Selah - A Podcast by Koinonia Fellowship

Pastor Ray Viola
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  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Pastors Ray Viola and Ben Hiwale go through the Bible line-by-line, precept-by-precept in a series of in-depth teachings. Our prayer for this podcast series is that you would KNOW CHRIST, GROW IN CHRIST, PROCLAIM CHRIST, and bring GLORY TO GOD.

  1. Born Anew!

    5D AGO

    Born Anew!

    The Lord Jesus said these words to a very devout and religious man by the name of Nicodemus. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again (John 3:3-7). Like Nicodemus, most people are shocked when they read those words from the lips of the Lord Jesus. There is nothing cryptic about what Jesus says here. It is straight forward and right to the point. If any person wants to see or enter the kingdom of God, he or she must be born again. Some translations say born anew or born from above. However we choose to translate it, the bottom line is that what Jesus is saying here is this: Just as every person has had a human birth, a person must have a spiritual or heavenly birth to enter the kingdom of God. Being born again is not “turning over a new leaf,” or an incredible experience in your life where there has been a change of fortune. It is an actual new life. There are many things, both good and bad that can change a person’s life. But the only thing that can change a person’s heart and turn them into someone that never existed before is this new birth. The apostle Paul wrote, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Cor 5:17). And what happens when a baby is born into the world? That baby girl or boy craves their mother’s breast milk. Likewise, when a person is born again spiritually, As newborn babes, they will desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby (1 Peter 2:2). Nicodemus did not ask the Lord Jesus why he needed to be born again, he asked Jesus how can these things be? (John 3:9). The Lord Jesus answered this way. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:15,16). For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8,9). SELAH

    54 min
  2. Convenient Christianity...Consider Your Ways

    FEB 15

    Convenient Christianity...Consider Your Ways

    Pastor George Grace said this, “The purpose for selling these animals in the temple, which to make the sacrifices of people more convenient. In other words, the people were not forced to raise and drive the animals for a long distance to get to the temple. It seems convenient sacrifice was the order of the day just as it was in the days with Malachi when the people offered the name in sick animals instead of the good ones (Malachi 1:8-14). It is no different today: we have done everything within our power to make sacrifice to Christ convenient in order to keep people coming to church, but whoever said that being a part of a local church and serving Christ was supposed to be convenient?” On the contrary, Christians are to offer their bodies sacrificially unto Him. Romans 12:1-2 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” Beloved, Romans 14:10-12 & 2 Corinthians 5:10,11 tells us that there is a day when you and I as followers of Jesus will stand before Him and we will give an account for how we stewarded the time, the relationships, our God given spiritual gifts, finances and even the words that we speak…..Matthew 12:33-37! Everything that we have, every gift, every penny, every talent, every gift, every minute belongs to Him and has been given unto us and is to be used for His glory and His kingdom. That day is coming beloved…that is why Jesus gave the teachings on the talents and pounds….we do everything we do in this life beloved because we know that day is coming. Mark 14:11 says this about Judas: “And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray him”. Reject the contemporary “what is in it for me”, convenient Christian lifestyle that is more concerned about the life that is now, than that which is to come. How do you pick up your cross conveniently? How do you deny yourself conveniently? How do you love others conveniently? How do you forgive others conveniently? How do you serve and bear one another’s burdens others conveniently? How do you watch and pray conveniently? Jesus gave us the cases of the poor widows offering of all that she had and the account of the woman who poured out her life’s savings on Him as examples of sacrificial living for His church to follow. How did they do that conveniently? I will never forget hearing John F Kennedy say these words at his inaugural address: “And so my fellow Americans. Ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world ask not what America will do for you....". Never did I ever think that I would be saying these words as a 77 years old pastor to the consumer driven, what’s in it for me church in America today: Ask not what the Lord Jesus can do for you, ask what you can do for the Lord Jesus. The words of the prophet Haggai 1:5-7 rings true to every person. That day to stand before our Lord Jesus and give an account is coming beloved, make the most of every opportunity that God gives you to serve Him and bring Him glory. Consider your ways. SELAH Koinonia Fellowship Sundays at 8:30a and 10:30a 500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445 koinoniafellowship.com

    53 min
  3. Searching for God's Hidden Glory

    FEB 8

    Searching for God's Hidden Glory

    John 2:12 reads: This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. The miracle of turning the water into wine was the beginning of miracles that were performed by Jesus. And John writes that they were manifested to display His glory. John has already told us in chapter John 1:14, And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. The entirety of the life of Jesus was lived to display not only His glory, but the glory of God, for the apostle Paul would write in 2 Cor 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. So as we work our way through the gospel of John, not only the miracles, but every single aspect of the life of Jesus is meant to be a display of the glory of God. When John was baptizing in the Jordan, he was paving the way for Jesus, The Christ, and in doing so, fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah Isaiah 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. In anticipation of His death on the cross, Jesus prayed in John 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. From His incarnation to His ascension to the right hand of The Father, Jesus lived for the glory of God, and He said in John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. How remarkable it is to think that The Father is glorified when you and I who belong to Jesus bear much fruit. (Read Matt 5:16!). Romans 1 tells us that when the glory that belongs to God alone is given over to the creature, the very motives of why we do what we do becomes disordered, disoriented and depraved. Sadly, this can happen and does happen not only in the world but inside and outside of the walls of the church. When the miracle of the new birth takes place, The Holy Spirit begins that life long work of changing us from glory to glory as we behold Jesus Christ (2 Cor 3:18). The apostle Peter writes,If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. My personal heart cry for myself and every reader and the writer of this devotional is found in Psalm115:1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake. SELAH Pastor Ray Koinonia Fellowship Sundays at 8:30a and 10:30a 500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445 koinoniafellowship.com

    42 min
  4. The Benefits of God

    FEB 1

    The Benefits of God

    It goes without saying that God blesses His people abundantly above and beyond anything that we could ever ask, think or dream of. Looking at the promises and prophecies of God that are given unto His children through faith in Jesus Christ are stunning. But there is one word in the Psalms that I’d like to pass along to you as we prepare our hearts and come to the Lord’s Supper together. That one word is: “benefits”. Read each one of these slowly. Prayerfully. Hear God Himself speaking to your heart. The first one is Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. The God of our salvation daily loads us with benefits. Salvation in and of itself is the one gift that should be enough, but God loads us with benefits, plural. Some translations say that day after day, God bears our burdens. Think about all the benefits and burdens that Jesus has blessed you with. Praise Him right now for the benefits that He has blessed you with and the burdens that He has lifted from you. Secondly, Psalm 103:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 103:2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 103:5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Remarkable! The top of this list of benefits is forgiveness. But that is not all. Think of all the times that God has healed you. Think of all the times, BC and AD that God has stepped in to deliver us from destruction. By grace through faith in Christ, He has crowned you and I with lovingkindness and tender mercies. He moment by moment satisfies our souls and renews us with youth like strength. Third and lastly, Psalm 116:12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? 116:13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. I like to think of these verses at times when I pick up the communion cup and call upon His Name, Jesus or Yeshua, which means, God is my salvation. What can I and my precious brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ say this morning all that you have done for me? What can we say when we read in Revelation 21,22 about that glorious heavenly city that you have prepared for us? Lord Jesus, You and You alone ARE the Benefit from God that we long for, desire and remember today. Blessed be Your glorious Name. SELAH Koinonia Fellowship Sundays at 8:30a and 10:30a 500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445 koinoniafellowship.comdf

    53 min
  5. Who Are You?

    JAN 25

    Who Are You?

    In this section of John we read that the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him (John the Baptizer), Who art thou? John responded with these words, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah (Isa 40:3). You will note that every time that John is asked who he is, he would respond by telling them that he was simply a voice in the wilderness, sent from God to point people to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. Likewise, the call that is placed upon every single follower of Jesus Christ in this wilderness planet of sin, suffering and death is to point people to Jesus, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. Fellow believer, let us never forget that the message of the everlasting gospel that saves our eternal souls from the debt, penalty and future presence of sin is not who we are, but who Christ is. John gives us a beautiful picture of how our lives are to be constantly seeking to point people to Jesus. Every time that we have the opportunity to give our testimony or use any gift that He has given unto us, the ultimate purpose is that we give testimony to the goodness, mercy and saving grace of Jesus Christ and that He is glorified. A vital part of walking with Jesus and growing in Him stems from knowing who we are in Him. John knew that he was a voice sent from God. Likewise, we need to know who we are in Jesus, the gifts that He has given unto us. Nevertheless, the most important thing for all of us to remember is that in all that we are in Jesus and in using all the gifts and talents that He has given unto us, the goal is that The Lord is magnified! Let me sum it up what not only ministry but life itself is all about with the words of John in John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 3:30 He must increase, but I must decrease. May those words be the prayer of writer and reader alike every day or our lives. Indeed, worthy is the Lamb. SELAH Koinonia Fellowship Sundays at 8:30a and 10:30a 500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445 koinoniafellowship.com

    41 min
  6. We Beheld the Glory

    JAN 18

    We Beheld the Glory

    John writes in John1:14 one of the most astounding statements regarding Jesus Christ in Scripture. "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." To refresh our memories, we must go back to John 1:1 lest we fail to know exactly who this Word is, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." No wonder Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:16, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh." Some translations interpret the phrase without controversy, most certainly (CSB), without question (NLT), or without argument (BBE). This one born of a virgin whose name is Emmanuel IS the Word made flesh who lived on this earth for 33 years as the God man. John says that we beheld His glory. The prophet Isaiah 40:5 wrote these words, "And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. " Jesus Christ is the very glory of The Lord, manifest in human flesh. After Jesus performed His first miracle, we read in John 2:11 "This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. " When the apostle Peter described that amazing account of being with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, he wrote, "For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (2 Peter 1:17). Not only do the heavens declare the glory of The Lord (Psalm 19:1), we also read in 2 Corinthians 4:6 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." 2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us that we are changed into the image of Jesus as we behold His glory. Jesus told Martha that she would see the glory of God when He raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:4;40). When Jesus prayed for those whom The Father would give to Him, He said in John 17:24 "Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. " One day beloved, you and I will be taken from this world of darkness and ushered into the very presence of God where we, like John will behold the glory of Jesus Christ. Reader, have you received Jesus Christ as Lord? If so, this promise of seeing Him in His glory is what awaits you the very second you breath your last breath on earth. SELAH Koinonia Fellowship Sundays at 8:30a and 10:30a 500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445 koinoniafellowship.com

    1h 1m
  7. Light and Darkness

    JAN 11

    Light and Darkness

    In Scripture the apostle John writes, "And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not "(John 1:5). In Scripture “light” and “darkness” are very familiar symbols. Intellectually speaking, “light” refers to Biblical truth while “darkness” refers to error or falsehood. The Psalmist declared in Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”. Solomon writes in Proverbs 6:23, “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life”. God’s Word is like having a flashlight with you when you are walking are running in the dark of night or early morning hours. Morally speaking, “light” refers to holiness or purity, 1 John 1:5 it says that “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all”. On the other hand, “darkness” refers to sin or wrongdoing as in Ephesians 4:17-19, “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness”. This darkness has special significance in relationship to Satan (and his demonic cohorts), who rules the present spiritually dark world. John writes in 1 John 5:19, “and we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness”. The devil himself is identified as the “prince of the power of the air”, who promotes spiritual darkness and rebellion against God. Ephesians 2:2, “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”. But John shines this blazing light of truth with the statement that “darkness comprehends it not”, meaning that darkness is not able to overcome or conquer the light. Jesus said in John 3:19-21, “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God”. Just as a single candle can overcome a room filled with darkness, so also the powers of darkness have been overcome by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ through His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Reader, whoever you say that Jesus Christ is determines whether you are either in the light or in the darkness. Whom do you say that Jesus Christ is? SELAH Koinonia Fellowship Sundays at 8:30a and 10:30a 500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445 koinoniafellowship.com

    50 min
  8. That Ye Might Have Life Through His Name

    JAN 4

    That Ye Might Have Life Through His Name

    This morning we will begin a study in the incredible Gospel of John. Writing near the end of the first century, this aged, last standing apostle writes this book to declare that Jesus Christ IS the Son of God and that it is by grace, through faith in Him, that we are granted forgiveness of sin, and in doing so, receive the gift of eternal life. "But these are written (the gospel of John), that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (John 20:31)." But this same John in his first letter also wrote to expose those who were teaching that Jesus was not God Incarnate. "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world" (1 John 4:3). We are living in a day and age where this biblical record of Jesus Christ is being denied, misinterpreted, and in the process is leading many astray. The gospel of John records those seven glorious I AM statements of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, The God Man is The Bread of Life, The Light of the World, The Door, The Good Shepherd, The Resurrection and the Life, The Way, The Truth and The Life, and finally, The True Vine. Jesus is everything that we are not! As we walk through this exciting gospel, we will “see” Jesus perform God glorifying miracles of healing and deliverance for those fallen image bearers of God who were hurting. We will “see” Him perform the miracle of multiplying the loaves and fishes out of compassion for the multitudes. We will walk with Him and “see” the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead which foreshadows the promise of every believer’s resurrection. Beyond a shadow of a doubt, John proclaims that Jesus is God. He proclaims the gospel's call and message with great clarity and assurance for sinners and sufferers like us. Whether you are a new believer or someone who has walked with Jesus for 50 years, the gospel of John is a book that will refresh you, encourage you, challenge you, and compel you to love Jesus, serve Jesus, and proclaim Him and Lord of all. While all of the gospels are the best gospels, John is certainly my personal favorite. Join me in this study, Saints! SELAH Koinonia Fellowship Sundays at 8:30a and 10:30a 500 Main St. East Rochester, NY 14445 koinoniafellowship.com

    1h 3m
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About

Pastors Ray Viola and Ben Hiwale go through the Bible line-by-line, precept-by-precept in a series of in-depth teachings. Our prayer for this podcast series is that you would KNOW CHRIST, GROW IN CHRIST, PROCLAIM CHRIST, and bring GLORY TO GOD.

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