Grace Fellowship Church www.GraceDoctrine.org Pastor / Teacher James H. Rickard Thursday, June 12, 2008

Memory Verse 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The Upper Room Discourse John 13-16; John 13:17, Sharing the Happiness of God

Principles of Sharing the Happiness of God: The Beatitudes Mat 5:3-12

Three main sections a) God's Plan of Salvation and the new believer, b) Advancing in the Christian way of life, c) Undeserved suffering of the mature believer.

Suffering and Spiritual Adulthood PPS - Spiritual Self Esteem, MT - Spiritual Autonomy, ET - Spiritual Maturity.

b. Momentum Testing: Rom 12:2-3; Phil 4:11-13; Col 3:12 - 4:1, 12; 1 John 2:15-17

Prosperity is the most subtle testing, because it is preoccupation with the blessings given to you by God.

It is the pursuit of pleasure, to the exclusion of the priorities of integrity, both in establishment and in the Christian life.

Collective prosperity testing challenges the society to choose between truth and hedonism.

Passing this test consolidates the believer's scale of values, making them consistent with the Plan of God.

It results in stabilizing the right priorities of life, giving capacity to enjoy prosperity and receiving God's greatest prosperity, the greater blessings of time and eternity.

c. Evidence Testing: Job:all; Mat 4:1-11; Eph 6:10-12; Zech 3:1-2 w/ Rev 12:10; Rev 2:8-11

Evidence Testing (ET) comes when the believer reaches the adulthood stage of Spiritual Maturity (SM).

SM is the maximum expression of the grace of God utilized by the SM believer inside the Plan of God.

SM is cognitive independence, which is maximum perception, metabolization and accurate application of Bible doctrine to life.

Independent of any form of advice, counseling, or human encouragement, but not independent of expository Bible teaching from his right Pastor-Teacher.

He brings maximum glory to God as an invisible hero living the supergrace life.

ET is Satan's cross examination of every witness presented by God in the historical trial of all fallen angels.

Two categories of Evidence Testing

Two categories of Evidence Testing a) Relationship to the Plan of God test, illustrated by our Lord, Mat 4:1-11.

Two categories of Evidence Testing b) The relationship to life test, illustrated by Job.

In human history, man's thoughts, motives, decisions, and actions are entered as evidence, exhibits, precedents, and arguments in Satan's appeal trial.

Every believer who attains SM is a primary argument or star witness for the prosecution (God) against Satan.

SM plus ET means glorification of God to the maximum in the historical appeal trial of Satan and all fallen angels.

Passing ET results in the doubling of your escrow blessings, Job 42:10-17.

As Mat 5:3-12 tells us, when we do the will of God and endure various suffering for blessing, we will share in the Happiness that is God.

Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, June 12, 2008 Tape # 08-043 Sharing the Happiness of God, Pt 5 Suffering for Blessing, Pt 3 Upper Room Discourse, Pt 185 John 13:17; Mat 5:3-12; 4:1-11; Job James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2008