Statements of Faith - Purchased

 

 

ACTS 20:28

Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

    This is a gentle reminder to the church leaders not only to the church in Ephesus, but to church leaders everywhere even in this present time. For The Word of God is alive and ever flowing, like streams of living water flowing into His trees of righteousness, strengthening us and causing us to grow: in Him and in each other. 

    Jeremiah 3:15 tells us what the shepherds of God's people will be like: "Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding."

    John 21:15-19 shows us how Jesus reinstated Peter into the twelve after Peter's denial and Jesus' resurrection. Through Christ's neverending love and mercy, He was able to reveal to Peter not only what his life was to be about, but also his death. 

    God wants His shepherds, His church leaders, to have hearts like His heart: to seek and to save the lost; to have and to show the love of God by our words and our actions; to have knowledge and understanding of God's Holy Word that we might be able to share It with His wisdom, His Holy Spirit, active in us. 

    Every born again believer has been purchased by God with the blood of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. We are not our own: we have been bought from sin and its punishment at great cost: the blood of Jesus Christ. 

    Hebrews 9:14

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

    Matthew 26:28

For this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 

    This blood of my Jesus covers me. Now when I face God on my day of judgment, God will not see this fleshly body in which I currently dwell: He will see His Son and I will dwell in the house of The Lord forever. 

    What will God see when He looks at you on your day of judgment? 

Romans 10:8-10, 13

(8) But what does it say? “The Word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, The Word of Faith we are proclaiming: 

(9) that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

(10) For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved. 

(13) For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.

    I am a whosoever. Are you?

    

SINCE YOUR LOVE - United Pursuit 

I AM NOT MY OWN - Keith & Krystin Getty

NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD - Jars of Clay

COVERED - Planetshakers

I Am Christian's Belly

 

JOHN 7:30

He that believes on Me, as The Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

    Some versions of this verse render the word "belly" as heart, innermost being, deep within. But the belly is where we digest what we have been reading and hearing of The Word of God. I am Christian and in my belly are the deepest places of my faith where The Word gets rooted and grounded. 

    For according to Psalm 1:1-3 I am like a tree planted by the waters, whose roots are nourished by the river, causing them to expand and take hold of the foundation of The Word, The Rock. As a tree of righteousness, I spread out my branches for shade, comfort and seed. My soul prospers because I have filled the deep places in my belly with The Word of God. This happens when I study and pray over The Word as I go through It. 

    These rivers flow through me. Water that flows does not stagnate. Nor does it dry up and wither away. It is by The Power of God, The Spirit of God, that I am able to live in contentment and peace, regardless of who comes against me. For it is not I who is being fought against, but Christ within me. Jesus was hated when He preached the gospel in His time. And He warns His followers that whoever is faithful in following God's gospel plan of salvation that we, too, will suffer for our faith. But I have a river of life flowing through me that gives me strength to withstand against all the enemies of my soul. 

    I am Christian and in my belly the milk of The Word was first purchased by faith in The Name of Jesus Christ. As I grew in The Lord, the meat of The Word has been supplied to me. The closer we get to Jesus Christ the stronger our relationship grows. In Him I live and move and have my being. The song that keeps resounding in my thoughts is Jesus Have It All. And I wonder, "Did I give Him my all? Have I kept anything back?" Questions each of us must ask ourselves every day. I want Him to have every part of me. Including my deep within place. Every nook, every cranny. 

    And when He has prepared me, out of me flows the rivers of Life. Rivers of Hope. Rivers of Joy. Rivers of Peace. Rivers of the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ. There is no other Name under heaven by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12). Oh, what Joy to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus Christ is Lord of my life and Savior of my soul! 

    Come, taste these living waters which The Lord has prepared for you today. Come, quench your thirst and fill your own belly/heart/innermost being with His Word, His voice, His Spirit. Come, sweet is the honey and wine. But take care, sometimes the meat will be tough. It's okay. The Sword of The Lord cuts right through it. Jesus told His disciples that His meat was to do the will of His Father (John 4:34). This should be our meat too.

    In my belly is the remembrance of the last supper which Christ had with His disciples.  They broke apart the bread and ate it in remembrance of how His body was broken and torn for our sins. They drank of the cup, the drink from the vine, in remembrance of His blood which flowed from Calvary. That blood washes away our sins when we repent of them (confess aloud to God our sins and stop doing those things of which we have confessed and been forgiven for). 

    Come, eat and drink with me. The Spirit and the bride say,  Come. Let he who is thirsty, come. Revelation 22:17 "And The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come. And let him that hears say, Come. And let him that is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 

    I am Christian and I'm calling you to come to the cross and see my Jesus. I'm calling you to walk with me and He. I'm calling you to the supper table. Come, take our hands, take up your cross and follow Jesus. It's the best hiking trip you'll ever take. 

    

    

I Am Christian's Soul - Part Two

 

    I am Christian's soul. My soul is comprised of my heart, my mind, my strength. These three things are so intertwined it is impossible to separate them. What and how I think takes place in my mind. Then my thoughts travel to my heart, where I may ponder them and consider my next action regarding my thoughts. How I put my thoughts into action comes from my attitude towards what I am thinking about. 

    My soul has a price, it has value. Because I have been purchased by the blood of The Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, my soul belongs to Him. This redemptive process began when I believed on The Name of The Lord for my salvation. Now I am in the holiness stage where The Holy Spirit of God is making me holy, for without this holiness from God, I could not be with God. For He demands holiness from His people. 

    My 💙 is filled with the love of God, the agape kind of love, which is unconditional. No requirements are there to this love. When God loves us, He loves all of us. That's why He sent His Son, His Word, to us: that Jesus would Redeem us through His death and give us new life through His resurrection. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

    My 💙 contains my faith. My faith has come from hearing The Word of God in all its fulness and truth and applying it to my everyday way of life. When I waken, I thank Him for a new day and I praise Him for Who He Is. As I move through my day, He is with me by His Spirit, encouraging me in His Word and the music He provides to me.

    My 💙 is the seat of my emotions. I have known joy and I have known sorrow. I love, but I cannot hate. Compassion and mercy flow through me. I have both sympathy and empathy within me. A sympathetic heart commiserates with the unknown trials a person goes through. An empathetic heart, having gone through various trials, knows the value of the words spoken or unspoken in those given situations. 

    I am Christian and this is my heart. 

My 🤔 is sound and sober. Though a million thoughts may race through me at any given moment, the only thoughts that matter are the ones that stay. Memories live here briefly. Most remain in the heart. Some fade away with time. 

    Because I have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), I am clear-minded and can see with clarity. No longer do I live in a rose-colored world, nor do I bury my head in the sand. I read and I watch. I am alert and aware of the events going on around me. But I am not afraid for God The Lord is with me. I live in anticipation of the soon and coming King, for I see prophecies being fulfilled before my eyes and I hear of great and mighty things happening not just in faraway places but right here up close and personal. 

    My 🤔 is focused on the job at hand, this field work which I have been given to do. Though some days I struggle, with The Lord so close to me, I am able to perform the task given. I never work alone. The Lord has given me many tasks in His Word. There are times when I can get more than one done at a time. Some of my tasks are woven into each other and are unbreakable. 

    His Word says to "seek first the kingdom of God", which means I need to know God first before I can go looking for His kingdom or even begin to increase His kingdom, advancing His cause across the regions. Knowing God:  Acts 17:24 "The God who made the world and everything in it is The Lord of heaven and earth, and does not live in temples made by hands." Know The Lord: Hebrews 8:11 "No longer will each one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, 'Know The Lord,' because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest."

    I am Christian and this is my mind.

    My strength, my attitude, is how I perceive that which is spoken to me and by me; it is how I process the things which I have heard and seen with my heart and my mind. I can live in despair and doubt or I can live in hope and faith. I choose to live in hope and faith. I choose to persevere and move forward regardless of the pain of movement or the knowledge that what lies ahead could be dangerous and life-threatening.

     My life does not belong to me, therefore nothing should stop me from pursuing the righteousness of Christ that I may obtain the crowns which He has for me; only to lay these crowns at His feet. For everything I have has been received from Him and it is only fit and due that I give it all back to Him. Attitude: Acts 20:24  "But I do not consider my life as something of value or dear to me, so that I may [with joy] finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify faithfully of the good news of God’s [precious, undeserved] grace [which makes us free of the guilt of sin and grants us eternal life]."

    My strength, my attitude is my will: it is the "I want", the "I have to have it" and "I need" of a person's desire. I am Christian and I have surrendered my will to God's will. For I have learned, and am still learning, that Father knows best. Therefore, what I want is what God wants: that all people everywhere should be saved. Having surrendered my will to His has changed my prayer life. His strength is my joy and my salvation. 

    I am Christian's soul and I am constantly being attacked by Satan and the little darts he throws in my direction. My shield of faith must always be raised to block them. So I will stand firm on The Word of God and I will be His steadfast servant. For I have armed myself with The Word of God, The Love of God and The Hope of My Salvation. I am strong in The Lord and in the power of His might (Ephesians 6:10); I am fearless. Yet the enemies of my soul should live in fear of what Christ is doing through me and in me. 

    I am Christian's soul and I live in Christ Who lives in me. 

JESUS HAVE IT ALL - Jeremy Riddle
MAKE ROOM - Community Music

LIVING FOR JESUS 

The Lord Is - - November 2023

 

KEPHALE GONIA

(pronounced kef-al-ay' go-nee'-ah)

CHIEF CORNERSTONE

Acts 4:11

This Jesus is The Stone rejected by you builders, which has become the Cornerstone. 

Psalm 118:22

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Isaiah 28:16

So this is what The Lord GOD says: "See, I lay a Stone in Zion, a Tested Stone, a precious Cornerstone, a Sure Foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken."

Jesus Christ is The Rock upon which all other Living Stones are built. Without Him there is no foundation and all who do not believe that Jesus Christ is LORD have built their beliefs on sand, which is no foundation at all and washes away with every wave. 

Jesus Christ is The Rock that won't move. It's why the believer can not only anchor in Him, but have Him as our Anchor. He is Strong. He is Steadfast. He is Immovable. He is Unshakable. 

THE ROCK WON'T MOVE - Vertical Worship

HUPSOO

(pronounced hoop-so'-o)

EXALTED

To raise up, to lift up

Acts 2:33

“He is The One Who is Exalted at the right hand of God and He has received from The Father The Promise which is concerning The Spirit of Holiness, and He has poured out this gift, which, behold, you are seeing and hearing.”

Acts 5:30,31

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, Whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 

Psalm 118:16

The right hand of The LORD is Exalted! The right hand of The LORD performs with valor!” 

Isaiah 6:1

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw The Lord seated on a throne, high and Exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple.

Isaiah 52:13

Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be Exalted and extolled, and be very high.

John 3:13-15

No one has ascended into heaven except The One Who descended from heaven—The Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so The Son of Man must be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 

HE IS EXALTED

HE IS HIGH AND EXALTED

    Even now, we who believe that Jesus Christ is LORD, lift high His Name which is above all other names, that all who hear and see may believe and receive. Believe that He is indeed LORD of ALL and receive Him into their hearts. 

    The call to come and worship The KING of KINGS still goes out into the world, for The LORD GOD even yet extends His hand of Mercy and Lovingkindness to all who will reach out to Him and call on His Name. 

    From the depths of our hearts we cry out to God to forgive us. Forgive us for being self-infatuated, forgive us for not seeing Your hand at work in our lives, forgive us of all the unrighteous words we have spoken, forgive us of turning away from You and turning our hearts to handmade gods. Lord, we glorify Your Name, and Your Name alone. For in You is our Salvation. In You is our Peace. In You is our Hope alone. You, Lord, and none other. 

    Father, receive us into Your heart and make our hearts Your own. Fill us even now at this moment with Your precious Holy Spirit that Your Word would be revealed to us as we read it and Your Spirit applies it to our hearts and lives. Lead us and guide us and guard us. You have proven Yourself faithful right down to even the smallest request. Find us faithful, too, that we may rise when You send Your beloved Son to bring us home. 

    In Jesus' Most Beautiful Name,

Amen.

MY LIFE IS IN YOU, LORD

 

The Name of The Lord

     SALVATION IS IN THE NAME OF THE LORD

    Joel 2:32

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on The Name of The LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as The LORD has said, and in the remnant whom The LORD shall call.

    Romans 10:13

For whosoever shall call upon The Name of The Lord shall be saved.

    Acts 2:21

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on The Name of The Lord shall be saved.

    THE NAME OF THE LORD IS 

SAVIOR

     Isaiah 45:17

But Israel will be saved by The LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will not be put to shame or humiliated, to ages everlasting.

    

DELIVERER

    Romans 11:26

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

     

REDEEMER

    Isaiah 59:20

"The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression," declares the LORD.

    Titus 2:14

Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 

NO OTHER NAME

    Acts 4:11-12

This Jesus is ‘The Stone you builders rejected, which has become The Chief Cornerstone.’ Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

IN THENAME OF THE LORD IS 

FORGIVENESS

    Acts 2:38

Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in The Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of The Holy Ghost.

WHOLENESS

    Acts 3:6-7

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

UNITY

    1 Corinthians 1:10

 Now I plead with you, brethren, by The Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

STRUCTURE

    Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in The Name of The Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

POWER

    John 20:31

But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is The Christ, The Son of God; and that believing you might have life through His Name.

    Acts 10:43

"All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His Name.”

JESUS LOVER OF MY SOUL (IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU) - Stuart Townsend

AT THE CROSS (LOVE RAN RED) - Chris Tomlin

YOU ARE HOLY - Andrew Hopkins

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU - Lenny LeBlanc

    Why does anyone ever run from the only Name that can save us? For we do, indeed, need saving. Our souls are in grave danger on a daily basis. It is the soul - how we think, how we emote, how we act- that is eternal. Whether that eternity is death eternal or life eternal, the soul will live beyond this life. 

    We are only fooling ourselves when we turn our backs on God. God sees us. God knows us. He waits for us to turn to Him; He is not forceful yet, nor is He pushy. God is gentle and patient (longsuffering) and merciful. He waits for you to come home. The welcome mat is always out...for now. There will come a time, a day, when it will be too late to make a commitment to trust in God, to believe in God, to follow Jesus Christ. Don't let your souls see that day come to you. 

    My Mother prayed for you as she lay dying. She prayed for the salvation of her family: her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren; her sister and brother and their children and grandchildren; her husband's siblings and their families throughout their generations. Salvation is the only thing she prayed for. We prayed together. It is the first and the last time my Mother and I ever prayed together. We prayed for you. 

    Now, it's up to you to make a decision. Do you choose Christ Jesus, The Only Begotten Son of God, The Lamb of God? The only God Who died for you and rose from the dead? or do you choose to follow dead gods who died and never came back from the grave?  

    In The Name of The LORD JESUS CHRIST is LOVE. He is The LOVE OF GOD personified. He is The Glory of God personified. He is The POWER OF GOD personified. IN THE NAME OF THE LORD IS THE NAME OF THE LORD. 

ROOFTOPS - Jesus Culture

    

    

A Crucified Life - - Enriches Others

 

2 Corinthians 6:10

As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 

Rich: to cause to abound, enrich

From the Greek word 'ploutizó' (pronounced ploo-tid'-zo): to bring fullness, to bring abundance.

    This is not a monetary wealth which the believer blesses others with, nor is it meant to be. This is a wealth far greater than mere money.

    From Acts 3:1-10 we read of the lame man who became whole, complete when he received from Peter and John a perfect healing, which not only healed his feet and ankles, but his hungry soul. Acts 3:6 "But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Acts 3:16 "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know has been made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given him this complete healing in your presence."

    In John 4:1-26, the woman at the well got more than water. She came to the community well to gather water for herself. But after meeting and speaking with Jesus, she received the Living Water and ran back to her neighborhood, telling everyone that she had met the Messiah. Her enthusiasm caused all who heard her voice to come near to her and run to the well themselves.

    Have you met Jesus? Have you spoken with Him? And, having done so, have you run to preach the Good News to your community? your neighbors? Come, let us tell everyone we meet and all whom we know, the Lord is near, for I have seen Him! 

    1 Corinthians 1:4-6

I always thank my God for you because of the grace He has given you in Christ Jesus. For in Him you have been enriched in every way, in all speech and all knowledge, because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.

    In Christ we are enriched in every way. 1 Corinthians 1:7 tells us that we lack nothing. And verse 8 reminds us that Christ is our Sustainer -- our Security, our Guarantee -- that we will be blameless in the day of the Lord. We are, indeed, quite rich and as His followers, we encourage everyone to receive Christ and live in His, as well.

    The psalmist wrote, in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my Strength, and my Redeemer." 

    Our words have power, for in the tongue is the power of life and the power of death (Proverbs 18:21). Therefore, we need to watch what we say and how we say it. I would that my words would be healing words, encouraging words, strengthening words; words to raise you up and not bring you down. Words to give you life and not death. 

    I am accountable to God for not only the words/Word I speak to you, but for my thoughts toward you. The psalmist included that in his prayer, too: the meditation of my heart. My thoughts must be pleasing to God. Knowing I am speaking with many brothers and sisters in Christ, let me remind you that your thoughts must be acceptable to God, as well. 

    These are encouraging words, calling you into His presence to seek His face and believe His Word; that your bodies and minds, too, might receive from God what He has prepared for you today. 

    Do you require healing? Turn your face to the Healer and raise your hands in faith believing that you will receive. Do you require saving? Turn your face to the Savior and ask that you may receive. And be baptized into Him. 

    Are you seeking love? God is Love. Turn your hearts to God in prayer and in His Word that you may receive His Love into you, and that you would learn His Way and His Will, in order that you could Love yourself and others with His Love. 

    Whatever it is you are looking to receive, God is ready to give it to you. By faith in the Name of Jesus Christ, they who desire to please God must first turn to God in Christ, before they can receive the gift(s) which God has prepared for them for that day.

ENRICHING OTHERS 

O Come To The Altar - Elevation Worship

The Well - Casting Crowns

The Gospel - Ryan Stevenson

Jesus, Friend of Sinners - Casting Crowns

All My Hope - Crowder

Able - Ryan Stevenson

Walking Free - Micah Tyler

Rescue Story - Zach Williams

Mended - Matthew West

Maybe Midnight - tobyMac

Priceless - 4 King & Country

Fill My Cup - Andrew Ripp

  

Heart & Soul - - Enjoined

 

Acts 4:32

The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 2588, No. 5590

One Heart: the heart; mind, character, inner self, will, intention, center

From the Greek word 'kardia' (pronounced kar-dee'-ah): "the affective center of our being" and the capacity of moral preference. 

One Soul: the self;  the seat of affections and will, a person's distinct identity

From the Greek word 'psuché' (pronounced psoo-khay'): the life force as a result of God breathing His gift of life into us. 

    THE HEART is never referred to, in the Scriptures, as the actual physical heart but only as the spiritual character heart. Our inner thoughts, our intentions, whether good or bad, originate here. It is this heart which God looks on when He judges the heart. Our will, directed towards self or God, is this heart. 

    The strength of this heart is determined by the strength of the faith which resides in this spiritual heart. If there is no faith in God, there is no strength and the body in which the spiritual heart is located, surrenders to what the self wants. Instead of fearing The Lord God, it fears everything else around it.

    But if the self is surrendered to God, then the heart is, too. The fear of The Lord lives there and the heart derives its strength from faith in the Name of The Lord. 

    THE BELIEVERS who came together to wait for The Promise of the outpouring of God's Holy Spirit were afterwards joined in not only one purpose, but one heart and one soul. Yes, they shared what they had before The Promise came, but that was a sharing in and of themselves without the power of The Holy Spirit uniting them. 

    As a weaver brings many colored threads together on his or her loom, so, too is the church being fitly joined together in The Spirit by the breath of God and the hand of God. The Spirit reveals God's Will and Purpose to the believer who seeks to know such. He also unites in purpose the many believers scattered across this globe: be ready to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. 

    In the early days of the church being formed, the young believers anticipated the return of their Savior to be soon and very soon. They sold their possessions and shared the increase among themselves. Because Jesus had said He was returning and to be ready for His return. 

    So we say, even now, "Jesus is returning to take His church away with Him. Get ready now or you'll be left behind. Hurry, hurry! Come to salvation by faith in the only Name under heaven by which mankind can be saved. Come to the cross and lay your burden of sins down to be washed away in the blood of God's Lamb. Come to the cross and be forgiven. Come, hurry. Jesus is returning soon. The time is very near. So near there is urgency in our pleas, our calls. Be a rejoicer in the Name of The Lord!." 

    THE CHURCH shines when she increases, her glory is measured by her quantity of believers, not their quality. Jews who believe that Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, Messiah, to whom the gospel was first preached, and foreigners (Gentiles) to whom the gospel was sent that we also might be given the opportunity to believe make up the body of the church. 

    Who is the church? The repentant sinner. The ones who believe in the Name of the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, for the salvation of their souls. Who believe that Jesus died on the cross, taking the punishment for their sins. That His blood washes away all our filthiness and unrighteousness; that He covers us with Himself and becomes our righteousness. 

    The church consists of murderers, for Paul, after all, was murdering Christians before he became a believer. He thought he was doing God's work, but he was wrong. He had good intentions but his heart was not right with God. Prostitutes who become believers (Rahab) and turn their backs on their sin are the church. Thieves who believe on The Lord's Name for their salvation (the thief on the cross). 

    Liars, idolaters, backstabbers, thinkers of unclean thoughts, gossipers become the church when they repent of their wicked ways against God and turn to Him for their salvation. Regardless of nationalities or skin color, anyone who "names the Name of Jesus Christ" (2 Timothy 2:19) is the church. 

    THE SPIRIT moves on our hearts, gently working there to bring us to faith in Jesus Christ for our salvation. We declare that Christ is our personal Lord and Savior, making a personal commitment to follow Him wherever He leads us. The Spirit brings alike hearts together. We commit to remain faithful (faith-filled obedience) to God in His Word and His Spirit, endeavoring to reach and bring in as many people we can share this good news with. 

    "Each One Reach One." Even if only one person acknowledges Christ as a result of my sharing Jesus, my ministry does not end there. For that one person could reach two or one hundred or thousands. As long as I reach one. And my prayers water the seed of faith that is planted not only when I share, but when others share. 

    Revelation 22:17

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.

ENJOINED

    

Today's Word -- Almost Persuaded

 

Acts 26:28

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Almost you persuade me to be a Christian." 

ALMOST: in the realm of, the sphere of; the condition in which something operates from the inside; the nature of, the thought of

PERSUADED: have confidence (in), convinced 

King Agrippa, having had conversations with the Jewish people over whom he ruled, knew what the prophets had spoken of concerning the coming Messiah. Paul knew this and reminded him so (verse 26). Paul spoke with such confidence and belief in his voice and manner that this king Almost believed, was Almost Persuaded. While Scripture does not tell us, I'm under the impression that Paul's sermon resonated within King Agrippa and would not let him go. 

It is not our place to know who went to heaven and who did not. It is our place to share Jesus with as many people as we can so they don't miss heaven. I want my family and friends in heaven with me. I want the strangers I meet in heaven with me. I want those who come against me for my faith in heaven with me. I don't want anyone to die without Jesus. I pray that with my last breath, someone would hear Jesus from my lips and make that decision to believe in Him fully. 

It won't be easy to answer this call to salvation. Some, like Festus (vs 24) will call you crazy to your face. They'll insult you, make fun of you (mock), beat you up, kick you, torture some of you and even kill you, believing that they are honoring God by removing you the believer from the face of the earth. Answer the call anyway. The Holy Spirit is tugging on your heartstring right now. 

Don't let yourself be "Almost Persuaded": BE PERSUADED. 

The Readiers - Now Is The Time

 Luke 1:17 "And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” 

Background on John the Baptist is found in Luke 1:1-16, but every time a mature Holy Spirit-filled Christian shares/preaches/teaches the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ that person becomes a Readier, too. We, the believers, are the Readiers preparing people for the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Mark 16:15 "And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." 

It takes power to share Jesus with anyone and that power comes from God who gives us His precious Holy Spirit who empowers us with Himself to speak the Truth of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

Acts 1:4-5 "And being assembled together, He instructed them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father: "That which you heard of Me; For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 

And wait they did, men and women both (Acts 1:14), for the Promise of God to be fulfilled: the outpouring of His Gift, His Holy Spirit. 

Acts 2:1-4 "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately]."

Acts 4:31 "After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

Peter was one of those who received the Holy Spirit and He began to proclaim the gospel immediately to those who were gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost. But he also shared the gospel with Gentiles (non-Jews), where the message of repentance, forgiveness and salvation was well received. And these, too, were baptized in the Holy Spirit upon their belief:

Acts 10:34-48 

"Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism, but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right. He has sent this message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

You yourselves know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee with the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with Him.

We are witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree, God raised Him up on the third day and caused Him to be seen— not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had chosen beforehand, by us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead. And He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that He is the One appointed by God to judge the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name.”

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard his message. All the circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and exalting God.

Then Peter said, “Can anyone withhold the water to baptize these people? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have!” So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days."

We have nothing to fear when we believe the Truth of God's Holy Word and are filled with His Holy Spirit in these last days, last hours, before the Church is taken out of this world and this world is judged. Now is the time to believe and receive. 

Now is the time to kneel before God and repent of our wicked ways, to turn away from a sinful lifestyle and live a life of grace and mercy, a life that mirrors Christ to others. Now is the hour to receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives, that He may empower us to live a godly life and share the gospel to everyone around us, just like I'm doing right now. 

For now is time to rise up in worship, praise and thanksgiving to God for who He is and for what He's done for us. Now is the time to speak the name of Jesus with joy and in His love. Now is the time to bow not only our heads and our knees, but our hearts, to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Now is the time to offer Him all that we have to give: ourselves: our bodies to His service, to do whatever He calls us to do in His kingdom. 

Later will be too late. Tomorrow is not promised. There is only To day. There is only Now. 

CityAlight-Praise And Worship

Activation of Faith

 

Romans 10:17

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God through the power of God. Anyone can read a Bible but not everyone can understand it, nor can they obtain the knowledge within its pages. We must first believe that God Is God and that He is Absolute Truth. This takes faith and this faith activates our hearts to seek the Truth of His Word. 

We who once lived in darkness have been called out of the darkness of sin and wickedness into the light and love of God's grace. God called us with His love, His Word, His Son Jesus Christ. We are children of faith. 

As the Word says even now, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Faith in God comes to all who believe in the Word of God, in Jesus Christ as Lord. Romans 10:8-11

8. But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart." That is, the word of faith which we preach,

9. that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10. For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.

11. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be  ashamed." 

That's the Word of Faith. That's my Jesus in action. 

The difference between faith and unbelief? Eighteen inches. In our bodies the heart is eighteen inches from the mouth. Two imperatives for the activation of faith are given here. 

1. We MUST believe in our hearts that Jesus Christ is God's gift of righteousness to us.

2. We MUST confess, speak out loud, that which we believe in our hearts: that God raised Jesus from the dead. 

If even one part of this is missing, then our faith has not been activated. It is not enough to just say the words, though that may fool many who hear the words of faith spoken by false prophets and false teachers; the heart must believe the truth of God's Word, as well. 

For we know that God looks on the heart and recognizes lip service when He hears it. How do we know God sees the motives of our hearts and knows the thoughts of our mind? His Word tells us so. In the Old Testament in 1 Samuel 16:1-13 God sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse's house to anoint one of his sons to be the next king.  But after approaching each one who was brought before him, God rejected all of them because He knew their hearts (v. 7). 

Job, Isaiah and Ezekiel all tell us God knows our hearts. Therefore how can we ever expect to get away with anything? Foolishness. 

In the New Testament in Acts 15:8 and Romans 8:27 we see that God searches our hearts and knowing our hearts He gives us good gifts, especially the gift of the Holy Spirit, Who leads us and guides through God's Word as we study it, that we might be approved by God. 

In Matthew 12:25 we learn that Jesus knows our thoughts and what we are thinking. Before we even ask, He knows what we are going to ask. But He delights to hear us ask. God likes to talk with us. He enjoys our company, the company of walking and talking with the believer(s). 

Our hearts must be right with God; we MUST believe with our hearts that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD. That He died on the cross, rose from the dead and walked out of the grave. We MUST believe with our hearts and CONFESS with our mouths that which we believe in our hearts that our faith might be activated so that it will grow. 

Today is your day of salvation if you have not believed already. How do I know this? God tells me in His Word that this is so. 2 Corinthians 6:2 "For He says: “In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!"

Living Water

 John 4:14

"But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

It is not enough to believe in God, we must also believe in God's Word. For there is but one God and in Him, through Him and by Him have all people and things been created (John 1:3). On Him we are dependent for every breath of life. He supplies our every need. In Him we have no lack: He satisfies our every need (Psalm 23:1).

We must also believe God's Word is Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11). As such, we should choose to surrender who we are in ourselves and follow Jesus Christ with our whole hearts and lives (Romans 12:1), not just giving Him lip service. It is not enough to say, 'I believe God exists' then turn around and say, 'the Bible is an ancient text and does not apply to me.' 

It is like saying, 'Yes, I see the fresh water, but no matter how thirsty I am I'm not going to drink it.' Sight alone isn't enough to save our souls. Many people followed Jesus during His ministry years on earth, but not many stayed following. For the words which He spoke were hard to hear and most definitely unconventional. 

Are some of us rejecting God's Word because we don't want to hear it? Yes. Are some of us ignoring God's Word because it prohibits us from having what we think of as fun? Yes. Are some of us choosing an unrighteous lifestyle because a righteous lifestyle is contrary to popular living? Yes. How do we get out of that cycle of self-destruction? Drink the water. 

Drink the Living Water which the Word of God offers to those who have received His first Gift, His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. How do we do that? We ask Him for it. We ask God for the Living Water which quenches the thirst of our souls. Living Water flows without end, constantly refreshing the one who asks for it. What is this Living Water? The Holy Spirit of God. 

It is God's Spirit which strengthens us and fills us with power (Acts 1:8; Acts 2:4) to walk by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7) in God's Word as we travel our journeys in this life on this earth. It is God's Spirit which enables the believers to speak the Truth of God's Word to the world into which He sends us. It is by this power that I speak now. I crave the Living Water which refreshes my soul and strengthens my spirit. It is this Water I drink. 

The Word tells us in Psalm 42:1-2  As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence? And again in Psalm 84:2 My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Are you thirsty? Come to the Water. Come to the Well.

The Blessed Event

      There are no Christian holidays. There are two days we as Christians should celebrate: the day we are born-again into the kingdom of God and the day we die. Both are celebrations of Life Eternal, a truly blessed event. 

     That being said, tradition has ingrained in me the desire to celebrate stolen holidays, like Christmas and Easter, though I no longer call it Easter (to me and many like me Easter is now Resurrection Sunday). And while our children are grown and our nest is empty, Christmas is the one holiday I do really get into. I love finding just the right gift for a person. I love the way faces light up, if I get to see them open their presents. I love the, "Wow! Thanks" I get when an unexpected guest or two show up and are handed a gift. I love giving, for that is how I express my love for my family and my friends at Christmastime.

     Christmas is a shortened word meaning "Christ's Mass" the term a Catholic priest gave it when the church was empty during the winter solstice. (see Britannica: Christmas origins for more).

     I made the mistake with my first born son of leading him to believe Santa was a real person, because that's how I grew up. Big Mistake. Because when he was old enough to go school he was informed Santa was not real. And I had to explain the symbolism behind it. I did not make that mistake with the next two. I raised them on practicality and Jesus' birth. 

     But if you look at the setting of the story of the nativity, the Word was not born in the wintertime. It rains in Israel during the winter months, most of the time. Mary being nine months pregnant would not have ridden any animal on the journey. I imagine Joseph being a carpenter would have handy a small cart of some type and size. There Mary would be able to travel better. 

     On the night of Christ's birth, it wasn't raining. We know this because a star like no other shone in the night sky, big and bright and unusual enough to draw people to the stable, a dark cave-like place where the animals were penned in. 

     Angels suddenly appeared in a clear night sky where shepherds were out in the fields guarding their sheep. In the wintertime these same shepherds would have been closer to home and the sheep would have wintered safely in stables or larger buildings. But on this night they were out in the fields. 

     We don't need to know the date of Christ's birth. It is enough that we know He died on the cross, that His blood washes away our sins when we repent, that God forgives us when we seek His forgiveness, that Jesus rose from the dead and walked out of the grave into eternity. It is enough to know that Jesus Christ stands at the right hand of His Father interceding on our behalf. It is enough that the precious gift of God, the Holy Spirit, fills us with power to preach the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. It is enough that this same Holy Spirit leads us and guides us through a life lived according to God's Word. 

     That's my Christmas. That's my Jesus. That's what I celebrate. Every day of my life. 

     Do I wish you a Merry Christmas? Do I say Happy Holidays? How am I to greet people now? What should I say? 

Happy Joy of The Lord to you. And what response might expect? The same back to me with joyful exultation. Happy Joy of the Lord to you!!

Luke 15:10

Ecclesiastes 7:1

Luke 2:1-20

Matthew 1:18-25, 2:1-11

John 3:16-17

Acts 2:1-41

Galatians 5

Know Your Priorities-Most Important Relationship

 

Foundational Living

Psalm 118:22

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

Isaiah 28:16

So this is what the Lord GOD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.

Acts 4:10-12

"...then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

Ephesians 2:19-21

Therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,

built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.

In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord.

Matthew 4:19

And He said to them, “Follow Me [as My disciples, accepting Me as your Master and Teacher and walking the same path of life that I walk], and I will make you fishers of men.”

1 Corinthians 14:1

Love should be your guide. Be eager to have the gifts that come from the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of prophecy.

     Without this Foundation, this relationship which is made possible by believing that Jesus is the Christ, Who is our only means of salvation, a person is doomed to fail in this life. Success is not measured by how much we own, nor is it measured by our level of happiness.

     What we own in this life (material possessions, wealth or lack thereof) is not what we take with us when we die. When our bodies cease to have life, there is an immediate separation. The body remains earthbound while the spirit/soul travels to its destination, which has been determined by that soul while it lived on this earth. 

     Each and every one of us will give an account for our actions, our thoughts and our words. We are responsible in our lifetimes for making wise choices/decisions. Particularly the decision to believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for our salvation. That must be done on an individual basis by each person who ever lived. 

Acknowledge our sins and repent of them

Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ

Confess that He Is Lord

Determine to follow Him

     This can be accomplished through simple prayers. God wants to hear us speak what is in our own hearts. We can recite a prayer, but unless we really mean it, that prayer is just words and has no power to change our lives. 

Dear Heavenly Father,

I admit I have sinned against You and against Your Word. Forgive me of my sins and make me new in You. I believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty for my guiltiness and rose from the dead walking out of the grave. 

I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Please be Lord of my life. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may be able to live a life that pleases You. 

In Jesus' Precious Name,

Amen