COMMITTED to train men and women
to have minds for the Lord Jesus,
hearts for the truth, and
hands that are skilled to the task.

Sermons by Pastor Ernest Amstalden (Page 31)

THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF OUR FAITH

Question of the week:
Hebrews 12:2 declares: “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
How does faith work since Jesus is the founder (author) and perfecter (finisher)? Is there anything for us to do to let faith work or does Jesus do it all for us?

Satan’s Temporary Victories

We all know that God could speak the word and His victory be immediately accomplished; however mankind must be considered or else the cross of Jesus Christ would be in vain.
During this battle between Satan and his army and God and his army, Satan will experience temporary victories. This is the case because Satan as the master deceiver will succeed in his craft to deceive the whole world.
During the tribulation period, which will last according to Daniel, precisely 7 years, divided into two 3 ½ years period, Satan will also experience temporary victories because he will once again succeed in deceiving the WHOLE WORLD.
If Satan wants to counterfeit that relationship between Father and Son, he will have to live in a man, known as the antichrist, and empower this individual with his own power. So what the antichrist will do, in reality, IS SATAN’S DOING. When the world sees the antichrist, they actually see SATAN. No wonder they all worship the beast. They all worship Satan. He knows that he has just 3 ½ years on this earth, his 4th dwelling place, and then it’s over. He will experience his final victory, setting up his kingdom on this earth, delivering first PEACE, LIBERTY, AND PROSPERITY, like the people on this earth never experienced before. But it will be a false peace, a false liberty, and a false prosperity. His victory will be short lived.
Because of Satan’s confinement, man, under the ruler ship of Jesus the Messiah, finally will achieve his goal, which was to exercise authority over the earth. Finally, man will fulfill his calling given him when God created him and put him in the Garden of Eden.

The Blessings of Goshen

Joseph divinely positioned and prepared for such a time as this by God himself, he is inviting his family to move to Egypt, and there they would live in a land called Goshen, which means: ‘DRAWING NEAR’.
But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete. In other words, Jacob and his entire clan was exposed to incredible evil. That’s one of the reasons God wanted Jacob and his family to be separated from these people. When they went down to Goshen, the place was prepared by God for them. When we draw near to God, which means we are separated from the wickedness of this world. The Hebrew writer is telling us that Jesus’ blood allows us to enter into God’s presence at any time. There are blessings in Goshen, blessings we can only receive when we DRAW NEAR TO GOD. Separation from the ways of the world. Provision by God Himself. Protection from the judgment of God upon this world.