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NEWSLETTERS
All GWEA Monthly Messages for 2017
 
REVEREND GORDON WILLIAMS
 

The Greatest Christmas Gift You'll Ever Receive! - December 2017

Have you ever been asked, "What is the most expensive Christmas Gift that you've ever received?” I remember the first time I was asked that question by someone. It came across like a trick question - like a greedy person who wanted to compare the value of their gift to mine....

Your Spiritual Gifts are waiting for you, and are lying under Jesus’ Christmas tree that is shaped in the form of a "Cross on a Hill" called Calvary. Don't delay, come now and unwrap Jesus' Gifts of the Holy Spirit today...

Are You in Rebellion with God? - November 2017

Christians today continue to struggle with the Holy Spirit. Many resist the idea of anyone having to receive, speak or pray in a God-given Holy Spirit language (known as "tongues") as part of God's Salvation, even though Jesus commanded each one of us to do so (Jn. 3:5; Acts 1:4; Lk 24:49).

"Tongues" can be any one of the 7,000 or more languages that are either spoken today or have been spoken in the past. "Tongues" is also one of the 15 Gifts of the Holy Spirit along with the Gift of "Interpretation" of Languages. Together, they both form God’s unique communication system, and is proof that a person has received the authentic Baptism of the Holy Spirit. 

Many people continue to wonder why "tongues" are still necessary for today. James explains, “...the tongue is a fire...an unrighteous world among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the cycle of nature, and set on fire by hell…..but no human being can tame the tongue – a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brethren, this ought not to be so (Jas. 6–10)....

Halloween, All Saints Eve and the Great Tribulation - October 2017

Halloween and "All Saints Eve" is a yearly reminder to Christians of Jesus' authority and power. When Christians became the majority of the population, they renamed or replaced the other religions' special days with holy days and Christian names.
 
For instance, Halloween, (which originally was called "Holy Evening"), replaced several pagan, non-Christian holy days. As a result, the other religions (whose gods were really demons) were put aside and quickly forgotten. Apostle Paul confirms this when he wrote, "... I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God (1 Cor. 10:20).
 
"Holy Evening" (Halloween) signified to people that Jesus was Lord, Savior and God. No longer did they have to live in fear of demonic spirits. Christians opened their doors to the needy for food, clothing, money and Bibles. Biblical tracts were distributed to the poor and the "unsaved" were led to Salvation. Holy Evening replaced the pagan religions that worshipped demons, and their fear was recouped with God’s love (Rom. 5:5) and the promise of eternal life...

The Fruit and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are Ministry Partners - September 2017

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). The Gifts of the Holy Spirit are prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, aid, mercy (Rom. 12:6–8); the word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, various kinds of tongues languages, and the interpretation of tongues (languages) as outlined in 1st Corinthians, Chapter 12, verses 8 to 10.
 
The problem arises when people fail to understand that no one can receive the Fruit of the Holy Spirit without the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. In other words, we cannot have the Gifts without the Fruit, nor the Fruit without the Gifts. They are partners in ministry where one cannot function without the other. The Holy Spirit “apportions (distributes) each gift of the Spirit individually” (1 Cor. 12:11)...

Do not Harden Your Heart: Listen to the Voice of the Holy Spirit - August 2017

Israel was deceived by their "comfort doctrines, false prophets and hardened hearts."  With "itching ears," they no longer feared God; they turned towards false teaching that fed their own evil desires and religious doctrines. People with "stubborn and rebellious hearts" (Jer. 5:23), "knew no bounds in deeds of wickedness; and they judged not with justice (Jer. 5:28).
 
"For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths" (2 Tim. 4:3-4).
 
We become "rebellious people" and develop a “hardened heart” when we refuse to hear God's voice and don't listen to the Holy Spirit. This is what's happening today in most churches, and in the lives of many of those who call themselves Christians. People are disobedient, and they desire to live out their own fleshly ways, without the guidance of our Counsellor, the Holy Spirit...

The Holy Spirit is Our Mentor - July 2017

Today, the church leadership has entered into perilous times, and we are seeing a new method of being “conformed to the world,” called “mentoring” (Rom. 12:3). This is where "leadership" people, who are presumed to be “experienced," advise and help the less experienced; whether intentionally or not, they assume control over the spiritual well-being and growth of the believer (Rom. 12:2). 
 
From official roles such as pastors, elders, deacons, teachers, counselors, etc., spiritual leaders have extended their outreach to mentoring, which is the role of the Holy Spirit. Their "mentoring" is limited by their own ministry experiences and biblical knowledge, compared to that of the Holy Spirit who "knows all things and sees all things."
 
"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us" (1 Cor. 2:10-16)....

God's "Loves" in the Bible - June 2017

Recently while reading C.S. Lewis’ book, “The Four Loves,” I made a surprising discovery - he was wrong when he explained the four kinds of “loves” in the New Testament:
 
1. Affection (storge – Greek) which is love of family members.
2. Friendship with people (philos – Greek).
3. Eros (Sexual love). This word is not used anywhere in the Bible because it is about the sinful use of sexuality.
4. Charity (agape – Greek). Is given to us when we receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Mk. 16:17–18: Jn. 3:3,5,7; Acts 2:4).
 
Paul tells us that we can only have “agape love” when “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us” (Rom. 5:5)...

Jesus' Impact on Women's Rights - May 2017

Until Jesus came, women in Israel and most other countries/religions, had very few, if in fact, no privileges or rights when it came to family, community and church. In Israel, they were ostracized under the Old Testament, and even in worship to God, both in the synagogue and in the temple. 

Women and men were physically separated in the church;  the women sat in one court, and the men in another. Women were to remain silent, and if they wanted to say anything, they had to ask for permission and have their husbands to speak for them.

The bible teaching that women are " lesser" or inferior is the wrong translation and interpretation of the scripture. Particularly when it comes to Apostle Paul's writings about husband and wife relationships found in Ephesians Chapter 5: 

”Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything" (Eph. 5:21–24)....

The Holy Spirit is Evidence of Jesus' Resurrection - April 2017

Christianity is the only religion in the world that believes that Jesus Christ died and physically rose from the dead, and is still alive today. The first time Jesus appeared and visited His disciples, Thomas, one of the twelve, was not with them. Thomas knew what Jesus had previously said "that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life" (Matt. 16:21). 

But He did not believe even after the other disciples testified to him about what they saw. He said, “Unless I see in his hands, the print of the nails; and place my hand in his side, I will not believe”(Jn. 20:25). 
 
When Jesus appeared to all His disciples a second time, Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe” (Jn. 20:27–29)...

God's Kingdom Suffers Violence - March 2017

Today church leadership, like the lsrael’s leadership, still take the kingdom of God by violence. This is also clearly seen in the rejection of the work of the Holy Spirit. Still traditions of the Old Testament such as tithing, (Heb. 7) and the Sabbath day are being practiced. The Sabbath day is now every day (Heb. 4). 

Also, generational curses and sin are no longer passed on from one generation to another (Ez: 18). Those who have received salvation and the Holy Spirit with the “signs following” (Mk. 15:17–18) are the Temple of God (1 Cor. 13: 16; 2 Cor. 6:16). “The New Jerusalem above is our mother” (Gal. 4:6). 

The Holy Spirit distributes the 15 Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12:6–8; 1 Cor. 12:8–10) amongst us so that we can all be equipped to do the ministry of Jesus. Our worship services should yield “signs, wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed by the Holy Spirit” (Heb. 2:4). 

We now are operating under the New Covenant; and beware of people who want to take you back under the Old Testament Law. The scripture tells us to conduct our lives according to the “Law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). If it’s not in the New Testament, it’s not from Jesus...

St. Valentine, Agape Love and Marriage - February 2017

Today, marriage is often viewed as a contract and not as a Holy Covenant. Many times I am asked why so many marriages today end up in divorce. Is there a guarantee that a marriage will not end up in a divorce? YES, there is! This guarantee was given to us by Jesus Christ when He said,“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (Jn. 3:5). 

We must be born again, but there are two parts to becoming a real Christian that are often overlooked. These are: John's Baptism of Water for repentance of sins, and Jesus' Baptism of the Holy Spirit with speaking in "tongues" being the proof of the signs following (Acts 2:4; Mk. 16:16–7). When we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, “God’s (agape) love is poured into our hearts through His Holy Spirit" (Rom. 5:5). 
 
Most of the weddings that I've participated in, couples prefer to use Paul’s description of God's love or “agape love.” Paul defines "agape love" as, “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful (does not keep a record of wrong); it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends” (1 Cor. 13:4-8)...

What is Happening to our Churches? - January 2017

Today, we hear reports of many churches losing members, and closing their doors all across Canada, the USA, and other countries as well. “Why? Why? Why?” am I frequently asked. The answer is easy to find in the New Testament. Paul wrote to the Galatians Church: “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel – not that there is another gospel, but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:6–7). Paul continues his writing on the subject, and gives us the answer: “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed” (Gal 1:9). 

On December 6, 2016, the Toronto Star Newspaper made reference to a survey that reported "mainline church denominations losing from 40 to 60 percent of their membership": "Since the 1960s, Canada’s mainline Protestant denominations — made up of the Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian and United churches — have lost anywhere between 40 to 60 per cent of their membership."1

Many people have come to me complaining, “I want my old church back!” This statement is often misinterpreted by clergy members. What Christians are really saying is, “I want my old church back (where there were signs, wonders, miracles, healing ministry, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit with the signs following!”)

Most members of the clergy and their denominations, have deemed the Bible’s promises as no longer being relevant for today. The result of preaching a “different or perverted gospel," has been catastrophic; and has led to a huge decline in church membership and shrinking congregations...