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AN OUTREACH OF IOM AMERICA | INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP OF EXCHANGED LIFE
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January 21, 2015 - In This Issue:
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INFORMATION ON JIM FOWLER
Jim Fowler has been a pastor at the Neighborhood Church in Fallbrook, California for the last twenty-three years. His wife, Gracie, and their five children (Philip, Charis, Kirsten, Sarah and Sandi) have been very supportive in Jim's teaching, preaching, and writing ministries.
Jim's educational background includes Manhattan Christian College, Friends University, New College-University of Edinburgh, Bethel Theological Seminary, Palomar College, and Jubilee Theological Institute.
In recent years, Jim has spent much of his time writing, as can be viewed within the resources of his website. He is currently researching and writing several other articles and books.
Feel free to contact him at jimfowler@christinyou.net
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"The purpose of Jesus' incarnational advent and His ministry here on earth as a man was not to establish a new religion, nor to inculcate a new teaching, nor to lay down a new morality system. Jesus came to bring Himself, the presence and dynamic of His own divine being, expressed in the humanity of one perfect man, so that He might be expressed as divine, eternal life in the humanity of all men. The gospel that Jesus brought was entirely Christocentric. There is no message of "good news" apart from the ontological reality of the very Being of God in Jesus Christ who is the essence of Christianity. Christianity is Christ!" - Jim Learn More About Jim's Studies:
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"This book details the primary discussion of this year's World Grace Summit. I considered the discussion of "Dialectic Formatting" to be of the highest priority of dispelling Universalism in its attack on the true Church of Christ."
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"When Christians say the Christ-life is in them, they do not mean simply something mental or moral. When they speak of being "in Christ" or of Christ being "in them," this is not simply a way of saying that they are thinking about Christ or copying Him. They mean that Christ is actually operating through them..." ("Mere Christianity" Macmillan Publishing. 1978. pp.64-65). -C.S. Lewis
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HISTORICAL CHRISTIAN BIBLES
For over a decade now, Jim Fowler has been collecting Bibles for an exhibit that shows "The History of the Christian Scriptures." A new website has been developed to show featured items in this collection. View at www.fowlerbiblecollection.com.
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Spirit Union and Temptation
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Soul-rest and Temptation
Some Christians seem to think they would be able to achieve soul-rest if only they could avoid temptation. Henry Drummond1
is quoted as saying, "The greatest of all temptation is to want to be without any." To be exempt from temptation would only foster apathy and indifference. Created as choosing creatures, we are meant to be tempted. It is in the midst of temptation that we are afforded real alternative options in order to respond with the decision-making of faith. Christians should count it a privilege to be tempted, for the antichrist solicitations and seductions of Satan are always directed at Jesus Christ. The temptation of Christians serves as an affirmation of our spirit-union with Christ. This is why the most pointed temptation for Christians is the temptation to question our spiritual identity, and to doubt that we really are who we are in Christ. Satan is the "accuser of the brethren" (Rev. 12:10). Particularly in our thought life, he accuses us, saying, "Your behavior certainly doesn't look righteous, or holy, or perfect." If we fail to reckon on the fact that we are righteous, holy, and perfect in spirit-union with Christ only on the basis of His Being, and not on the basis of our doing, we will be tempted to find our identity in our performance rather than in Christ. There is never any soul-rest in that religious endeavor.
Having lost on the first front, and having retreated into exile when we were receptive to the spiritual exchange of regeneration in the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives, Satan redoubles his efforts to tempt us to misrepresent the character of the triune God Who now dwells within us as Christians. From without he launches his "flaming missiles" (Eph. 6:16) or "fiery darts" (NKJV) over the wall, attempting to energize the expression of his selfish and sinful character in our behavior. Though not all-knowing, the Evil One does know the particular patterns of propensity and tendency that have been developed in the desires of our "flesh." He is the one who led us down those paths of desires that turned into selfish ruts. He is the one who commissioned the building of those bunkers of self-indulgence. He knows where our weaknesses are, for he prompted the development of those personally warped patterns in our desires. It is via those twisted patterns of our desires that the tempter now attempts to seduce us to "act out of character" and misrepresent our identity in Christ. Though he does not have the power to reinvade the control room of our spirit and cause us to revert back to being an "old man," he is able to solicit us to revert to the "old ways" of the selfish behavior of our past. Tempted to Act and React From his inception, the devil has been an egocentric "I" specialist. "I will ascend to heaven. I will be like the Most High (God)" (Isa. 14:13-14). As the necessary negative of God's positive character, the "ruler of this world" (Jn. 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), the 'spirit of this world' (1 Cor. 2:12), the "god of this age" (2 Cor. 4:4, NKJV), foists his character of selfishness upon derivative mankind. His self-oriented "personal interest agenda" is employed in tempting Christians to ... Read Full Article
1 Henry Drummond (1851-1897) was a Scottish evangelist, writer, and lecturer.
All Scriptures, unless otherwise stated, are taken from the New American Standard Bible, � Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (Parentheses are by this article's author to emphasize or clarify.) Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright � 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. |
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Jim Fowler
P.O. Box 1822
Fallbrook, CA 92088-1822e-mail address: jimfowler@christinyou.net The work of IOM America is viewed by readers worldwide - a growing list of 39,000+.
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IOM AMERICA | P.O. BOX 71, STERLING, KS 67579 | www.IOMAmerica.org | drphinney@IOMAmerica.org
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