Blog Archives
When Pigs Fly
By Paul Godfrey, Audio: mp3
Is it possible to live a perfect holy life in this present world? I mentioned this when I was younger and the response was ‘when pigs fly’ you can live perfect in this life. It is a phrase that is used to imply it is just impossible; it’s never going to happen. It is the response of many that it is impossible to overcome sin in this life. I am very surprised how many people don’t believe that you can; that there is a way to live without sin in this present world, as in not sinning. Many people don’t believe it yet they call themselves believers and teach ‘just believe and you will be saved yet they don’t believe.
Do you believe that there is a way to overcome all the defects of your character? We will look at what the Bible has to say because the response of the majority is ‘when the pigs fly.’ Read the rest of this entry
Count It All Joy When Ye Fall Into Divers Temptations
By Paul Godfrey, Brisbane Church 2011. Audio: mp3
When we come to the Lord, we’re all excited and pumped. We’re just praising the Lord every step of the way and singing our songs. Nothing can get us down anymore until something gets us down and then we get into discouragement. We want to consider when Christian excitement, the energy that we receive ebbs away and when it ebbs away, does that mean we’ve lost our experience?
Jesus gives a parable in relation to receiving the kingdom of heaven, being converted and having a spiritual experience. This parable is revealed in the type of seed, and the sowing of the seed. Matthew 13 is the explanation of the actual parable. He gave it earlier in the chapter and now He is telling what it means and He comes to this part where the seed falls upon the rocky ground.
Matthew 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word of God, and anon with joy receiveth it;
13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. Read the rest of this entry
07 Don’t Forget
Paul Godfrey
Audio:
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When you compare the righteous with the wicked, the wicked come to heaven’s door knocking expecting to come into heaven thinking the door should be open for them. The righteous look to heaven and long to enter in but in heaven no evil thing may enter yet the Lord says to the righteous, those who look to heaven conscious of their condition; “Come in.” The person may say, “Lord, no sin can enter into heaven. You are calling me to come in but as far as I understand nothing bad can go into heaven.” The Lord says, “Yes, I know that so come in.” Read the rest of this entry
06 An Open Door
Paul Godfrey, Audio:
Whenever you have an open door, it’s an indication to come through. Someone opens the door for you, then you go through.
Genesis 5:21-24 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him.
One thing we must bear in mind in our Christian walk is that we are going somewhere. Sometimes we can feel that all through our life we are just wandering around in circles. I find it extremely difficult to go walking around in a circle for exercise. If I had to go and get the bread in the morning from a shop or I had to go and visit someone and I had to walk, I can do that, but just to walk in a circle and come back I find quite challenging. When there is a purpose in view, when there is an object in sight then the walking doesn’t seem to be so taxing.
When we walk with God, we are going somewhere
As Enoch walked with God, he arrived at the place where they were going. When you have been traveling for a long time with the hope of being somewhere and the anticipation of the great time you will have when you arrive, you can persevere through getting up early, packing your gear and travel. When you get there, there is a sense of relief. Enoch was on this dark planet for three hundred years. Read the rest of this entry
03 Safe Inside
Paul Godfrey
Audio: mp3
You are and I am a whole lot of decisions we have made in the past. What you have done when you were a child and teenager has impacted on who you are today. Does that make sense? Have you made the most important decision of your life? The first study I shared in this series ‘The gospel In Genesis’ was ‘A Chance to Choose’. The devil doesn’t give his people a chance to choose. Oppression and dictatorship doesn’t but God does. God gives His people freedom to choose life or death. That decision that we are to all make will make us somebody. We are based upon our decisions in the past. We have to understand that we ourselves, are progressive. Character is progressive, it never stops. It is like time or the tide, you can never stop your character development, you can’t stop it. If you lie in bed all your life, your character will be built according to that decision. You can’t stop it. You can’t choose not to make a choice. In fact if you choose not to choose, you have made a choice already not to choose. But sometimes as Christians, do you ever wonder whether you are the Lords? Do you ever think, has the Lord received me? Do I belong to God? Have I chosen Him? Read the rest of this entry
02 Your Face is Telling
Paul Godfrey
Audio: mp3
The best repairer is the manufacturer. In mechanics that’s a fact, whoever built the car is the best person to fix the car. We all need repairing. The whole world needs repairing and the best one to do that is the person who created it, the manufacturer of this planet. He can fix us. When we dwell upon the power of our God, really, is there any excuse, any reason for stress? When the Israelites came before the Red Sea, do you think they were a little stressed? Perhaps a bit more than a little, I think they were very stressed. Here is this big mass of water and it posed big issues considering the situation behind them and the situation beside them; big mountains, black Pharaoh coming after them and this water mass in front of them. If they considered that in the creation God divided the waters from the waters, they would understand that this little puddle of water before them was nothing that was beyond the capabilities of God. God can separate the waters. The Bible records that God sent a wind. That word ‘wind’ translates as spirit. When Noah was on the ark and the water was everywhere, it says that the Lord sent the wind and it dealt with the water. Read the rest of this entry
The Leaven of the Pharisee Part 4
The Third Woe, By Paul Godfrey, Audio: mp3
We continue our study on the seven woes to the Pharisees and it is important to study these woes because Jesus was talking to his disciples and he said to them, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.
Matthew 23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.
A strong rebuke to the leaders in the days of Jesus. We know that all things happen for an example upon whom the end of the world has come. Hypocrisy the leaven of the Pharisees hasn’t actually left our world. We want to identify exactly what Jesus is saying. It is not too hard to understand exactly what he is saying. He is saying woe to the leaders because they compass and go around sea and land to make one proselyte and do we know what a proselyte is? A proselyte is someone in the days of Christ who was a gentile. To be made a proselyte was to come into the Jewish faith. They had to be circumcised but not only circumcised but they had to go through the doctrines that the Pharisees held and consent that they were true and to be willing to participate of the rituals of their faith and of their religion and then they were no longer a gentile. They were a Jew in the full meaning of the word. They were no longer classified as the seed of Abraham. Woe to the scribes and Pharisees, they go about to make one proselyte and when he is made you make him two fold more the child of hell than yourselves. Read the rest of this entry
05 Ready When You Are
Rebuilding Adventism Seminar, Study 5 - By Paul Godfrey Audio: 05 Ready When You Are
Jesus is coming. Do we want to be like Nehemiah? If we do it requires a strong decision to build up the old waste places. We will experience opposition if we do this work. The purpose of this seminar has not been for debating controversial issues but to set in a brief way the movement God has ordained to come out of the world. God is building His church upon the eternal rock, the rock of ages, Jesus Christ. This rock is in opposition to worldly customs and practises.
A Brief Summary of Last Four Studies
We have seen there was a faith once delivered to the saints and a falling away into a dragon power by which the truth was cast to the ground and the church and state oppressed God’s people. We also learned there were two time prophecies that had to be fulfilled. The physical persecution ending in 1798 and in 1844 God began cleansing the sanctuary and restoring all truth to His people. In order to do that He had to wrench His people away from the Sunday churches to separate them. The judgment hour message ‘The hour of God’s judgment is come’ caused the wrenching because Daniel’s prophecy said ‘he shall prevail against the saints until the Ancient of days come and judgment is given to the saints.’ From that time there has been a building up, a dawning of the light of heaven on the Advent band. We saw the development of truth. From 1848 that included the sealing message in relation to the sanctuary and the Sabbath and from there it increased to the prophecies, understanding health and dress reform as well as church organisation. Efficiency in spreading this message is the basis for organisation. She wrote if any institution does not give the message it becomes worthless or useless. Then followed the canvassing of the larger books – Great Controversy, Daniel and the Revelation, Desire of Ages and Patriarchs and Prophets. Read the rest of this entry
06 The Harvest
Living Faith Seminar, Study 6, By Paul Godfrey, Audio: The Harvest
We must by willing to take up our cross and deny ourselves and follow Jesus for the path of faith requires a lot of hardship. We will be tested and we tried just like Jesus. Although we are crucified with Christ nevertheless we live yet not we but Christ lives in us. The life we want to live must be lived by the faith of the Son of God. If we will not live by faith we will be overwhelmed by the troubles that Christians and non- Christians alike will receive. No one is exempt. The Christian also receives chastening from God the Father for it says that any branch that brings forth fruit is pruned so it can bring forth more fruit. God’s obedient children are still under the discipline of the loving heavenly Father. That discipline is difficult. We have the privilege of reading the things that will be done to us. We will receive persecution and dark experiences. If we read our Bibles we will see the things written a foretime are written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:4) Jesus prayed to His Father that He would send another Comforter the Holy Ghost. Do you know why the Holy Ghost is a Comforter? It’s because He will show you everything Jesus has said and when he comes he will:
05 The Fight of Faith
Living Faith Seminar, Study 5, By Paul Godfrey, Audio: The Fight of Faith
We cannot be justified by faith until we have received the seed into our hearts. Even though the seed has not grown yet into a tall plant to bring forth fruit, everything is there. As we receive the Word of God in its entirety whether we know everything or not, by that surrender and the willingness to follow the Lamb wherever He goes we are justified.
Hebrews 10:3 Now the just shall live by faith.
If we want to remain just we must live practically by the genetic code that has been placed into our hearts by Jesus Christ. If you have been ploughed, if you realize what sin is, that your nature is desperately wicked and you come to the point where you have received God’s Word in its entirety then the walk has just begun. When the seed has been planted it is just the beginning of our experience. When man has the divine nature and the law of God is written in the soul, our flesh, that is our deranged physical frame, it still has the same matter as beforehand. The endocrine system and the hormones are still unbalanced. Your feelings will still be aroused the same as before rebirth. When someone is born again does he have a new body? No, but you have a new ingredient now that will conquer those things of the flesh. Read the rest of this entry
The Source of Loneliness
By Paul Godfrey, Audio: The Source of Loneliness
Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
Are you really happy, or do you just say that you are happy? God wants us to be happy people, not sad. The problem we have is that we are unhappy with the way which God wants to make us happy. The path which leads to happiness we are not happy with. But if we live by faith and not by sight, it will lead to happiness. What is this path to happiness? If we will be happy with that path, then we will be happy before we get to happiness. Faith is the biggest element in order to be stable Christians. God has given us His word and has fulfilled all our needs. The reason why this world isn’t happy is because we don’t recognise that our needs are fulfilled by the Lord. There is something that is not good for man.
Genesis 2:18 And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Read the rest of this entry
02 A Glorious System of Truth
Rebuilding Adventism Seminar Study 2 – By Paul Godfrey, Audio: mp3
The Sabbath day was given to us by God for a purpose. One of the purposes is to know he created the world in six days. It is to remind us from where we came. We can read that in Exodus 20. In Deuteronomy the reason for keeping the Sabbath is because the Lord bought us out of Egypt. The Sabbath is meant to do two things, not just to dwell upon God’s creation and his power in the origin of our world, but also to dwell upon the fact he has and is bringing us out of the world, out of Egypt. The Sabbath is a day to remember these things. He said remember the Sabbath to keep it holy because he doesn’t want us to forget the Sabbath. The LORD is really helping us with our memory. He says remember a day so we can remember our creation and our exodus out of Egypt. If we can remember the day we can remember everything else. The Bible says in Daniel 7 the dragon power will cast the truth to the ground and it will practise and prosper. As the saints were speaking together one of them asked how long would this go on for. The answer given was 2300 days then the sanctuary will be cleansed. The papal system over a period of generations pulled the truth of God down to the ground in the mind of the people. It wasn’t until the protestant reformation that there was the sound of hope. One by one the different truths started to come in their order. The truth never was restored by the protestant reformation in its entirety.
Read the rest of this entry
The Name of God
By Paul Godfrey
There is a great blessing bestowed upon those who read and understand the book of Revelation. If we do this as it is in its purity we will be richly blessed but if we take something from this book, our names will be taken from the book of life. If we add to it, God will add to us the seven last plagues. In other words the book contains a huge blessing for those who read it as God intended and there is a huge curse upon those who disregard and change it. That should make us tremble. The Bible has a huge amount of power that we don’t want to disregard or read superficially. One major theme in the book of Revelation is the revelation of God’s people. As we look at the future written in this book, we can identify political financial and religious events so that we can identify where we are in relation to this book. Revelation 13 is a prophecy of the image of the beast that exercises all the power of the beast. History tells us that this beast is very terrible. The image of the beast exercises all the power of the first beast. It will command that all that don’t worship the beast to be killed. There will be no mercy in that decree. Then we come to Revelation 14:1.
The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth
By Paul Godfrey Audio: The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth
We need Jesus for the Bible says without him we can do nothing. Not a little bit, but nothing. It takes a bit to realise this fact because our natural heart believes it can do something. The something we think we can do is actually nothing. The Bible says we have sold ourselves for naught therefore we have nothing. Let us never think that nothing is something. If we think that something is nothing then the something is actually nothing. In Revelation chapter 3 is written the preparation we need to be fitted for the latter rain.
Rev 3:17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Read the rest of this entry
04 The Planting of Faith
Living Faith Seminar, Study 4, By Paul Godfrey Audio: 04 The Planting of Faith
If we had been buried with him in baptism we’ll also be raised with him in the newness of life. The symbol of baptism is to depict the death that one is making because of the nature that they find themselves in. When the law has done its work the soul is in a pit of misery and as the soul realises it utter weakness and all it can do is cry. When someone cries, it’s always the loudest when they’re about to die. In that last bit of energy when you call out to the name of the Lord you will be saved. If you were in a comfortable situation and call out ‘help’ with real enthusiasm, how well could you do it? What if you were at the bottom of a cliff? The waves are raging and someone is listening, how loud would you cry? The circumstance creates the energy. You can’t fake it. When the shadows of death creep over you something changes in you and you can call out like nothing. That is what it means when it says ‘He that calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved’. This is Jesus prayer on the cross. You can verify it from the context of the whole chapter.
The Leaven of the Pharisee’s Part 1
Introduction, By Paul Godfrey Audio: mp3
A Warning
If you ever go into a yard you will see a sign saying ‘Beware of the Dog’. Most people are often wary of the dog because if they go in they expect the dog to come out and eat them up. It is very unwise to neglect a warning sign.
Luke 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trod one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
Are you aware of hypocrisy? Jesus was talking to his disciples not the Pharisees. I hope we can gain an understanding of what hypocrisy is so we do not follow that path. The Bible gives a description of hypocrisy in Matthew. Mathew 23 is given to hypocrites, the woes upon the hypocrites. We need to be aware of hypocrisy so we can gain lessons for ourselves.
Matthew 23:1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, [that] observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. :4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay [them] on men’s shoulders; but they [themselves] will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments, 6 And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7 And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi. 8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, [even] Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no [man] your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, [even] Christ. 11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Read the rest of this entry
07 Binding the Broken Hearted
The Consummation of the Everlasting Covenant, By Paul Godfrey, Audio: Binding the Broken Hearted
The experience of the 144,000 is most interesting. They have the most difficult war to overcome yet they stand victors on the great mountain of Mount Zion and the lamb is the source of their victory as they overcome him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. The experience of the 144,000 is what I’d like to talk of and their relief of their association. This study will be centered in Revelation 7.
Revelation 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
This is the hub of our consideration and we have read this and then we are going to go through our study and then read it again. Here is a description of these 144,000 going through an experience of hunger, thirst and they have tears. The lamb, the shepherd of the sheep will wipe away all their tears. That is what we want to understand. Therefore our study will consider each topic. Wherever there is a church that stops preaching the gospel in verity, it must seek for another power to control the people because the preaching of the gospel is the power that God delivered to the church, no other power than that. Here is a definite command of holy writ. Read the rest of this entry
He Spake and it Was Done
By Paul Godfrey, Audio: He Spake and it was Done
I want to provoke each one of you to a closer relationship with the Lord. In order to have a relationship with somebody we need to know them well. To know their thoughts better and also to know ourselves better. Many relationships today break up because of lack of knowing each other and misunderstandings. If somebody says something and you don’t know the thought behind what they are saying you can misconstrue what they are saying every single time. Is that constructive to a relationship? No. This is the same problem we have with God. If we knew His thoughts when He speaks we would understand Him better. If we knew ourselves better we would understand the dangers we have in misinterpreting things. Read the rest of this entry
In the Image of God
By Paul Godfrey
Audio: The Image of God
Jesus taught that relationships are the greater weight of Christian progress. The Pharisees tithed with mint, anise and cumin but forgot the weightier matters of the law. Jesus says in a parable that a brother who judges another brother has a beam in his own eye. The mote that was being judged was a small problem in comparison to the relationship issues of judging one another. It is very important for Christians to relate well to one another and the world around them. This is what Jesus emphasised in His prayer. Read the rest of this entry
