Foundations

This message laid the groundwork of what Ellerslie training is all about. Topics included: the position of the Word of God/Bible Translations, conviction vs. condemnation, the endless frontier, sin, flesh vs. spirit, the tripartite being, the Gospel, intercession, holiness, Egypt & wilderness & promised land, faith & fact & experience, and fatherhood. Foundations was an introduction that helped us all be on the same page from the start. It was a taste of the basics and what we are going to be diving into deeper in the rest of training.

            Some revelations… My eyes were opened to Bible translations in a way they never were before. I learned that it is really important to have an accurate translation, even if it is older and more difficult to understand. It is important to have the entirety of the text and the more original language. The Holy Spirit will bring understanding and revelation to those who are willing to search for the hidden treasure and dig deep.

I learned that conviction is a sweet thing. It may be hard to walk through, but it is a road that leads to life. It gives us hope in repenting and turning. It’s a second chance that leads us onward and upward to the holy calling of our King. Condemnation however is not from our merciful Father. It is a deceptive trap that the enemy wants to condemn us in and leave us feeling shameful, guilty, helpless, and hopeless. It does not encourage us to run into the arms of Abba in repentance.

Knowing God is an endless frontier. There is always more to be had. Never pitch your tent. The knowledge of the Holy is so high and deep and wide that we’ll be searching for more for all of eternity. He perfects us more into His likeness each day.

We should never compare ourselves to those around us and mistakenly feel like we’re in a good enough spot to pitch our tent, but we must focus on being made into Jesus. He is our example and we follow Him.

The only way that I can stop my sin and stop messing up is if I will stop getting back onto the throne of my life. Our flesh stands between us and the Father’s control, just as the Amalachites stood between Israel and the promised land. External things in the Old Testament are now parallel to internal things in the New.

I am a new creation in Christ Jesus, my old self has been crucified and I am made holy as He is holy. His Spirit is living on the inside of me and He molds me more into the perfection of Jesus. I am a temple of the Most High God. He has adopted me as His daughter, brought me in and accepted me into friendship and partnership with Him. I need to be sanctified, my body given to Jesus, my inner sanctuary made clean so that the Holy Spirit can reside in me. I am set apart for His use. I am a mobile holy of holies. Jesus wants me to bear fruit and press on until I come into the Promised Land. Jesus is my Abba Father. He can be trusted. He is good. He does not disappoint. He is my hope.

My faith needs to focus on fact, on the Word, and if I stay focused on fact, experience will align. However if my faith is based merely on experience, I will fall. Fact is rock. The Word is solid. Jesus is unchanging.