The Truth Initiative

24/11/2021

https://vimeo.com/649413335/1ddf47c82b

The Kingdom of God

24/11/2021

Starting our new series on the Gospel of Mark! Part 1 deals with what is a gospel and why Mark's Gospel is so unique. Part 2 focuses on Jesus' statement in Mark 1:15: "the Kingdom of God is near"

Introduction to a Gospel

03/09/2021

The battle for our minds part 3- Replacing the lie with truth.

Replacing the lie with the truth

11/08/2021

For all those who feel they are in the fire, this is how Daniel’s friends responded in Dan 3:17: …if we are thrown in a blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us- and He WILL deliver us…

Be encouraged. The lyrics from Hillsongs ‘Another in the fire’ song, is profound:

There's a grace when the heart is under fire
Another way when the walls are closing in
And when I look at the space between
Where I used to be and this reckoning
I know I will never be alone
There was another in the fire
Standing next to me
There was another in the waters
Holding back the seas
And should I ever need reminding
Of how I've been set free
There is a cross that bears the burden
Where another died for me
There is another in the fire

09/08/2021

Mark 3:28-30 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the
children of man, and whatever blasphemies [or "slanders"] they
utter, but whoever blasphemes against [or "slanders"] the
Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal
sin”— for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

Sometimes Christians can wonder whether they have committed this "eternal sin". We might think that if we committed this special, eternal sin, we could never be forgiven, even if we come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness from him. We might ask ourselves: How can I know if I have committed that sin? How can I know I haven't?

The answer is to read this verse in its context. When Jesus talks about this “eternal sin”, he talks about the scribes' sin. The scribes have seen the work of the Spirit of God in Jesus as he goes about his work of binding the strong man, but they have “blasphemed” or “slandered” this work of the Spirit by ascribing it to Satan. Those who see God’s work obviously displayed and ascribed it to Satan can not be forgiven because they have rejected the authority of the very one who can forgive sins (see Mark 2:10). Rejecting the authority and forgiveness of Jesus is an “eternal sin”, not like other sins that can be forgiven. In other words, you can't have eternal forgiveness if you reject the one who gives you eternal forgiveness! But if you do acknowledge Jesus' authority and ask him for forgiveness, then you have stopped committed this "eternal sin", and you have forgiveness!
In other words, when you acknowledge Jesus as the king and ask him for forgiveness, that's a sure sign that you aren't committing the "eternal sin".

31/07/2021

Battle for our Minds. Part 2- Destroying the strongholds of lies and deceit. 2 Cor 10:4: The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.

Destroying Strongholds

16/07/2021

Our lives are determined by the way we think. Our lives follow the direction of our most potent thoughts. Proverbs 23:7 states that for as he thinks in himself, so is he. We are in a battle, and the battlefield is our mind. In this series entitled the Battle for our Minds, we identify that we are in a war with the old enemy who is determined to destroy us. The weapons he uses are lies. How do we transform our minds as instructed in Romans 12:2?

Part 1: We are in a battle

02/06/2021

The foundation of our faith is that God is the God of truth. Hebrews 6:18 and Numbers 23:19 state that God can not lie. He is not human and cannot change His mind. Suppose we believe that God inspired or breathed all Scripture as is referenced in 2 Tim 3:16. Consequently, we must agree the Bible carries all the weight of divine authority because it comes entirely from divine origination.

Is the Bible true, relevant and reliable?

21/05/2021

Wrestling with God. God knows the potential in each one of us. Many of us will go to places where we will have an opportunity to change the world, to bring Kingdom. But we will not prevail in life by being stubborn with God, by being self-reliant or self-sufficient by clinging on to the things we want: - when our motivation is serving our own kingdom, our interests, our self-image, and praise by others. The only way we win with God is by losing to God.

This is "Wrestling with God.mp4" by TJ Viljoen on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

10/05/2021

The sufficiency of Scripture means that
the Bible contains all the necessary
revelations of God that are needed for
God’s people to know him personally and
to know the salvation and life that are
essential for that relationship.

10/05/2021

Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Holy Scriptures or
by evident reason—for I can believe neither pope nor councils
alone, as it is clear that they have erred repeatedly and
contradicted themselves—I consider myself convicted by the
testimony of Holy Scripture, which is my basis; my conscience is
captive to the Word of God. Martin Luther 1521.

26/04/2021

https://www.facebook.com/635815106556962/posts/1926561884148938/?d=n

Update from Sally, April 23, 2021

Dear Praying Friends and Ministry Partners,

I've been thinking recently of how Jesus understands everything we go through because He walked through the same things during His time on earth. I was reminded of this as I watched a recent episode of "The Chosen." Season 2 is being released - 3 episodes so far.

In the 3rd episode Jesus is going to bed after a long intense day of ministering to people. He says "I'm so tired." He looks utterly exhausted!
As I watched that scene, something within me was touched. It brought home afresh that Jesus understands what we walk through! He understands when we are tired, weak, and weary. He is able to strengthen us because He knows just what we need. It brought fresh grace to my heart just realizing that profound truth once again.

So many times when I've thought I just can't make it, I draw on His "understanding" grace......He understands because He walked through the same things we face. He is "intimately acquainted" with everything we face. What a wonderful assurance that is. He is ready to whisper comfort to us in our time of need.

"This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all the same testings we do, yet He did not sin." Hebrews 4:15

"The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace." Psalm 29:11

"A man's mind plans His way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure." Proverbs 16:9

"Jesus, tired as He was from the journey, sat down by the well." John 4:6

"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." Matthew 26:38

"The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

"For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:11,12

"He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock." Psalm 27:5

In our hardest, weakest, darkest moments - Jesus doesn't leave us to survive alone. He enters into what we are walking through and helps us. I remember on my lowest days in the hospital recently - on the days when the doctors didn't know if I'd make it......I had such a peace, and a sense of Jesus being right with me. He understands and He helps us! What a blessed assurance that is as we face all the unknowns of the future.

Love,
Sally