.

For those of you who read Christian books I wonder what you would say if I asked you what was the most influencial Evangelical Christian book of the 20^th century, apart from the Bible.

The Christianity Today online internet magazine did a survey and the result surprised many.

Prayer: Conversing with God was number one on that list,

Rosalind Rinker, the author said,

   “The title might have been, Matthew 18:19, 20 or When Two or Three Agree, for the book is based largely on the meaning and contents of those verses. “

Over the years I ,like some of you, have read many books on prayer and even been to a really good seminar on prayer.

I have some great Bible studies on prayer.

I know how to pray and what to pray and who to pray to.

But if I was to look at a record of how much time each week I have actually spent in prayer I would be ashamed.

How many times a day do I pray?

Some other religions put us to shame in their dedication to prayer.

It would be wrong of course to pray in vain repetitions as our Lord has warned us against.

Matt 6  kjv :7But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

So what are some of the main principles we should adhere to when we pray, as a group or individually.

Matt 18: NLT  19“I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20For where two or three gather together as my followers,^h I am there among them.”

In my time as a Christian, since 1974, I have known and seen some wonderful answers to prayer but also known disappointment as I am sure you have.

But that is not a reason to throw in the towel.

Our whole Christian life is a learning and growing experience.

I am not too old to learn more and I am sure no one here is also.

So here are some important things regarding prayer.

1.  We need to know The God to whom we are coming.

Time should be taken to make as full a realization as possible of the greatness of God.

The God to whom I am coming is

    ALL POWERFUL

    ALL MIGHTY.

Jesus tells us how to pray when He starts the Lord’s prayer ,“Our Father who art in Heaven”

 Jesus wouldn’t be teaching us to pray if it wasn’t a normal thing for Christians to do.

An expectation He has of us.

When we are praying we are praying to our Creator, the Creator of the Universe.

If that is the case then nothing is too hard for        our God.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?

Jeremiah’s Prayer     Jeremiah 18:

16Then after I had given the papers to Baruch, I prayed to the Lord:

17“O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!

26Then this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 27“I am the Lord, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?

2   The only basis , the grounds ,on which we bring our loved ones or anyone to God is the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We all come on the same basis, which is:  Jesus died for us and has reconciled us to God.

Made us right with Him.

Through the death of Jesus we are redeemed,     saved.

We have been brought out of our lost state.

When we pray in Jesus name it is because we have been baptized into His name.

He lives in us.

Because we have been purchased with His blood He wants to carry out His will on earth through us.

No Christian is more worthy than any other to have their prayers answered..

When we come to God in prayer we are all equal.

We do have to discipline ourselves though if we are serious about prayer.

2.  We also need to take time to discover what God’s will is in certain situations.

         That is in a group or as an individual.

 In a group prayer that is where where the praying in agreement comes in.

It is no good praying in a group where we don’t all agree on what we are praying for.

In order to achieve agreement in prayer, we need to constantly ask:

What does God want in this matter?

What is His will in this situation?

What will bring glory to God in this matter?

We can find God’s will in any situation if we study what the Bible says.

There is no human condition and situation that is not dealt with in the Bible.

When we discover God’s will for a situation we are then to pray with no doubt in our hearts.

God wants us to pray prayers of faith not prayers of hope.

We can believe the words of the Bible, the promises, when we read them.

Believe in our conscious mind

Deep down though we have doubts.

That’s where we need to let the Holy Spirit touch us to take away doubt.

4. We also need to recognize that in prayer we can

use God’s mighty weapons to bring down any      barriers satan may have erected in a person or situation.

 We don’t very often think but a lot of what prayer is about is claiming the Victory that Jesus won on the cross over the devil.

 (Testimony of healing shared here but not included because of privacy)
A link below however to a transcript of a tape study on praying in agreement and authority when someone is addicted to drugs.
The story I shared is related to this. 

http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/search/label/drug%20addiction

Let me re emphasise, we are all equal before God when it comes to prayer

No one has any more power than what God makes available to all of us.

However an important part of the

 equation in prayer is that we do need to make our life a prayer as such.

That’s where the discipline comes in .

How we live our Christian lives.

You see ,

our life is our prayer,

God wants to hear our petitions but He knows our needs before we ask Him.
He wants to see that we are walking with Him.
We may have unforgiveness and bitterness in our hearts,
we may be piously waving our hands in the air,
 saying look how holy I am,
 but we need to be abiding in Him.
We need to make sure by our lives we live that our prayers are going further than the ceiling.

A simple illustration of the why of this, is that as Christians, God wants to allow rivers of living water to flow from us.

Our gutters don't flow if they are clogged by leaves. 

If our lives are clogged by sin then the rivers of living water will not flow.

Prayer is one of the biggest topics we can explore in the Christian faith.
Countless books and studies have been written.

In particular as we become less physically able to help people we can be dedicated prayers.

That can be a very important ministry at Parkrose.

Not always does God answer prayer how we expect Him too.

I watched this week a wonderful talk by Joni Eareckson(Tada) who you may have read of some years ago.
In a diving accident at 17 she became a quadriplaegic.
Shje will be 67 this october.
She desperately wanted God to heal her but Physical healing has never happened.
In her talk though she says how she would never have experienced the deeper inner healing and transforming power of God in her life and that of her husband if she had been physically healed when she so desperately wanted healing.
She still longs for a new body but she says her circumstances have enabled her to reach out to so many who need encouragement than she other wise would  have been able to.
There is so much more we could look into in this topic but I just want to encourage us all to get into the regular habit of praying.
Maybe one or two might like to do that with each other during the week.
The best way to learn about prayer is to do it and maybe keep a list of prayers we have prayed and the results of our prayers.
That can be very transforming.
I have been saying all these things in Jesus name.  Amen.

Rightly Dividing the Word-Understanding the Bible

Please note I have updated my previous post on exegesis.
Transcribed it more accurately in sequence than I did before.
Such an important teaching so I draw it to the attention of Christians again.

http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2011/08/exegesis-how-to-read-and-interpret.html

The Coming World Government by Harold Long

I have posted this on my youtube channel and also on my Life Changing Christian Sermons Blog.
I thought I would also post it here.
The world has been anxiously watching the USA election this last week and now some are happy and some unhappy with the result.
This is just a reminder that there is a far bigger picture than our own views on politics where we live, and the world at large.
There is a drama of life unfolding as foretold in the prophetic messages of the Bible.
This is Harold Long's exposition on the coming world govt. as he presented it in the 1970's.
While many will scoff at this type of preaching, those who believe the Bible to be the Word of God may be blessed to hear God speak through one of His servants.

If you are not yet a Christian and concerned about your salvation  follow the link below to a sermon by Frank Hunting that clearly presents the need to make a "decision" for Christ without delay.
http://geoffthompsonstapelibrary.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/spiritual-death-by-frank-hunting.html

About Harold Long

I have started putting taped sermons by the late Pastor Harold Long on this blog.Harold was a long serving Churches of Christ Minister who had Ministeries in Victoria,NSW and South Australia.
He did his Bible College Training at the College of The Bible at Glen Iris which was a Churches of Christ Theological College.
We met Harold Long and his wife and family when we were attending the Church of Christ in Adelaide at Grote Street in South Australia.
I sat under Harold's teaching for some 3 years before I ran out of arguments as to why I should not become a Christian after listening to many of his sermons.
My wife was already a Christian.
We had the privilege in our formative Christian years of both Harold's ministry and also Frank Hunting(see about Frank Hunting on this blog).
I have often said Harold was the one who God used to bring me to Jesus and Frank was the one who God used to keep me there.
Both men were Pastors in the Churches of Christ movement and were very gifted expositors of the Bible.
Harold was well known and loved for his prophetic teaching on the end times of the age and the Church and the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I have many tapes by both men and also other Church of Christ Ministers who have been our Pastors and many who were guest Preachers.
I will post some of the others at a later date, God willing.
One set of Harold's sermons  I intend to post are a series called "What Churches of Christ Believe."
 There was a time when most Churches of Christ in Australia would have believed the things Harold expounded on but sadly I think there has been a falling away in some of our Churches on what was held dearly by some.
When you listen to them you can judge for yourself.

The Cross

Well Easter is upon us so time to reflect.
I have attached a Bible study on the Cross of Christ by Frank Hunting.
May the real meaning of Easter be real or become real for you this Easter.

See also the link below.

http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2009/09/cross-of-christ.html

The Holy Spirit-by Frank Hunting

The following is another in the series of small booklets by Frank Hunting. It is on the Holy Spirit. Who He is and how He enters our lives and how we can know  His fullness.
It may challenge some positions held by people about the Holy Spirit.
To those who "have ears to hear" it may be very helpful.
I will post this progressively as usual.
See the post about Frank Hunting if you are new to this blog.
Just click on each page and it will expand so you can read it.

The Fallacy of Generational Curses and the shaping force of influence

Ray and Marg Smith are personal friends of our family and Ray is a long term Pastor within the Churches of Christ movement in Australia.
He has just released a book called "The Fallacy of Generational Curses and the shaping force of influence."
I have included a couple of paragraphs from the opening of the book and the back cover notes.
If anyone is interested in obtaining a copy contact Ray at

marg.ray@westnet.com.au

The books are $16(A) plus postage.

Ray has put a lot of thought and research into the topic and it may well be of interest to some who may be struggling with this issue.

Don't be dismissive of the title there is much Biblical wisdom in this book and lots about being Christian and especially for Parents and Grandparents

Is this the Real Christmas? by F.C.Hunting 30-44

This is the final instalment of this booklet by Frank Hunting. I trust those who have been following it have been blessed. A very Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year to all who regularly follow my blog and to those also who come upon it. Geoff Thompson

A Close Encounter---Agnes Sanford and ?

Some years ago( 1974 I think) when I had only been a new Christian for a few months the well known Author Agnes Sanford was coming to town.
Our Ministers in our Church at the time recommended we go to hear Agnes speak as they said she was unique type of Christian with much experience in prayer and healing.

My wife and I and my mother and some other Christian friends went to hear her.

The Church where she spoke was packed and the beginning of her talk I will never forget.

I don't remember too much else what she said that night but I have read her books and listened to taped addresses since.

Agnes came out on to the platform looking like a little old grandmother and certainly not trying to impress us with her appearance.

The first thing I remember her saying was "I sense the presence of evil in this place."

A great way to grab the attention of a Church full of Christians.

She then proceeded to pray a prayer of protection for all of us present and herself.

The amazing thing was that as she was praying I heard a muttering voiced coming from the row of pews behind me.

I looked to where the voice was coming from and there was a man there with a half smile on his lips but they were not moving.

The voice was mocking Agnes and what she said and in a chuckling mocking tone.

I asked my wife and my mother and her friend if they heard the voice and they all said "no, what was I talking about?

Then the voice stopped and it had only been a few sentences and was heard no more for the rest of the meeting.

I did not understand about  things such as demons but from that time on I was in no doubt of their reality.

Funnily while I have been writing this the radio announcer on the ABC Radio in Australia was interviewing  an Author who debunks the para normal and lots of other things when the station went off the air except for some weird whistling and crackling noises and the call dropped out.

The host of course was a bit "spooked".

Of course when they got him back the author reminded us that that is  actually how we can jump to wrong conclusions.
They have now announced that the problem  was caused by maintenance happening upstairs.

Now concerning Agnes Sanford, I am full aware that many evangelical Christians believe Agnes Sanford( she is now deceased) was a "new ager" with her ideas of visualisation and "healing of the memories" and believe that she was virtually deceiving Christians with her teaching .

Well there are many things that Agnes taught that I don't and didn't agree with and I knew my Pastor Frank Hunting who was one who sometimes quoted her in sermons, I wondered  how he reconciled some of her teaching with what I knew he believed.

His approach was "Agnes is very good on somethings but not so good on others." or something to that effect.
He had a similar observation for Corrie Ten Boom.

Frank was at times a person who also practiced things like healing of the memories( see the post on "Inner Peace" on this blog).

I also learnt from Frank about Hearing God's Word.( a title of one of his sermons).

He taught that we are limiting ourselves from ever hearing God's Word from through His Christian  people if we Judge them.
He says that the minute we put a label on someone we will never be able to hear God speak to us through that person who may be very gifted.


We block our minds from Hearing God because of our Prejudice

So if we call me  a Fundamentalist or someone else a Liberal or someone else a New Ager or someone else a Charismatic we are not only disobeying God's injunction to us to "Judge Not!" but limiting our ability to grow as Christians.

Not withstanding the above God also gives discernment as one of His gifts which we should also exercise.

Why I started this post was because each day I meet of hear of Christians who don't even seem to believe there is a devil or demons.

We ignore the evil supernatural ruler of this world at our peril.

The thief seeks to destroy our faith and families.

^{John 10:10} "The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."

The following passage is really talking a lot about what I have said above .

See what you can make of it.

John 10

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

   “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! ² But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. ³ The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴ After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. ⁵ They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” ⁶ Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, ⁷ so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me^[a] were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved.^[b] They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. ¹⁰ The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
 ¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. ¹² A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. ¹³ The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
 ¹⁴ “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, ¹⁵ just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. ¹⁶ I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd.

Is this the Real Christmas? by F.C.Hunting 24-29