ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE:

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE (PART ONE)

Atmosphere
– The mixture of gasses that surrounds/envelopes that earth
– The air in a room or a confined space or place
– The feeling or mood that you have in a particular place or situation
– A feeling between 2 or more people or in a group

Atmosphere Pressure
The pressure exerted by the earth’s atmosphere at any given point being the product of the mass of the atmosphere column of the unit area above the given point and of the gravitational acceleration at the given point.

In the physical
AP changes with altitude
AP changes with wealth
AP varies with location
In the spiritual – same
You can create your own atmosphere
Atmosphere for faith
Atmosphere for miracles, etc

Theme scriptures:
Isaiah 5: 20,21 & 23
1Tim 4: 1,2
2Tim 3: 1, 2, 3 (KJV & NLT)
2Peter 2: 1-3
Matthew 13: 31-32

Isaiah 5:
20 Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:
23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

1 Tim.4:
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to SEDUCING spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Tim. 3:
1 This know also, that in the last days PERILOUS times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, UNHOLY,
3 Without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, high-minded, LOVERS OF PLEASURES more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form …
6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive SILLY WOMEN laden with sins, led away with DIVERS LUSTS,

There is a pressure build up on the society all around us.
The media is largely controlled by satanic forces.

Rom. 12:2 – Be not conformed to this world
Be transformed by the continued renewing of your mind.

Assault on our minds. Constant battle Atmosphere Pressure exerting on us.

More than Peer Pressure, now Mass Hypnosis Societal Spiritual Oppression to Possession
Liberal Media, Press, New Age Educators

Talk shows, Reality show
Anti-Christian Gene being produced in sweeten by Gay Scientists (The World of Biotechnology)

2Thess 2:10-12
2Tim 4:4

Discovering that you have been wrong in your lifestyle, waywardly of the path of holiness and righteousness and altogether sinful can be painful and shameful but it is human. However, remaining in that state is eternally unpardonable!
I had been there in the past as well, but I got delivered, Praise God!
Please make a choice and get restored to the true God & Saviour!
Money can’t buy this.

ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE (PART 2):

Whether you believe or not, somethings are just true,
Whether you believe or not, somethings are just lies.

There are things that are RIGHT all the time
There are things that are WRONG all the time.

North is north, South is south
Newton’s Law of Gravity is universal and constant.

Despite the Atmospheric Pressure, Christians who are living and doing the Will of God MUST be bold, and proud to be Christians!
It is those people who live in sin and debauchery that ought to be living in shame
(2 Corinthians 4:2)

Personal experience with negative AP:
Recall the May 2012 Teaching Conference on “What in the World is going on?”
I made some illustrations on deceit based on what goes on in my industry – on Architects, Consultants, Contractors, Clients, etc.
It invoked victimizations, indignations, etc against me and my firm.
Boy! Was I full of despair, sorrow and regret? That was AP!

Example of negative AP in the OT:

Ezra 4: 1-5; 6-8; 11-16 note: the accusation “a rebellious and evil city”

Example of negative AP in the NT:

Acts 21: 26-42 ~ note: “are you not the Egyptian who …..”

So who are You?
What you are, determines what AP will AFFECT you or which AP you will EFFECT on the environment!

A. WHO ARE YOU LISTENING TO?

2 Chronicles 18: 1 – 7

To understand what is happening here, we must go back to chapter 17 and examine who Jehoshaphat was.

Can you imagine the AP or better said environmental pressure on Micaiah at this point?

Yet he said I will prophesy to the King what the Lord tells me to!
The questions I have for us today is “What voice are you and I listening to?”

Before you step out to your work-a-day world,
What voices have you allowed to influence you?
What voice is conditioning your soul (mind)?
What AP are you succumbing to?

Before making decisions, what audible resonance is stimulating intelligible vibrations to your eardrum’s membrane, which is transformed to the canvas of your heart?

Ponder on these questions for a minute.

I am the Lightman and I just have THREE (3) undeniable CONSIDERATIONS for us to view:

1. Many people seek only counselors whose words are appealing.
1Tim. 4, heed to seducing spirits
2Tim. 4: 3 – 4 heap into themselves teachers

2. The Wise seek only Godly counsel, even though it contain no flattery and is often hard.
Proverbs 9:7-9
Eccl. 7: 5
1Thess. 5:21

3. The THREE (3) TESTS to DISCERN VOICES:

Test 1 – The Concrete Block Test
2 Tim. 3:16

Test 2 – The Character Test
Matt. 7:16-20
Matt 12: 33
You will know a tree by its fruit
Be careful of impressive counterfeits

Test 3 – The Conscience Test

B: WHAT YOU BELIEVE MATTERS SIRS!

Do you think doctrine is essential?
Many churches have rejected doctrinal teachings outrightly, or relegated it to the background at the expenses of minors. They think it is harsh, hard and unloving.

It is the SUBSTANCE of what we are to preach and teach. It does not matter if we all go to church and say we are doing service, what doctrine are we teaching?
Many churches have rejected doctrinal preaching as harsh, unloving, and even obsolete. But in doing so, they have unwittingly joined the ranks of those “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” (2 Timothy 3:5)

Which Jesus are we presenting to the people? A wimp? A Father Christmas? An idol of our creation?

Isa. 55:10-11

What is doctrine?
The word “doctrine” occurs in 50 verses of the King James Version of the Bible and always means, “the substance of something taught.”
We must separate DOCTRINE from DOGMA.

What is dogma? What are creeds?
DOGMAS are human ideas of settlements.
CREEDS: when we sit in theological committees of elders councils and agree on set of truths to set forth. We negotiate truths to adopt and those to downplay or delete.
If we go this way, we annoy some section of the church, if we go that way, we make that group too powerful, and so we take middle approach!

Doctrine must always be distinguished from dogma. Dogma is MAN’S STATEMENT of truth, as set forth in a creed, but doctrine is GOD’S REVELATION of truth, as set forth in the Scriptures. That is why Bible doctrine has supernatural power when it is believed.

Biblical Doctrine will impact your life with supernatural power of God. Creed is nothing but human idea with no life sustaining power.
When you preach doctrine, you bring supernatural LIFE CHANGES into the lives of the people!

Matt. 7:28 “…astonished at His doctrine…”
The gospel writers repeatedly record that the crowds were astonished at Jesus’ doctrine – not because its style was exceptional but because its substance was supernatural. He taught with anointed authority! Bible doctrine is more than just a musty subject for stuffy theologians; it is the very substance of our faith.

Isa. 28:8 “…who shall He make to understand doctrine?”
Mark 1:27 “…what new doctrine is this?”

There is good doctrine.
Prov. 4:6, 1Tim. 4:6
There is sound doctrine.
1Tim. 1:10, 4:3; Titus 1:9, 2:1

Apostle Paul counseled Pastor Timothy “give attendance to doctrine”
1Tim. 4:13, 16
Labour in doctrine
1Tim 5:6
Note that True doctrine has principles.
Heb. 6:1

Some other doctrines
1Tim 4:1 Heb. 13:9
Rev. 2:4 Balaam
Rev. 15 Nicolaitans
Eph. 4:14 every wind of
Rom. 16:17 contrary to the doctrine
Matt. 15:9 commandments of men as doctrines

False doctrine is a spiritual herbicide. Individuals that ingest it think they are still growing spiritually, never realizing that they have been fed toxic information. But true doctrine liberates every soul that obeys it. It is a supernatural fertilizer that brings real growth and transformation through the power of God.
The Apostle Paul prophesied that “the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine,” (2 Timothy 4:3) and no generation fulfills this Scripture better than ours.

THREE DEFINITIONS OF DOCTRINE:

1. DOCTRINE IS LIKE YEAST

• Yeast works silently and secretly, eventually influencing the whole lump of dough (whether false or true).

• Matthew 16:6, 12 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees … Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

2. DOCTRINE IS LIKE WIND

• False doctrines can uproot believers like strong winds can uproot trees (Psalm 1:4). True doctrines can affect an entire society when they are demonstrated by believers.

• George Barna: “Unless a group is 20% different than its surrounding society, it cannot impact that society.”

• Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

3. DOCTRINE IS LIKE RAIN

• Rain is symbolic of revival, refreshing and restoration after a time of drought or famine.

• Bible doctrine is heaven-sent teaching! You cannot have a real move of God without it!

• Deuteronomy 32:2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

• Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

THREE DIFFERENCES DOCTRINE MAKES:

1. CHARACTER – WHAT WE ARE

The power of the gospel to transform a life is not activated until a person obeys the doctrine “once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3)

Romans 6:17-18 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of DOCTRINE which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:17-18)

2. BEHAVIOR – WHAT WE DO

A heart that is obedient to Bible doctrine will always “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things” (Titus 2:10) through an obvious lifestyle of godliness and holiness.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the DOCTRINE which is according to godliness; He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself

3. DESTINY – WHERE WE GO

Our eternal destiny hangs on the doctrine we choose to believe. Far from being a “non-issue,” our obedience to Bible doctrine is the central issue in receiving salvation.

1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the DOCTRINE; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

THREE DEMANDS DOCTRINE MAKES:
1. DOCTRINE DEMANDS PURITY

• The only true test for the purity of teaching is the purity of life it produces.

• Job 11:4 For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes.

• Matthew 7:20-21 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

2. DOCTRINE DEMANDS LOVE

• The converts at Pentecost continued first in doctrine and second in fellowship (Acts 2:42).

• The measure of common light between believers will determine their measure of fellowship.

• Some wrongly sacrifice fellowship for doctrine; others wrongly sacrifice doctrine for fellowship!

• Though all our doctrine is exactly right, if we do not have love we are nothing in God’s sight.

• 1 Corinthians 13:2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

• However, the highest degree of “love” will never negate the need for obedience to doctrine!

3. DOCTRINE DEMANDS OBEDIENCE

• We never really understand truth until we obey truth! Doctrine is lifeless until is it practiced.

• Bible doctrines have no effect on your life whatsoever unless they are obeyed!

• Jesus warned us in Matthew 23:3 to beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees because “they say and do not.” Preaching without practicing becomes a lifeless form!

• Paul could say in 2 Timothy 3:10, “But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life …” because his lifestyle was consistent with the doctrine he preached.

The greatest danger in handling doctrine is that it may become truth apart from experience.
Truth that is not lived is powerless truth. Truth unlived is the greatest waste in the world!
Someone asked Sis. Bobbye Wendell, the first missionary to Ethiopia, what their national ministers would say if asked what brought great revival in that country. Her answer? “Doctrine. Doctrine. Doctrine.”