This week we looked at elements of salvation in a believer’s life. However, some of us still struggle with sins that have a tight grip in our lives. We are to fight and wrestle against them and subdue them. But what if a believer refuses to repent of a sin? That’s the topic of this week’s Q&A with Pastor John Samuel Barnett.

https://youtu.be/Z0EK6gcC5hY
(2012DEC09 – Q&A-26)

Have you ever been so sick before that you just don’t feel like yourself? You find yourself waving off food that you would gladly scarf down any other day. You don’t engage in conversations and shy away from people. You can’t think right, you can’t walk right, you can’t even work your body right. Then you’re forsaken by your friends and colleagues. They tell you to go home and stay home. You are not welcome. You are unclean.

Then after some help and a good night sleep you wake up and feel like a new person. Both nostrils are able to take in air. You don’t feel like your head is a balloon floating above your body. Food tastes like your tasting it for the first time. And your friends are finally welcoming you back from your time of shunning. The change is so drastic you can literally feel it.

In Galatians 1, Paul is having to reteaching basic Christian doctrine because of Judaizers who wanted Gentile Christians to first take part in Jewish religious rituals/customs before becoming Christians; things like circumcision and Sabbath keeping. Paul says this in Galatians 1:8 “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!”

Some of the strongest language Paul could use is used here. Today, the American church wants to be softer on different outlooks. Paul, here, says that adding works to grace is not only wrong but that person is condemned to Hell.

Pastor John Samuel Barnett talks about the safety of being secured in Christ. Is there anything you are attempting to add to your own salvation that gives you even the slightest sense of accomplishing it on your own? Or worse yet, are you teaching others to add to salvation by grace alone by Christ alone in faith alone?

https://youtu.be/DY3t-7MD830
(From 2014DEC28 – FTF-13 – Opening & Enjoying the Greatest Christmas Gift Of All – The One God Gave)

Pastor John Samuel Barnett explains the two parts of justification for every Christian believer. A challenge to those who would identify as this – are you living in subjection to the Gift Giver and are your fruits evident of such an amazing truth?

https://youtu.be/xTuwU3O8wRk
(From 2014DEC28 – FTF-13 – Opening & Enjoying the Greatest Christmas Gift Of All – The One God Gave)

This week we looked at the means by which God communicates with us today. Wanting to be loving Christians, how do we biblically respond to people when they tell us that God has spoken to them? That’s the topic of this week’s Q&A with Pastor John Samuel Barnett.

https://youtu.be/xpmHBSjDKA0
(2014AUG24 – Q&A-75)

It’s probably safe to say that you’ve been in a situation where you’ve hurt someone and have desired to apologize and seek their forgiveness. The steps involved in this process are sometimes as painful as slowly pulling off a band-aid from an open cut on a hair arm.

You have to first overcome your pride and humble yourself. You have to find the right words to convey the situation and your grief. You then have to approach them and then, on top of that, you actually have to speak to them. Once you’ve done the deed, the bad part then is they have to choose to forgive you and the conversation that might follow might be a process that is talked out. And the person still might not even forgive you and the relationship could possibly be hurt forever or for a long time.

When we open the gift of forgiveness that God gives the amazing thing is that we desire to humble ourselves and confess our wrongdoings. We pray to God and ask for His forgiveness. And God, being who He is, forgives us fully. And if that isn’t awesome, He doesn’t hold any of our sins against us – we stand un-condemned before Him.

Pastor John Samuel Barnett talks about the experience we have in being forgiven and living un-condemned lives in the presence of the Almighty.

https://youtu.be/lmG2pBUIzyU
(From 2014DEC28 – FTF-13 – Opening & Enjoying the Greatest Christmas Gift Of All – The One God G)

Have you ever been given a gift by someone and didn’t know if it was ok to open it right away or not. Maybe your birthday wasn’t for another two days or you didn’t want to seem greedy by opening it so soon or maybe you were scared that the gift was going to be bad. It may have taken the gift giver slightly prodding you to give you the OK to open the gift.

Today, some of us have yet to open the biggest gift God gives us and some of us have torn it open and are willing to help others to open their gifts faster. The gift of forgiveness provided by God is the ultimate gift we could ever receive. Make sure you are responding to the Gift Giver’s call to open the gift and, if need be, ask those who have already opened theirs for help.

Today’s charismatic movement stems from the incessant desire to try and have God speak to us in audible form, in visions, in dreams, in new revelation. This need overshadows and subverts all other needs or desires. Is this a bad thing, if true? Isn’t the status of the Christian spoken of as a relationship between us and God? Isn’t a healthy relationship built on good communication?

The thing is, God not only has spoken but He continues to speak and He was the first one to speak. In Timothy Keller’s excellent book “Prayer” he says, “Prayer is continuing a conversation that God has started through His Word and His Grace, which eventually becomes a full encounter with Him.”

It seems like every month brings a whole new wave of books concerning visits to Heaven, messages from angels, and special revelation from Jesus who walks into the author’s bathroom while he’s shaving.

It’s not hard to see why these types of books are popular. People enjoy reading about these extraordinary claims that could possibly be true. And usually, most of the books attempt to draw parallels between these supposed events and real events of the Bible.

Today, Pastor John Samuel Barnett shows that even if these types of events were true, they’re not the normal means by which communicates. He does so through His Word to His People.