Statements of Faith - 1 Peter 2:9

 

1 PETER 2:9

I am a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that I should show forth the praises of Him Who has called me out of darkness into His marvelous Light. 

CHOSEN GENERATION

    How are we chosen? By believing on The Name of The Lord Jesus Christ for my salvation. By repenting of my sins, iniquities and transgressions against The Word of God. By believing that God's Word is True and Faithful, that He fulfills His promises in His time. 

    We are chosen because we choose to follow Christ Jesus wherever He leads us; whether He leads us in the valleys of our lives or upon the mountains' heights. When He calls us to follow Him, we joyfully answer His call, running to meet Him, where He picks us up and holds us close to His heart. We are His sheep, His little lambs and we stay near our Shepherd. 

    Once we lived in the darkness of this world, too. Once we lived in rebellion, choosing to do things our way: selfishly and with only our interests at heart. But now, now we belong to God, choosing to live a life of honor and sanctification that we might be made pure and perfect in Christ. 1 Peter 2:10 "Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

ROYAL PRIESTHOOD

    He has promised that they who serve Him on this side of life will not only be blessed immensely now, but also be rewarded on the other side of life. 

Revelation 1:6 "And has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 

Revelation 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.Exodus 19:6 "And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites." 

HOLY NATION

    Deuteronomy 7:6

For you are a people holy to The LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth.

     2 Thessalonians 2:13

But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by The Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of The Spirit and by faith in the truth.

   We are saved by faith in The Truth of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ and through the sanctification of The Holy Spirit. Though the thief on the hill with Christ came to the realization that Jesus was indeed The Christ, he had just enough time left in his life to do so. By his declaration "Lord, remember me", he acknowledged Jesus to be LORD and asked that his name not be blotted out. And Jesus brought thief to paradise with him. 

    A holy nation also honors its God by not only hearing what He has to say, but by obeying what The Word He speaks. 

PECULIAR PEOPLE

    Exodus 19:5

Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine.

    Titus 2:14

He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

    We are God's people, His church, His possession, His congregation. We are set apart from all nations by choosing to be obedient to His Word and choosing His Love and Righteousness for us above all other loves and unrighteous thinking and actions. 

    When someone tells us, "You're weird, strange, crazy", it's because they have noticed your differentness, your born again-ness. As we should be: different, not like everybody else. Remember the teaching song, "One of these things is not like the other"? We are not like the other. We shine bright because our souls have been saved and The Light of Christ now lives in us. 

    The salvation of Christ upon us and the purification process of sanctification through The Holy Spirit cause us to continually praise our God for this wonderful thing He has done for us and in us. 

    Three hundred and three times the word 'praise' occurs in The Old Testament, alone. And in those three hundred and three times the word 'praise', at varying times, indicates different ways to praise. 

    Yadah: to extend our arms out in front of us or lift our hands up to our Lord 

    Halal: to boast in The Lord

    Shabach: to shout praise to The Lord 

    Tehillah: combination of all other words of praise to God 

    Towdah: sacrifice of praise - praising God in adversity

    Barouch: to kneel or prostrate one's self, to bow before The Lord

    Zamar: to play a musical instrument for God

7 WAYS TO PRAISE - Carman

NO LONGER SLAVES - Zach Williams
CHANGED - Jordan Feliz

HAPPY DANCE - MercyMe 

JESUS CAN - Austin French

LIVE LIKE YOU'RE LOVED - Hawk Nelson

    

    

The Lord Is Light

 

2 Peter 1:19

And we have the more certain prophetic word, to which you do well taking heed, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until this day shall have dawned and the morning star shall have arisen in your hearts,

2 Corinthians 4:6

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

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.

    David writes in Psalm 27:1 that "The LORD is My Light and My Salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the Strength of My Life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Indeed, where Light shines there is no fear, there is no doubt, there is no one to be afraid of. For this Light is the Knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And I love that face. By faith in my Savior I will see Him face to face one day. 

    This precious Knowledge we have been given is The Truth of God's Word and it sets us free from the entanglements of sin (John 8:32), releasing us to be joyful, content and rested. This Truth breaks chains, tears down walls of separation and division; it not only brings people into the family of God through the blood of Jesus Christ, but it splits families in two. 

    For where The Word is believed by one or two, it is come against by the many, yet we gain ground in the kingdom of God when we stand fast on His Word. To stand fast ON His Word is to trust Him fully, even when our situations look grim. To stand fast IN His Word is to have His Word enveloped around us, encompassing our every thought and move. We are saturated in the anointing of His precious Holy Spirit and God makes Himself known to us. 

    The LORD is My LIGHT. And My SALVATION. He SHINES in my heart and in my mind. He is The Strength of My Life. Without Him I would be nothing; I wouldn't even exist. He is my Breath for it is He Who gives me breath, gives me life, gives me everything. I am known by those who do not know me, for when they see me, they see JESUS. Sometimes even those who do know me, can just glance in my direction and say, 'She's been with The Lord.' 

    And when I see His Face, I will see His Light shine ever more brighter. In Him I am complete. In Him I am content. In Him I am the lighthouse out of which His LIGHT shines, to warn of the hidden dangers in the darkness of sin. 

    Can you see The Light? He is The Light of Christmas in the Christmas season. He is The Light of Salvation in the Resurrection. He is The Light of Life in the heart of every believer. Is this Light shining in your heart? Do others see Jesus in you? If you let only your light shine, the day will come when your light will be snuffed out: like a candle you will have shined briefly. But if you allow The Light of God, Jesus Christ, to shine in your heart and remove the darkness from within you, then your light becomes His Light and you will shine for Jesus evermore. 

    We sing This Little Light of Mine in Sunday School because we are aware that our lamps are small and frail. However, we also know that The Light that shines in us can spread to every heart who is seeking The Light. Then when our little lights unite, a great LIGHT shines. 

    I'm so glad His LIGHT shines in me and through me. Aren't you?

THRONE ROOM - Kim Walker-Smith

I AM THE LIGHTHOUSE 

SHINE JESUS SHINE - Vineyard Music

The Lord Is The Light

 

John 9:5

As long as I am in the world, I am The Light of the world.

John 8:12

Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, "I am The Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have The Light of Life."

John 1:4

In Him was Life, and that Life was The Light of men.

John 12:46

"I have come into the world as a Light, so that no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness."

John 3:18-21

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in The Name of God’s only begotten Son. And this is the condemnation, that The Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates The Light, and does not come into The Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”

    If you are living in accordance to God's Word, then you are walking in The Light. Our lifestyle is our walk. Though we are not perfect, each time we fail God, we can come to Him and repent of our faults, our failures and each time God will forgive us. It is only by repenting of our sins that we can come into The Light at all. 

    God forgives, Jesus Christ saves and The Holy Spirit sanctifies us when we believe God's Word, receive Christ into our spiritual hearts and invite God's Holy Spirit into our lives to make us holy. We need all three Persons in the trinity to unite us fully in Him; just like He prayed in the garden (John 17:20-26). Did you know that Jesus prayed for you who would become believers even before you were created in your Mother's womb? 

    Anyone who does Not believe that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD is living in darkness. Anyone can say they believe, but if their lifestyle and the words they speak does not back up their claim, then they are still living in darkness. God knows whose are His.

    John 10:14

I am The Good Shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep know Me.

    1 Corinthians 8:3

But the one who loves God is known by God.

    1 John 4:15

Whoever shall confess that Jesus is The Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

    Do you belong to God? Does God live in you? Come to Jesus and be filled with His Light today. 

REDEEMER SAVIOR FRIEND 

LIGHT OF THE WORLD

ONE DAY 

COME TO THE TABLE

    

The Lord Is My Light

 

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is My Light and My Salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is The Strength of My Life; of whom shall I be afraid? 

    God reminds several times in His Word (the Holy Bible) that there is no one and no thing to be afraid of. In fact, He encourages us to remain in Him and in His Word, for therein is our safety and our salvation. 

    God is, after all, our only means of survival if we want to make it out of this world alive. Even if my bones turn to dust before The Lord returns to get me, I will live. Live eternally with Him, forever in His home. 

    Fear not. Words to live by. He told Joshua several times to "Be strong and courageous". To do this Joshua would have to push past fear and walk into God's blessing. So, I'm pushing past fear and doubt and walking into God's blessing for me.

    The Lord is MY LIGHT and MY SALVATION. His Word guides my steps and shows me where to walk on this Way of Holiness in which His people live out their daily lives. As My Salvation, He is My Savior, My Kinsman Redeemer. My Deliverer: The ONE Who purchased my soul from death, hell and the grave when He died on the cross in my place. The ONE Who rose from the dead and walked out of the grave restored and so much more. For He was unrecognizable to His closest friends until He revealed Himself to them. 

    The Lord is MY Strength of Life. Without Him I have no life. Without Jesus I am nothing. As the song says, "Like a ship without a sail". I would just be drifting in a life without purpose. But with Jesus in my heart and The Holy Spirit in my life, the wind has shifted me from a downward spiral up to the heavenly portal where He waits for me and intercedes for me to His Father. I am His and He is mine. 

    The Lord is My Light that shines in the darkness. He searches out the deep roots of sin and pulls them out, sometimes gently, sometimes not so much. But sin must go that I might be found without stain and without blemish when Christ returns to bring me home with Him. 

PSALM 27:1

Signs & Wonders of Christ's Arrival - - The Traveler

 

Matthew 2:20

Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 

*Strong's Ex. Conc. 4198

Go: I travel, I journey, I go, I die

From the Greek word 'poreuomai' (pronounced por-yoo'-om-ahee). 

Remember the context in which the word is used. Transporting from one location to another. 

Here we see Jesus on the road again. A nomadic birth and childhood He had.

LEAVING HEAVEN

God Sent His Son

John 3:16

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

Galatians 4:4, 5

4. But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

5. to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.

LEAVING BETHLEHEM

Matthew 2:13-15

13. When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up!” he said. “Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.”

14. So he got up, took the Child and His mother by night, and withdrew to Egypt,

15. where he stayed until the death of Herod. This fulfilled what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

LEAVING EGYPT

Hosea 11:1

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.

Matthew 2:20, 21

20. Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 

21. So Joseph got up, took the Child and His mother, and went to the land of Israel.

LEAVING BETHLEHEM, AGAIN

Matthew 2:22, 23

22. But when he learned that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee,

23. and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophets: “He will be called a Nazarene.”

Isaiah 11:1

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

*Strong's Ex. Conc. No. 5342

Branch: a sprout, a shoot

From the Hebrew word 'netser' (pronounced nay'-tser). Indicating a branch, or city of Nazareth. 

The Lord's travels did not end there either, as some of us know. In Luke 2:41-52 we read of Jesus and His family's journey to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover, a journey they took every year. But this year was different. When the feasting ended and the family caravan left, Jesus stayed behind. He was teaching in the temple to the astonishment of everyone who heard Him, including His parents when they found Him. 

Not until He was grown and began His ministry did He travel permanently. Luke 9:58 "And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere He might lay the head." Always on the road, no home of His own, no bed to lie in at night. Not until His ministry ended here did His travels end.

LEAVING THE GRAVE

Matthew 28:6; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:6, 7; John 20:1-18

LEAVING EARTH

Acts 1:9

After He had said this, they watched as He was taken up, and a cloud hid Him from their sight.

Now, His travels are done in us. We who serve the King go where He leads. We journey with Him, for He is ever with us. We are never alone, so we walk faithfully, speak boldly but gently, work obediently in His fields and wait patiently for His return. Jesus is coming and He is coming back soon.  For Christ has said, in Mark 16:15 "And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." And also in Matthew 28:19, 20 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Yes, every believer in their generations has said this. Days could be years, years could be centuries, millenia. Seconds turn into forevers. We say it all the time: this is taking forever! and we get impatient with the situation we are in. Forever cannot be measured by time. But someday after all is said and done, forever is where we will stay. With Jesus. Our travels will be ended and we will rest in Him. O Glorious Day! 

Make sure you have your passport ready to leave this earth. Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Simple faith. 

LIGHT OF THE WORLD by the African Children's Choir

I FEEL LIKE TRAVELIN' ON by Gloria Baily & Sylvester Morgan

I MUST HAVE THE SAVIOR WITH ME by Gloria Baily