Living Waters Christian Assembly blogs

Salvation - Decision or Election?

Wed, 28 May 2008 21:39:48 -0700

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. Ephesians 1:4

The aspect of Divine Election is one subject I have grown to appreciate and understand more fully over the years. As much as I believe firmly in Evangelism and the great commission, I firmly believe that only God can save people, that He ultimately decides who He will reveal the glorious gospel to as we proclaim it.

Here’s a few questions to ponder…

Can a person decide to be saved when the term "Saved" implies being rescued by another? Is Salvation a choice based on a decision or does salvation come through a divine conversion? Can a lost soul consciously reject the gospel of Jesus Christ if he fully comprehends it? Is it possible to decide to follow Jesus based on one’s own free will? OR is their a higher power at work at the very moment of inception? In other words, is our ability to comprehend, understand, receive, and believe the gospel of salvation in itself an act of God’s grace and power alone? If you believe we are saved by the grace of God, and you believe that, as Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (Matt 11:27) then you must conclude the latter. And that is what solidifies ones salvation and what holds us to Him…Grace. It is not for us to decide, it is His choice…

A VICTORY FOR CANADA'S YOUTH!!!!

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:44:50 -0800

WOW! Today I am very proud to say that a major victory has been declared in our Nation!
Yesterday is a day that won a major victory for Canadian youth!!
Bill C-2 on age of Consent, was passed in the Senate making the age of consent now 16 instead of 14!!
Protection for our young people was raised by 2 yrs!
This is really amazing because for the last year, groups of young people have been visiting with MPs and Senators asking for this to be done!!! And now it is!!
A great victory for the young people who stepped up to be a voice to say - hey we want to be protected by law against predators!!

TRUE COLOURS IN THE BATTLE!

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:44:21 -0800

It's amazing how different people can be when it comes to what's right and wrong. Today eveybody has an opinion on just about everything:)

What I find so amazing is that you see young people stepping up to do great things - like stand for life or take a stand for morality. In today's society it is sooo awesome to see that young people have such courage and boldness to have a voice. I guess what really makes no sense to me is when people get so offended or angry is a better word - when somebody young is trying to do something good!

I saw a clip recently from the States about young people standing up for morality when it came to the media. The kids were saying that they were tired of turning on their tv's only to be blasted with violence, sex (in just about everything except Hannah Montana:) And they were on the steps of the city hall to show their concern for the brainwashing in the media.

CHRISTIANITY OR NOT

Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:39:10 -0800

Hey! It's been a while since I've entered anything in this blog - I haven't really had the time! As I'm writing this I am working on a big event coming up:)Life can be very busy when you realize there is such a great need out there!

Being in the streets with the homeless really makes you realize that everyday you have is a gift from God. We lost Bill to a heart attack a few months ago. He was a really awesome man with very unfortunate circumstances in his life.
We saw him every month for the last 5yrs this summer. He was homeless and he died in the shelter a homeless man. He spoke of his daughter and her children every conversation we had.

Why Do I Need the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

Tue, 09 Oct 2007 10:28:59 -0700

This is often a controversial subject among some denominations. I meet many people through my association with Living Waters Canada who are surprised that a "Spirit Filled" Pentecostal is so involved with Ray Comfort's ministry. I have come to find that many people completely misunderstand what our doctrinal position is on the Holy Spirit and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

For starters, we as mainstream Pentecostals do not believe that one must have the baptism of the H.S to be saved. Nor do we believe that speaking in tongues is essential to salvation. Nor do we believe that those who have not received this baptism are not sealed with the Holy Spirit at conversion. We believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a SECONDARY baptism and experience. We believe the baptism in the Holy Spirit is biblical and beneficial for all believers, and therefore we teach that it is a good and healthy secondary aspect of the Christian life. It is not my belief that we who have the Holy Spirit baptism are more spiritual than other believers, that many immature Christians have unfortunately misrepresented this aspect of the Pentecostal church. I am posting a link to an audio message by my good friend and mentor, Pastor Richard Crisco (from Assemlies of God) who presents this teaching in a very clear and practical way. Please take the time to listen to this wonderful presentation.

PENAL SUBSTITUTION - An Essential Truth & Sound Doctrine

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 17:44:59 -0700

It's amazing how doctrine affects the way we ultimately live out our faith. If our view of God's character is wrong, our understanding of the gospel will be limited and in some cases distorted. On the subject of the Atonement there have been two opposing view points flying around. One is correct while the other is a serious defection from sound doctrine and bblical truth. The Doctrine of Penal Substitution is not a theory, it is a non-negotiable essential of Christian doctrine. This is the biblical view that Christ received our deserved punishment in order to satisfy the justice of God. The contrary position limits the character of God to one dimension (His mercy) while ignoring another dimension (His Wrath).

WHO WILL ANSWER THE CALL

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 23:00:39 -0700

Hey! It's so hard to get a decent movie to watch these days.
If there isn't a few swear words or something gross - said or seen - then is it even out there??

Every so often a great movie comes along - and then I show some sort of interest in seeing it.
Seriously, I have learned my lesson on this, after many movie rentals being removed from the dvd player before the 3rd line - I decided to beware of anything I haven't looked into first.
There is something about the fact that the ratings are just not good enough.
To whose standards are they rated anyways??

It really gets me when I think of kids watching these movies rated at pg level - that are saying divorce is the norm - adultery is ok - swearing is normal. Like what is that!! When it gets to 14A - Put it this way......WHAT ARE WE THINKING!!!!

JUST CHECKING IN

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 11:32:10 -0700

Wow!! life has been crazy lately!
So much going on. It seems that there are those crazy times in life where you wondered what just happened.

Kind of like having the privilege to play on the same stage as Delirious? Now that was crazy!

It was the most awesome thing ever to walk out from the very large curtain backstage, and to see the Scotia Bank Place from that angel. I was really stopped in my tracks as I looked out at the place.
I thought this is crazy - how did this happen.

As I was saying this to myself, Martin Smith and the band were headed in our direction. I was like, welcome to Canada guys - as some of the young people that were with me, almost collapsed on the floor. Then they proceeded to do their soundcheck - as we hung out and watched.

Developing A Christian Worldview For Your Kids

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:37:17 -0700

The following article was written by Brannon Howse from Christian Worldview Ministries. It is an excellent article for anyone who desires a Christian upbringing for their kids.

CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE

THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL VS CHRISTIANITY

Sun, 13 May 2007 07:14:23 -0700

THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL VS CHRISTIANITY

Those who pedal the prosperity gospel are what the Bible refers to as those who use “godliness as a means of gain.” 1 Timothy 6:5 says we should “withdraw ourselves from them.” That is because they are false teachers. Their goal is to get you excited about becoming rich in this present world.

Romans 14:17 “For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit… Riches profit not on the day of Judgment, but righteousness delivers from death.”

The word “prosper” can only be found three times in the whole New Testament (KJV). One time it refers to making donations for Paul’s ministry, another in regard to Pauls journey, and the other one is A rebuke issued to To the Church in Laodicea…

DELIRIOUS? MAY23rd AT SCOTIA BANK PLACE!!

Thu, 03 May 2007 09:41:35 -0700

Hey guys!! DELIRIOUS IS COMING May 23rd - Get Your TicKets NOW!! See Change 07 is coming below!!!!

CHANGE 07 IS COMING!!

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:45:58 -0700

Hey guys! As we are now at the end of April and going into May, many new things are around the corner.
This year has brought us many great experiences and unbeleivable events.
Having the privelege of working with Faytene Kryskow and all the amazing work with the Cry2 - and the recent Sieges here in Ottawa has been incredible. The Siege 07 conference was a major turning point for this Nation and an absolute cry from the heart of God! MAJOR!!! Lives Changed forever!!!
God has been shouting to His church through all that He is doing in Canada!
The Crucifixion this year was like something I haven't seen. The crowds were filled with people who were being drawn to God. Addicts were coming forward - the broken and the lost were brought face to face with truth and their reality of their lives without Christ. Night after night the crowds came.

MODERN DAY JUDGMENT

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 23:22:48 -0700

MODERN DAY JUDGMENT -- DOES GOD STILL DO IT?

Many Christians view the Judgment of God as dispensational. They think that we are living in a time of "grace" and that God no longer acts as He did in Old Testament times. Some believe He is holding back all judgment until the final day of Judgment. This of course is erroneous. There are certain conditions that warrant His immediate attention. I assure you, He continues to extend His wrath on a daily basis...

Psalm 7:11 God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day.

We can find several occasions where God unleashed immediate judgment in the New Testament, particularly in the book of Acts. One man was killed for taking credit for miracles, two people were struck down for lying to the Holy Spirit, and a warning was served to those who would dare to engage in Homosexual behavior.

DON’T CHANGE THE WORLD -- PREACH THE GOSPEL

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 09:23:22 -0700

DON’T CHANGE THE WORLD!

I keep hearing Christians say, “Let’s change the world…” or “Let’s make the world a better place…” I think that initiative is actually counter to the gospel’s objective. Let me explain…

I’ve been checking in and watching the news all week. Tonight I heard students grieving over how this horrible and terrifying incident in Virginia has so disrupted their peace of mind. For those in their graduating year, this grim ordeal will be the final reminder of their University life.

I tried to envision what it was probably like before this all happened and how students would have preferred to end the year… some enjoying life as they pursued their dreams, some no doubt into partying and living life to the full. I imagine many students returned from a spring break filled with drunken revelry and immoral behavior prior to this incident… and I’m sure they were looking forward to more of it. But this terrible occasion as brought all that to an end for now, replaced by a season of grief and turmoil.

School Shootings — The Missing Link

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:34:16 -0700

School Shootings — The Missing Link

As familiar as they seem, it still horrifies us when we hear that another school shooting is taking place. Yesterday’s shooting at Virginia Tech U is now the worst ever in US history. Only a few months ago it happened in Montreal. This is not just happening in North America, it has become a worldwide epidemic with an unprescedented rise in the mid-90’s (See stats here). Since 1996 there have been 48 School shootings, the majority of them committed by students. The average age of school shooters is 13-18, in one incident, the student was 12, the youngest school shooter was 6 years old. There is no question that this trend has a common denominator. Something is causing this and it’s not just video games. The problem is compounding but there is one missing link that I doubt will be targeted in the media’s quest to find answers.