New Harvest

2012-02-06T15:47:00.001-08:00

Living each day with out Jesus in your heart is just as crazy as playing with a loaded gun.

2012-02-05T07:01:00.001-08:00

We can give, love & empower others, because JESUS gives, loves & empowers us!

2012-01-31T07:47:00.001-08:00

Yr hand is on the faucet of God's power in yr life. So make sure u leave the faucet running.It may feel cold now, but it's going to get hot!

2012-01-30T17:33:00.001-08:00

Life is a gift that was granted to each of us by God. What we make of it is our gift to Him.

Equipping

2012-01-21T16:57:00.001-08:00

Equipping people to believe receive and achieve all that God has for them.
Equip: to make ready, to supple with what is necessary.
Ex . If I told you I was going to make a sub sandwich what would I need?
1. Equipped with a hoe and a shovel, I headed for the garden.
2. Her training has equipped her to deal with emergencies.
3. She is well-equipped to deal with emergencies.
4. Those students are not equipped for the challenges of college.
How can we equip people to achieve all that God has for them?
We can give them the truth, tell them that there is a God that loves them, invite them to church, pray for them, do what ever it takes.
Its easy to do things for people that are nice, appreciated of , friendly. But what about that person that betrayed you?
Proverbs 25:21:
21 If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat.
If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
Matthew 5:44:
44 But I say, love your enemies![ Pray for those who persecute you!
Colossians 1:21:
21 This includes you who were once far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions.
Jonah 1:1-5:
Jonah Runs from the LORD
1 The LORD gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”
3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the LORD. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the LORD by sailing to Tarshish.
4 But the LORD hurled a powerful wind over the sea, causing a violent storm that threatened to break the ship apart. 5 Fearing for their lives, the desperate sailors shouted to their gods for help and threw the cargo overboard to lighten the ship.
But all this time Jonah was sound asleep down in the h

Mission trip

2012-01-16T18:40:00.003-08:00

1-17-12
To whom it may concern,
My name is Danny Parsons; I am a pastor, nurse, husband and father.
I would like to share with you an exciting opportunity that has been presented to me.
I am scheduled to go on a short term mission trip with the James Fund organization July 8 to the 14th of this year.
I will be going to orphanages in Cancun, Mexico .I will be participating in work projects at the children’s homes as well through personal connections and playtime with the kids.
These children come to homes from a variety of backgrounds- neglect, abuse, abandonment, and in some cases, economic inability of parents to provide for them. Helping an orphan discover their incredible potential, self- worth, future endeavors or even a simple smile is what I am called to do.
The James Fund grew out of overwhelming need.
• There are 148 million orphans worldwide
• These children have lost one or more parents
• Every year 12 million children become orphans
• Only 1% of these children will ever be adopted
I cannot however, do this alone. Would you please consider partnering with me, to enable me to go to these dear children? My total need is $1900.
In order to meet this goal as quickly as possible, a onetime investment of $25, $50, $100, $200, $300, or more are very much needed. Please make your check payable to “Church of the New Harvest” and submit no later than 3/31/12. Please mail: to 223 Clinton Ave, Elyria Oh 44035.
Your investment will then be tax-deductible.
Thank you so much for your consideration in supporting me to change the life of a child!
Many blessings,
Danny Parsons

Mission trip

2012-01-16T18:40:00.001-08:00

Its God plan, not ours

2012-01-16T11:51:00.003-08:00

Its Gods plan not ours
1. Give God your worries
God is strong enough to toss a mountain like a pebble and is bigger than the universe, so you can rest your cares safely upon His shoulders.
God knows our worries and sometimes we add to our worries concerns that aren’t even ours.
These anxieties sap our energy.
When God gave Noah the task of building the ark, He didn’t want him to worry about how the animals would get on board.
His job was just to build the ark.
Genesis 7:8-9:
8 With them were all the various kinds of animals—those approved for eating and for sacrifice and those that were not—along with all the birds and the small animals that scurry along the ground. 9 They entered the boat in pairs, male and female, just as God had commanded Noah.
Pairs of every animal joined Noah in the boat. It has been estimated that almost 45,000 animals could have fit into the boat.
Many have wondered how this animal kingdom roundup happened.
There seemed to be no problem gathering the animals- God took care of the details of that job while Noah was doing his part by building the boat.
Often we do just the opposite of Noah.
We worry about details over which we have no control, while neglecting specific areas (such as attitude, relationship, responsibilities) that are under our control.
Like Noah, concentrate on what God has given you to do, and leave the rest to God.
Rests assure that God has everything under control in your life.
The Spirit would say to you give me your worries. In exchange, I’ll give you my peace.
John 14:27 "I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.

2. In the waiting times
Trust me God knows how difficult waiting can be.
He waited for you to admit your need of a Savior; He meets each day for us to meet with Him.
After the great flood Noah and His family wondered when the waters would recede.
The times the ravens returned without a sign of greenery added to the weight of their wait.
But in Gods time, the water dissipated- and Noahs wait was over.
Genesis 8:11:
11 This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone.
Occasionally Noah would send a bird out to test the earth and see if it was dry.
But Noah didn’t get out of the boat until God told him to.
He was waiting for Gods timing.
What patience Noah showed especially after spending an entire year inside his boat!
We like Noah, must trust God to give us patience during those difficult times when we must wait.
Let’s make an agreement today with God.
In the waiting times, offer God your trust and in return, He will offer you grace, peace, hope- and a guarantee that He’ll come through for you.
Is that a deal?
3. Look for God’s Signs
If we would just look around we would see signs of His love for us everywhere.
We are to look for His signs. You’ll find them most evident on your darkest days, when fear or hopelessness is darkening your vision.
Sometimes these signs are attached to things you don’t typically welcome. But without the rain, there would be no rainbow.

Genesis 9:12-13:
12 Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. 13 I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth.
Noah stepped out of the boat onto the earth as the only human left.
But God gave him a reassuring promise.
If you can’t find His signs, ask Him. He will point the way.
Today promise three things
1. You will not worry today because you know He is in charge.
2. Accept Gods deal, allow Him to grant you patience to trust in His timing.
3. Promise to always look for His signs.

Its God plan, not ours

2012-01-16T11:51:00.001-08:00

If You Hide, He will seek

2012-01-08T15:32:00.001-08:00

If You hide, I will seek
Genesis 3:8-9
8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the LORD God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the LORD God among the trees. 9 Then the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”
Why we hide:
After sinning, Adam and Eve felt guilt and embarrassment over their nakedness.
Their guilt feelings made them try to hide from God.
A guilty conscience is a warning signal God placed inside us that goes off when we’ve done wrong.
The worst step you can take is to eliminate the guilty feelings without eliminating the cause.
That would be like using a painkiller but not treating the disease.
Be glad those guilty feelings are there.
They make us aware of the sin so we can ask God’s forgiveness and then correct our wrong doing.
The thought of two humans covered with fig leaves trying to hide from the all-seeing, all-knowing God seems a little silly.
Yet we do the same, acting as though God doesn’t know what we’re doing.
Nothing is ever hid from God, not any activity, not a word or neither a thought you ever had nor a place you could go could ever be hidden from God.
Jer.23:24 Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth? Says the Lord.
Have the courage to share all you do and think with Him. And don’t try to hide- it can’t be done.
Why He seeks:
God seeks after us because He desires to have fellowship with us.
God created you in His image so that so that He could have a personal relationship with you. God is seeking an intimate heart to heart relationship with you.
Our relationship with God is the most personal relationship we can ever have. God is a jealous God; we are not to let anyone or anything come between God and us.
God longs to be with us. He actively offers us His unconditional love.
Sin has broken Adam and Eves close relationship with God, just as it has broken ours.
But Jesus Christ, Gods Son, opens the way for us to renew our fellowship with Him.
The Spirit would say to us today, child I know the temptations you face each day, the struggles to follow my rules.
When you fail at doing what is right, you may want to run and hide. But I will always seek you.
I will never let you go, never let you rest in the lie that I no longer love you.
We need to thank Jesus for His willingness to seek us even when we try to hide.
Not only do I like to think of Jesus coming to save me. Better yet, he came to seek me. He wanted to find me. He sought me out.
He seeks us all out.
"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what is lost." (Luke 19:10)

God desires that you enter into the secret place of His presence where there is fullness of joy.
(Psalms 16:11 NKJV) You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Our relationship with God is the most personal relationship we can ever have. God is a jealous God; we are not to let anyone or anything come between God and us.

If You Hide, He will seek

2012-01-08T15:32:00.000-08:00

Ignite

2012-01-04T12:54:00.000-08:00

Pastor,
Hello my name is Danny Parsons and I am pastor of Church of the New Harvest in Elyria OH.

I am excited to be sharing with you about “Ignite”. Ignite is a movement that starts with you. I would like to ask you a question, how are your sheep doing? Are they just as on fire for God as they were when they first got saved? Or has the trials and tribulations of this world been weighing on them? If your answer is the same as mine and many other pastors then I would like to share with you what the Spirit laid on my heart.

Plan: To ignite (To arouse the passions of; excite) believers once again for Christ.

Purpose: To awaken the church ( the body of Christ) to once again take control of the battle of life, to get out of despair and stop believing the lies of Satan , to realize their position in Christ and get believers excited about the work of the Holy Spirit once again, to cause Christians to spark a change in their overcoming views of Christ and to ignite such a change in the believers walk that they truly feel nothing is impossible with God and therefore they will go out and testify of His great love and win souls for the Kingdom.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, Hebrews 10:24
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one
another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with
thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3: 16, ESV)

A church will never be as strong and vibrant in the service of God as it ought to be until it shares in this ministry of watching over and stirring up one another.

Unlike Cain, we must understand that we are our brother’s keeper, or many would be subject to stumble and live unfruitful spiritual lives.

Unless we watch over one another, spiritual growth could cease, sin would overtake us, and godly living could take a downward turn.

Weak links within the body of Christ affects the strength and often the demeanor of the whole.

If the Holy Spirit prompts you, and I pray He does, to discover more about what God could be doing in the hearts of your congregation please contact me for your way to get involved with this movement. I would also love the opportunity to meet with you to discuss this in more details. If there is a time we could gather together to encourage one another please don’t hesitate to contact me. I know your time is valuable so give me 15 minutes to connect with you and I would greatly appreciate it.

Blessings,
Danny Parsons (440) 714-0820
Dannyparsons51@gmail.com
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3: 13, ESV)

New Year 2012

2012-01-01T11:59:00.003-08:00

1. Inward transformation drives external change.
Internal change in the believer happens only through the preaching of the gospel. People become willing to extend themselves to reach others as they learn more about God and what he has done.
There is a time to push change and a time just to preach Jesus. It takes wisdom to know what to do when. A church that has forgotten its “first love” is likely to undergo even the most uncomfortable changes to complete the mission. That mission is to see soul saved for Gods kingdom.
Before we read the scriptures this morning I want say a few things.
1. Jesus told John to write about specific people, places, and events.
2. He praised believers for their successes and told them how to correct their failures.
3. Just as Jesus cared for each of these churches, He cares for ours.
4. He wants us to reach our greatest potential.
5. The group of believers we worship and serve with are Gods vehicle for changing the world.
6. Take it seriously- God does.

Revelation 2:1-7:
“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lamp stands :( is the seven churches back then)
2 “I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance. I know you don’t tolerate evil people. You have examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but are not. You have discovered they are liars. 3 You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.
Christ commended the church for working hard, patiently enduring, not tolerating evil people, critically examining the claims of false apostles, and suffering without quitting.
Each church should have these characteristics. But these good efforts should spring from our love for Jesus Christ. We need to always look at our motives when we ever we do anything in the name of Christ.

4 “But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first.
You see this church here in scripture was a busy church – the members did much to benefit themselves and the community- but they were acting out of the wrong motives.
Work for God must be motivated by love for God, or it will not last.
Just as when a man and woman fall in love, so also new believers rejoice at their newfound forgiveness. But when we lose sight of the seriousness of sin, we begin to lose the thrill of our forgiveness.
Do you love God with the same fervor as when you were a new Christian?
If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lamp stand from its place among the churches.
For Jesus to remove your lamp stand from its place would mean the church would cease to be an effective church.
6 But this is in your favor: You hate the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, just as I do.
The Nicolaitians were believers who compromised their faith in order to enjoy some of the sinful practices of their society.
When we want to take part in an activity that we know is wrong, we may make excuses to justify our behaviors, saying that it isn’t as bad as it seems or that it won’t hurt our faith.
We need to note that they didn’t hate the people, just their sinful actions. We should accept and love all people but refuse to tolerate any evil. God cannot tolerate sin, and He expects us to stand against it.
The world needs Christians who will stand for Gods truth and point people toward right living.

7 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give fruit from the tree of life in the paradise of God.
As we develop a love for the lost changing our structure to reach more people will become relatively easy.
2. Lead your people to yearn.
to have an earnest or strong desire;
Someone once said, “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders.
Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” As people yearn for the salvation of the world, that’s when the church is really revitalized.
Again, it is the preaching of the gospel that creates this yearning. The gospel makes us stand in awe of Jesus, who was rich, yet for our sakes became poor.
It moves us to pour ourselves out for others as he has poured himself out for us. The gospel awakens people from their middle-class slumber to follow Jesus as he seeks and saves the lost. It moves them to love the poor, the stranger, and the outcast.
The gospel teaches us to see the world through the lens of the compassionate God demonstrated at the cross and revealed in the resurrection. The gospel fills us with audacious faith, making us to “expect great things of God and then attempt great things for God.”
The gospel makes us yearn to see the glory of God cover the Earth like the waters cover the sea.
It gives us a passion for his kingdom that outweighs our comfort with the status quo.
As the gospel becomes more of the center of our lives, we see our people do the most amazing things.
So personally dwell on the gospel. Meditate on it until it burns in your heart and you can’t contain it.
This year 2012 I want to challenge you to do something.
The first sentence of the Bible introduces us to one of Gods notable characteristics. In the beginning, God did something.
God took action. Sometimes you and I need to step up to the plate and swing the bat.
There is a time for waiting and a time for doing. This is our year for doing. What has been lying on your heart for perhaps many years that you have just been keeping bottled up; this is the year to make it happen.
In our desire to strike a balance, we often fail to act in a timely manner. We wait for one more opinion, one more sign when we know that perhaps we should move, and now!
Perhaps you’re facing something today that just needs to be tackled. Look to Gen 1:1 for encouragement.
When the time was right, God stepped through the front door of time and did something.

New Year 2012

2012-01-01T11:59:00.001-08:00

Love Divine

2011-12-20T19:17:00.001-08:00

Love Divine

• I wonder what Christmas means to a mother who has lost her husband, who must take care of 3 or 4 children, working every day, never quite getting everything done, never making ends meet? What does Christmas mean to her?

• I wonder what Christmas means to the little children in the Horn of Africa, living in a hut, who knows nothing of shopping malls or Christmas trees? What does Christmas mean to them?

• I wonder what it means to missionaries who are half a world away from families & friends, who are sacrificing so much to take the precious gospel message to others who have never heard? What does it mean to them?

• I wonder what it means to those families that are at loved ones beds side as they are struggling to take a breath and contemplate if they should stop the machines.

I’m sure that it means different things to different people.

To merchants it is the busiest time of the year. Stores stay open longer, & hire extra people to accommodate all the shoppers. It means more profit, hopefully enough profit to see them through lean times ahead.

For some employees it means a Christmas bonus, a little more money in their pockets to do things that they want to do.

For many teen-agers & adults it is a time of fun & parties. For children it is a time of impatience, with time seeming to pass so slowly, as they wait for Christmas morning.

This morning I want to ask you what does this Christmas mean to you.
Luke 2:8-14:
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in highest heaven,
and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

The fact that God made the announcement to shepherds helps us to understand the real meaning of Christmas. "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son," & He chose to announce that to shepherds first of all.

Shepherds were at the opposite end of the social strata from King Herod & all the influential people of the day. They lived in the fields with their animals. They weren’t respected. They had no power or prestige. Yet, God’s angel came to them & said, "Unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior who is Christ, the Lord." Unto shepherds a Savior was born.

In that one simple announcement God made known some very important truths.

I. GOD KNOWS YOU, AND YOU ARE IMPORTANT TO HIM

First of all, it tells us, "No matter how insignificant you may think you are, God knows you, & you are important to Him."

A. All throughout scripture we see God honoring & using people & things that the world often overlooks or ignores.

1 Corinthians 1:26-28:
26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world…
B. So when God decided to select a mother for His Son, He went past the fashion salons & beauty parlors.
He went past the furs & diamonds & gold, & went to an insignificant village called Nazareth. He found a peasant girl.
She did not dress in designer clothes. She did not have a sophisticated education. But she was pure, & God selected her to be the mother of His only begotten Son.

II. YOUR LIFE MATTERS, BECAUSE GOD LOVES YOU

The second thing this passage teaches us is that life matters. Not only you, but your life counts with God.

A. I imagine those shepherds must have sat around the campfire many times & wondered if life was really worthwhile or not. "What difference does it make if we watch the sheep or not?"

Maybe we wonder, too, "What difference does it make if I get up every morning or not? It seems as if my life is an endless cycle of things that really don’t mean anything. I just wonder if life is worth living at all?"

When God comes & makes His announcement to shepherds, He is also saying to us, "Your life is worthwhile. It is My gift to you. Therefore live every golden moment of it, because your life does matter to Me."

B. You see, every life matters. We should know that. It’s impossible to live, even for a few moments on this earth, & not influence somebody in one way or another. We are always influencing someone, either for good or for bad.

APPL. You see, everybody’s life counts for something.

ILL. Some years ago, a cartoon appeared in newspapers across the land. It pictured two farmers in Kentucky, standing in a field as snow fell softly. One turned to the other & asked, "Anything exciting happen today?" "Nah, nothing exciting," said the other farmer. "Oh, there was a baby born over at Tom Lincoln’s home, but nothing exciting ever happens around here."

But that baby born in the home of Tom Lincoln one day became the President of the United States. He changed the course of history & liberated the slaves. One life can make a difference!

I wonder if there were people in Bethlehem on that night so long ago, asking, "Anything exciting happen today?" Maybe they were told, "No, nothing much. Oh, I hear some woman gave birth to a baby in a stable, but nothing exciting ever happens around here." Except that a baby was born, a baby that changed the world.

III. YOUR FAITH MATTERS, TOO

A. Finally, this. Your faith matters, too. Shepherds were men of faith. They probably had more faith than some of the scribes & Pharisees who went to the synagogue every day.

They prayed over & over again, "Let the Messiah come. Let Him come today!" They prayed that prayer for hundreds of years, & they must have wondered, "Is our faith worth anything? Does God hear our prayers? Does God keep His promises? Will the Messiah ever come?"
There must have been many who quit praying, & quit having faith. But when the announcement came to shepherds, God was saying, "Your faith matters, & it is not in vain. I am a God who hears & who keeps His promises. Now the Messiah has come, & I have kept My promise."

B. How about us? Sometimes we become weary. There may be times when we wonder if it is worthwhile going to church. There are times when we wonder if it is worth sacrificing for God.

Will you allow the Lord to use You?

2011-12-13T15:42:00.000-08:00

Will you Allow the Lord to use you?
Luke 1:38:
38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.
Sometimes we don’t really understand all that God is doing in our lives but that isn’t any reason to doubt.
Many times especially in the beginning we have no idea, all we need to know is that God is in full control and we just have to have faith.
From the story of Mary we see her great step of faith.
• A young unmarried girl who became pregnant risked disaster.

• Unless Joseph agreed to marry her, she would probably remain unmarried for life.

• If her own father rejected her, she could be forced into begging or prostitution in order to earn her living.

• And Mary, with her story about becoming pregnant by the Holy Spirit, risked being considered crazy as well.
Still Mary said, despite the possible risks,” May everything you have said about me come true.”
All she knew was that God was asking her to serve Him, and she willing obeyed.
Don’t wait to see the bottom line before offering your life to God.
Heb 11:1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
The beginning point of faith believes in Gods character: He is who he says.
The end point believes in Gods promises: He will do what He says.
When we believe that God will fulfill His promises even though we don’t see those promises materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith.
Offer yourself willingly, even when the outcome seems disastrous.
1. Our Response
God’s announcement of the birth of a special child was met with various responses throughout Scriptures.
• Sarah, Abraham’s wife laughed(Gen 18:9-15)
• Zechariah doubted (Luke 1:18)
By contrast, Mary graciously submitted.
She believed the angel’s words and agreed to bear the child, even under humanly impossible circumstances.
God is able to do the impossible.
Our response to His demands should not be laughter or doubt but willing acceptance.
2. The Cleansing and Call
Isaiah 6:5-8:
5 Then I said, “It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 He touched my lips with it and said, “See, this coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.”
8 Then I heard the Lord asking, “Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?”
I said, “Here I am. Send me.”
Isaiah realized that he was sinful before God, with no hope of measuring up to Gods standard of holiness.
When Isaiah’s lips were touched with a live burning coal, however, he was told that his sins were forgiven.
In response, Isaiah submitted himself to Gods service.
No matter how difficult his task would be, he said, “Here I am. Send me”
The painful cleansing process was necessary before Isaiah could fulfill the task to which God was calling him.
Before we accept Gods call to speak for Him to those around us, we must be cleansed as Isaiah was, confessing our sins and submitting to Gods control.
Letting God purify us may be painful, but we must be purified so that we can truly represent God, who is pure and holy.
So I ask you church will you answer the call that God has placed on your life?
Are you up to the challenge? The reward of choosing to be obedient far out ways the sacrifices to living a pure and holy life. Are you willing to lay it all down for Him as He was for you?

Walk Victorious

2011-12-04T07:05:00.001-08:00

Walk Victorious
1. Go with God
Psalm 27:1:
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?

Ever feel that the Holy Spirit was directing you to something?
But all you could see were the gigantic reasons why you couldn’t do it.
Ever felt as if you didn’t feel qualified?
Well you have two choices. You could shrink back into your comfort zone or step out in faith, knowing that Almighty God was on your side.
No one says it will be easy, and Satan will lie and tell you that you can’t do it.
But we must decide and believe that you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.
2. Be Consistent
Proverbs 16:7:
7 When people’s lives please the Lord,
even their enemies are at peace with them
Are goal in life shouldn’t be to please others but to please God. By striving to please God we find ourselves moving in the right direction.
Many times though we take one step forward in faith and then two steps backwards.
Ever know anyone who is happy and in a good attitude one day, then the next day they are negative and depressed. Have you ever been that person?
We make a little progress, and then we back up, for many will never experience the victories that God has in store for them.
Church we must be consistent. Are attitude needs to always be: I refuse to go backwards. I am going forward with God. I am going to be the person He wants me to be. I am going to fulfill my destiny.
If you will maintain that mind-set, God will continually work in your life.
If you will trust in God, He’ll fight your battles for you.
3. Stand Strong
Mark 11:22:
22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God.
It doesn’t matter what you’re going through, or how big your opponents are.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Rom 8:31
Keep an attitude of faith, stay calm, stay in a positive frame of mind and don’t try to do it all your own way.
Let God do it His way. If you will simply obey His commands, He will change things in your favor.
The Bible says don’t get weary and faint in your mind. Heb 12:3
Remember, stand strong. When negative thoughts come, reject them and replace them with Gods thoughts.
You may not see anything happening with your natural eyes, but in the unseen realm, in the spiritual world, God is at work.
And if you’ll do your part and keep believing at the right time, God will bring you out with the victory.

Conquers

2011-11-27T18:16:00.000-08:00

Conquers
Romans 8:37
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

Believers have always had to face hardships in many forms: persecution, illness, imprisonment, and even death.
Christ has risen and gives us the victory over all things.
1. Be a Victor
1 Corinthians 15:57:
57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul says that because of the resurrection, nothing we do is useless.
Sometimes when we don’t see the results that we think we should as we serve the Lord we start to just begin to go through the motions.
Knowing that Christ has won the ultimate victory should affect the way we live right now
To live your best life now requires that you believe you are a victor and not a victim.
When it looks dark and dreary and you don’t see any way out, I want to encourage you today to keep believing.
Don’t make the mistake of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself.
Don’t let discouragements over an apparent lack of results keep you from doing the work of the Lord enthusiastically as you have opportunity.
Put on a fresh new attitude. Take what God has given you and make the most of it.
You know the truth: it’s time to allow that truth to set you free.
2. Possess the Land
Numbers 13:30:
30 But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!”

I would like to remind you how the children of Israel had been miraculously delivered from the Egyptians and camped right next door to the Promise Land, but didn’t go in for fear of the giants.
Don’t allow a similar lack of faith or a wrong mind-set to rob you of your destiny.
Many are camped right next door to their Promise Land today.
God has great things He wants to do in your life.
He wants to increase you, heal your body, restore your marriage, and even bless you financially.
If you get your thinking lined up with Gods thinking, nothing will be able to stop you.
Isaiah 55:8-9 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. 9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
The Glasses
Mother's father worked as a carpenter. On this particular day, he was building some crates for
the clothes his church was sending to some orphanage in China. On his way home, he
reached into his shirt pocket to find his glasses, but they were gone. When he mentally replayed
his earlier actions, he realized what happened; the glasses had slipped out of his pocket unnoticed
and fallen into one of the crates, which he had nailed shut. His brand new glasses were heading for China!
The Great Depression was at it's height and Grandpa had six children. He had spent $20 for those glasses that very morning. He was upset by the thought of having to buy another pair. "It's not fair," he told God as he drove home in frustration. "I've been very faithful in giving of my time and money to your work, and now this."
Several months later, the director of the orphanage was on furlough in the United States. He wanted to visit all the churches that supported him in China, so he came to speak one Sunday at my grandfather's small church in Chicago. The missionary began by thanking the people for their faithfulness in supporting the orphanage. "But most of all," he said, "I must thank you for the glasses you sent last year. You see, the Communists had just swept through the orphanage, destroying everything, including my glasses. I was desperate. Even if I had the money, there was simply no way of replacing those glasses. Along with not being able to see well, I experienced headaches every day, so my coworkers and I were much in prayer about this. Then your crates arrived. When my staff removed the covers, they found a pair of glasses lying on top.
The missionary paused long enough to let his words sink in. Then, still gripped with the wonder of it all, he continued: "Folks, when I tried on the glasses, it was as though they had been custom-made just for me! I want to thank you for being a part of that."
The people listened, happy for the miraculous glasses. But the missionary surely must have confused their church with another, they thought. There were no glasses on their list of items to be sent overseas.
But sitting quietly in the back, with tears streaming down his face, an ordinary carpenter realized the
Master Carpenter had used him in an extraordinary way.
We are foolish to try to fit God into our mold- to make His plans and purposes conform to ours.
Instead, we must strive to fit into His plans.
If you believe Gods Word, all things are possible.
3. Keep Pressing Forward
Deuteronomy 20:3-4:
3 He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. 4 For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’
Just like the Israelites, we sometimes face overwhelming oppositions. Whether at school, at work or even at home, we can feel outnumbered and helpless.
We can feel secure today when we consider that God is able to overcome even the most difficult odds.
Remember the enemy always fights the hardest when he knows God has something great in store for you.
Keep believing, keep praying, and keep pressing forward.
Galatians 6:9:
9 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
It may be hard right now, but remind yourself that you have the power of God inside you.
It is discouraging to continue to do right when you see no tangible results.
I challenged you this morning to keep doing good and to trust God for the results.
In due time, we will reap a harvest of blessings.
The darkest battle, the darkest storm, will always give way to the brightest sunrise.
Matthew 19:26 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

A Thankful Heart

2011-11-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

I Thess. 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Sometimes the circumstances of our lives are not always the best. In fact, they may be downright bad, but still, we are to look for something to be thankful for! And there is ALWAYS something positive for which we can be thankful!
A Thankful Heart
I have three simple thoughts about thanksgiving.
1- We have it so good
2- We enjoy it so much
3- We express it so little
1. Great Days
Matthew 6:34:
34 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Don’t let your worries about tomorrow affect your relationship with God today.

I read a story about a man who started having a problem with his eye.
He went to the doctor and was dx as having cancer in the eye..
The man was devastated that he was going to lose his vision. In surgery, the doctors discovered that rather than cancer, the problem was an extremely unusual fungus that they were able to remove and save his vision.
When the man heard the good news, he said, ‘this is the greatest day of my life”.
Think about it. He had simply received the news that he could continue to see.
If you can see and hear, if you are healthy, if you have family and friends, if you’ve got a job, food, and a place to live, then learn to appreciate those things.
Thank God for all you have.
2. Praise Him
Psalm 100:4:
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name
God alone is worthy of being worshiped.
We need to learn to start off our day by thanking God for the basics: “Father, thank you for my health. Thank you for my children. Thank you for my family. Thank you for your home. Father thank you for all you’ve done.”
God already knows your needs. He knows what you’re going to say before you say it.
There is nothing wrong with asking God for things, but we need to learn to spend more time in prayer thanking Him and praising Him for His goodness than requesting His goodies.
We need to learn to spend more time giving God thanks for what Hes already done than we do asking Him to do new things.
3. Extol the Lord
Psalm 34
1 I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
God promises great blessings to His people, but many of these blessings require active participation.
Life is all about how you choose to see things.
You can complain about your boss, or you can thank God for your job.
You can complain about mowing the lawn, or you can thank God that you have a yard.
You could complain about the price of gas or you could thank God that you have a car.
Imagine if you got in a wreck and an 18 wheeler almost crashed into you. Know would you complain about your crashed up car or be thankful you’re even alive.
We need to make up our minds to let His praise continually be in our mouths.

Ignite

2011-11-14T13:13:00.000-08:00

Pastor,
Hello my name is Danny Parsons and I am pastor of Church of the New Harvest in Elyria OH.
I am excited to be sharing with you about “Ignite”. Ignite is a movement that starts with you. I would like to ask you a question, how are your sheep doing? Are they just as on fire for God as they were when they first got saved? Or has the trials and tribulations of this world been weighing on them? If your answer is the same as mine and many other pastors then I would like to share with you what the Spirit laid on my heart.
Plan: To ignite (To arouse the passions of; excite) believers once again for Christ.
Purpose: To awaken the church ( the body of Christ) to once again take control of the battle of life, to get out of despair and stop believing the lies of Satan , to realize their position in Christ and get believers excited about the work of the Holy Spirit once again, to cause Christians to spark a change in their overcoming views of Christ and to ignite such a change in the believers walk that they truly feel nothing is impossible with God and therefore they will go out and testify of His great love and win souls for the Kingdom.
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, Hebrews 10:24
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one
another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with
thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Colossians 3: 16, ESV)

A church will never be as strong and vibrant in the service of God as it ought to be until it shares in this ministry of watching over and stirring up one another.

Unlike Cain, we must understand that we are our brother’s keeper, or many would be subject to stumble and live unfruitful spiritual lives.

Unless we watch over one another, spiritual growth could cease, sin would overtake us, and godly living could take a downward turn.

Weak links within the body of Christ affects the strength and often the demeanor of the whole.

If the Holy Spirit prompts you to discover more about this please contact me for your way to get involved with this movement.
Blessings,
Danny Parsons (440) 714-0820
Dannyparsons51@gmail.com
But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. (Hebrews 3: 13, ESV)

Keep Walking on the Water

2011-11-13T06:26:00.000-08:00

How do YOU deal with doubt? Here is how one jury did:
A defendant was on trial for murder in Oklahoma. There was strong evidence indicating guilt, but there was no corpse.
In the defense’s closing statement the lawyer, knowing that his client would probably be convicted, resorted to a trick.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I have a surprise for you all," the lawyer said as he looked at his watch. "Within one minute, the person presumed dead in this case will walk into this courtroom."
He looked toward the courtroom door. The jurors, somewhat stunned, all looked on eagerly. A minute passed. Nothing happened.
Finally the lawyer said, "Actually, I made up the previous statement. But you all looked on with anticipation. I, therefore, put it to you that there is reasonable doubt in this case as to whether anyone was killed and insist that you return a verdict of not guilty."
The jury, clearly confused, retired to deliberate. A few minutes later, the jury returned and pronounced a verdict of guilty.
"But how?" inquired the lawyer. "You must have had some doubt; I saw all of you stare at the door."
Answered the jury foreman: "Oh, we did look. But your client didn’t."
Doubt: to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe.
Many times along our walk with Christ we have moments of doubts.
Am I good enough, can He really use me, is it even worth the hassle, I let Him down one too many times. He will never forgive me for this. I have made too many mistakes.
This morning I want to encourage you to…..
Keep Walking on the Water!

Matthew 14:25-28:
25 about three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”
27 But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”
28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
1. Its takes some form of Faith
Matt 17:20
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
There is great potential in even a little faith when we trust in Gods power to act.
If you are facing a problem today that seems as big and immovable as a mountain, turn your eyes from the mountain and look to Christ for more faith.
Only then will you be able to overcome the obstacles that stand in your way.
Peter was the only one who responded in true faith.
28 Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”
That was a tremendous act of faith; ask yourself if you would have been like people or the others who just sat there in fear?
2. The choice is Yours
How many of you would get out of the boat?
Do you have the kind of faith that would enable you to step onto the water?
Most of us know the rest of the story. He got out of the boat, started walking, got scared, and began to sink.
He even received a rebuke from Jesus.
31“You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”
But think about it- Jesus didn’t say those words to the other disciples. The implication is the others had no faith at that moment.
When you think of those words like that they go from being words of rebuke to words of encouragement.
What if you looked at this event as Jesus saying to you, “you started so well. You believed me, and got out of the boat. You did it!
You walked on water just as I did. But then we allowed doubt to enter, and when that happened, you began to sink.
When this happens we must call out to Jesus to forgive us for our lack of faith. Ask Him to increase your faith and to help you to trust Him enough to follow His leading.
When circumstances around you threaten to pull you into the deep waters of doubt, ask the Holy Spirit to help you focus on Him.

It all starts with God

2011-11-06T05:44:00.001-08:00

The Big Question: What on Earth Am I Here For?

It all starts with God

Colossians 1:16:
Christ Holds It All Together
15 -18We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him.

1. It’s not about You

If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by His purpose and for his purpose.
The search for the purpose of life has puzzled people for thousands of years. That’s because we typically begin at the wrong starting point- ourselves.
We ask self-centered questions like: What do I want to be? What should I do with my life? What are my goals, my ambitions, and my dreams for my future?
But focusing on ourselves will never reveal our life’s purpose.
The Bible says in Job 12:10 “ It is God who directs the lives of His creatures: everyones life is in His power.”
You didn’t create yourself, so there is no way you can tell yourself what you were created for!
If I handed you an invention you had never seen before, you wouldn’t know its purpose, and the invention itself wouldn’t be able to tell you either.
Only the creator or the owner’s manual could reveal its purpose.

2. Discover the purpose of your life

You exist only because God wills that you exist. You were made by God and For God – and until you understand that, life will never make sense.
You were made for God, not vice versa, and life is about letting God use you for His purposes, not you using Him for your purpose.
Romans 8:6 says “Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God.”
But being successful and fulfilling your life’s purpose are not at all the same issues.
You could reach all your personal goals, becoming a raving success by the world’s standard, and still miss the purposes for which God created you.
It’s not about how to cram more activities into an overloaded schedule. Actually, it will teach you how to do les in life- by focusing on what matters most. It’s about becoming what God created you to be.

3. Without God life makes no sense.

You were made by God and for God- and until you understand that, life will never make sense.
The easiest way to discover the purpose of an invention is to ask the creator of it.
The same is true for discovering your life’s purpose: Ask God.
God is not just the starting point of your life: He is the source of it.
Ephesians 1:11:
11 -12It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
You discover your identity and purpose through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
God was thinking of you long before you ever thought about Him.
His purpose for your life predates your conception. He planned it before you existed, without your input!

The purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity.

Point to ponder: It’s not about me.

Question to consider: How can you remind yourself that life is really about living for God, not yourself?

Life on earth is really preparation for eternity.

It all starts with God

2011-11-06T05:44:00.000-08:00

2011-10-30T11:51:00.001-07:00

More
1. The God of Increase
Daniel 4:3:
3 How great are his signs,
how powerful his wonders!
His kingdom will last forever,
his rule through all generations.
God desires your generation to shine.
God wants each generation to increase. He isnt going to bless you and allow the next generation to fade away.
That’s just the way our God is.
Do you believe that this morning?
2. Get out of the Rut
John 14:12:
12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.
You may not have any money and very little education.
In the natural, the future may not look very bright. Some people around you may try to discourage you and tell you there’s no reason to hope for more.
Others may tell you to stay where it’s safe although it’s really being stuck in a rut of defeat.
Don’t listen to all the naysayers. Get out of the rut.
God is not limited by your environment, family background, or present circumstances.
God is limited only by your lack of faith.
Today step out in faith and you will break through the barriers.
3. Passing on a Legacy
Psalm 78:4:
4 We will not hide these truths from our children;
we will tell the next generation
about the glorious deeds of the Lord,
about his power and his mighty wonders.
Start expecting more than the generation preceding you.
God wants each generation to go further than the previous generation.
He doesn’t want you to stay where you are.
You can choose to pass on a legacy of godly attitudes, blessings, and success to your children today.
Today I want to tell you a story. It's a special story called a 'parable'. A parable is an earthly story that has a heavenly meaning. In the Bible there are many parables that Jesus told so we could understand His teachings better.
This is a story about a farmer and a pumpkin.
The Farmer lives wa-a-a-a-ay out in the country. On his farm He has a pumpkin patch.
Pumpkins are really special. They start out as small oval seeds that grow into big, orange pumpkins. The farmer plants the seeds, waters, and cares for the pumpkin vines and patiently waits as they grow.
Finally by October there are big, orange pumpkins in his pumpkin patch! Some are tall and lean, some are short and round, and some have bumps and lumps. But they are all pumpkins and all were planted and cared for by the Farmer.
One day the Farmer chose a pumpkin for a special project. He brings it in from the field and washes it off. You have to be careful with pumpkins; they're tough on the outside, but if you drop them, they break into pieces!
The Farmer takes a large knife and cuts a hole in the top of the pumpkin. Inside there is yucky, slimy pulp waiting for Him. That has to go! He cleans it all out and throws it away - never to be seen again.
After that He gives the pumpkin a new face! He cuts two triangles for eyes, a square for a nose, and a big, wide smile!
Then He does something really special. He puts a small white candle down inside the pumpkin and lights the wick.
How that pumpkin glows! As people pass by, they see the smiling pumpkin and smile back. They know that once again the Farmer has taken a simple pumpkin and changed it into a glorious sight!
The Meaning of the Parable:
Just like us, all the pumpkins were different. But there was something the same about every one of them - that yucky, slimy pulp on the inside!
The yucky, slimy pulp is like the sin that's in us. Romans 3:23 says: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." That's every single one of us.
God has made a way that all our sin can be forgiven and washed away. God even says He'll cast them as far as the East is from the West. Romans 5:8 says: "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
John 3:16 goes on to say: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."
After cleaning out that pumpkin, the Farmer gave the pumpkin a new face! The Bible says God can make us a new creation too.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
Then came the really special part. The light was placed inside that pumpkin and it glowed for all to see!
2 Corinthians 4:6 says: "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."
And Matthew 5:16 says: "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
So we can become like that pumpkin in the Christian object lesson - a glorious sight for others to see the love of Jesus!

Change

2011-10-24T12:56:00.001-07:00

Change
Definition of change : To cause to be different
Stages of Change
1. Resistance to change
2. Tolerant of change
3. Embrace the change

1. Change Your Family Tree
Judges 6:25-26:
25 That night the Lord said to Gideon, “Take the second bull from your father’s herd, the one that is seven years old. Pull down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole standing beside it. 26 Then build an altar to the Lord your God here on this hilltop sanctuary, laying the stones carefully. Sacrifice the bull as a burnt offering on the altar, using as fuel the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down.”

We all get comfortable where we are, and we use that as an excuse.
God wants you to break out of your norm; He wants you to break out of that mold.
You can do more, have more, and be more.
You can be the person to change your family tree!
Don’t pass junk down to your children and keep that negative cycle going.
You can break the curse in your family.
You can affect future generations by the decisions you make today.
2. Let Faith Blossom
Psalm 10:17:
17 Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them
Even though you may spend your days working hard and still just seem to be barely getting by despite your circumstances continue to dream and expand your vision.
Perhaps you need to change your environment. Quit sitting around worrying and feeling sorry for yourself.
Instead, allow the Lord to elevate your faith today.
3. Soar with Eagles
1 Samuel 23:16:
16 Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God.
It’s amazing what can happen when you get into an atmosphere where people build you up rather than tear you down.
Where people encourage and challenge you to be the best you can be.
If you stay in an atmosphere of victory, you will develop a winning mind-set.
If you hang around people of faith, your own faith will increase.
It’s time for you to soar with eagles rather than pecking around with the chickens.
If you will do your part by thinking continuously about the goodness of God, living with faith and expectancy, God will take you places you’ve never even dreamed of.
Don’t be afraid of change.
As a child grows, you may notice small changes from day to day. But look at pictures from years ago and you will see amazing differences.

So you may not see much change in your service to God today compared to yesterday.
But if you diligently apply the steps taught in God's word, after a period of 5, 10, or 20 years you will see significant changes compared to where you began.
Two men were climbing a steep path up a tall mountain.
One looked to the top and asked, "How will we ever make it?" The other replied, "One step at a time." And that is the only way for you to change yourself.
People sometimes convince themselves, "I just can't change. It's too late.
Besides, I'm only human." They are not just belittling themselves; they are denying God's word. They will fail simply because they will give up instead of persisting in using God's power.
Repeat this: I can do all things, through Christ who gives me Strength. I don’t have to be strong enough. Yes

Limitless

2011-10-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

Limitless
1. Stop Limiting God
Philippians 3:13-14:
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Paul had a bad past. Because our hope is in Christ, however, we can let go of past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become.
Stop dwelling on your past and limiting what God wants to do in you, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with Him now.
What does God have in store for you today?
His dream for your life is so much greater than you can imagine.
It’s time to quit limiting God.
God may give you a dream or an idea for an invention, a book, a song, or a movie.
One idea from God can forever change the course of your life.
God is not limited by what you have or don’t have.
He can do anything, if you simply stop limiting Him in your thinking.
2. Begin Looking Beyond
Hosea 6:3:

3 Oh, that we might know the Lord!
Let us press on to know him.
He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn
or the coming of rains in early spring.”
Many of us miss pivotal opportunities in our lives because we have grown accustomed to the status quo.
We refuse to make room in our own thinking for the new things God wants to do in our lives.
When a great opportunity comes along, rather than launching out in faith, we say “well, that could never happen to me. That’s too good to be true”.
Begin looking beyond where you are to where you want to be.
3. Oceans to Enjoy
Isaiah 17:7:
7 Then at last the people will look to their Creator
and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.
Theres an old story about a little frog that was born at the bottom of a small well.
He and his family lived there and he was content to play in the water.
He even thought, life doesn’t get any better than this.
One day, he climbed to the top of the well and peered out over the edge.
The very first thing he saw was a pond a thousand times bigger than the well.
He ventures farther and discovered a huge lake.
Eventually, the little frog hopped all the way to the ocean, where everywhere he looked, all he could see was water.
Are you enclosed in your own little well?
Look over the edge. God has oceans He wants you to enjoy!
Isaiah 43:19
For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Abundance

2011-10-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

Abundance
1. The King of Kings
1 Corinthians 2:9:
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him.”

We cannot imagine all that God has in store for us, both in this life and for eternity

Years ago, a famous golfer accepted an invitation from the king of Saudi Arabia to play golf together for several days.
They had such a great time that the king asked the golfer what he wanted as a gift “anything you want”
The golfer said he collect golf clubs.
Weeks went by, and the golfer imagined possible receiving a solid gold putter or a diamond-studded sand wedge.
Then one day a certified letter arrived. Inside was a deed to a five hundred acre golf course.
Sometimes kings think differently than you and I think. We serve the King og kings.
Dream accordingly!
2. Good things Coming
Hebrews 11:1:
1 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.
The beginning point of faith believes in Gods character. He is who he says.
The end point believes in Gods promises: He will do what He says.
When we believe that God will fulfill his promises even though we don’t see those promises materializing yet, we demonstrate true faith.
If you dwell on positive thoughts your life will move in that direction.
If you expect defeat, failure, or mediocrity you are setting yourself up to lose, fail, or even sabotage every attempt to push above average.
You must think positive thoughts of victory, of abundance, of favor, of hope.
Start your day with faith and set your mind in the right direction, then go out expecting the favor of God.
Believe God for a great future.
You have good things coming!
3. Break Out of Prison
Psalm 42:11:
11 Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God!
Many of us are living behind self- imposed bars, in prisons of our own making.
Today you can choose to break out of that prison!
The door is unlocked.
Start expecting doors of opportunity to open for you, and they will.
John 11:43-44:
43 Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
Lazarus is brought back to life by responding to the voice of Jesus, yet he still needs those around him to get completely free.
We need each other. People need this church to find all that God has for them.
When you are stuck in a place of difficulty and you are wondering what to do next, this story is a life-giving reminder to have people praying for you as Lazarus’s sisters did, to be actively listening to the voice of God, and to join a group of people who can help you unwrap the tangled places in your life.
Knowing the wonderful and eternal future that awaits us gives us hope and courage to press on in this life, to seek His abundance.

Increase

2011-10-12T13:23:00.001-07:00

Increase
1. By Gods Power
Matthew 9:29:
29 …., According to your faith be it done unto you.
This is your time for increase.
You may have been sick for a long time, but this is your time to get well. You may be bound by addictions and bad habits, but this is the time to be set free. You may be struggling financially, but this is the time for promotion.
The key is to believe.
What He wants to do in your life is not going to be by your might or power.
It’s going to be by His Spirit.
The power of the Most High God shall come upon you and cause it to happen.
2. You Can Be It
2 Kings 2:9-10:
9 When they came to the other side, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I can do for you before I am taken away.”
And Elisha replied, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit and become your successor.”
10 “You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah replied. “If you see me when I am taken from you, then you will get your request. But if not, then you won’t.”
Elijah was saying, if you can see it, you can be it.”
If you can visualize it with your spiritual eyes it can become a reality in your life.
Remember, low expectations trap you in mediocrity: a high expectation motivates and propel you to move forward in life.
This isn’t name it claim it but see it and believe it.
3. Raise Your Level of Expectancy
Colossians 3:2:
2And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth.
God is extremely interested in what you see through your spiritual eyes.
It is a spiritual as well as a psychological fact: we move towards what we see in our minds.
Your life will follow your expectations.
If you raise your level of expectancy, you will enlarge your vision.
This could be the day you see your miracle and get your increase.

Expectations

2011-10-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

Expectations
1. Reach Out by Faith
Matthew 9:21-22:
21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.

Having a wrong attitude will always keep you from receiving the good things God wants to pour out in your life.
Your life will change when you change your thinking.
If you want to see God’s far and beyond favor, you have to start believing it, seeing it, and speaking it.
We do this by reaching out by faith.
2. Expect God’s Blessings
Ephesians 2:7:
7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
To experience Gods immeasurable favor, you must start expecting His blessings. Start thinking bigger.
Get rid of any old negative mind-set.
If you will make room for increase in your own thinking, God will bring those things to pass.
But God will not pour fresh, creative ideas and blessings into old attitudes.
3. Expect Great Things
Mark 9:23:
23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.”
With God all things are possible! Repeat
Let the seeds God is placing in your life take root so they can grow.
Expect Gods favor to help you break out of the ruts and rise to new heights.
It can happen without a bank loan or having the right education. It can happen in spite of your past and what your friends or family are telling you.
You don’t have to be bound by the barriers of the past.
Expect to excel in whatever you do.
Expect God to do great things in your life today.

Reminders

2011-09-11T16:28:00.000-07:00

Reminders

1. The Value of Memories
Numbers 15:39:
39 When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the Lord instead of following your own desires and defiling yourselves, as you are prone to do.
We need to put things in front of us that remind us of good times in the past, while expanding our vision for better experiences in the future.
Be careful not say “I wish I was still that happy or I wish those days were still here.”
No, let the image sink deep down inside you.
Don’t let good things God has done in your life slip away.
To produce it on the outside, you must first picture it on the inside.
Rev 12:11 and they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.
A testimony is someone giving an account of something they remember. Example a witness is called to give a testimony of what they may have seen or witnessed.
We need to give testimony of what all Christ has done on our behalf. We defeat the enemy by our testimonies.
If God did it once for you He will do it again.

2. Keep Gods Word Visible
Deuteronomy 6:6-9:
6 And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. 8 Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
To build yourself up spiritually and keep you filled with faith, you may benefit from decorating your home with Scriptures.
On the bathroom mirror or where ever you get dressed place scriptures such as “ I can do all things through Christ” or “ this is the day the Lord has made”.
Place on your refrigerator a reminder that “God always causes me to triumph”.
At the door, place the truth “Gods favor is surrounding me like a shield” or “Goodness and mercy are following you today”.
Put up things that help remind you to have a big vision for your life.

3. Renew Your Attitude
Matthew 9:17:
17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”
Have you assumed that you’ve reached your limits in life?
Sad to say, you are right… unless you are willing to change your thinking and start believing for something bigger.
When Jesus wanted to encourage His followers to enlarge their vision, He reminded them, You cant put new wine into old wineskins”.
He was saying that you cannot have a larger life with restricted attitudes..
Today, will you stretch your faith and vision and get rid of those old negative mind-sets that are holding you back?

A word from the Lord

2011-09-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

My Son,

As my children saw the sea part before them, so shall you see great things.
So not despise small beginnings for out of small things come great things.
Behold I will be doing great things for you, things that you have been waiting for. Behold I am your Father. Step in faith, each step is a step you need to take.

Focus

2011-09-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

Focus

Perhaps you started with big dreams in your hearts- you’re going to excel in your careers, excel as parents, and excel in your walk with God. You get started, but then things get difficult, and achieving your goals doesn’t happen as quickly as you had hoped.

Discouragement sets in, and we start to give up.

We start to lose focus, it doesn’t seem as clear as it once did.

1. Focus on Your Goals
Isaiah 51
A Call to Trust the Lord
1 “Listen to me, all who hope for deliverance—
all who seek the Lord!
Consider the rock from which you were cut,
the quarry from which you were mined
Your vision, what you see, has a tremendous impact in your life.
If you focus on an image of success in your mind, you’re going to move toward success, but if you see yourself as barely getting by, your marriage getting worse, your health going downhill, then most likely your life will gravitate towards those negative situations.
We need to quit allowing our imaginations to keep us beaten down.
Keep your goals you want to see come to pass in front of you.
That image will set the limits for your life.

2. Eyes of Faith
Genesis 15:5:
5 Then the Lord took Abram outside and said to him, “Look up into the sky and count the stars if you can. That’s how many descendants you will have!”
Why did God tell Abraham to go out and look at the stars?
Because God knew Abraham needed to get a picture of it in his mind.
Abraham and Sarah were old and childless, and in the natural, it was an impossible situation.
Whenever they looked up at the stars they were reminded of Gods promise.
They began to see the promise through eyes of faith.
You can’t give birth to a dream you have not first conceived.
You must conceive it on the inside through your eyes of faith before it will come to pass on the outside.
Change what you’re seeing, and you will change what you’re producing.

3. Break the Curse
Deuteronomy 11:26-28 - "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known."
If your family has a long history of sickness and disease, divorce, or poverty, don’t sit back and see yourself the same way: “Well, I guess this is my lot in life.”
No, you more than anybody else need to start developing a new picture.
You need to see yourself as strong, healthy, and living a long, satisfied life.
You can be the one to break that curse.
But the first thing you must do is change the image you have of yourself on the inside.

Get a new vision.

Series " Your Best Life

2011-08-29T18:13:00.000-07:00

Come join us as we begin a series of messages called “Your Best Life”.

If you don’t want to live your life with a ‘barely-getting -by’ mentality and you want to become the best you can be. Then you don’t want to miss these messages.

Sept 4th “Focus”
Sept 11th “Reminders”
Sept 18th “Expectations”
Oct 2 “Increase”
Oct. 9th “Abundance”
Oct 16th “Limitless”
Oct. 23rd “Change”
Oct 30th “More”

Join us at Church of the New Harvest Sundays at 11am.
223 Clinton Ave
Elyria Ohio, 44035

Do You See What He Sees

2011-08-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

Illustration of useful things that clutter

Perhaps you started with big dreams in your hearts- you’re going to excel in your careers, excel as parents, and excel in your walk with God. You get started, but then things get difficult, and achieving your goals doesn’t happen as quickly as you had hoped.

Discouragement sets in, and we start to give up.

Do You See What He See
1. Expand Your Horizons
Psalm 31:24:
24 So be strong and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord!
A. Look yourself in the mirror and say,” I am not going to settle for mediocrity. Nothing maybe going my way right now, but I am going to trust God to help me expand my horizons.
B. Focus on your goal, set your course, and have the attitude, I am going to reach my full potential in God. I am going to start living my best life now!
C. How’s your spiritual vision this morning? Are you focusing on your problems, on what you can’t do, on what you can’t have?
D. The barrier is in your mind. It’s not Gods lack of resources or your lack of talent that holds you back.
It’s simply because you are focused on the wrong things.

2. Get a New Vision
Mark 8:18:
18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all?
A. Your vision of who you are and what you can become has a tremendous impact in your life.
B. You need to start allowing God to use your imagination to build you up, to help you accomplish your dreams.
C. Take out the paintbrush of faith, hope, and expectancy and begin painting a bright future on the canvas of your heart.

Matthew 6:22-23:
22 “Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. 23 But when your eye is bad, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is!
Spiritual vision is our capacity to see clearly what God wants us to do and see the world from His point of view.
But this spiritual insight can be easily clouded. Self-serving desires, interest, and goals block that vision.
Serving God is the best way to restore it.
A “good” eye is one that is fixed on God.

3. See Yourself Rising
A. Each of us has a picture of ourselves in our imaginations.
B. You will never consistently rise higher than the image you have of yourself, and you will never accomplish things that you don’t first see yourself accomplishing.
C. If you can learn to look at life through your eyes of faith and start seeing yourself rising to new levels-seeing yourself accomplishing your dreams, receiving more, giving more, loving more, and enjoying life, seeing your family serving God- you’ll experience God’s blessings and favor.

Conclusion: It doesnt matter what you end up being in life as long as we are serving the Lord. I dont think it really mattered to David if he was a shepherd or a king as long as he could bring honor and glory to his Lord.David was a man who the Bible says was a man after Gods own heart and he was far from perfect.
I dont know why some people have such success and it seems others struggle but at the end of the day I want to hear people say" my heart looks like His heart" so matter what path my God leads me I will follow, either He has called me to be a shepherd or a king.

What do you have to offer God?

2011-08-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

With Help from Little Friends
Topic
God will use you if you allow Him to do so.

Biblical basis
Passage John 6:1-15:
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
1 After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. 2 A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. 3 Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. 4 (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) 5 Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” 6 He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do.
7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”
8 Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”
10 “Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) 11 Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. 12 After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 13 So they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves.
14 When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” 15 When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself.
Description
The key ingredient in the miracle of Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000 was not the day, the crowd, the messages, the disciples or even the food. It was the boy with the lunch bag who had the courage to come forward and offer something seemingly insignificant to the Lord. Jesus used the seemingly puny gift of a child’s lunch to create one of His most dramatic miracles.

The big idea
We often hold ourselves back from God’s plan because we see ourselves as having nothing of value to offer, but when we give what we have, He can work miracles.

All of us need to realize that all of us have lots to offer in doing God’s work.

Illustration: pyramid building

In the word
I. Jesus Had Compassion

A. In Matthew 14:14 it says. Jesus saw the crowd and had compassion!

B. Compassion is not just feeling sorry for someone but really hurting for and with them.

C. Compassion is saying, “I know what is going on in your life. I know your needs, and I care!”

D. Jesus knows each of our needs, and He cares about each one of those needs.

1. He sees the needs of those around us as well.

2. Don’t ever think that your needs or others’ needs are too big or too small for God to help you!
E. According to Luke 12:27-30. God knows our needs.

II. Jesus Was the Answer

A. Jesus was the answer for the needs of the crowd.
B. In John 6:7 Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!”, the disciples were focused on the need and missed the answer—Jesus.
C. In John 6:8-9 , Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. 9 “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?”

Andrew had an idea—but how far would the loaves and fishes really go?

D. Isn’t that just like us? “But God, can You really do it? Can You really use me?”

III. Bring What You Have to Jesus

A. In Matthew 14:18, Jesus says, “Bring them here to Me.”

1. Jesus says, “Give Me what you have and I’ll do something with it.”

2. Bring your gifts, talents and dreams to Jesus.

3. Bring what you have and lay it at the feet of Jesus. He can do the incredible!

B. How do you bring things to Jesus? By prayer!
1. God is faithful to meet your needs, no matter how big they may seem to you.
2. What you bring to Jesus can meet your needs and the needs of others.

C. God will use you to meet the needs of others. The question is whether you will bring your gifts, talents and abilities to God.

Rise up mighty warrior and walk in the anointing of the Lord.
Ps 23: 6 surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Tithing

2011-08-18T13:32:00.000-07:00

You've all been Tithing!"
The church treasurer had resigned. The accounts were a mess, and nobody wanted to take on the job. The church deacons, at their wits'end, co-opted the local Chinese grocery owner to supervise the finances.
The shop-keeper seldom came to church, but he agreed to pull the church out of the red -- providing that the deacons would not ask him for a report until the next Annual General Meeting.
At the next A.G.M., the shopkeeper presented his report. A $5,000 loan on the church had been paid, the church had donated $2,000 to missions, and there was a $1,253 credit balance at the bank, with no outstanding debts.
The congregation sat in stunned silence. At last someone staggered to his feet and said, "How did you DO it?"
Quietly the shop-keeper explained: "You all buy groceries at my store, yes? And you all want cledit, yes? And I GIVE you cledit, yes? And I give you my bill at month's end, yes? And you can't read my writing, yes? And you don't know that I add 10% to your bill, yes? And you haven't missed paying my bills, yes? Well, now all of you have been TITHING for a YEAR! Praise God, yes?!"
Stewardship -- The Sign of Loyalty

1 Chronicles 29:10-29:20

STEWARDSHIP -- THE SIGN OF LOYALTY
1 Chronicles 29:10-11

INTRODUCTION:
Today we are going to address a topic that is often uncomfortable for both the pastors and people of many churches. We are going to address the topic of stewardship. This is not going to be a fund raising campaign. Nor is this going to be a plea for more money. It is simply going to be an honest look at the issue of stewardship from a passage in 1 Chronicles which talks about how David and the people provided the resources for building the temple of God. As we look at this passage together we will be asking and answering three questions: 1) Why do we give? 2) How do we give? and 3) What do we give? We will not be exhaustive in our answers to these questions but will primarily stick to this passage and see what it has to say to us regarding these things.
In today’s lesson we will learn that stewardship is a sign of loyalty to God. David writes, “O Lord, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire (for stewardship) in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you” (29:18). Stewardship is the evidence that our hearts are truly loyal to God. This is the case because our finances are usually one of the last areas that we are willing to turn over to God. Therefore, when one becomes a good steward we can be sure of their devotion to God. A pastor I know once said, “If God has their checkbook, you know he has their heart.” I think that is very true. Let’s look at this passage together.

I. WHY SHOULD WE GIVE?

This is a very good question to start with as it is foundational to understand the purpose of stewardship. Many would say that they have worked very hard to earn their money and so why should they turn around and give it away to God. They worked for it. They earned it. It belongs to them. But as we begin to delve into the passage at hand we quickly learn that this simply isn’t true.

A) Because Everything Belongs To God.
If it really belongs to you, you can do with it as you please. However right off the bat we learn that it doesn’t really belong to us but to God. David prays, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours” (v. 11). This exposes a fundamental flaw in the world views of most people including many Christians. It shows us that our possessions and our money really belongs to God and not to us. And since it doesn’t belong to us in the first place we have no right to hoard it for ourselves.
B) Because Everything Comes From God.
Not only does God own all things, but also everything we have comes to us as a gift from God. “Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all” (v. 12). We give to God because in reality he is both the owner of all things and the source of all things. David clearly understood this when he wrote: “Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (v.14). When you understand this truth you realize that when you give you are not giving God what belongs to you, but you are giving God what already belongs to him. For David this was a matter of praise and worship. “Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name” (v. 13). We are often guilty of viewing the song service as the worship. But the offering is every bit as much an act of worship as is singing praise to God. In fact, if we sing our praise to God, but do not back that up with giving to God our songs of praise ring empty.

II. HOW SHOULD WE GIVE?

This questions deals with what manner we should give to God. Did you know that it is not enough to simply give to God? Did you know that you can give to God, but do it in the wrong way? It is important that when we give to God we do it for the right reason and in the right way.

A) We Should Give Generously.
David and the people gave very generously to the Lord’s work. “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand” (v.14). We can give generously to God because God has given generously to us. How generous were David and the people in their giving? Consider these numbers. “Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple: three thousand talents (110 tons) of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents (260 tons) of refined silver” (vv. 3-4). When the people saw the generosity of their leader they were moved to follow suit. “They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents (190 tons) and ten thousand darics (180 pounds) of gold, ten thousand talents (375 tons) of silver, eighteen thousand talents (675 tons) of bronze and a hundred thousand talents (3,750 tons) of iron. Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord” (vv. 7-8). That is some very generous giving. But before you get overwhelmed with those massive numbers remember that that were able to generously give to God because God had given generously to them. The Bible tells us that we should give to God in proportion to how we have been blessed. This is the principle of tithing. This is the practice of giving 10% of what God has given us back to him. We give to God generously as he has blessed us.

B) We Should Give Willingly.
It is one thing to give generously, but it is another to give willingly. Would you be able to give as generously as the people of Israel did and do so willingly or would you have to be coerced? There are many examples throughout history of kings collecting money from the people by force. But David did not have to send out the army to go door to door collecting from the people at the point of a sword. “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord” (v. 9). David also said, “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly your people who are here have given to you” (v.17). In verse eighteen David prays that this will always be the desire of the hearts of the people. That they would always desire to give to God both generously and willingly. It is this attitude of giving generously and willingly that identifies one as being loyal to God.

III. WHAT SHOULD WE GIVE?
We have learned why we should give to God and how we should give to God. Now we turn our attention to what we should give to him. There are three things that we should give to God that are suggested by this passage. David gave gold and silver “for all the work to be done by the craftsmen” (v.5).

A) We Should Give Our Tithe.
David and the people gave God there gold and silver. They gave to God financially. As I mentioned earlier, our financial giving is governed by the principle of the tithe. “A tithe of everything ... belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord” (Leviticus 27:30). The Bible identifies a tithe as a tenth. So ten percent of everything we make belongs to God and he expects us to honor him by giving to him. To keep the tithe that belongs to God is considered stealing from God.
In the Old Testament they brought their tithe to the temple which is where they worshiped. So I believe that we give our tithe where we worship. If you worship here at Heritage, you should give your tithe here. If you attend another church, you should give your tithe there. You should give your tithe at your place of worship.
A tithe is not an offering. The Bible distinguishes between tithes and offerings so they are not the same thing. The tithe is what you owe to God, its what belongs to God. An offering is what you choose to give above your tithe. An offering is usually given for a particular cause or ministry. That also distinguishes it from a tithe. The tithe was given to God to be used as he specified, not as the people specified. To give money that is earmarked for a particular purpose is not a tithe, but an offering. The tithe belongs to God and because it belongs to God we have no right to determine how it will be used. That is up to him.

B) We Should Give Our Talent.
The gold and silver was given so that the craftsmen would have the necessary provisions to work with. These craftsmen were giving their talent to God and we should be doing the same. You may not think of yourself as being particularly talented but everybody has things that they are good at and that they enjoy doing. These are the talents that God has given you and you have a responsibility to give them back to God by using them in his work. You may think of your talent only as a way to make a living, but you need to start seeing as a way to do ministry as well.

C) We Should Give Our Time.
This is closely related to giving God our talent. If the craftsmen were to give God their talent in constructing the temple, then they were going to have to give him a good amount of their time as well. Next to our money our time is probably our most precious commodity. It seems like we never have enough time. But if we are to give our talent to God we must also give our time to God. It takes time to prepare for and teach a Sunday School class or Bible study. It takes time to clean the church. It takes time to make repairs. It takes time to minister to our community. Everything takes time and so we must be willing to carve the necessary time out of our busy schedules.
God expects us to generously and willingly give him our tithe, talent and time. That is the sign of loyalty.

CONCLUSION:
When I was growing up one of Pepsi’s most popular commercials was The Pepsi Challenge. The challenge was to a taste test between Pepsi and Coke. They believed that if you would be willing to give Pepsi a try, you would find that you liked it better. In Malachi chapter 3 God introduces us to The Tithe Challenge. “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10). God says test me. Give tithing a try and you will find that God blesses you. As we begin a new month I want to encourage you to take The Tithe Challenge. If you are not currently tithing, I would like to challenge you to give 10% of your income to God this month. If you do you will be blessed by God. If you don’t, the Bible says you will be cursed by God. “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse ... because you are robbing me” (Malachi 3:8-9). But if you tithe you will avoid this curse and receive God’s blessing. That doesn’t mean that God will make you rich. But it does mean that the 90% you have left will be sufficient to meet your needs (not your greeds) and if you were honest many of you are having a hard time doing that on 100%. Give tithing a try this month.

Steve Dow
Emily Wesleyan Church
hope@ewchurch.com

Please email me if you use this sermon or a revision of it. Thankyou!

Study Guide:

STEWARDSHIP -- THE SIGN OF LOYALTY
1 Chronicles 29:10-20
February 2, 2003

“Keep this desire [for stewardship] in the hearts of your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to you.” 1 Chronicles 29:18

I. WHY SHOULD I GIVE?

A) Because Everything _______________ To God.

B) Because Everything _______________ God.

II. HOW SHOULD I GIVE?

A) We Should Give _______________.

B) We Should Give _______________.

III. WHAT SHOULD WE GIVE?

A) We Should Give Our _______________.

“A tithe of everything ... belong to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Leviticus 27:30

B) We Should Give Our _______________.

C) We Should Give Our _______________.

The Tithe Challenge
“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse ... Test me in this,’ says the Lord Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” Malachi 3:10

7th Annual Cross Walk

2011-08-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

7th Annual Cross Walk

To dream is to hope for things that seem unobtainable, to realize your potential in God you will see extraordinary possibilities begin to unfold. Many if not all of Lorain County residents all have a dream.

That the economy will improve, more jobs will be created, less violence in the neighborhoods. This year’s cross walk is centered on obtaining such dreams. 2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us how we can obtain these dreams. It states “if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.”

September 3rd I am asking that people from all walks of faith meet at the steps of Lorain City Hall at noon as we open up in prayer for this great community. We will proceed to walk up Broadway to 254 taking Lake Ave into Elyria finishing at Church of the New Harvest for another unified prayer time for our community. As we all walk I ask that each person be in a prayer mind set for the leaders, local businesses and families as we pass by them.

No-one is expected or required to walk from start to finish, each person will decide that for themselves. This year’s cross walk will be headed off by my dad Danny Sr. who continues to battle with cancer. He will be the first in line to carry the 6ft wooded cross.

Everyone is very forth coming to voice that there are problems. On this day will be your chance to do something positive that will make a change. God plainly set forth certain conditions for us to meet if we want our city to prosper. Being obedient to God will bring forth benefits and rewards for us. Disobedience brings suffering, and punishment. What will you choose?

September 3rd make a commitment to be a strong and courageous child of God, fearlessly proclaiming Gods Word, and listen to His message in relationship to your own life- retain, repent and be renewed.

This year’s walk will focus on renewing our community and I believe it starts with the people. Dare to make a change in not only your own life but in someone else’s.
Even though we live for the day we have to plan for the future. What futures will our children, and their children have if we don’t do our part and pray for this land that we live in. For more details regarding the walk I can be reached at 1(440) 714- 0820 or dannyparsons51@gmail.com.

Birth

2011-08-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness..........you are more blessed than the millions who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation.......you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace....... you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If your parents are still alive and still married........you are very rare, even in the United States.
If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful.....you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.
If you prayed yesterday and today........you are in the minority because you believe God does hear and answer prayers.
________________________________________

The Birth

Genesis 17:15-17:
15 Then God said to Abraham, “Regarding Sarai, your wife—her name will no longer be Sarai. From now on her name will be Sarah. 16 And I will bless her and give you a son from her! Yes, I will bless her richly, and she will become the mother of many nations. Kings of nations will be among her descendants.”
17 Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. “How could I become a father at the age of 100?” he thought. “And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?”

Genesis 18:9-14
9 “Where is Sarah, your wife?” the visitors asked.
“She’s inside the tent,” Abraham replied.
10 Then one of them said, “I will return to you about this time next year, and your wife, Sarah, will have a son!”
Sarah was listening to this conversation from the tent. 11 Abraham and Sarah were both very old by this time, and Sarah was long past the age of having children. 12 So she laughed silently to herself and said, “How could a worn-out woman like me enjoy such pleasure, especially when my master—my husband—is also so old?”
13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh? Why did she say, ‘Can an old woman like me have a baby?’ 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord

Luke 1:11-20
11 While Zechariah was in the sanctuary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the incense altar. 13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”
19 Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! 20 But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”

Luke 1:30-38
30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.”
35 The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby to be born will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. 36 What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s now in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.”
38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.” And then the angel left her.

What does God want to birth in you? Let’s look at all the similarities in all three of these examples.
1. God gave a promise
2. All had doubt and disbelief
3. In spite of their doubt and disbelief God still did what He said He would do.

In all three cases where impossible circumstances.
All three cases God birthed a miracle.

God is in the Miracle Business
John 20:30
There are also many other signs and miracles which Jesus performed in the presence of the disciples which are not written in this book.

Is anything too hard for the Lord? The obvious answer is “of course not!”
Make it a habit to insert your own specific needs into this question.
Is this day in my life too hard for the Lord? Is this habit I’m trying to break to hard for Him? Is this sickness to hard for Him to handle?
Asking the question this way reminds us that God is personally involved in your life and nudges you to ask for His power to help.

What God promises, He delivers. And He delivers on time! You can have complete confidence that God will keep His promises.

God is always on Time
Eph 2:10
For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

Their fulfillment may not be the next day, but they will be at the proper time”.
If you are waiting for God to answer some request or to fill some need, remain patient.
No matter how impossible God’s promises may seem, what He has said in His Word will come true at the right time.
God answers prayer in His own way and in His own time. He works best in impossible situations.
If you want to have your prayers answered, you must be open to what God can do in impossible situations. And you must wait for God to work in His way and in His time.

He always Finishes what He Starts
Phil 1:6
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

When you get discouraged, remember that God won’t give up on you.
He promises to finish the work He has begun.

When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by shortcomings, remember Gods promise and provision.

Don’t let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to Him.

Conclusion: As a pastor its very typical that people would come to me and want me to fix issues in their lives, their marriage, finances, health.
I can’t DO ANYTHING for problems 2,3,4 or 5 until you fixed the number 1 problem and that is putting Christ first in your life. When He is first everything else will fall into place.

Matthew 6:33:
33But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

The key to giving birth to greatness is putting Christ first in your life.

Moving Forward

2011-08-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

Thomas Edison’s teachers said he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.

Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he succeeded.

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.

27 publishers rejected Dr. Seuss’s first book.

Babe Ruth is famous for his past home run record, but for decades he also held the record for strikeouts. He hit 714 home runs and struck out 1,330 times in his career (about which he said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.”).
Even though all these people experienced many failures they all have gone down in history because they didn’t give up, they continued moving forward and didn’t give up.

Franklin D. Roosevelt said “There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.”

This morning I want to talk to you about three important ways that you can begin moving forward today.

Moving Forward
1. Stretch Your Faith
Romans 1:17:
17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

If you want to grow in the Lord and begin moving forward in your walk with Him.
You need to stretch your faith.

Ex: Stretch Armstrong doll

Perhaps you have a goal to break a bad habit, to lose some weight, or pay off some credit cards.

Whenever we start something we are all gun hole about it.

As time passes we get a little lazy: we get complacent.

We step into a comfort zone and just sit there.

Ex I pray each morning that’s good enough for me. Bible says in 1 Thess 5:17 pray without ceasing. Having a prayful attitude at all times.

I read my bible a few times a week. Psalms 1:2 says mediate on His word day and night..This means spending time reading and thinking about what you read. Its means asking yourself if your lifestyle lines up with His word.

We need to stretch our faith.

Maybe you feel as though you have been coasting, thinking you reached your limits.
Stretch your faith, believe for an increase. Don’t stop half way. Go right up to the top of your mountain. Believe God for more.

2. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Hebrews 11:8:
8 It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going.

Abraham’s life was filled with faith. At Gods command, he left home and went to another land- obeying without question.

He was even willing to sacrifice his own his own son.

Don’t be surprised if God asks you to give up secure, familiar surroundings in order to carry out His will.

It doesn’t take any more effort to stay filled with faith than it takes to develop a negative attitude.

Dare to step out of your comfort zone today.

God has so much more in store.

Keep pursuing and keep believing.

3. Don’t Stop Now

Genesis 11:31:
31 One day Terah took his son Abram, his daughter-in-law Sarai (his son Abram’s wife), and his grandson Lot (his son Haran’s child) and moved away from Ur of the Chaldeans. He was headed for the land of Canaan, but they stopped at Haran and settled there.

Heading out to the promise land Canaan. Terah settled half way, maybe it was the climate, his health or fear but either way he missed out on Gods very best.
When the going gets tough the tough get going, but for most of us the saying goes When the going gets tough, the tough get duct tape.

Don’t settle for where you are at right now in your walk with the Lord.
I want to challenge you today to pull up your stakes, pack your tent, get your belongings, and start moving forward.

You are made for more than good enough.
Enlarge your Vision today!
You may have had a delay, but that’s okay: you can begin again today.

I Once Had a Dream

2011-07-30T09:14:00.001-07:00

I Once Had a Dream
I would like to talk to you about your dreams.
Not the dreams of you have of winning the mega millions or living in a mansion or being married to a man that loves to clean house and do laundry. I am talking about dreams that if pursued would bring honor and glory to the Kingdom of God.
I would say it’s safe to say not every random dream should we go chasing after.
We need to ask ourselves “self what will I be able to do once this dream is obtained”
Teens: Get a degree you can do something with.
Tell story about farmer’s dog.
With enough determination, hard work and some illegal activity you could just about obtain any dream.
Matthew 16:26:
26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?
I know many of you once had a dream were you felt you finally knew what God plan for you were. At one time you even were so excited about it. Maybe it was to be a missionary or start an outreach or to lead 10 people to the Lord. But as time passes and problems arise you simple just packed those dreams away. Take a few moments to ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of those dreams…..

1. Unpack Your Dreams
Isaiah 43:19:
19 For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.
If you’ve packed away your dreams, dare to unpack them today and ask God to rekindle them in your heart and mind.
It’s time to enlarge your vision.
God wants to pour out His favor on you.
He wants to do big things and new things in your life.

2. We Serve a Great God
Jeremiah 29:11:
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
You may have experienced adversity or trials in your past.
Perhaps you’ve had your share of setbacks and heartaches but today is a brand-new day.
We serve the Most High God, and His dream for your life is so much bigger and better than you can ever imagine.
Start thinking as God thinks. Think big. Think increase. Think abundance. Think more than enough.
3. With God on Your Side
Romans 8:31-32:
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else?
Never allow negative thinking to keep you from Gods best.
With God on your side, you cannot possibly lose.
He can make a way when it looks as though there is no way.
He can open doors that no one can shut.
He can cause you to be at the right place, at the right time.
He can supernaturally turn your dreams into reality.
The key is having our dreams fulfilled in His timing. God is never in a hurry and He is never late.
Don’t rush God like Abraham and Sarah did, just makes a mess of things Read Gen 16 one day.
Story of Lazarus John 11.
His sisters said he was to late there brother was dead. Maybe you feel it’s too late for your dream, it is now dead but remember Jesus has the final verdict whether it’s too late or not.
He will either be there in time to rescue the situation, or He will resurrect it to live again.
The marriage maybe in the divorce court, you may be heading for bankruptcy, the ministry opportunities may be gone, and the doctors may give no hope.
But if God has given you a dream He will come through in time- His time.
Never give up on your dream that God has planted in your heart.
Read passage from book. Prophets and personal Prophecy by Dr. Bill Hamon, pg 139

To dream is to hope for things that seem unobtainable. To realize your potential in God is to see extraordinary possibilities happen in your life.Pastor Danny Parsons

Say What?

2011-07-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

A speaker was speaking about the power of positive thinking and the power of words.

One of the audience raised his hand and said, “It’s not because I say good fortune, good fortune, good fortune that will make me feel better.
Nor will saying bad luck, bad luck, bad luck, make me feel worse. They’re only words and, by themselves, have no power.”

The speaker replied. “Shut up, you fool, you don’t understand a thing about this.” The member of the audience was stunned, his face became red and he was about to reply. “Why you…….…”

The speaker raised his hand. “Please excuse me. I didn’t mean to upset you. Please accept my most sincere apologies.”

The member of the audience calmed down. Some people in the hall murmured; others shuffled their feet.

The speaker resumed. “There’s the reply to the question you asked me. A few words made you very angry. The other words calmed you down.” “Now do you understand the power of words?”

Say What?
When it comes to our words, many times we are our own worst enemies.
1. Speak Words of Faith
Proverbs 6:2:

2 if you have trapped yourself by your agreement
and are caught by what you said—
Our words are vital in bringing our dreams to pass.
The moment you speak something out, you give birth to it.
Ex. We are going to fail.
This principle works whether you are saying something positive or negative, so make them words of faith.
Begin speaking words of faith, victory, health and success over your life.
2. Boldly Confess God’s Word
Proverbs 12:18:
18 Some people make cutting remarks,
but the words of the wise bring healing.
If negative statements such as “nothing good ever happens to me” are the norm in your life, they will literally prevent you from moving ahead in life.
Your words can make or break you.
When you believe God’s Word and begin to boldly confess it you begin making it valid in your own life.
When we speak Gods Word it begins bringing to life all the great things God has in store for you.
Ex. No weapons formed against me shall prosper; we are more than conquerors, my God shall supply all my needs. Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world.
3. Speak of His Goodness
Psalm 35:28:

28 Then I will proclaim your justice,
and I will praise you all day long.
God never commanded us to repeatedly verbalize our pain and suffering.
You could experience a new sense of joy in your home, if you’d simply stop talking about negative things in your life.
Begin talking about Gods Word.
Quit speaking words of defeat, and start speaking words of victory.
Don’t use your words to describe your situation: use your words to change your situation.
Begin speaking of His goodness and favor over your life.

4. The Miracle in Your Mouth
Romans 10:10-11:
10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. 11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”[
Church there is a miracle in your mouth.
If you want to change your world, start by changing your words.
Stop complaining about poverty or lack and start declaring, “God supplies all my needs in abundance”.
Stop complaining nothing good ever happens to me and start declaring “everything I touch prospers and succeeds.
Stop cursing the darkness and use your words to command light to come into your situation.
Your words have that power.

God's Favor

2011-07-17T05:43:00.000-07:00

What we put into our minds determine what comes out in our words and action.
Philippians 4:8:
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Ever hear a song that you can’t get out of your head, it’s so true what we allow in comes out.

Luke 6:45:
45 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
Jesus reminds us that our speech and actions reveal our true underlying beliefs, attitudes, and motivations.
It’s so important that we guard what we allow to enter into our spirit. Many times we allow the lies of Satan to fill our minds and we get so discouraged and many Christians turn their back on the church and ultimately on God.
God’s Favor
Def: Feel or show approval or preference for.
1. Seek God’s Favor
Psalms 119:57-58
The Lord is my portion: I have promised to keep Your words. I sought Your favor with all my heart: be gracious to me according to Your word.
Declaring God’s favor isn’t some spooky, spiritual mumbo- jumbo.
Its quite easy to declare God’s favor in your life.
Each day , say something like “ Father, I thank you that I have your favor. Your favor is opening doors of opportunity and bringing success into my life. Your favor is causing people to want to help me”.
Then go out with confidence, expecting good things to happen, expecting doors to open.
2. Speak God’s Favor
1 Samuel 18:14:
14 David continued to succeed in everything he did, for the Lord was with him.
We need to get in the habit of consistently speaking God’s favor over our lives.
Ex.
Thank you that you are going to heal me. I thank you that your favor has lead me to the right doctors.
Learn to speak God’s favor over every area of your life.
Remember, the more favor-minded you are, the more of God’s favor you’re going to experience.
3. The Power of God’s Favor
Psalms 23:6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
Sometimes we don’t feel that we deserve His favor.
Ex. Kings David committed adultery then had the woman’s husband killed. Even so the bible tells us he was a man after Gods own heart.1 Sam 13:14.
You might say how this could be…
Because David repented and sought forgiveness, and God forgave him and gave him a new start.
He didn’t focus on his faults or on the things he had done wrong, but he continued to live favor- minded, expecting goodness and mercy all the days of his life.
This morning, instead of expecting to get the short end of the stick in life, why not start expecting God’s blessings to chase after you?
Instead of expecting to barely get by in life, start expecting the goodness of God to overtake you.

NewLivingTranslation(©2007)Rom12:2
Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Guilty beyond a Reasonable Doubt

2011-07-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

Guilty beyond a Reasonable Doubt

“If we find any evidence you are a Christian, we will kill you.”This death threat was uttered from an Iranian judge spoken to an underground Believer in Iran as quoted in the latest Voice of the Martyrs publication (2009 Special Issue page 8). - What if we were faced with the same proclamation that this judge gave to this man?
- How would we react in this same situation?
- Are we prepared to face this possible life or death situation?
- If Christianity was made illegal tomorrow and we were brought before a court for the crime of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence in the average life of an American Believer to convict them?

If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? By "evidence," I don't mean how many Bibles you own, or how many bumper stickers you might have on your car with Christian sayings on them. I mean hard evidence. If your family members, neighbors, and coworkers were interviewed and asked the question, "Is (your name here), in your opinion, a real Christian?" we might not be happy with the response.
So, how do I know if you are a Christian? How do you know if I'm one? There must be evidence.
Matthew 7:20
New Living Translation (NLT)
20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
If someone examined your life, would they find any spiritual fruit—hard evidence to prove that you are a true follower of Jesus Christ?
John 13:34-35:
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Do people see petty bickering, jealousy, and division in your church? Or do they know you are Jesus followers by your love for one another?
Love is more than simply warm feelings: it is an attitude that reveals itself in action.
You can tell instantly who truly loves Jesus Christ and someone who doesn't by their actions or fruits they bare.
They may have professed Jesus Christ, but their actions told everyone around them they follow Satan.
I watch the members of various churches. Those who speak profanity, condemn others, commit adultery, abuse those around them, hate others who were not in their church, put greed and envy above the Savior and indulge in pleasures of the flesh are no more Christian than Muslims are.
We are literally on trial.
Satan is the accuser=prosecutor. ." The word "accuse" is defined, "(1) to charge with, or declare to have committed a crime, (2) to find at fault; to blame . .

In Revelation 12:10 Satan is referred to as "the accuser of our brethren
Revelation 12:10
New Living Translation (NLT)
10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,
“It has come at last—
salvation and power
and the Kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
before our God day and night.
Thankfully Jesus is are advocate=defense attorney
Advocate is just a fancy term for a lawyer, someone who pleads your case before the bar or justice. John writes, 1 John 2:1:
1 My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.
“Jesus goes before God on our behalf and says, “Father, I know they are sinners, but they have repented and My blood has cleansed them. They belong to Me.”
God is the Judge
Revelation 20:11-15:
The Final Judgment
11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Everyone’s life will be reviewed and evaluated. Deeds are seen as clear evidence of a person’s actual relationship with God. Each of us must serve Christ in the best way we know and live each day knowing the books will one day be opened.

Then comes the cross examination of ourselves.
I read recently that 50 percent of all born-again Christians don’t have the assurance of salvation.
Perhaps a lot of so-called Christians do not have the assurance of salvation because they are not really saved. Just because you attend church or engage in certain religious activities does not necessarily mean you are a Christian. The Apostle Paul instructed those in the early church to examine themselves to see if their faith was genuine .
2 Corinthians 13:5:
5 Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.
Just as we get physical checkups, we are to give ourselves spiritual checkups.
We should look for a growing awareness of Christ’s presence and power in our life.
Then we will know if we are a true Christian or merely imposters.
The only way others can tell whether you are a Christian is by your works. While all the good works in the world won't save a person,
Titus 3:5:
5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit .
Because of this we do great deeds that will serve as reasonable evidence that someone is saved.
Works won't save you, but if you really are saved, then works will be something that comes natural to you.
In Acts 26, the Bible outlines three steps you must take to be sure you are a Christian. Acts 26:18:
18 to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’
So first, you must have your eyes opened. A spiritual blindness afflicts those who have not yet turned their lives over to Jesus Christ, because "Satan . . . has blinded the minds of those who don't believe . . ." (2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT).
Second, you must turn from darkness to light. Satan loves darkness. Hell is referred to as outer darkness. If you want to really believe, then you need to come out of the darkness and into the light (Acts 26:18).
Third, you must turn from the power of Satan to God. A lot of people today want to live in two worlds. If you want to be a Christian on Sunday, but want to live the other way the rest of the week, it won't work (2 Corinthians 6:14). You must turn from Satan to God.
Have your spiritual eyes been opened? Have you turned from darkness to light? Have you turned from the power of Satan to God? If you've taken these steps, then God has forgiven your sins and has a place for you among God's people in heaven. This is the hope of those who truly belong to Christ.

Keep your Goal Insight

2011-07-07T19:23:00.001-07:00

Ezekiel 37
A Valley of Dry Bones
1 The Lord took hold of me, and I was carried away by the Spirit of the Lord to a valley filled with bones. 2 He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out. 3 Then he asked me, “Son of man, can these bones become living people again?”
“O Sovereign Lord,” I replied, “you alone know the answer to that.”
4 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! 6 I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I spoke this message, just as he told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons. 8 Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”
10 So I spoke the message as he commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army.
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”
Keep your Goal Insight
On July 4, 1952, Florence Chadwick was on her way to becoming the first woman to swim the Catalina Channel. She had already conquered the English Channel.
The world was watching. Chadwick fought the dense fog, bone-chilling cold and many times, the sharks. She was striving to reach the shore but every time she looked through her goggles, all she could see was the dense fog. Unable to see the shore, she gave up.
Chadwick was disappointed when she found out that she was only half a mile from the coast. She quit, not because she was a quitter but because her goal was not in sight anywhere. The elements didn't stop her. She said, "I'm not making excuses. If only I had seen the land, I could have made it."
Two months later, she went back and swam the Catalina Channel. This time, in spite of the bad weather, she had her goal in mind and not only accomplished it but beat the men's record by two hours.
Two points: restoration/consolidation
1. Restoration
An act of restoring or the condition of being restored, a bringing back to a former position or condition
Ex; old building
11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones represent the people of Israel. They are saying, ‘We have become old, dry bones—all hope is gone. Our nation is finished.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy to them and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: O my people, I will open your graves of exile and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 When this happens, O my people, you will know that I am the Lord. 14 I will put my Spirit in you, and you will live again and return home to your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken, and I have done what I said. Yes, the Lord has spoken!’”
Dry bones represented the people’s spiritual dead condition.
Churches today may seem like a heap of dry bones at time, spiritually dead with no hope of vitality.
God can restore any church, no matter how dry or dead it may be.
Rather than give up, pray for renewal.
God is at work calling His people back to Himself, bringing new life into dead churches.
He promises to breathe new spiritual life into His people so that their hearts and attitudes will be right.
He wants to cleanse and renew our hearts today.

Titus 3:4-6:
4 But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.
2. Consolidation
The process of uniting: the quality or state of being united; specifically: the unification of two or more corporations by dissolution of existing ones and creation of a single new corporation
Philippians 2
Be Like Christ
1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
Ezekiel 36:25-27:
25 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart 27 And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.
God promise to restore us spiritually, to accomplish this God has to give us a new heart for following Him.
He wants to transform us and empower us to do His will.
No matter how impure your life is right now, God is offering a fresh start.
Why try to patch up your old life when you can have a new one?
God is ready to answer your prayers but we must renew our heart with Him.
Is your heart right with God?

2011-06-14T12:45:00.001-07:00

God is so good!

Arriving at God's Destination

2011-06-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Arriving at God’s Destination
Intro: The Israelites had a dream of being set free, that one day their deliver would come and lead them out of captivity. God sent Moses. Israelites set free, given a promise. Due to disobedience and disbelief they were left to wonder for 40 yrs.
Should of only took about a week and a half, but the people caused the delay.
Question: are you causing a delay in your own life as you travel to arrive at Gods destination for you?
Jeremiah 29:11:
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
The promise that God gave them was the land of Canaan which represents the destination of Gods people after they have been set free from degrading bondage.
This was the land over the Jordan- the promised land.
This land represents the rest and victory that can be enjoyed by every believer.
You see the deliverance from Egypt was only the preparation for the enjoyment of Canaan.
As we walk the walk we are brought out of sin so that we might be brought into abundant life.
The wilderness is never Gods permanent destination for us.
Many Israelites died in the wilderness, so many Christians have and will die in the desert of a dry spiritual life, never having to experience the fullness that God had for them.
God has already given it to us; we must do our part and possess it.
The enemy “Satan” would tell you it’s not yours; if you try to claim it he will defeat you. Sadly we listen. Satan is a liar!
Turn with me to the book of Joshua.
We read in Joshua 1:2-3:
2 “Moses my servant is dead. Therefore, the time has come for you to lead these people, the Israelites, across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3 I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Wherever you set foot, you will be on land I have given you—
They could only possess what they claimed. But it was all given.
What promise has God given you that you aren’t claiming today?
How can you arrive at Gods destination in your own life today?
What must you do to be heading in the right direction?
To dream is to hope for things that seem unobtainable. To realize your potential in God is to see extraordinary possibilities happen in your life.
Destiny- refers to a predetermined course of events.
It has nothing to do with luck, fate, fortune, karma, big brakes or your connections.
Example from the bible of a man who arrived at Gods designation was Joshua.
As we look at his story I want to point out 3 areas that we need to focus on in our own lives if we are to arrive at our destination in God.
Point 1.Courage
Definition: mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

Joshua 1:6,7,9:
6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
This charge was given to Joshua
Hx of Joshua: Field General of Israel Army
One of 2 of 12 who gave a good report of the promise land.
Warrior and a leader.
God is calling us all to be warriors and have courage in order to take procession of what is ours.
Joshua died at the age of 110. Israel turned away from God and the Israelites hit rock bottom again.
They then cried out to God and He answered and called upon a man called Gideon.
Judges 6:12:
12And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage.
Now if you know the story about Gideon you know he was no fearless, courage’s man.
But Gideon learned a lesson that many of us need to learn. We just need to answer the call; God will give us the victories.
Deuteronomy 20:4:
4 For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’
It takes great courage to step out in the things of God. To go against the crowd isn’t the easy way out. Ever try to swim upstream, not an easy task.
If we want to obtain all that God has for us we have to take a stand. We need to be full of a genuine God- confidence.
Stop hiding your light and let it shine bright.
Live a life that demands an explanation.
In order to let our lights shine we come to my second point which is :
Point 2.Character
You see courage alone won’t get you to Gods destination. Ex gang leaders…
God is calling us to be spiritual leaders
Anyone can be someone who does things right, while leaders are people who do the right thing.
Leaders do not command excellence, they build excellence.
Excellence is “being all you can be”.
To reach excellence you must first be a leader of good character.
You must do everything you are commanded by God to do.
Excellence starts with leaders of good and strong character.
o Honest
o Inspiring
o Fair-minded
o Broad-minded
o Courageous
o Straightforward

How do we obtain these characteristic:
Many people think that prosperity and success come from having power, influential personal contacts, and a relentless desire to get ahead.
But the strategy for arriving at our destination in God Can be found in the scriptures…
Joshua 1:7-8. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
He told Joshua in order to succeed he must1. Be strong and courage’s because the task ahead would not be easy,
2. Obey God’s law, and 3. Constantly read and study the Book of Instruction- God’s Word.
To arrive at Gods destination follow Gods words to Joshua.
You may not succeed by the worlds standards but you will be a success in Gods eyes- and His opinion is most important.
In order to arrive at Gods destination we first need courage to take the first step and step out in faith and take hold of Gods promises for us, then we must exhibit the characteristics of a true leader for God. May third point is …
Point3. Cooperative
We have to corporate with God in order to arrive to our promise land.
Are you willing to do whatever he instructs you no matter how the circumstances may look?
Satan will do whatever he can to place obstacles in your path but God is more than able to overcome and hindrance that Satan would throw at us.
Joshua 3
The Israelites Cross the Jordan

1 Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove[a] and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. 2 Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, 3 giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. 4 Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile[b] behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.”
5 Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”
Before we can cross over our hearts have to be true, motives are in the right place.We need to ask for His forgiveness.
6 In the morning Joshua said to the priests, “Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river.” And so they started out and went ahead of the people.
7 The Lord told Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses. 8 Give this command to the priests who carry the Ark of the Covenant: ‘When you reach the banks of the Jordan River, take a few steps into the river and stop there.’”
9 So Joshua told the Israelites, “Come and listen to what the Lord your God says.
I am sure the people were excited and wanted to rush right in but we need to take the time to listen to what God has to say. He knows best.
10 Today you will know that the living God is among you. He will surely drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites ahead of you. 11 Look, the Ark of the Covenant, which belongs to the Lord of the whole earth, will lead you across the Jordan River! 12 Now choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.”
Right before we can cross over there seems to always be that one last hurdled to climb.
God gave them specific instructions: in order to cross, the priests had to step into the water.
What if these priests had been afraid to take that first step?
Often God provides no solution to our problems until we trust Him and corporate and move ahead with what we know we should.
What are the rivers, or obstacles, in your life? In obedience to God, take that first step.
14 So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. 15 It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge, 16 the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea[c] until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.
17 Meanwhile, the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant stood on dry ground in the middle of the riverbed as the people passed by. They waited there until the whole nation of Israel had crossed the Jordan on dry ground.
God wants you to cross over today into your promise land. Will you corporate with His will for your life?
Joshua was a man of courage, strong Godly character and he corporate with God. Will you do the same today?
What is the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart?

Alice Miller

2011-05-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 15:42-57 (New Living Translation)
42 It is the same way with the resurrection of the dead. Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. 43 Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength. 44 They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
45 The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.”[a] But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. 46 What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. 47 Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48 Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49 Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like[b] the heavenly man.
50 What I am saying, dear brothers and sisters, is that our physical bodies cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. These dying bodies cannot inherit what will last forever.
51 But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.
54 Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die,[c] this Scripture will be fulfilled:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.

John 14:1-6 (King James Version)
John 14
1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Phil 1:21 – “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

When I read this verse I can’t help but think of Alice.
We are here not to mourn the loss of a loved one but to rejoice that she has run her race .. and her reward awaits her in the resurrection of the dead.
Let us gain comfort from the blessed truth that to the Christian, death can be a precious thing.
Psa 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the Lord,
Is the death of His godly ones"
For the Christian it is different. – “To die is gain”

Have you ever felt like your life was perfect one moment and then all of sudden everything changed. You thought your existence couldn't get any better and suddenly something terrible happened.
Running to the doctor, Alice worse fear was revealed, MS had cast a web over her life.
She was living a good life with a great job. She had a family and she even went to church. Why did she have MS? She never harmed or took advantage of anyone! Why was she being punished? Why was God doing this to her? She was a good person!
Let us take comfort in the scriptures.
Romans 8: 28-30, "We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose. Those whom God had already chosen he also set apart to become like his Son, so that the Son would be the first among many brothers. And so those whom God set apart, he called; and those he called, he put right with himself, and he shared his glory with them."
Those with faith, question God's purpose for making her endure this disease.
Sometimes it is God's choice for us to be healed and sometimes it is His will for us to die for Him. All things work together for good when God is in control.
But when we believe only in this corrupt world then we only have doctors to pull us through our illnesses.
Having God gives us strength and perseverance, while following the world leads us down paths of blame and hate.
Think about the life of Jesus. He did nothing but good for people. He healed the sick and cast out demon spirits who tormented the thoughts of people. Yet no matter how much good He did in His life He was still crucified.
In order to become like Jesus we must understand that suffering is a part of this world.
Satan wanted to destroy Alice and to get her to let go of her faith in God. God wanted her to surrender her life to Him and trust that no matter what happens He would always be there for her.
God takes what Satan did to Alice and shouts to the world that she did nothing wrong. She did not sin and she was not guilty! He took the evil of MS and made her an example to others of what you can do when you have faith in God.
Romans 8: 34-39, "Who, then, will condemn them? Not Christ Jesus, who died, or rather, who was raised to life and is at the right side of God, pleading with him for us! Who, then, can separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death? As the scripture says, 'For your sake we are in danger of death at all times; we are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered.'

No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us! For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below-there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Read obit: Alice (Shattuck) Miller
Alice Miller (nee Shattuck) was born July 9, 1947 and went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on May 20, 2011 after bravely fighting a long illness for over 20 years.

She was born to the late Rex and Eleanor Shattuck and lived the majority of her years in Warren and Grayling, Michigan, spending her latter years in life living with her daughter and grandchildren in Ohio.

Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law Melissa (nee Miller) and Danny L. Parsons Jr. of Lorain, Ohio; her son and daughter-in-law Kevin and Tammie Miller of Grand Rapids, Michigan; six precious grandchildren and one great grandchild; a sister and brother-in-law Susanne and Jon Mueller of Grayling, Michigan; a sister Kay Rau of Marine City, Michigan; a brother and sister-in-law Roger and Debbie Shattuck of Marine City, Michigan; and countless nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Alice was preceded in death by her brother Rick Shattuck.

Alice received her master's degree in education from the University of Michigan and was a school teacher for over 20 years, teaching preschool, elementary and special education.
She faithfully served and volunteered in the Crawford Ausable School District in Grayling, Michigan for countless years and touched many hearts and lives, leaving behind many friends there.

She was a member of St. Francis Episcopal Church, Grayling, Michigan, and was a founding member of Church of the New Harvest, Elyria, Ohio having faithfully served in both.
Alice also served as the director of AGLOW Women's Ministries for many years in northern Michigan.
Alice loved to read, write, teach and take care of others. The only thing Alice loved more than her family was her God whom she faithfully loved and served her entire life with all her heart and soul and strength.

Reflection: Alice lived the last years of her life a prisoner in a body that was filled with sickness – yet she never complained.
She seemed to show joy and to rejoice in her affliction.
All the people who have ever had the privilege to meet Alice all describe her the same way” she was the strongest woman they have ever met as they all watched her endure things most of us could not, they would also go on to say she was one of the best women they have ever met.
A doctor once made a comment after one of her many life treating surgeries that he knows God has a special place for her.
Alice seemed to amaze everyone she came into contact with including me.
She truly lived one of the Godliest lives I have ever seen.
You see she loved her God not out of her blessings but out of her afflictions.
You might be asking yourself how could Alice life been God perfect plan for her on this earth. Well you see we aren’t put on this earth to please and serve ourselves, we were created to love and worship God.
I never met a person such like Alice, in fact the only person I could possible compare her to is Job. Job didn’t deserve any afflictions that were placed on him, he basically suffered because of the mighty man of God that he was.
Alice did the same. God knew what He was doing when He allowed what Alice went through on this earth.
He knew she would bring honor and Glory to His name. If my life could make a difference in at least one other persons I would consider that a life worth living.
Alice strengthened my faith beyond belief as well as many others.
She taught me what it means to not take the little things for granted.
When I think I have it so bad and life isn’t worth living I will think about Alice and all she endured and it will strengthen me for another day.
Alice bore the cross she did because actually she was the strongest of us all.
When I think of Alice a don’t picture a weak feeble, crippled , handicap woman but a strong, faithful, trustworthy, patient woman of God who overcame life’s challenges with her faith and love for the Lord.
I would be truly honored to be able to make such a difference in someone else’s life like Alice made in mine, her life wasn’t wasted.
Actually I never witness a more fulfilled life in anyone else.
You may have asked yourself how this could be God perfect plan, the plans to prosper and not harm her but to give her a future and hope.
You may not have seen it but I did.
Alice didn’t live a selfish life but she gave her all to serving her Lord and Savior.
Other reflections:

I believe that Alice would say to all of you that she would prefer to be away from her body and at home with her Lord.
It would be extremely selfish today to bring Alice back; even if we could she is where her life of faith has prepared her to be.
I cannot bring her back, but I believe she would want you to know that you too can have the joy that she had. This joy is found in having a person relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus said (John 11:25-26), “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live (26) And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die…”
Let us pray.
God of us all, your love never ends. When all else fails, you still are God.
We pray to you for one another in our need, and for all, everywhere, who mourn with us this day.
To those who doubt, give light;
To those who are weak, strength;
To all who have sinned, mercy;
To all who sorrow, your peace.
Keep true in us the love with which we hold one another.
In all our ways we trust you. And to you, with your church on earth and in heaven, we offer honor and glory, now and forever.
Amen.

The Benediction
Now to the one who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, to this God be glory in the Church and in Jesus Christ to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Alice truly left us with a beautiful story of blessing of assurance. Now she will stand forever praising her father all of eternity long.
Psalm 103:8-17 (New Living Translation)

8 The LORD is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the LORD remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
I'm Free
Don't grieve for me, for now I'm free.
I'm following the path God has laid, you see.
I took His hand when I heard His call.
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day,
To laugh, to love, to work or play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way,
I found the peace at the close of day.
If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joys.

Be not burdened with times of sorrow.
I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life's been full, I savored much,
Good friends, good times, a loved one's touch.
Don't lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your hearts, and peace to thee.
God wanted me now,
He set me free

Revelation 21:1-7 (New Living Translation)
The New Jerusalem
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.[a] 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” 6 And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
As far as the world goes Alice didn’t have much, no fancy home, no expensive car, even her body was broken and worn down. Not only did she not possess many thinks she didn’t really require much. All she needed and had to get her through this life was her Jesus.
In the morning when she rose, she had Jesus, When she was all alone all she needed was Jesus, And when it came time to die, she had Jesus.

Life Happens

2011-05-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

Life Happens
Trials Sermon Illustrations
God never promises that our life will be easy when we turn to Him. In fact, there are days when the Christian life seems downright unbearable. We all face trials and tribulations; it's part of the broken, fallen world we live in. But how we deal with those trials and tribulations - that's the real challenge!
"How long did you stand in line for the roller coaster, Josh? An hour? An hour and a half?"

"More like three hours."

"Wow. Was it worth the wait?"

"Oh yeah!"

Life is like that. While we are here on earth, for the few years that we have, we are simply waiting in line for the real excitement, which is our eternal life with God. And...unlike a roller coaster, that's a thrill which will never end.

This is a perspective very few people have. Most people think of this mortal existence as all that we have. But when we lose sight of what is waiting for us at the end of our mortal existence, we lose sight of purpose, and life becomes pointless.

Who would stand in line for three hours for a non-existent roller coaster? And if you found yourself stuck in a line with no ride at the end, and no way to get out of the line, what would you do? You would try your very hardest to convince yourself that you were having fun, that there was some point to you being there.

This is how most people approach life. Without the eternal view, we have to convince ourselves that we are having fun right now, and life has to be about squeezing every bit of enjoyment out of the now.

An eternal perspective on life is especially important when we face difficult times. The person who has no eternal perspective is bowed down and even broken by their circumstances. But the person who understands the perishable nature of this life and the imperishable nature of the life to come, can find strength to suffer through difficult times, knowing that their trials and troubles will come to an end...nothing of this world is intended to last forever.

1 Peter 1:6-9 (New Living Translation)
6 So be truly glad.There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

I'm a mess. I'm nothing and have nothing: make something of me! You can do it; you've got what it takes God. . . Psalm 40:17

Jesus warned us that we’d have problems in the world. No one is immune to pain or insulated from suffering, and no one gets to skate through life problem-free. Life is a series of problems. Every time you solve one, another one is waiting to take its place.

Peter assures us that problems are normal, saying “Don't be bewildered or surprised when you go through the fiery trials ahead, for this is no strange, unusual thing that is going to happen to you.” (1 Peter 4:12 LB) God uses these problems to draw us closer to himself. The Bible says, “ The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:1 8 )

Your most profound and intimate experiences of worship will likely be in your darkest days -- when your heart is broken, when you feel abandoned, when you’re out of options, when the pain is great, and you turn to God alone. It is during suffering that we learn to pray our most authentic, heart-felt, honest-to-God prayers. When in pain, we don’t have the energy for superficial prayers.

Joni Eareckson Tada notes, “When life is rosy, we may slide by with knowing about Jesus, with imitating him and quoting him and speaking of him. But only in suffering will we know Jesus.” We learn things about God in suffering that we can’t learn any other way.

God could have kept Joseph out of jail, kept Daniel out of the lion’s den, kept Jeremiah from being tossed into a slimy pit, kept Paul from being shipwrecked three times, and kept the three Hebrew young men from being thrown into the blazing furnace, but he didn’t. He let those problems happen, and each of those people was drawn closer to God as a result.

Problems force us to look to God and depend on him instead of ourselves. Paul testified to this benefit: “ We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us ….” (2 Corinthians 1:9 LB)

You’ll never know that God is all you need until God is all you’ve got. . . Rick Warren; Daily Hope

It is as we come to the Lord in our nothingness, our powerlessness, our helplessness that He then enables us to love in a way which would be absolutely impossible without Him. . . Elisabeth Elliot

Mom on a Mission

2011-05-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

ILLUS: I once read the story of a woman who went shopping for swimsuits with her mother.
In the department store, though, she was having a hard time finding one that fit. After trying on at least 10, all to no avail, she grew increasingly frustrated.
Trying to calm her, her mother said "Look at it this way: what would you rather have – the husband and three children who adore you, or a swimsuit that fits?"
Before she could answer, a faceless voice from the next dressing room stall replied
"I want a swimsuit that fits!"

Lets face it not every woman is cut out to be a mom. It takes great sacrifice to be a mom.

Proverbs 31:26-31 (New Living Translation)

26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.

28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

• A TEACHER ONE DAY GAVE HER PUPILS A LESSON ALL ABOUT MAGNETS. THE NEXT DAY SHE SET A WRITTEN TEST WHICH INCLUDED THE QUESTION, “MY NAME HAS SIX LETTERS, BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER M AND I PICK UP THINGS WHAT AM I?” WHEN THE TEST PAPERS WERE HANDED BACK SHE WAS ASTONISHED TO FIND THAT ALMOST 50 PERCENT OF THE CHILDREN ANSWERED THE QUESTION WITH THE WORD MOTHER.

YES I SUPPOSE MOTHERS DO PICK UP THINGS, BUT THEY DO MUCH MORE THAN JUST PICKING UP CLOTHES AND TOYS FROM AROUND THE HOUSE .

AS WILLING AS THEY ARE TO DO SUCH CHORES. THEY HAVE A HIGHER CALLING THAN THAT.

A Mother on a Mission.

2 Timothy 1:1-5 (New Living Translation)
Paul is writing to a young pastor which he had taken under his wing to train.

Greetings from Paul

1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I have been sent out to tell others about the life he has promised through faith in Christ Jesus.

2 I am writing to Timothy, my dear son.

May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord give you grace, mercy, and peace.

Encouragement to Be Faithful

3 Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again. 5 I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.

Timothy’s mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois, were early Christians. They have communicated their strong Christian faith to Timothy.

Philippians 2:20-22 (New Living Translation)
20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 21 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 22 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News.

Moms don’t hide your light at home; your families are fertile fields for planting seeds of the Good News.

Mother’s Day is a good day to review the basics of a mother’s priorities. We find these in 2 Timothy 3.15-17.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 (New Living Translation)
15 You have been taught the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.

Priority #1: Savior

2 Timothy 3: 15 you have been taught the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.

INTRODUCE AND EXPECT

Eunice led her boy Timothy to know the Lord Jesus Christ. She taught him about Jesus, and expected that he would accept Christ as Savior.

The word "leads" in this verse speaks of anticipation. When a mother anticipates, prays and leads toward Christ, she has every right to expect the cooperation of God in bringing her child to the Lord. This sounds simple; but it is not easy.

Priority #2: Scripture

2 Timothy 3:15a, 16a (NASB)
15and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings….
16All Scripture is inspired by God…

TEACH THEM YOUNG

The best formula I know for teaching children is to
a. Bring them to church on Sunday;
b. Apply what is learned on Sunday all throughout the rest of the week.

Mothers, nobody will MAKE you do this.

In fact, it is just the opposite today.

With God removed from public places and the schools faithfully teaching secular humanism, your child has little chance of growing up to be a Timothy, or with any kind of Christian values, unless YOU teach them!

With all the demands of today’s world, is this just another pressure, a burden, a further complication?

When do single mothers and working mothers have time to teach such things to their children?

Relax, dear mother. If you will have a priority in your own life for God’s Word, and simply live it before your children, and be ready to answer their questions, you will be teaching them.

On the other hand, if you won’t live it, don’t bother to teach it in any other way. They will learn what you live.

A child that sees hin/her mother carry a Bible to church, but never opens it from Monday to Saturday knows that Christianity is only for Sunday.

Priority #3: Service

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB)

16All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

All of Timothy’s instruction in the Word, and God’s way had to do with preparing him for service to the Lord.

Often the best legacy we can leave our children is not a pile of money or possessions, but the simple fact of a good name.

Eunice’s reputation replicated itself in her son, and Paul had no trouble taking a chance on this young man. Eunice served, Timothy followed.

Many good men and faithful servants of God have the same testimony.

The great Baptist preacher, G. Campbell Morgan had four sons. They all became preachers. At a family reunion a friend asked one of the sons, "Which Morgan is the greatest preacher?" With his eyes beaming with delight, the son looked over to his father and said, "Why, it’s Mother!"

Mother, is your child ready to serve God?

Are you preparing that son or daughter with Scripture, learned by you both at church and practiced at home?

Are you leading that child to the Savior?

Are you leading that child to His Service? Or is he unmotivated, unequipped and undirected; is he unprepared to meet the spirit of this age?

What will your child say when the world, peer pressure, and the culture of Christlessness challenges his faith and drives home its message against Jesus with materialism, relativism and rationalization?

Can we talk?

If the truth be known, when a child is born there are at least two emotions - great joy (A CHILD IS BORN!)....and Oh MY! (NOW WHAT DO I DO?) As wonderful as being a mother is....it is just that scary to raise a child today

Dump the trends and fads.
Be a godly woman.
Get your priorities in order: SAVIOR...SCRIPTURE... SERVICE

Mothers (and Dads), don’t leave the mission to the preacher, Sunday School teacher or anyone when it comes to your precious children.

A Spanish proverb says: An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. YOU lead them to the Savior; YOU teach them the Scripture; YOU prepare them for service. You be a mother on mission!

The Bridge of Life

2011-04-23T10:10:00.001-07:00

The Bridge of Life

Story about drawbridge.

The greatest words to man are- Christ is Risen!
Many thought death was the end of Christ and His Ministry. However, He rose from the dead as He promised.
John 20:1-10 (New Living Translation)
John 20
The Resurrection
1 Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 2 She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”
3 Peter and the other disciple started out for the tomb. 4 They were both running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He stooped and looked in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he didn’t go in. 6 Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, 7 while the cloth that had covered Jesus’ head was folded up and lying apart from the other wrappings. 8 Then the disciple who had reached the tomb first also went in, and he saw and believed—9 for until then they still hadn’t understood the Scriptures that said Jesus must rise from the dead. 10 Then they went home.

This morning we want to look at The Risen Christ.
The scripture tells us that the disciples didn’t understand what Jesus has been telling them all along.
I believe that they knew Jesus would arise 3 days later for the Bible tells us the first time they were told, for example, Peter took Jesus aside, rebuked him, and said , “ God forbid it Lord! This must never happen to you” (matt 16:22).
The second time Jesus told them, Matthew said that they were “exceedingly sorry” but how could they have been exceedingly sorry about something they didn’t even understand?
How could the disciples believed, yet not understand about the resurrection? Because they were not expecting a resurrection- they were expecting a taking up of the body such as Elijah and Enoch.
That’s why the disciples’ didn’t recognize Him when they actually saw Him and then thought they were seeing a ghost.
Jesus physically came back to this earth. And He has promised He will return.

John 14 (New Living Translation)
Jesus, the Way to the Father
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

John 11:25:
“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

1. The Person
“I am the resurrection and the life”

Jesus has the power over life and death as well as power to forgive sins. This is because he is the Creator of life.

He who is life can surely restore life. Whoever believes in Christ has a spiritual life that death cannot conquer or diminish in any way.

When we realize his power and how wonderful his offer to us really is, how can we not commit our lives to him? To those of us who believe, what wonderful assurance and certainty we have.
John 14:19:
19 …Since I live, you also will live.

2. The promise

John 5:24:
24 “I tell you the truth; those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

Eternal life- living forever with God begins when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior.

At that moment, new life begins in us. It is a completed transaction. We still will face physical death, but when Christ returns again, our body will be resurrected to live forever.

By believing in Christ we pass from death to life.

Faith in Christ means we will not stand with the condemned at judgment.

Revelation 20:11-15:
The Final Judgment
11 And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. 12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. 14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

C. The plan

Isaiah 55:7:

7 Let the wicked change their ways
and banish the very thought of doing wrong.
Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them.
Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

Man must be willing to abandon wickedness and trust in Christ in order to take part in God’s plan.

1 Corinthians 15:55:

55 O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?

Satan seemed to be victories in the Garden of Eden and at the cross of Jesus but God turned Satan’s apparent victory into defeat when Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

This, death is no longer a source of dread or fear. Christ overcame it, and one day we will also.

Death has been defeated and we have hope beyond the grave because of The Risen Christ.

The story about the fork.
Revelation 21 (New Living Translation)
The New Jerusalem
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. 2 And I saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”
5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”
Trust me the best is yet to come. Because we know our Redeemer Lives.
Melissa sings, will you choice to cross over the bridge of life this morning and give your heart to Him?

Jesus last Week

2011-04-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

"A FATHER, HIS SON, AND A FRIEND OF HIS SON WERE SAILING OFF THE PACIFIC COAST," , "WHEN A FAST APPROACHING STORM BLOCKED ANY ATTEMPT TO GET BACK TO THE SHORE. THE WAVES WERE SO HIGH, THAT EVEN THOUGH THE FATHER WAS AN EXPERIENCED SAILOR, HE COULD NOT KEEP THE BOAT UPRIGHT AND THE THREE WERE SWEPT INTO THE OCEAN AS THE BOAT CAPSIZED."
"GRABBING A RESCUE LINE, THE FATHER HAD TO MAKE THE MOST EXCRUCIATING DECISION OF HIS LIFE: TO WHICH BOY HE WOULD THROW THE OTHER END OF THE LIFE LINE. HE ONLY HAD SECONDS TO MAKE THE DECISION. THE FATHER KNEW THAT HIS SON WAS A CHRISTIAN AND HE ALSO KNEW THAT HIS SON'S FRIEND WAS NOT. THE AGONY OF HIS DECISION COULD NOT BE MATCHED BY THE TORRENT OF WAVES. AS THE FATHER YELLED OUT, "I LOVE YOU, SON!" HE THREW OUT THE LIFE LINE TO HIS SON'S FRIEND. BY THE TIME THE FATHER HAD PULLED THE FRIEND BACK TO THE CAPSIZED BOAT, HIS SON HAD DISAPPEARED BENEATH THE RAGING SWELLS INTO THE BLACK OF NIGHT . . . HIS BODY WAS NEVER RECOVERED.

, "KNEW HIS SON WOULD STEP INTO ETERNITY WITH JESUS AND HE COULD NOT BEAR THE THOUGHT OF HIS SON'S FRIEND STEPPING INTO AN ETERNITY WITHOUT JESUS. THEREFORE, HE SACRIFICED HIS SON TO SAVE THE SON'S FRIEND. HOW GREAT IS THE LOVE OF GOD THAT HE SHOULD DO THE SAME FOR US. OUR HEAVENLY FATHER SACRIFICED HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON THAT WE COULD BE SAVED. I URGE YOU TO ACCEPT HIS OFFER TO RESCUE YOU AND TAKE A HOLD OF THE LIFE LINE HE IS THROWING OUT TO YOU IN THIS SERVICE."

Jesus’ Last Week
Matthew 21:1-27:60

The last week of Jesus' life was crammed with events, as we follow him from his glorious entry into Jerusalem on Sunday until his death on Friday. In the days in between, he preached, taught, presided over the Passover supper, stood trial, and was condemned to death.

Jesus Enters Jerusalem
8 Many people spread clothes in the road, while others put down branches which they had cut from trees. 9 Some people walked ahead of Jesus and others followed behind. They were all shouting, "Hooray for the Son of David! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord. Hooray for God in heaven above!" 10 When Jesus came to Jerusalem, everyone in the city was excited and asked, "Who can this be?"11 The crowd answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

After his warm welcome into Jerusalem, Jesus taught in the Temple for a few days.

Jesus in the Temple
12 Jesus went into the temple and chased out everyone who was selling or buying. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of the ones who were selling doves. 13 He told them, "The Scriptures say, 'My house should be called a place of worship.' But you have turned it into a place where robbers hide."

The Plot to Kill Jesus
When Jesus had finished teaching, he told his disciples, 2 "You know that two days from now will be Passover. That is when the Son of Man will be handed over to his enemies and nailed to a cross."
3 At that time the chief priests and the nation's leaders were meeting at the home of Caiaphas the high priest. 4 They planned how they could sneak around and have Jesus arrested and put to death. 5 But they said, "We must not do it during Passover, because the people will riot."

At Bethany
6 Jesus was in the town of Bethany, eating at the home of Simon, who had leprosy. 7 A woman came in with a bottle of expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus' head. 8 But when his disciples saw this, they became angry and complained, "Why such a waste? 9 Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me. 12 She has poured perfume on my body to prepare it for burial.

Judas and the Chief Priests
14 Judas Iscariot was one of the twelve disciples. He went to the chief priests 15 and asked, "How much will you give me if I help you arrest Jesus?" They paid Judas thirty silver coins, 16 and from then on he started looking for a good chance to betray Jesus.

The Last Supper
26 During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, "Take this and eat it. This is my body." 27 Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, "Take this and drink it. 28 This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven. 29 From now on I am not going to drink any wine, until I drink new wine with you in my Father's kingdom." 30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus Prays
36 Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane. When they got there, he told them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."37 Jesus took along Peter and the two brothers, James and John. He was very sad and troubled, 38 and he said to them, "I am so sad that I feel as if I am dying. Stay here and keep awake with me."39 Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, don't make me suffer by having me drink from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want."40 He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, "Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? The time has come for the Son of Man to be handed over to sinners. 46 Get up! Let's go. The one who will betray me is already here."

Jesus Is Arrested
47 Jesus was still speaking, when Judas the betrayer came up. He was one of the twelve disciples, and a large mob armed with swords and clubs was with him. They had been sent by the chief priests and the nation's leaders. 48 Judas had told them ahead of time, "Arrest the man I greet with a kiss."49 Judas walked right up to Jesus and said, "Hello, teacher." Then Judas kissed him.50 Jesus replied, "My friend, why are you here?" The men grabbed Jesus and arrested him. 55 Jesus said to the mob, "Why do you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like a criminal? Day after day I sat and taught in the temple, and you didn't arrest me." All of Jesus' disciples left him and ran away.

Jesus Is Questioned by the Council
57 After Jesus had been arrested, he was led off to the house of Caiaphas the high priest. The nation's leaders and the teachers of the Law of Moses were meeting there. 58 But Peter followed along at a distance and came to the courtyard of the high priest's palace. He went in and sat down with the guards to see what was going to happen.59 The chief priests and the whole council wanted to put Jesus to death. So they tried to find some people who would tell lies about him in court. 60 But they could not find any, even though many did come and tell lies. At last, two men came forward 61 and said, "This man claimed that he would tear down God's temple and build it again in three days."
62 The high priest stood up and asked Jesus, "Why don't you say something in your own defense? Don't you hear the charges they are making against you?" 63 But Jesus did not answer. So the high priest said, "With the living God looking on, you must tell the truth. Tell us, are you the Messiah, the Son of God?"64 "That is what you say!" Jesus answered. 65 The high priest then tore his robe and said, "This man claims to be God! We don't need any more witnesses! You have heard what he said. 66 What do you think?" They answered, "He is guilty and deserves to die!" 67 Then they spit in his face and hit him with their fists.

69 While Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, a servant girl came up to him and said, "You were with Jesus from Galilee."70 But in front of everyone Peter said, "That isn't so! I don't know what you are talking about!" 71 When Peter had gone out to the gate, another servant girl saw him and said to some people there, "This man was with Jesus from Nazareth."72 Again Peter denied it, and this time he swore, "I don't even know that man!" 73 A little while later some people standing there walked over to Peter and said, "We know that you are one of them. We can tell it because you talk like someone from Galilee."74 Peter began to curse and swear, "I don't know that man!" Right then a rooster crowed, 75 and Peter remembered that Jesus had said, "Before a rooster crows, you will say three times that you don't know me." Then Peter went out and cried hard.

Jesus Is Taken to Pilate
Early the next morning all the chief priests and the nation's leaders met and decided that Jesus should be put to death. 11 Jesus was brought before Pilate the governor, who asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Those are your words!" Jesus answered. 12 And when the chief priests and leaders brought their charges against him, he did not say a thing.13 Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear what crimes they say you have done?" 14 But Jesus did not say anything, and the governor was greatly amazed.
15 During Passover the governor always freed a prisoner chosen by the people. 16 At that time a well-known terrorist named Jesus Barabbas was in jail. 17 So when the crowd came together, Pilate asked them, "Which prisoner do you want me to set free? Do you want Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?" "Barabbas!" they replied.22 Pilate asked them, "What am I to do with Jesus, who is called the Messiah?" They all yelled, "Nail him to a cross!"23 Pilate answered, "But what crime has he done?" "Nail him to a cross!" they yelled even louder.24 Pilate saw that there was nothing he could do and that the people were starting to riot. So he took some water and washed his hands in front of them and said, "I won't have anything to do with killing this man. You are the ones doing it!" 26 Pilate set Barabbas free. Then he ordered his soldiers to beat Jesus with a whip and nail him to a cross.

Pilate believed Jesus was innocent, but because he was afraid that the crowds might riot, he allowed the Jewish court of elders to make the decision to execute Jesus. The crucifixion, however, was done by Pilate's soldiers, because the Temple guards who reported to Caiaphas did not have the power to put anyone to death by crucifixion.

The Romans had several methods of executing criminals. Crucifixion, in which people slowly suffocated from the burden of their own weight on their chests, was both the most painful and the most humiliating.
Jesus Is Nailed to a Cross
35 The soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross and gambled to see who would get his clothes. 36 Then they sat down to guard him. 37 Above his head they put a sign that told why he was nailed there. It read, "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews." 38 The soldiers also nailed two criminals on crosses, one to the right of Jesus and the other to his left.39 People who passed by said terrible things about Jesus. They shook their heads and 40 shouted, "So you're the one who claimed you could tear down the temple and build it again in three days! If you are God's Son, save yourself and come down from the cross!"

One of his arms is already tied down and a workman pounds the round-headed square iron nail through the Savior's hand while a soldier holds down the feet of Christ as his body writhes in agony.

The Death of Jesus
5 At noon the sky turned dark and stayed that way until three o'clock. 46 Then about that time Jesus shouted, "My God, my God, why have you deserted me?" 50 Once again Jesus shouted, and then he died. 55 Many women had come with Jesus from Galilee to be of help to him, and they were there, looking on at a distance. 56 Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of James and John were some of these women.

History tells us that on the instant Jesus gave up his mortal life, thunder crashed, lightning split the clouds and a tremendous earthquake shook the land with a roar. The solid stone of Calvary split wide and the Babylonian Veil in the temple was split from top to bottom. People abandoned the burning sacrifices and ran screaming into the streets. A darkness like midnight came down upon Jerusalem at three o'clock and lasted for the rest of the day. The frightful impact of the wrath of God was voiced by the Roman Centurion Abenadar when he bowed his head and murmured, "Assuredly, this man was the Son of God."

57 That evening a rich disciple named Joseph from the town of Arimathea 58 went and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate gave orders for it to be given to Joseph, 59 who took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. 60 Then Joseph put the body in his own tomb that had been cut into solid rock and had never been used. He rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away.
Christ was born to die. Without his blood there could be no forgiveness of sins.
Heb 9:22.. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.

He gave his own life to pay our penalty for us so that we might live.

Today we want to remember the significant of this day by partaking in communion.

Melissa sings- usher pass out

Jesus asked the disciples to eat the broken bread to remember him. He wanted them to remember his sacrifice the basis for forgiveness of sins.
( pray)

In Old testament times God agreed to forgive peoples sins if they would bring animals for the priest to sacrifice.

Jesus instituted a new covenant(agreement) between God and his people. Under the new agreement, Jesus would die in place of sinners. His blood would remove the sins of all who put their faith in Him.
(pray)

John the Baptist called Jesus the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Aren’t who so grateful for his amazing grace.

Sing Amazing grace.

Love Your Enemy

2011-03-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

There was this man who saw a scorpion floundering around in the water.
He decided to save it by stretching out his finger, but the scorpion
stung him. The man still tried to get the scorpion out of the water,
but the scorpion stung him again.

A man nearby told him to stop saving the scorpion that kept stinging him.

But the man said: "It is the nature of the scorpion to sting. It is my
nature to love. Why should I give up my nature to love just because it
is the nature of the scorpion to sting?"

Don't give up loving.
Don't give up your goodness.
Even if people around you sting.

"LOVE YOUR ENEMIES"

INTRODUCTION

1. One of the more challenging commands given by Jesus is to love your enemies...
a. Given in His sermon on the mount - Mt 5:43-4443 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies!Pray for those who persecute you!

2. Yet when taken to heart and applied properly, loving your enemies can..
a. Bless and transform your own life
b. Truly make this world a better place

[Let's examine Jesus' command to love your enemies more closely by first asking...]

I. WHO IS YOUR ENEMY?

A. ANYONE WHO CURSES YOU...
1. Who speaks ill about you or to you - Lk 6:28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

B. ANYONE WHO HATES YOU...
1. Who for some reason despises you -; Lk 6:2727 “But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.
2. For either racial, political, religious, or personal reasons
- e.g., Jn 15:18-1918 “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. 19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

C. ANYONE WHO SPITEFULLY USES YOU...
1. Who abuses, treats despitefully, falsely accuses you

2. To mistreat you in any way, like they did Jesus - Mt 27:27-30
27 Some of the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into their headquarters[a] and called out the entire regiment. 28 They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. 29 They wove thorn branches into a crown and put it on his head, and they placed a reed stick in his right hand as a scepter. Then they knelt before him in mockery and taunted, “Hail! King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and grabbed the stick and struck him on the head with it.

D. ANYONE WHO PERSECUTES YOU...
1. Who prosecutes and pursues with repeated acts of enmity

2. Like Saul of Tarsus (Paul) did the Christians -

[Our enemy can be a family member, neighbor, co-worker, fellow-citizen,or government representative (local or foreign).

In other words, just about anyone who does not like us. Now let's ask...]

II. WHY LOVE YOUR ENEMY?

A. TO BE LIKE GOD...
1. To be sons of our Father in heaven - Mt 5:4545 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

2. Who is kind to evil and unthankful men - Lk 6:35-3635 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. 36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.;

B. TO BE UNLIKE SINNERS...
1. Who love those who love them -; Lk 6:32-3332 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them! 33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!

2. Which is human nature, but we are to be partakers of divine nature - cf. 2Pe 1:44 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

C. TO OVERCOME EVIL...
1. Not letting evil overcome you - Ro 12:20-2120
Instead,
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them.
If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap
burning coals of shame on their heads.]
21 Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

a. "I will never let another man ruin my life by making me hate him." - George Washington Carver
b. "Those who hate you don't win unless you hate them - and then you destroy yourself." - Richard Nixon
2. Overcoming evil by doing good - Ro 12:20-21
a. "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?" - Abraham Lincoln
b."Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemyinto friend." - Martin L. King, Jr.

[The ultimate goal should be to transform our enemies into brethren
Ro 10:1) 1 Dear brothers and sisters, the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved..

Is that not what God did with us? So let us now ask...]

III. HOW TO LOVE YOUR ENEMY?

A. BY BLESSING THEM...
1. As commanded by Jesus, Paul, and Peter - Mt 5:44; 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
Ro 12:1414 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.; 1Pe 3:9Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.

2. The word "bless" here means to "speak well of" or "speak well to" -

B. BY DOING GOOD TO THEM...
1. As taught in both Covenants - Exo 23:4-54 “If you come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner. 5 If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help.;;
Ga 6:1010 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.

2. Which has the potential of transforming our enemies –

Pro 25:21-2221 If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat.
If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
22 You will heap burning coals of shame on their heads,
and the LORD will reward you.;

C. BY PRAYING FOR THEM...
1. As Jesus taught -; Lk 6:2828 Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.

D. WITH ACTIVE GOOD WILL...
1. Which is the meaning of the word "love" (Gr., agape)
2. Beautifully defined by Paul - 1Co 13:4-84 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
8 Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages[a] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!
(Imagine treating enemies like this!)

CONCLUSION

1. We are not commanded to love our enemies with affection in our hearts...
a. Experienced in families (Gr., storge)
b. Expressed among friends (Gr., phileo)
c. Especially with brethren (Gr., philadelphia)

2. We are commanded to love our enemies with an act of the will...
a. Displaying active good will toward them (Gr., agape)
b. Blessing them, doing to good them, praying for them

However, where agape love is consistently shown it is not unusual for phileo love to gradually develop. Even if not, we still have the duty and privilege to be "sons of the Most High"...

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived,
serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy,
hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the
love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He
saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of
the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through
Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His
grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal
life. - Tit 3:3-7

I Believe

2011-03-05T17:50:00.000-08:00

I Believe

I believe-
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I believe-
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a
while and, you must forgive them for that.

I believe-
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I believe-
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I believe-
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe-
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them

I believe-
That you can keep going long after you can't.

I believe-
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe-
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe-
That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there
had better be something else to take its place.

I believe-
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.

I believe-
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe-
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time!

I believe-
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe-
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe-
That just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I believe-
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've
learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe-
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe-
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I believe-
That our background and circumstances may have influenced
who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe-
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other, And just
because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.

I believe-
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I believe-
That two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I believe-
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I believe-
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a
friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I believe-
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe-
That the people you care about most in life are the essence of life.
Tell them today how much you love them and what they mean to you.

I BELIEVE

Are you a skeptical person? When you hear something, you don’t believe it right away – you doubt it. You’re cautious. You’re careful. Skeptical. I’m skeptical about a lot of things. When I receive an email from someone – and they say that are in Nigeria and that they would like me to give me 2 million dollars – all I need to do is to give them my bank account information and my social security number – I’m not so sure about that. I’m skeptical. I don’t believe it. I think it’s a scam. When I receive a big postcard in the mail in the middle of winter that tells me that I have just received a free trip to the Bahamas – all expenses paid – all I need to do is a few things listed in the fine print at the bottom of the postcard – I’m skeptical. I don’t believe that it’s really true, and by the time I’m done reading the fine print, I know that it isn’t as great as it appears to be.

We live in a skeptical world, and with good reason. There are all kinds of people out there, making all kinds of extreme claims and extreme promises, and if you trust everyone, some will take advantage of you. You need to be careful. Cautious. In some cases, skeptical. You can’t believe everything.

Can you believe everything in the Bible? Do you actually believe that Jesus died on a cross and rose from the dead? Is that really true? Is Jesus really God and man at the same time? Am I really saved from going to a place called hell because of this Jesus? Is that really true? Is he the only way to heaven? Is there such a things as heaven?
Have you ever felt yourself doubt? Have you ever felt yourself wonder if all these things are true? Why are you a Christian anyway?
Do you doubt sometimes? Have you ever had a moment in your life when you wondered to yourself: “I don’t know if I really believe? Is all of this true? I don’t know!”

Today, we’re going to talk about doubt, as we look at that moment when Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection. We’re also going to look at the cure for doubt

But that Easter night, he was skeptical. He had doubts. Can you see yourself as you think about Thomas? The other disciples told him that Jesus had appeared to them, but Thomas said – no. I won’t believe it. I need to see Jesus with my eyes. I need to touch Jesus’ wounds with my hands. I need physical proof.
John 20:19-31 (New International Version, ©2011)
Jesus Appears to His Disciples
19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Why was Thomas so skeptical? You see, Thomas had trusted that Jesus was the Messiah. But then things happened that made him think that he had put all of his trust in the wrong place.
Jesus had been arrested, even though he was all-powerful. Jesus had been tortured, even though he was God. It didn’t make any sense to Thomas.
Jesus had been crucified, even though he could walk on water and heal people of their diseases. And then he died, even though he could raise people from the dead. None of this made any sense to Thomas.
He had trusted in Jesus, but then all of these things happened that made it look like he had put his trust in the wrong place. Now he was skeptical. Now he was doubting.

Would you have been any different? Can you see yourself in Thomas? Why do you and I sometimes have doubts? Isn’t it because there are things that happen in life that make us wonder if we are putting our trust in the wrong place?
I believe in Jesus. But then my child dies. My spouse dies. I believe in Jesus. But then I get sick, and I don’t get better. I believe in Jesus. But then I lose my job, and I can’t find a new one, and I’m falling behind. I believe in Jesus. But bad things happen in my life, and they make me wonder – is there really a God?
All these things I have learned from the Bible – are they really true? Have I put my trust in the wrong place? Why am I a Christian? Do I really believe?

Where can I go when I have doubts? What should I do?

Jesus is the only cure. Jesus cured Thomas of his doubts. A week after Thomas doubted, Jesus appeared to him and said. “Stop doubting and believe.” Jesus made Thomas’ doubts go away. “My Lord and my God!” Thomas said. And then Jesus talked about you and me when he said to Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Do you see the cure for doubt here? It’s Jesus. If I am skeptical about things in the Bible, it doesn’t help if I go for a walk in the woods and think about my doubts.
It doesn’t help if I find other people who are skeptical just like me, and we all share our doubts together. What helps? What is the cure? It’s spending time with Jesus Christ, just as Thomas did in John chapter 20.

But how? Today, Jesus isn’t going to appear to you like he appeared to Thomas. If you want to spend time with him, you can find him in your Bible. You can find him in the Lord’s Supper. That’s where he will cure you of your doubts.

If I’m having a day when I’m wondering if anything I have ever believed is true, I can go to my Bible. I can read my Bible with an open mind. And there I find Jesus, and he says to me, “Peace be with you.” My doubts fade.

Today Jesus is invisible. You can’t see him with your physical eyes. But he is just as real as the oxygen you breathe. Just as real as the cell phone signal you can’t see. I believe in those things.
But even more, I believe in Jesus. I’ve never seen him, but he is my Lord, and my God. I believe that he was dead, and that he came to life again, and that he lives forever and ever. I’ve never seen heaven, but I believe it’s there. I believe that there is a resurrection from the dead, even if it’s the most unscientific thing in the world.

Even if everything I experience in this world tells me not to believe, I will still have faith. I will go to the Word, again and again. I will go to the Sacrament, again and again. I will go there, and that’s where Jesus will give me faith I need to believe that the impossible is true. Dear Lord, help me to believe in you. Amen.

Lazarus

2011-01-22T17:39:00.000-08:00

Lazarus
Word was sent that he was sick, Jesus says its ok his sickness will not end in death, it happened to bring about glory to God.
Any trial a believer faces can ultimately bring glory to God because God can bring good out of any bad situation.
When troubles come, do you grumble, complain, and blame God, or do you see your problems as opportunities to honor God?
Romans 8:28
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
We need to always remember that God is not working to make us happy but to fulfill his purpose.
This promise can only be claimed only by those who love God and have choice him to be there Lord and savior.
So Jesus stayed where he was for two more days. Then finally he told his disciples it was time, Lazarus is dead and they need to go see him.
His delay had a specific purpose. God’s timing, especially his delays, may make us think he is not answering or is not answering the way we want.
But he will meet all our needs according to his perfect schedule and purpose.
When Jesus arrived he was told that Lazarus had already been in his grave for four days. Martha came and met Jesus and told him if only who was here, my brother would not have died.
If Jesus had been with Lazarus during the final moments of Lazarus’s sickness, he might have healed him rather than let him die.
But Lazarus died so that Jesus power over death could be shown.
John 11:25-26
25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life.[a] Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?”
My question to you is the same. Do you believe this also?
Jesus has power over life and death as well as power to forgive sins.
He who is life can surely restore life.
Whoever believes in Christ has a spiritual life that death cannot conquer or diminish in anyway.
When we realize his power and how wonderful his offer to us really is, how can we not commit our lives to him?
Then Mary came to meet him and said the same thing” if only you were here, my brother would not of died”
It was at this time that Jesus seeing everyone crying and asked where they placed him that he began to cry himself.
We serve a God who truly cares. Jesus showed that he cares enough for us to weep with us in our sorrow.
according to Hebrews 4: 15, 16 where it says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

God comforts those go through troubles according to these words recorded in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
3 God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. We must understand that being “comforted” can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles.

Mary and Martha truly needed comfort for the lost of their brother but little did they know that Jesus was about to amaze the world with a demonstration of His power over death and was about to bring glory to His father’s name.
The Jesus said remove the stone and they warned him of the smell for he has been dead for four days already but he insisted.
The Jesus spoke his name Lazarus come forth and out he came.
Lazarus responded to Jesus voice ,will you come forth when he calls your name?
When all is said and done, only what God accomplished through us will really matter.
We will take little credit. Jesus worked in and around Lazarus just as he does with us.
We have Christ’s invitation to participate in his work, but we must not forget that he will do much more than we will know.
Lazarus resurrection poses an important question: When you die, do you fully expect that your next conscious experience will be hearing the voice of Jesus call your name?

Help make me a better preacher

2011-01-09T18:19:00.000-08:00

Text: 1 Kings 18:17-30

Introduction The trouble was not as said in 18:17 "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?" The trouble was a broken altar (V 30). The trouble in many churches is not the Pastor or the program. The trouble is "Broken Altars" in the lives of God's people. The purpose of an altar is: Worship; Sacrifice; Bring Offerings; God's people gather together; Meet God

In 1 Kings 18:30 the broken down altar was repaired by the man of God, even though it had been in that condition for many years.

Many Christians today need to repair some altars.

I. SOME NEED TO REPAIR THE ALTAR OF PREACHING
*** The Preacher is a better Preacher with a church full of faithful people***

A. Repair this altar by attendance Heb 10:25

1. Attend all the services
2. Bring the family

B. Repair this altar by paying attention Pro 4:20-23

C. Repair this altar by attitude Eph 4:30-32

1. Get right with God
2. Stay right with God

II. SOME NEED TO REPAIR THE ALTAR OF PRAYER
***The Preacher is a better Preacher with praying people***

A. Repair this altar with fervency Jas 5:16

1. White hot prayer
2. Heat of passion

B. Repair this altar frequently 1 Thes 5:17

C. Repair this altar by faith Mt 21:21

Faith is "having confidence that He who has promised is able to perform that which He has promised"

III. SOME NEED TO REPAIR THE ALTAR OF PURPOSE
***The Preacher is a better Preacher with a working, serving people***

A. Repair this altar by serving the Lord Ac 1:8

B. Repair this altar by soul winning Mt 28:18-20

C. Repair this altar by our sacrifice 2 Sam 24:24

IV. SOME NEED TO REPAIR THE ALTAR OF POWER WITH GOD
***The Preacher is a better Preacher with a Spiritual and Empowered people***

A. Repair this altar by having a right spirit Psa 51:10

B. Repair this altar by having right speech

2 Thes 3:11; Ps 141:3; 106:33

C. Repair this altar by having a right surrender

CONCLUSION:

"HARD CORE COMMITMENT"
It was taken from a note found on the desk of an African Martyr.

"I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit power.
The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been
made - I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back
away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future
is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, sight walking, smooth
knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving and
dwarfed goals.

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or
popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised,
regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by
patience, am uplifted by prayer and I labor with power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my
way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is
clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back,
deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate
in the presence of the enemy, pander at the pool of popularity, or meander
in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed
up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus.
I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work
until He stops me. And, when He comes for His own, He will have no problem
recognizing me...my banner will be clear.

I surrender

2011-01-09T06:04:00.001-08:00

How do I surrender to God?

When we hear the phrase "surrender to God" we might think that we are going to stop living. The truth is: we will start living! Surrendering to God doesn't mean living without a purpose. Instead, it means to start living with a purpose - the purpose that God has planned for us.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"

God is saying that He has a plan for our lives! We can give up our selfish desires, put our futures in the hands of God, and He will take us far beyond our dreams!

The book of James suggests that we "submit" or surrender to God. "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). Once again, we see that God desires that we give our lives and plans to Him 100 percent.

James not only touches the point of surrendering to God, but he links it with the second idea: resisting the devil. These two ideas go hand-in-hand. Surrendering to God is not easy and there will always be the temptation of returning to our own self. Even Jesus was tempted to not surrender His life to God's plan! But what happened? He resisted and the devil fled from Him.

Surrendering to God gives us a weapon to use against our enemy, the devil. Even when we are tempted to do our own will and live our lives in our own way, once we surrender to God, He will empower us to resist the devil.
Surrender to God - What's the Phrase Really Mean?
Surrender to God - it's a term you may have heard, but what does it mean, exactly? Surrender is not a word often associated with positive actions. After all, "surrender in the name of the law" usually means trouble for someone. And we know that when one side surrenders to another in battle, it's a sign they've given up any hope for victory.
Surrender means to yield ownership, to relinquish control over what we consider ours: our property, our time, and our "rights."
When we surrender to God, we are simply acknowledging that what we "own" actually belongs to Him.

He is the giver of all good things. We are responsible to care for what God has given us, as stewards of His property, but by surrendering to God, we admit that He is ultimately in control of everything, including our present circumstances.
Surrendering to God helps us to let go of whatever has been holding us back from God's best for our lives. By surrendering to God, we let go of whatever has kept us from wanting God's ways first.
Living Sacrifice - A Biblical Truth
As Christians, we're called to give ourselves to God as a "living sacrifice." The Apostle Paul helps us understand this truth in his letter to the believers in Rome:

1 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)
If you are struggling with total surrender to God, talk to God about your thoughts, feelings, and resistance. Surrendering to God means that we yield our ownership . . .we relinquish control of our time, our property, our career. Anything that we consider as “rights.” We acknowledge what we thought was ours, is actually Gods. We are simply caretakers. We acknowledge that He knows best. We want His perfect plan!
Mark 14:35-36 Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. “Abba Father,” He said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.

How to invite people to church

2011-01-02T14:37:00.000-08:00

HOW TO INVITE PEOPLE TO CHURCH
It is a fact that only five percent ever lead someone to Christ. This means that only 5 out of 100, or 1 in 20, will lead someone to Christ.

But it is every Christian’s job to lead people to Christ, and part of that responsibility lies in inviting people to Church. Why should you invite people to church? There are at least five reasons:

1. They will hear the gospel at church; some may even get saved at church
2. They will connect with Christians at church
3. Felt and real needs may be met at church
4. Your church will grow by you inviting others
5. People are more likely to come to church when invited by an individual

Most Christians are nervous, or even a little “afraid” to invite people to church. They fear rejection, the loss of a friendship, or may feel that they will “mess things” up, due to a perceived lack of competence in this area. But you can invite others to church! You will be successful at this! People you love may come to Christ, and the church that you love may grow!

Inviting people to church is not so much evangelism (soul winning) as it is pre-evangelism.

Inviting people to church is not complex, and a simple “plan” may help you feel more assured and confident, and will certainly increase your effectiveness. I call this the 12-Step Plan to Inviting People to Church.

Step One: Have a Right Relationship with God

You must be right with God before you can genuinely and effectively invite others to church or to know Him. Let’s face it; if you feel that things are not right between you and God, you will not invite others to church. If you are truly right with God, you will certainly want to invite others to church!

Step Two: Have a Right Relationship with Those in Your Church
Likewise, you must be right with the people in your church. No one who is at odds with their brothers and sisters can effectively invite others to that contentious congregation. Be right with others, and you will surely want to see your church grow.

Step Three: Maintain a Positive Testimony before Others

Your testimony at work, in your neighborhood, at school, in your family, and in society will have a great effect on people’s response to your invitations to church. When people see that you truly love God and others, they will be more likely to respond to your invitations to church.

Step Four: Pray That God will give you a Burden for Lost People

You must truly love people to reach out to them. If you believe that people must be saved through Christ to go to heaven, and if you believe that people who die without Christ will go to hell, then you must have a burden that reflects this belief. If you don’t have such a burden, pray for it; God will give it to you! Remember, “You have not because you ask not.”

Step Five: Pray Consistently Regarding the Opportunity to Invite People to Church

Each day ask God to open doors for you that you might invite others to church (or to Christ). Pray that you will recognize those opportunities when they arise. Finally, pray that you will have the courage to follow through when God opens a door of opportunity. Look for windows in conversations.

Listen for “life-events,” such as crises, trauma, conflict, or others, that may predispose someone to be more open to a church invitation. It is not rocket science; simply “ask.” Say, “My church may be a place that will help right now; won’t you be my guest this Sunday?”

Step Six: Try to Understand Lost People as Much as Possible

The biggest error many Christians make regarding their relationship with lost people is failing to understand how lost people think. Try to “stay in tune” with how your friends and relatives “think.”

Read popular contemporary novels, listen to some secular music, watch some blockbuster movies, and just “listen” to what’s “out there.” The better you understand them, the better you can relate to them; the better you relate to them, the more effective you will be in reaching them. You can be in the world without being of it.

Step Seven: Get to Know “FRAN.”
FRAN stands for “friends, relatives, associates, and neighbors.” Make a list of all of these you would like to invite to church and get to know them better. Pray over this list, think about this list, and strategize how you will approach the people on your FRAN list.

Step Eight: Get to Really Know Your Church

You should really know your church. Know its purpose, mission, and vision. Know its programs. Know its facilities. Especially know the people at your church. Pay attention to your bulletin, and keep up with your church’s events. Surf your church’s website your church’s services, and participate in your church’s ministries. The better you know your church, the more effective you will be in inviting people to it.

Step Nine: Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan

People don’t plan to fail; they fail to plan. The same is true when it comes to inviting people to church. Most people simply don’t “plan” to do it. Be intentional about inviting others. Make a list of “prospects.”

Think ahead of time how you will approach them. Build relationships that will open doors to conversations about faith. Hand out tracts, send cards or notes, and leave brochures or bulletins. “Plan” on reaching people and I am sure you will!

Step ten: Be Prepared to Be Persistent

The honest truth is most people you invite to church will not respond the first time. Don’t be discouraged. They are not rejecting you. They are just as afraid as you are! If someone puts you off or flat out rejects your invitation, try again later.

Use courtesy and old-fashioned common sense, but don’t quit on them! Also, keep in mind that you must invite many people to church to see one come! On a daily basis invite a few (or many), and in time you will see many of your invitees at church worshipping God!

Step Eleven: Have Faith that God Will Bless Your Efforts

It us up to us to “plant and water,” but it is up to God to “bring the increase.” Leave the results of your efforts in God’s hands. Have faith that He will honor your sincere attempts to reach lost people for Him. Have faith; God uses it!

Step Twelve: Share with Others What God is Doing Through Your Ministry of Inviting Others to Church

Be sure to share with others in your church about what God is doing in your ministry of reaching out to others. This will encourage them, challenge them, and perhaps give them confidence that they can do it, too! Remember, the more people who invite others to church, the more who will come to Christ!

Don’t let the 12-Step Plan intimidate you; it can all be summed up in the ABCs of inviting others to your church:

A- Always look for opportunities to invite others
B- Be ready to seize the opportunity when it arises
C- Communicate in such a way that says you care
D- Don’t be pushy; there may be future opportunities

The Christmas Story

2010-12-19T13:56:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Story of the Birth of Jesus - Paraphrased from the Bible:
References:
Matthew 1:18-25; Matthew 2:1-12; Luke 1:26-38; Luke 2:1-20.
The Conception of Jesus Foretold
Mary, a virgin, was living in Galilee of Nazareth and was engaged to be married to Joseph, a Jewish carpenter. An angel visited her and explained to her that she would conceive a son by the power of the Holy Spirit. She would carry and give birth to this child and she would name him Jesus.
At first Mary was afraid and troubled by the angel's words. Being a virgin, Mary questioned the angel, "How will this be?" The angel explained that the child would be God's own Son and, therefore, "nothing is impossible with God." Humbled and in awe, Mary believed the angel of the Lord and rejoiced in God her Savior.
Surely Mary reflected with wonder on the words found in Isaiah 7:14 foretelling this event, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (NIV)
Sing “Mary did you know”
The Birth of Jesus:
While Mary was still engaged to Joseph, she miraculously became pregnant through the Holy Spirit, as foretold to her by the angel. When Mary told Joseph she was pregnant, he had every right to feel disgraced. He knew the child was not his own, and Mary's apparent unfaithfulness carried a grave social stigma. Joseph not only had the right to divorce Mary, under Jewish law she could be put to death by stoning.
Although Joseph's initial reaction was to break the engagement, the appropriate thing for a righteous man to do, he treated Mary with extreme kindness. He did not want to cause her further shame, so he decided to act quietly. But God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream to verify Mary's story and reassure him that his marriage to her was God's will. The angel explained that the child within Mary was conceived by the Holy Spirit, that his name would be Jesus and that he was the Messiah, God with us.
When Joseph woke from his dream, he willingly obeyed God and took Mary home to be his wife, in spite of the public humiliation he would face. Perhaps this noble quality is one of the reasons God chose him to be the Messiah's earthly father.
Joseph too must have wondered in awe as he remembered the words found in Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (NIV)
At that time, Caesar Augustus decreed that a census be taken, and every person in the entire Roman world had to go to his own town to register. Joseph, being of the line of David, was required to go to Bethlehem to register with Mary. While in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to Jesus. Probably due to the census, the inn was too crowded, and Mary gave birth in a crude stable. She wrapped the baby in cloths and placed him in a manger.
Sing” Away in the manger”
The Shepherd's Worship the Savior:
Out in the fields, an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds who were tending their flocks of sheep by night. The angel announced that the Savior had been born in the town of David. Suddenly a great host of heavenly beings appeared with the angels and began singing praises to God. As the angelic beings departed, the shepherds decided to travel to Bethlehem and see the Christ-child.
There they found Mary, Joseph and the baby, in the stable. After their visit, they began to spread the word about this amazing child and everything the angel had said about him. They went on their way still praising and glorifying God. But Mary kept quiet, treasuring their words and pondering them in her heart. It must have been beyond her ability to grasp, that sleeping in her arms—the tender child she had just borne—was the Savior of the world.
Sing “Go tell it on the mountain”
The Magi Bring Gifts:
After Jesus' birth, Herod was king of Judea. At this time wise men (Magi) from the east saw a star, they came in search, knowing the star signified the birth of the king of the Jews. The wise men came to the Jewish rulers in Jerusalem and asked where the Christ was to be born. The rulers explained, "In Bethlehem in Judea," referring to Micah 5:2. Herod secretly met with the Magi and asked them to report back after they had found the child. Herod told the Magi that he too wanted to go and worship the babe. But secretly Herod was plotting to kill the child.
So the wise men continued to follow the star in search of the new born king and found Jesus with his mother in Bethlehem. (Most likely Jesus was already two years of age by this time.) They bowed and worshipped him, offering treasures of gold, incense and myrrh. When they left, they did not return to Herod. They had been warned in a dream of his plot to destroy the child.
Sing “We three Kings”
You see even from birth Jesus was hated by the world. This holiday season lets show him that we don’t hate him and that we love and adore him. And the way that we do that is by…

Keeping Christ in Christmas:
The number one way to keep Jesus Christ in your Christmas celebrations is to have him present in your daily life. If you're not sure what it means to become a believer in Christ let me tell you, all that means is that you are asking him to forgive you of all your sins and accept him as your personal Lord and Savior.
If you've already accepted Jesus as your Savior and made him the center of your life, keeping Christ in Christmas is more about the way you live your life than the things you say—such as "Merry Christmas" versus "Happy Holidays."
Keeping Christ in Christmas means daily revealing the character, love and spirit of Christ that dwells in you, by allowing these traits to shine through your actions. I would like to share with you a simple way to keep Christ the central focus of your life this Christmas season.
1) Give God one very special gift just from you to him:
Let this gift be something personal that no one else needs to know about, and let it be a sacrifice. David said in 2 Samuel 24 that he would not offer a sacrifice to God that cost him nothing.
Maybe your gift to God will be to forgive someone you've needed to forgive for a long time. You may discover that you've given a gift back to yourself.

Corrie Ten Boom, a Christian who survived extreme brutality in a German concentration camp after rescuing many Jews from certain death during the Nazi Holocaust, was later able to say, "Forgiveness is to set a prisoner free, and to realize the prisoner was you."
Perhaps your gift will be to commit to spending time with God daily. Or maybe there is something God has asked you to give up. Make this your most important gift of the season.
There is an old saying that says it is far better to give than to receive. The amazing thing with Jesus is that whenever you give something to Him you will always receive something far greater in return.
Rather it is simple forgiveness for our sins, peace that passes all understanding, unconditional love, joy unspeakable, a special healing, or an answer to prayer. We can never out give God.
He has given us the greatest give of all Jesus Christ. John 3:16 say it with me.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Lets us never forget the gift that was born to us that one O Holy night and what an impact that child has made on each and ever one of us.
Sing “O Holy night”
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

A simple way to save the world

2010-12-18T19:56:00.000-08:00

Ever one today is talking about going green and trying to save the world.
Google has unveiled a $4 trillion plan detailing how it thinks the US should transition to a low carbon economy.
The wide-reaching strategy sets out a series of proposals designed to wean the US's energy network off coal and oil by 2030 and cut cars' use of fossil fuels by 40 per cent by the same date.
Under the strategy Google proposes the implementation of stricter building codes, a commitment to expand wind and solar tax credits, and the development of a US carbon cap-and-trade system, built around carefully allocated emission permits and a stable carbon price.

The new policy document is the latest in a series of initiatives from the search giant designed to help tackle climate change.

Sounds like a lot of planning going forth to try to save the world we currently live in. Not to mention a lot of money.
Gods plan to save the world was so much simpler.
John 3:16 says “ for God so loved the world that he sent His one and only son that who whoever believes in him shall not perish but have ever lasting life. For God did not send his son to judge the world but to save it.
God used just a simple man of trade. With all the rulers in the world he choice (Joseph).
God also used just an ordinary girl (Mary).
Who see he didn’t need some fancy facility to be born in, he had a simple bed of hay.
He didn’t need the most elite to come and celebrate his birth when he used simple lonely shepherds.
Even though God is all knowing and powerful his plan for each and every one of us is a simple one.
All he wants is that we love him and accept his gift of salvation that he willing gives us.
This Christmas I can almost bet every single one of us will receive at least one gift and how silly it would be not to mention how offended the giver would be if we refused it.
Choice today to accept Gods simple plan for your life and receive his gift of his son.

Hope

2010-12-11T09:05:00.001-08:00

Christmas is a holiday full of hopes - hopes of family reconciliations, hopes of picture-perfect celebrations, hopes of getting certain presents. Some of our hopes are fulfilled; others are not. But hoping in God is always a sure bet; people will let us down, but He never will. Let's look at what the word of God has to say about hope.

Today's message is facing dead hopes.
There are a lot of people who struggle this time of year. This is a time of incredible hope, incredible joy, promises, and yet, at a time like this, we are kind of reminded in a fresh and painful way at the many things that aren't moving in our lives, things in our personal lives, things in families, families that are separated because of war or because of tensions within the family, problems with our job.
In a time like that we have to think about what does it mean to hope in God when we are facing these struggles and difficulties?
And so today, we are going to be looking at Zechariah and Elizabeth. I want to read to you just one little small verse about them. It says in Chapter 1 (the angel is talking to Zechariah).
"But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John."
Zechariah was the father of John the Baptist, and husband of Elizabeth. He was a priest belonging to the order of Abijah. While he was offering incense in the Temple, the angel Gabriel appeared to him, and told him that his wife Elizabeth who had been barren for many years would give birth to a son, and the son's name would be John. Zechariah, who was an old man, did not believe the angel, and because of his disbelief, was struck dumb unable to speak, until the prophecy was fulfilled.
With the events leading up to Jesus birth can be summarized by the words “God can do anything”.
Hope is not what you expect; it is what you would never dream. It is a wild, improbable tale with a pinch- me- I’m dreaming ending.
Hope is not a granted wish or favor performed: no it is far greater than that.
Sometimes we feel there is no hope. But with God there is always hope. Remember, He has unlimited resources. He can see what we can't. With Him truly nothing is impossible.
God Understands
Matt 26:38 Then He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me." (NASB)
Did you ever feel like your world had just ended. I know I have. And if you haven't, well you just haven't lived long enough yet.
Jesus was facing the most terrible moment in history. He was approaching the time when, as He bore the sin of the world, the Father would turn His back on Jesus.
From before the beginning of time the Son and the Father had been in perfect fellowship - never apart - and that was about to change.
If you have ever lost a close relative or friend, if you have ever been punished for something you had not done, then Jesus has walked that path and understands. Jesus suffered the loss of his friend Lazerus.
He went without food and drink and was tempted beyond our understanding. His authority was questioned by those who had authority in name only. And, He took the punishment for each of our debt of sin.
There are many who are dealing with very difficult circumstances. If you are one of them and feel that no one can possibly understand your pain, then know three things.
First, there is no situation that God is not in control. He may indeed have you where you are for a reason.
Second, He loves you. The Lord will not forsake you.
Third, He knows exactly where you are and how you feel because He has suffered the same trials and temptations you are dealing with today.
Heb 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. (NASB)
This is an amazing truth for all of us to take to heart. The Creator of the Universe somehow put on our humanity and frailty to win us back from eternal punishment.
And, in the process, walked the same paths we walk every day and experienced all the joys and sorrows we experience. We can bring everything from a skinned knee to a crushed and broken heart to Him and He understands.
Romans 15:13 (New Living Translation)
13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
What are your greatest dreams? Remember, God can do anything, and he loves to fulfill dreams. Ask God to show you what he wants you to do, and then ask him for the power and courage to do it.
Luke 1:30-38 (New Century Version)
30 The angel said to her, "Don't be afraid, Mary; God has shown you his grace.31 Listen! You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of King David, his ancestor.33 He will rule over the people of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end."
34 Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen since I am a virgin?"
35 The angel said to Mary, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you. For this reason the baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God.36 Now Elizabeth, your relative, is also pregnant with a son though she is very old. Everyone thought she could not have a baby, but she has been pregnant for six months.37 God can do anything!"
38 Mary said, "I am the servant of the Lord. Let this happen to me as you say!" Then the angel went away.
When you say a situation or a person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God.”

Trust God's plan

2010-12-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

THE TABLECLOTH

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in suburban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities.

When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work. They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc. and on Dec 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On Dec 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm - hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.

On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, handmade, ivory colored, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church. By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc., to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry.

The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet. "Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crocheted into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the Tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. She was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again. The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church.

The pastor insisted on driving her home that was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job. What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone
at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn’t leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike. He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for her safety, and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a prison. He never saw his wife or his home again all the 35
years in between. The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman’s apartment, knocked on the door and he saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (New International Version, ©2010)
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Does everything about life make sense to you? Are you comfortable with everything you see taking place?
Because we often do not think like Him, and because we do not have His perfect perspective, we often do not exactly know what God is doing. Only in hindsight do we understand what is occurring in our personal life, to the church, or in the world in the outworking of prophecy. So we must trust Him, and in the meantime weigh what is happening and its possible outcome.
Submit to God’s sovereignty
A. Sovereign: Above or superior to all others/Supreme in power, rank or authority.
B. God works in His own time and way, (Isaiah 55:8-9).
C. God’s sovereignty is expressed in our life in the form of His will.
D. However God is not irresponsible. He always works all things towards a goal.
E. Do you know God is sovereign in your present situation? (Sickness, Financial issues etc.)
F. Do you know that God is working through your problem to work towards the Goal He has set for your life?
. Conclusion
The very situation that you are facing right now could be a trial of endurance and change. God makes His children to walk through such times because it’s the only way to prepare you to meet God’s plan for your life. To take away what is unnecessary, and shape up your character and attitudes.
But God never forsakes or leaves behind His children at these times of correction. He is with you because He wants to renew your strength at the end of the trial period.
Isaiah 40:28-31 (New International Version, ©2010)

28 Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of all the earth.
He never grows weak or weary.
No one can measure the depths of his understanding.
29 He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
30 Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah describes God’s power to create, his provision to sustain, and his presence to help.
God is almighty and all powerful: but even so, he cares for each of us personally.
We describe God as best we can with our limited knowledge and language, but we only limit our understanding of him and his power when we compare him to what we experience on earth.
Don’t limit his work in your life by underestimating him.
Even the strongest people get tired at times, but Gods power and strength never dimish . He is never too tired or too busy to help and listen.
His strength is our source of strength. When you feel all of life’s crushing you and you cannot go another step, remember that you can call upon God to renew your strength.
Trusting in the Lord is the patient expectation that God will fulfill his promises in his word and strengthen us to raise above life’s difficulties.
Do you believe God loves you and wants the best for you?
Can you relax, confident that his purposes are right?
Are you convinced that he has the power to control all of life- and your life as well?
Though your faith may be struggling or weak, accept his provisions and care for you.

Overwelmed ?

2010-11-26T10:00:00.000-08:00

On Jan 25, 1990, Avianca Flight 52 from Colombia crashed just 15 miles short of New York's Kennedy International Airport, killing 73 passengers. Reason: the plane just ran out of gas. Under international regulations, an airliner must carry enough fuel to reach its destination as well as its assigned alternate, plus enough extra to handle at least 45 minutes of delays. Due to low fuel condition, the Avianca pilots had requested "priority" (not "emergency") landing. Because the exact word "emergency" was not used, and due to heavy traffic and bad weather conditions, the ill-fated plane was placed on a holding pattern...until it simply ran out of gas.
Source Unknown.
________________________________________
A first-grader wondered why her father brought home a briefcase full of work every evening. Her mother explained, "Daddy has so much to do that he can't finish it all at the office." "Well, then," asked the child innocently, "why don't they put him in a slower group?"
Do you have too many problems staring you in the face? Too much to do and not enough time and energy to tackle what needs to be done? If so, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed. But there are ways out.
Matthew 11:28-30:
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
A yoke is a heavy wooden harness that fits over the shoulders of an ox or oxen.
It is attached to a piece of equipment the oxen are to pull. A person may be carrying heavy burdens around themselves. Jesus came to free people from all these burdens.
The rest that Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God, not the end of all labor. A relationship with God changes meaningless, wearisome toil into spiritual productivity and purpose.

In what sense was Jesus yoke easy? The yoke emphasizes the challenges, work, and difficulties of partnering with Christ in life.
Responsibilities weigh us down, even the effort of staying true to God. But Jesus yoke remains easy compared to the crushing alternative.
Jesus doesn’t offer a life of luxurious ease- the yoke is still an oxen’s tool for working hard.
But it’s a shared yoke, with weight falling on bigger shoulders than yours.
Someone with more pulling power is up front helping. Suddenly you are participating in life’s responsibilities with a great Partner- and now that frown can turn into a smile, and that gripe into a song.
All of us will have trouble in this world from time to time, and on this fact we can all agree; however, Jesus tells us in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world." Notice that He did not say that we might have trouble in this world, but instead, He specifically says that we will have trouble.
In spite of the inevitable struggles we will face, we will not face them alone. Jesus does not abandon us to our struggles. If we remember that the ultimate victory has already been won, we can claim the peace of Christ in our most troublesome times.

Be still, and know that I am God: (Psalm 46:10) Take time each day to be still and to honor God.

Stress!!! How to deal

2010-11-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

What happens when you are stressed?
Stress is what you feel when you have to handle more than you are used to. When you are stressed, your body responds as though you are in danger. It makes hormones that speed up your heart, make you breathe faster, and give you a burst of energy. This is called the fight-or-flight stress response.

Some stress is normal and even useful. It can help if you need to work hard or react quickly. For example, it can help you win a race or finish an important job on time.
But if stress happens too often or lasts too long, it can have bad effects. It can be linked to headaches, an upset stomach, back pain, or trouble sleeping.

It can weaken your immune system, making it harder to fight off disease. If you already have a health problem, stress may make it worse. It can make you moody, tense, or depressed. Your relationships may suffer, and you may not do well at work or school.

How can you relieve stress?
You will feel better if you can find ways to get stress out of your system. The best ways to relieve stress are different for each person

How to deal with stress
Matthew 6:34 says, don’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.

Planning for tomorrow is time well spent. Worrying about tomorrow is time wasted.

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell the difference. Careful planning is thinking ahead about goals, steps, and schedules, and trusting in God’s guidance.

Worriers by contrast are consumed by fear and find it difficult to trust God. They let their plans interfere with their relationship with God. Don’t let worries about tomorrow affect your relationship with God today.

1. Concentrate on things that are calming.

Philippians 4:8-9 says fix your thoughts of what is true, and honorable, and right and pure and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice, all you’ve learned and received from me-everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

It’s not enough to hear and read the Word of God, or even know it well. We must also put it into practice .How easy it is to listen to a sermon and forget what the preacher said.

How easy is it to read the Bible and not think about how to live differently? How easy it is to debate what a passage means and not live out that meaning. Exposure to God’s Word is not enough. It must lead to obedience.

A. Today’s society is caught up in noise and confusion. And its music is loud and thunderous; its entertainment is explosive, sometimes destructive.

B. Deal with stress, by concentrating on calming influences. Such as go on a nature walk; gaze upon a flowing river, calming things brings relaxation.

C. Listen to the soothing hymns of the church. Pray and fellowship with God while meditating on his promises.

2. Cooperate with inevitable (incapable of being avoided) conditions

Romans 8:28 says and we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

God works in everything-not just isolated incidents-for our good. This does not mean that all that happens to us is good. Evil is prevalent in our fallen world, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long range good.

Note that God is not working to make us happy but to fulfill his purpose.

A. Many Christians suffer stress, because they struggle with and fight against inevitable conditions.

B. Jesus conquered stress because he did not fret about difficult situation. He simply turned in possibilities into opportunities. We should do likewise.

C. Sometimes we must accept situations that we are powerless to change, doing our best and trusting God for the rest.

Serenity Prayer:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can
and wisdom to know the difference
Living one day at a time
Enjoying one moment at a time
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.

3. Comfort others, who have complaints,

Second Corinthians 1:4 says, he comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

Many think that when God comforts us, our trouble should go away. But if that were always so, people would turn to God only out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for him.

We must understand that being comforted can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles.

The more we suffer the more comfort God gives us. If you are feeling overwhelmed, allow God to comfort you. Remember that every trial you endure will help you comfort other people who are suffering similar troubles.

A. Many Christians fail to comfort others as they should. They are too concerned about selfish interests.

B. Jesus cared about the difficulties of others he healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, and for gave the sinful.

C. We should get involved in helping the less fortunate also. Comforting others who have problems will also help to solve our own complaints.

4. Constantly trust God with all our concerns.

Psalms 6: 8says trust in him at all times.

A. If we are to conquer stress, we should be aware of God’s presence at all times. We do not always feel his presence, but through faith we know He is near.

B. We are able to trust God, because we are not alone. He promised, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

C. We must also yield ourselves to God’s will, letting him do his work through us, carrying the responsibility.

Romans 6:13 says do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead give yourself completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.

Will you give yourself completely to God, asking him to put you to good use for his glory?

Diamonds take time and stress - diamonds are produced from coal that outlasted the pressures placed upon them.

Second Corinthians 4:8 says We are experiencing trouble on every side, 1 but are not crushed; we are perplexed but not driven to despair;.

Though we may feel we are at the end of a rope, we are never at the end of our hope.

Presentation of the Keys

2010-10-30T19:54:00.001-07:00

Presentation of the Keys of the Building
For The Sweda Group, I present the keys of this building to the Mayor of Elyria, may this building always be a positive influence on your community.
Acceptance of the keys of the building
On behalf of the city of Elyria, I Mayor Grace accept these keys. I now present the keys of this building to the Board and Elders of Church of the New Harvest, assuring you it is worthy of the holy use for which it is intended, a house of worship and a beacon to this community.
Acceptance of the keys of the building
On behalf of the board and Elders, we receive these keys symbolizing our acceptance of this building purchased for the congregation of this church, to be set apart from common uses to the worship of God, the preaching and teaching of the Gospel of Christ.
Presentation of the Church building to the congregation
On behalf of the board and Elders, I do now pass the keys of this church, constructed for the purpose of worship, fellowship, teaching, and preaching, to the congregation of Church of the New Harvest, to be used as the church home of this congregation. I would urge everyone to show in their daily lives a testimony of the Spirit of our Lord and Savior, and bear witness in this community to the mission and message of Christ whose name we delight in.
Acceptance of the church home of Church of the New Harvest
As a member of Church of the New Harvest and an elder, I accept these keys. This congregation is aware of the great responsibility that has been placed upon it, and is ready to make a covenant with God to use this church home for the purpose intended. I now present this building to our minister to be dedicated to the Glory of God and His divine purposes.
Minister:
We are indeed thankful that God has stirred the hearts of His people to provide this building for us, and we know that He is the one who has made a way where there seemed to be no way and may He continue to bless this opportunity. With gratitude we receive it for its intended use.
Let us now proceed to set it apart for its proper and holy uses, to the praise and honor of God and to service this community in the loving spirit of Christ our Lord. Let us humbly unite our hearts in fervent prayer, thanking God for His goodness, and seeking His blessing.
The People shout: Grace; Grace to it, may God bless it! May God bless it!
Open door and pastor and family lead people in.
I was glad when they said to me, “let us go to the house of the Lord”.
Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Psalms 127:1
Praise and worship
Back towards the end of May some of you may remember coming here and claiming this building as our church. Well here we are!!!
21 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. 22 You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
There may have been a mountain standing in front of us when it come to attaining this building but we had the faith to believe we received.
Do you remember when I asked everyone to close their eyes and picture us in this building?
I said if you can see it you need to have the faith to believe it. Well look around and see what your Lord has done!!
Mark 11:23-24:
23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.
Zechariah 4:6-10:
6 Then he said to me, “This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 7 Nothing, not even a mighty mountain, will stand in Zerubbabel’s way; it will become a level plain before him! And when Zerubbabel sets the final stone of the Temple in place, the people will shout: ‘May God bless it! May God bless it!’ Hebrew ‘Grace, grace to it.’
Zerubbabel was given the responsibility of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem and he saw that the task was carried out. Much like us here at Church of the New Harvest.
How many of you know it is only through God’s spirit that anything of lasting value is accomplished. We here were determined, not to trust in our own strength or abilities. Instead we depended on God and we worked in the power of his spirit!
8 Then another message came to me from the Lord: 9 “Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me. 10 Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.”
Sure there may be bigger and more beautiful buildings that that doesn’t mean they are better.
What you do for God may seem small and insignificant at the time, but God rejoices in what is right, not necessary in what is big. Be faithful in the small opportunities. Begin where you are and do what you can, and leave the results to God.
And if you don’t believe me just look what God has all ready done.
All He ask is that we make a commitment to serving Him.
A quote” Until I am committed there is a hesitancy, a chance to draw back. But the moment I definitely commit myself, then God commits Himself also, and whole streams of events erupt. All manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings, persons and material assistance- which I never would have dreamed would come my way- begin to flow toward me the moment I make a commitment.”
Prov 16:3 says “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Endurance

2010-10-18T16:13:00.001-07:00

Endurance means to outlast the problem.
To endure means to stay under something because God is saying don’t run away from it.

Only when God says that he is finished - only then should we move on.

Many people are running away because they are uncomfortable with their present situation but God is not saying to run or leave he’s saying stay under that authority in that difficulty place, don’t run because it’s hard, He wants to do a work in you and He isn’t finished with you here yet.

He may even have you in this place for someone else’s benefit.

There will be times in our lives when we will have to stay somewhere that’s uncomfortable to us for someone else’s benefit.

God will give you the strength and power that you will need to endure.

If we will endure we will also reign with Him.

James 1 tells us that trials are valuable.
James 1:2-Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

It’s during trials that we learn to lean on Jesus and to dig in deeper and deeper.

The Bible doesn’t say if troubles come your way but when it does. He assumes that we will have troubles and that it is possible to profit from them.

The point is not to pretend to be happy when we face pain but to have a positive outlook because of what troubles can produce in our life.

The Bible tells us to turn our hardships into times of learning.

In Gods school no one flunks out we just keep taking the test over and over again until we pass the test he has for us.

Trials also tempt us to show forth any bad character that we have in us.

We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. It’s easy to be kind to others when everything is going well, but can we still be kind when others are treating us unfairly?

God wants to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from all pain. Instead of complaining about our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth.

Tough times can teach us perseverance.

Thank God for promising to be with us in rough times.

Ask him to help you solve your problems or give you strength to endure them. Then be patient.

Patience is not waiting its how you behave while you are waiting.

Hebrews 6:12:
12 Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance.

John 16:33:
33I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]

God is tearing down strong holds in our lives called:

Deception: When the enemy sends deception your way, it is an attempt to deceive you into believing something that is not true, so you will fall into error.

Strongholds are built through deception. A stronghold is formed when deception takes hold in a person's mind. A stronghold is an incorrect thinking pattern that stems from believing something that is not true.

Temptations: When the enemy tempts you, he's showing you the worm... but behind that worm is a hook. The Word of God helps you see the hook behind the worm.

Accusations: The devil is known as the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10). He is known to take a believer who has done an embarrassing or gross sin in their past, and continue to rub it in their faces and beat them down with guilt and condemnation over their past.

God will always finish the work he begun in us.

Sometimes we can’t see the finished product because Satan blocks are view - with fear, doubt or any other lies he may say. Are response should be Satan get thee behind me.

When Your Hut's on Fire....

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island.
He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him.

Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions.

One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky.

He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost.

He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?"

Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island!

It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

Hebrews 12:1-4:
Hebrews 12
God’s Discipline Proves His Love
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

The Christian life isn’t easy and involves hard work. It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, and to run with endurance.

To live effectively we must keep our eyes on Jesus, we will stumble if we look away to stare at ourselves or our circumstances surrounding us.

Will you say this morning I am moving forward and will you receive what God has for you today.

One Body, Many Parts

2010-10-09T11:32:00.001-07:00

THE CHURCH:
MANY MEMBERS, ONE BODY

Intro.
1. Two extreme attitudes in the church: “I can do everything” & “I can’t do anything.” Both attitudes are wrong: One is borne of pride & selfishness; the other of not knowing the value of every saint.

2. Have you ever seen posters in doctor’s office of human body (names, systems, etc.).
1 Cor. 12:12-31One Body with Many Parts
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.
14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. 28 Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
first are apostles,
second are prophets,
third are teachers,
then those who do miracles,
those who have the gift of healing,
those who can help others,
those who have the gift of leadership,
those who speak in unknown languages.
29 Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? 30 Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! 31 So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.
But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

3. – Holy Spirit gives us a “poster” of the body of Christ the (church), displaying its unity as individual parts join together to function harmoniously & effectively as a church of Christ.

I. WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST - 12:27.
A. The Church is One Body with Many Members –
1. Baptized into one body –
-We all share a common faith, conversion, fellowship & goal.

2. Body can grow & function effectively –Ephesians 4:15-16:
15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. ;

B. The Body Illustrates Our Unity in Christ –
Ephesian 4:3-6:
3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. 4 For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. 5 There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 and one God and Father, who is over all and in all and living through all.),
1. The local church is to be united –
2. The church is not to be a “battle zone”!
(Example of a team)

II. THE BODY (CHURCH): MANY MEMBERS.
A. God has designed the Church (body) to achieve His Purposes – (Applied to miraculous gifts – 12:1-12)
1. Different gifts – Same Spirit – 12:4. There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all (we all have been blessed)

2. Different ministries – Same Lord – 12:5There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. (We render diff. services)

3. Different activities (works) – Same God – 12:6God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us.. (thru diff. ways)

-Illus. with human body-
B. Each Member of the Body of Christ:

1. Is vital – [You are valuable in the church! What you do is valuable to the church!]
a. Young person who sets a godly example.
b. Elderly saint whose endurance inspires others.
c. The mother who teaches her children the ways of God.
d. The father who leads his house in righteousness.
e. The class teacher, preacher, song leader, prayer, etc.
2. Is needed –
a. - No one is to be a “church boss” – a dominating Diotrephes – 3 Jno. 9. (cf. intimidation, manipulation, etc.)
b. – Weaker members are necessary, too. (Humility toward all is crucial for our success! – Rom. 12:3 tells us don’t think we are better than we really are.

3. Is honorable –
a. Opinionated “ranking” of importance among brethren is wrong!
b. Just as we adorn our body so that all parts are honorably presented (modest), God has arranged the body of Christ (church) in such a way that the honor of every member is displayed – cf. how we treat one another & others – Jas. 2:1-4. 1 My dear brothers and sisters,[a] how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?
2 For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting[b] dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. 3 If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, “You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor”—well, 4 doesn’t this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives?

4. has mutual care for one another –
a. – Where there is division this is impossible! (cf. helping one another remain faithful –
Gal. 6:1-2; 1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 1 Ths. 5:14.
b. – In Christ, there is an intertwining of our care for one another, dependence upon each other, our devotion to each other in joy & sorrow, in pleasure & pain, in life & death – of our lives together in Christ! - Rom. 12:5 (we are members of one another!),

III. APPLYING THE PRINCIPLE.
A. We Must Respect Our Head (Christ) in All Things – Col. 3:17.

1. In what we believe, teach and practice.
2. Insist on Bible authority – by it our Head directs us!

B. We Must Do Our Part So the Body Properly Functions – Eph. 4:16. “16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.
1. Individuals function which works for the good of the whole.
2. When you or I do not do our part the body suffers!
a. Are you teaching or will you be teaching a Bible class?
b. Are you praying for your brethren?
c. Are you encouraging others in word & actions?
d. Are you burying your blessings instead of using them to help the church & glorify our Lord?
e. Are you using or abusing the gift of time the Lord gives us?

C. We Must Endeavor to Keep Unity Among Us –
1. So that no formal division in or separation from a church or religious body occurs – .
2. A fractured body is unable to function adequately, it takes a long time to heal, and without proper care leads to a lifetime of pain!

Conclusion
1. None of us can do everything, but all of us can do something!
2. May everything we do honor Christ & His body, the church.

Defeating Negativism

2010-09-25T12:48:00.000-07:00

Defeating Negativism

Philippians 4:8:
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

What we put in our mind determines what comes out in our words and actions.

We need to examine what we are putting into our minds through TV, internet , books , conversations , movies, and magazines. Replace harmful input with wholesome material.

Above all, read Gods word and pray.

1. By Your Decisions

Deuteronomy 30:19:
19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

Moses challenged Israel to choose life, to obey God, and therefore to continue to experience his blessings.

God doesn’t force his will on anyone. He lets us decide to follow him or reject him.

This decision, however, is a life or death matter. God wants us to realize this , for he would like us all to choose life. Daily, in each new situation, we must affirm and reinforce this commitment.
A. Some people have a negative attitude. Their pessimism brings unhappiness to both themselves and others.

B. You can be optimistic. By deliberate action of your will you can decide to have a positive outlook.

C. Daily decisions are necessary to attain this. Concentrating on God’s good plan for your life will bring victory over negativism.

Genesis 50:20:
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

Do you trust God enough to wait patiently for him to bring good out of bad situations? You can trust him because God can overrule peoples evil intentions to bring about his intended results.

2. By Your Devotion

Psalm 119:11:
11 I have hidden your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.

Hiding (keeping) Gods word in our hearts is a deterrent to sin. This alone should inspire us to memorize Scriptures. But memorization alone will not keep us from sin: we must also put Gods word to work in our lives, making it a vital guide for everything we do.

A. Many neglect their devotional life. Their lack of prayer and Bible reading brings defeat.

B. Devotion is necessary to positive living. Implicit trust brings peace, love, and joy.
C. Be faithful in your devotions. Keep praying and believing and win over negativism.

Luke 18
Parable of the Persistent Widow
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

To persist in prayer and not give up does not mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions.

Constant prayer means keeping our requests continually before God as we live for him day by day, believing he will answer.

When we live by faith, we are not to give up. God may delay in answering, but his delays always have good reasons. As we persist in prayer, we grow in character, faith, and hope.

3. By Your Diligence

Proverbs 11:27:
27 If you search for good, you will find favor;
but if you search for evil, it will find you!

A. Selfishness lends itself to negativism. Those who are concerned only with personal gain and self- interests tend to become negative when things don’t go there way.

B. You can subdue a negative attitude by helping the less fortunate. Lending a helping hand, visiting the sick and lonely, loving the unlovable lifts your self-esteem.

C. Be diligent for God. Seek to share Christ with others. Sharing brings victory over negativism.

Proverbs 11:30:
30 The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life;
a wise person wins friends.

A wise person is a model of a meaningful life. Like a tree attracts people to its shade, a wise persons sense of purpose attracts others who want to know how they too , can find meaning. Gaining wisdom yourself can be the first step in leading people to God.

4. By His Direction

Psalm 32:8:
8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.

God longs to guide us with love and wisdom. He offers to teach us the best way to go. Accept the advice written in Gods Word and don’t let your stubbornness keep you from obeying God.

A. Many depend on their own power instead of asking for and depending on God’s strength.
B. God wants to help us, but we must do our share, for we are workers together with God.

2 Corinthians 6:1:
1 As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.

Don’t just hear Gods message and not let it affect your life.

C. Believe that God is directing. You win when you follow His leading.

Proverbs 6:3:
3 follow my advice and save yourself,
for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy.

Today will you choose to make a difference.

Will you say I will begin by controlling my thoughts.
A person is the product of his thoughts.

Will you say you want to be happy and hopeful. Therefore, will have thoughts that are happy and hopeful.

Will you refuse to be victimized by your circumstances.

Will you not let petty inconveniences such as stoplights, long lines, and traffic jams be your masters.

Will you avoid negativism and gossip.
Optimism will be your companion, and victory will be your hallmark. Today will you make a difference.

10 ASSURANANCES EVERYBODY WANTS

2010-09-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

Ten Assurances Everybody Wants

Illustration: 30 years ago two shoe salesmen were sent to Nigeria to survey the country for the possibility of building a shoe factory. The first man came back and said, "Few people here wear shoes so there is little need to build a new shoe factory in Nigeria. The second came back to London and said, "This is the greatest opportunity we have ever had. Everybody I saw needs a good pair of shoes." That is how we need to look at every community when it comes to their need for Jesus Christ and His love and forgiveness. Let us learn to view everyone, everything and every relationship from the mind of Jesus Christ.
There is nothing we can’t do with Christ on our side. We tend to look at the negative side of life instead of focusing on the opportunities that God gives us.
Sometimes we through perfect opportunities out the window.
Tell story of littering.
The bible commands us to go out and be a great witness to this world but sometimes we don’t do that because we are so unsure of whom we are in Christ.
This morning I want to focus on ten assurances that we have.
1. Assurance of Salvation: I John 5:11,12,13 - And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Illustration: There are four basic categories:
1) Those who think they are saved, but aren’t. Matthew 7:21-3
2) Those we think are saved, but aren’t. 1 John 2:18-19
3) Those who are saved, but don’t act like it: Corinthians.
4) Those who are saved, and they act like it.
Whoever believes in God’s Son has eternal life. He is all you need. You don’t have to wait for eternal life because it begins the moment you believe.
You don’t need to work for it because it is already yours. You don’t need to worry about it because you have been given eternal life by God himself- and its guaranteed.
Some people hope that they will receive eternal life. John says we can know we have it.
Our certainty is based on God’s promise that he has given us eternal life through his Son.
This is true whether you feel close to God or far away from him. Eternal life is not based on feelings but on facts. You can know that you have eternal life if you believe God’s truth.
If you aren’t sure that you are a Christian, ask yourself: Have I honestly committed my life to him as my Savior and Lord? If so, you know by faith that you are indeed a child of God.
2. Assurance of Forgiveness: I John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Confession is supposed to free us to enjoy fellowship with Christ. It should ease our conscience and lighten our cares. But some Christians do not understand how it works. They feel so guilty that they confess the same sins over and over: then we wonder if we may have forgotten something.
Our relationship with Christ is secure. He forgives and forgets. But true confession involves a commitment not to continue in sin. We wouldn’t be genuinely confessing our sins to God if we planned to commit them again and just wanted temporary forgiveness. We should pray for strength to defeat temptation the next time we face it.

3. Assurance of Guidance: Prov. 3:5,6 - Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
When we have an important decision to make, we sometimes feel that we can’t trust anyone- not even God. But God knows what is best for us. He is a better judge of what we want than we are! We must trust him completely in every choice we make. Bring your decisions to God in prayer: use the Bible as your guide: and then follow God’s leading. He will direct your paths by both guiding and protecting you.
Make him a vital part of everything you do: then he will guide you because you will be working to accomplish his purposes.

4. Assurance of Victory Over Temptation: I Cor. 10:13; John 16:33 – No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
We live in a world filled with moral depravity and sin- inducing pressures but in scripture we find out a few things (1) temptations happen to everyone, so don’t feel you’ve been singled out. (2) Others have resisted temptation and so can you. (3) Any temptation can be resisted because God will show you a way out. Running from tempting situations is your first step on the way to victory.
Quote from Jesus: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
5. Assurance of Peace: John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
The end result of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives is deep and lasting peace. Unlike worldly peace, which is usually defined as the absence of conflict, this peace is confident assurance in any circumstance: with Christ peace, we have no need to fear the present or the future.
If your life is full of stress, allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with Christ’s peace.
6. Assurance of Answers to Prayer: John 14:12-14 - I tell them the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.
When Jesus says we can ask for anything, we must remember that our asking must be in his name- that is, according to God’s character and will. God will not grant requests contrary to his nature or his will, and we cannot use his name as a magic formula to fulfill our selfish desires.
If we are sincerely following God and seeking to do his will, then our request will be in line with what he wants, and he will grant them.
7. Assurance of Provision for Needs: Phil. 4:19 - And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
We can trust that God will always meet our needs. What-ever we need on earth he will always supply, even if it is the courage to face death.
Whatever we need in heaven he will supply. We must remember, however, the difference between our wants and our needs. Most people want to feel good and avoid discomfort or pain. We may not get all that we want. By trusting in Christ, our attitudes and appetites can change from wanting everything to accepting his provision and power to live for him.
8. Assurance of Sufficient Grace: 2 Cor. 12:9,10 - My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
The fact that God’s power is displayed in our weaknesses should give us courage and hope. As we recognized our limitations, we will depend more on God for our effectiveness rather than on our own energy, effort, or talent.
When we are strong in abilities or resources, we are tempted to do God’s work on our own. Only his power will make us effective for him and will help us do work that has lasting value.
9. Assurance of Enablement: 2 Tim. 1:7 - For God did not give us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
We need to be bold when working for God. When we allow people to intimidate us, we neutralize our effectiveness for God. The power of the Holy Spirit can help us overcome our fear of what some might say or do to us that we can continue to do God’s work.
There is mentioned here in scripture three characteristic of an effective Christian leader: power, love, and self-discipline. These are available to us because the Holy Spirit lives in us. We need to follow his leading each day so that our lives fully exhibit these characteristics.
10. Assurance of Empowerment for Accomplishments: Phil. 4:12,13 – I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Often the desire for more or better is really a longing to fill an empty place in a person’s life. To what are you drawn when you feel empty inside? How can you find true contentment? The answer lies in your perspective, your priorities, and your source of power.
Can we really do everything? The power we receive in union with Christ is sufficient to do his will and to face the challenges that arise from our commitment to doing it.
As we contend for the faith, we will face troubles, pressures, and trials. As they come, ask Christ to strengthen you.
When we have the assurance of these ten things we tend to act differently when caring out his will for our lives, it brings about some confidence to our walk with him.
Illustration: Sometime when you’re in an airport, observe the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers, chat with their friends or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket counter, pacing and pacing. The difference is caused by the confidence factor. If you knew that in fifteen minutes you would have to stand in judgment before the Holy God and learn your eternal destiny, what would your reaction be? Would you pacing all around? Would you say to yourself, "I don’t know what God’s going to say--will it be ’Welcome home, child,’ or will it be ’Depart from me; I never knew you’?
Concluding Application:
Ask the Lord to help you to live in confident assurance of the above ten promises from God. Trust the Lord to help you utilize all of these assurances in all our personal affairs, relationships and ministries. Share each of these ten assurances with others who need the loving assurance from God for all of their hurts, fears, feelings of anger, unrealized expectations, disappointments, and unmet needs.

The T-O-U-C-H of God

2010-09-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

The T-O-U-C-H of God

1 Samuel 10:26:
26 When Saul returned to his home at Gibeah, a group of men whose hearts God had touched went with him.

1. T-ransforms
2 Corinthians 5:17:
17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

This is not a superficial change that will be quickly superseded by another novelty. This is an entirely new order of all creation under Christ authority.

It requires a new way of looking at all people and all creation. Does your life reflect this new perspective?

A. The touch of God brings forgiveness of sins to those who repent and believe. It brings cleansing and power to those who yield themselves totally to God.

B. The transforming touch of God makes everything new. We receive a new life in Christ Jesus, new desires, new activities, and a new hope of eternal life.

2. O-rdains
John 15:16:
16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

Jesus made the first choice- to love and to die for us, to invite us to live with him forever. We make the next choice- to accept or reject his offer.

A. Many Christians fail because they do not work for God. Some think only ministers are to witness to the unsaved and win them to Christ.

B. The touch of God ordains all Christians into God’s service. Everyone can share something for God- a smile, a prayer, a helping hand.

3. U-nifies
Psalm 133:1
1Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brothers to dwell together in unity!

Harmony is pleasant and precious. Unfortunately, harmony is not always found in the church, as it should be. Harmony is important because

1. It makes the church a positive example to the world and helps draw others to the Lord.

2. It helps us cooperate as a body of believers as God meant us to, giving us a foretaste of Heaven.

3. It renews and revitalizes ministry because there is less tension to sap our energy.

A. Many churches fail because their members do not work together, they are divided. Some pull in one direction, and others in another direction.

B. The touch of God brings harmony and love. It enables us to accomplish God’s work in “ the unity of the Spirit”
Ephesians 4:3:
3 Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.

To build unity is one of the Holy spirits important roles. He leads , but we have to be willing to be led and to do our part to keep the peace.

We do that by focusing on God, not on ourselves.

Living in harmony does not mean that we will agree on everything: But we must agree on our purpose in life- to work together for God.

4.C-conquers
Romans 8:37:
37But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

A. Many Christians give up to easily. They throw up their hands and quit when they are persecuted, rebuked, or when they fail to get their own way.

B. The touch of God gives us courage to conquer. Christ furnishes the strength which enables us to :keep on keeping on”
Philippians 4:13:
13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

The power we receive in union with Christ is sufficient to do his will and to face the challenges that arise from our commitment to doing it.

As we contend for the faith, we will face troubles, pressures, and trails. As they come, ask Christ to strengthen you.

5. H-eals
Matthew 8:3:
3 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

A. Many have never experienced divine healing because of a lack of faith. We cannot expect to please God or receive blessings from Him without faith.
Hebrews 11:6:
6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Matthew 9:29:
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.”

B. The touch of God brings physical, mental, and spiritual healing. We receive God’s touch through reading His Word, praying, believing, accepting, and obeying.

“The Touch of God”
There is no touch like the touch of God. His touch is the
difference between life and death; hope and despair; victory and
defeat.

In Mark 5:25-34, we find an incident where the touch of God
made the difference between life and death. It is the story of the
woman with the issue of blood.
.
#1 - She Needed The Touch of God: In verses 25-26, the Bible tells us several
things about this woman: (1) She was sick; (2) She had been sick for a long
time; (3) She had been to every doctor; (4) She had spent all she had; (5) She
was no better; (6) She only grew worse.

Does this sound like people today? (1) Multiple problems; (2) Struggled for a long time?; (3) Tried everything?; (4) Exhausted all resources?; (5) No better?; (6) Only worse; Your answer is the same as this woman’s answer… “You need the touch of God.”

#2 - She Wanted The Touch of God: She said in verse 28, “If I can touch
but His clothes, I shall be whole.” Not only did she need God’s touch, she
wanted God’s touch.

So many people today need God’s help, and God’s touch, but they do not want God’s help or God’s touch.

In order to receive God’s touch you must want it. If you want it, you will be willing to do at least three things:
(A) You must be willing to go alone: This lady wanted God’s touch so bad she
went to touch Him alone. Sometimes you have to stand alone to receive from
God.
(B) You must be willing to break tradition: God chooses to do things His way
and sometimes God’s way does not line up with ours. It sometimes goes against
our tradition.
(C) You must be willing to lose your present reputation: This lady did not care
what other people thought about her. Her main purpose was to touch Jesus.
Nothing else mattered.

What is your present situation?
Do you need the touch of God?
Do you want the touch of God?
He is concerned about you, and He wants to help you.
But He will not intrude into places He is not wanted.

If you want the touch of God, you can experience it. Why not call upon Him today with an open heart, and watch His power as it is demonstrated in your life.

Spiritual Success

2010-09-02T18:10:00.001-07:00

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty." Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull." Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest. At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship. When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down."

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do.
The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.

Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.

We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

Can you recall a time when you were consistently riddled by bullets of defeat. Have you ever had an unprovoked, sequence of events that left you bewildered, discontent, and physically and mentally exhausted.

These are times when your children are going astray, your marriage seems to be strained, friends withdraw from you, you receive a lay-off notice from your employer, an eviction notice soon follows and lastly, you receive a diagnosis of a genetic illness and the prognosis is grim.

At this point all you can muster up to say is: What is really going on here? Something is just not right! You begin to feel spiritually drained .

Our vision here is equipping people to believe , receive and achieve all that God has for them. I believe that God has an awesome work for us all , He wants us all to be spiritually successful and over comers.

Gen 50:20 says 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good.

God allows certain things to come are way to get us were we need to be.

You can either fall on the rock or the rock will fall on you.

Spiritual Success

Joshua 1:8:
8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Many people think that prosperity and success come from having power, influential personal contacts, and a relentless desire to get ahead. But the strategy for gaining prosperity that God taught Joshua goes against such criteria. He said that to succeed Joshua must..

1.Be strong and courageous because the task ahead would not be easy.

2.Obey God’s law
3.Constanly read and study the Book of instruction-God’s Word.

To be successful, follow God’s words to Joshua. You may not succeed by the world’s standards, but you will be a success in God’s eyes- and his opinion is the most important.

1. Commitment to Christ

1 Thessalonians 5:23
23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.

God must be involved in every aspect of our life.

A. Some Christians fall short of pleasing God because they are not totally committed to Him. They insist on asserting their will over God’s will.

B. Spiritual success demands complete abandonment of self and the acceptance of God’s will. His will makes everything work together for our good and His glory.

We must first be submitted to the will of the Lord before we can even begin to achieve spiritual success -James 4:7 says-Submit yourself therefore unto God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Romans 8:28:
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

We need to trust in God, not in worldly treasures because our security is in heaven, not on earth.

Our faith in God should not waiver in pain and persecution because we know God is with us and is able to turn every circumstance around for our long- range good.

Our strength lies in our will to survive! The reality is that all chaos has been unleashed into our life, but in actuality God will never leave you.
If you choose it, the Joy of the Lord can be your strength.

2. Confidence in Christ

We can achieve this with consistent focused individual prayer, group prayer, and singing songs of victory, praise-reflects what he has done for us, worship-reflects what God means to you.

Surround yourself with water walkers: those who have gone through insurmountable odds and survived.

1 John 5:14:
14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.

The emphasis here is on God’s will, not our will.

When we communicate with God, we don’t demand what we want: rather we discuss with Him what he wants for us.

If we align our prayers to his will, he will listen: and we can be certain that if he listens, he will give us a definite answer.

Start praying with confidence! Re-route all doom and gloom talkers, delete and dispose of their negative comments. This can be difficult, but necessary.

Speak daily ( Declaring) scriptures aloud when discouragement, doubt and unbelief creep in. Say no to thoughts that don’t line up with a successful outcome, and plead the Blood of Jesus over your mind.

A. World and national conditions have caused a breakdown in trust and confidence. This holds true in government, business, school, church, and family.

B. Christ is still the Truth. We can safely place our confidence in Him. He never misrepresents or undermines. Trusting Christ leads to spiritual success.

3. Compassion Like Christ’s
Luke 7:13:
13 When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. “Don’t cry!” he said.

Jesus has great compassion on our pain, and he has the power to bring hope out of any tragedy.

A. Jesus had great compassion. Because He was touched by the infirmities of others, he healed the lame , may the blind to see and the death to hear.

B. We attain spiritual success when we are compassionate- pray for the sick, help the needy , and comfort the bereaved.

4. Cooperation with Christ

2 Corinthians 6:1:
1 And working together with Him,

A. Many Christians fail to work for Christ as they should. They neglect, make excuses, and fail to cooperate with Christ in carrying out His commission.

B. When we work for Christ, we are working with Him also. He goes with us and speaks through us as we call, invite, and witness.

5. Contentment Through Christ

Philippians 4:11:
11 Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have.

Are you able to get along happily(be content) in any circumstance you face? Paul knew how to be satisfied whether he had plenty or weather he was in need..

The secret was drawing on Christ’s power for strength . Do you have great need’s, or are you dissatisfied because you don’t have what you want?

Learn to rely on God’s promises and Christ’s power to help you be content.
If you always want more, ask God to remove that desire and teach you how to be satisfied in every circumstance.

He will supply our every need , but in ways that he knows is best for us.

A. Discontentment is prevalent in today’s world. Many are trying to find contentment through possessions, pleasures, and popularity.

B. Real and lasting contentment is only found in Jesus Christ. He satisfies the longing of the soul and brings spiritual success.

1 Timothy 6:6:
6 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.

This statement is the key to spiritual growth and personal fulfillment. We should honor God and center our desires on him , and we should be content with what God is doing in our lives.

Philippians 4:13
13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Because of this promise we can have spiritual success.

As your faith increases think regularly on past victories.

Speak what you desire the outcome to be no matter what continues to occur. I am blessed, I walk in the favor of God and man, no weapon formed against me shall prosper, I am healed and spirit filled sickness and disease are far from me, I attract finances, and blessings are running me down and overtaking me now....... The list goes on!!

Commitment, confidence , compassion , cooperation , will bring about spiritual success.

Jeremiah 29:11:
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

T.R.A.I.L of your faith

2010-08-28T18:44:00.000-07:00

There was a couple who used to go England to shop in the beautiful store. This was their 25th wedding anniversary. They both liked antiques and pottery and especially tea-cups. They said, “May we see that? We've never seen one quite so beautiful."

As the lady handed it to them, suddenly the tea-cup spoke, "You don't understand." It said, "I have not always been a tea-cup. There was a time when I was red clay. My master took me and rolled me and patted me over and over and I yelled out, "Let me alone," but he only smiled,"Not yet!!"

"Then I was placed on a spinning wheel and suddenly I was spun around and around and around. 'Stop it!! I'm getting dizzy!' I screamed. But the master only nodded and said, 'Not yet.'

Then he put me in the oven. I never felt such heat. I yelled and
knocked at the door. I could see him through the opening and I could read his lips as he shook hid head, 'Not yet'.

"Finally, the door opened, he put me on the shelf, and I began to
cool. And he brushed and painted me all over. The fumes were horrible. I thought I would gag. 'Stop it, Stop it!!' I cried. He only nodded, ‘Not yet!'.

Then suddenly he put me back in to the oven, not like the first one.
This was twice as hot and I knew I would suffocate. I begged. I
pleaded. I screamed. I cried. I would never make it. I was ready to give up. But the door opened and he took me out and placed me on the shelf.

An hour later he handed me a mirror and said 'Look at yourself.' And I did. I said, 'That's not me; that couldn't be me. It's beautiful. I'm beautiful.'

"I want you to remember, then,' he said, 'I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, but if I just had left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it made you dizzy to spin around on the wheel, but if I had stopped, you would have crumbled. I know it hurts and it was hot and disagreeable in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have cracked. I know the fumes were bad when I brushed and painted you all over, but if I hadn't done that, you never would have hardened.
You would not have had any color in your life, and if I hadn't put you back in that second oven, you wouldn't survive for long because the hardness would not have held. Now you are a finished product. You are what I had in mind when I first began with you." God knows what He's doing [for all of us]. He is the potter, and we are His clay.
He will mould us and make us, so that we may be made into a flawless piece of work to fulfill His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Trials

We need to get to the place where we can say "I know that God has been holding me in the fires of affliction and I have felt His hammer upon me.
But I don't mind, if only He can bring me to what I should be. And so, in all these hard things my prayer is simply this: Try me in any way you wish, Lord, only don't throw me on the scrap heap."

The T-R-I-A-L of Your Faith

1 Peter 1:7:
7 these trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being
tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

All believers face such trails when we let our light shine into
the darkness. We must accept trails as part of the refining process that burns away impurities and prepares us to meet Christ.

As gold is heated impurities float to the top and can be skimmed off.
Likewise, our trials, struggles, and persecutions refine and
strengthen our faith, making us useful to God.

1. T-emptaition

2 Peter 2:9:
9Now if [all these things are true, then be sure] the Lord knows how to rescue the godly out of temptations and trials…

Just as God rescued Lot from Sodom, so he is able to rescue us from the temptations and trials we face in a wicked world. Gen 19

A. Every Christian experience temptation, Satan tries to catch
Christians unawares.

B. We must not yield to temptation. We can overcome through decision, discipline, determination, and divine help.

James 1:12:
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.
Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Temptation comes from evil desires inside us, not from God. It begins with an evil thought and becomes sin when we dwell on the thought and allow it to become an action.

Like a snowball rolling downhill, sin grows more destructive the more we let it have its way.

The best time to stop a temptation is before it is too strong or
moving too fast to control.

2. R-esentment-: to feel or express annoyance or ill will at

1 John 3:14:
14 If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.

A. Resentments dwindles the physical, dwarf the mental, and destroy
the spiritual life of an individual.

B. We can be released from resentments through love and prayer. One cannot love and pray for another person and hold resentment at the same time.

3. I-nferiority- of little or less importance, value, or merit

Philippians 4:13:
13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

As we contend for the faith, we will face troubles, pressures. and trails. As they come, ask Christ to strengthen you.

A. Inferiority feelings hinder Christians from working for God as they should.

B. We overcome by doing, by moving ahead, by believing the Holy Spirit is within us, and that He is guiding, directing, and speaking through us.

4. A-ffliction
Psalm 119:67:
67 before I was afflicted I went astray; But now I observe thy word.

A. Christians suffer affliction like everyone else. Some blame God when they suffer.

B. We must trust God during affliction. He has a purpose in what He allows and can work it out for our good and His glory.

Romans 8:28:
28 and we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

God works in everything- not just isolated incidents- for our good.
This does not mean that all that happens to us is good, but God is able to turn every circumstance around for our long range good.

5. L-oneliness

Hebrews 13:5:
5.I will never abandon you.

A. Many people are lonely. Sin, sorrow, suffering, and separation
bring loneliness.

B. Christians need never be lonely. They have a “friend who is closer than a brother.” The Holy Spirit promised to “abide with them forever”.

John 14:16:

16And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever"

The Holy Spirit is the very presence of God within us and all
believers, helping us live as God wants and building Christ’s church on earth. By faith we can take possession of the Spirit’s power each day.

No matter what card life has dealt you don’t fold under the pressure turn to Jesus.

Have you been trying to push through difficulties on your own? If so, make a change right now. Start getting strength from deep within you, where the Holy Spirit dwells.
Instead of asking “why me?” we should respond to suffering with a new set of responses:

1) Confidence that God knows, plans, and directs our lives for the good. It’s hard to calculate sometimes, but God always provides his love and strength for us. God leads us toward a better future.

2) Perseverance when facing grief, anger, sorrow, and pain. We
express our grief, but we don’t give in to bitterness and despair.

3) Courage because with Jesus as brother and savior, we need not to be afraid. He who suffered for us will not abandon us. Jesus carries us through everything.

If that divine strength does not yet dwell in you, all you need to do to receive it is admit your sins, repent of them, and ask Jesus to be your Savior.

Surrender your life, all that you are and all that you are not, to him.

Let God be your strength. God does not want to just give us strength; he wants to be our strength.

2 Samuel 22:3:
3My God, my Rock, in Him will I take refuge; my Shield and the Horn of my salvation; my Stronghold and my Refuge, my Savior--

6th Annual CrossWalk

2010-08-26T16:45:00.000-07:00

Many people are just living there lives like they are promised another
day. We get so wrapped up with the circumstances of this world that we
take our eyes off of Jesus and find ourselves seeking as Peter did. We
blame others for our wrong choices and expect others to fix them. We
are so quick to put our hands out to receive a blessing but rarely do
we extend a hand to be a blessing. We need to get our priorities in
order in order for a real change to happen we have to adopt 2 Chron
7:14 which says “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble
themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,
then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal
their land.

This September 4th starting at noon people from all walks of faith
will be gathering in front of Lorain City Hall for the National Day of
People with Integrity; for the 6th annual Cross Walk sponsored by
Church of the New Harvest. We will first meet for a time of prayer as
we turn our hearts to the needs of this community after which we will
start carrying a cross up Broadway Avenue to RT. 254 heading onto Lake
Ave till we end at Elyria City Hall. We encourage participants to
walk, drive, cheer, and support any amount they feel they can. As we
walk we will pray over this community, the homes, families and
businesses that we pass. This community needs prayer, encouragement
and support so no matter the weather the cross walk will continue to
take place rain or shine.

As a pastor whose vision is “equipping people to believe, receive and
achieve all that God has for them”. I believe it is vital that on this
day that we march right into the enemy’s camp and take back what
belongs to us our economy, jobs, schools and families. I believe that
God has a plan and purpose for all of us, one that is meant to prosper
us and not harm us. God wants everyone to know that in Him we have a
hope and a future. God desires to give His people good things. Yet
just as He makes sure that the sparrows are fed He doesn’t go around
dropping worms off in all their nests. We are expected to be
responsible and live our lives with integrity making good decisions
that will bring about a prosperous outcome. If we want to see a change
then we as people of integrity need to step out in faith and instead
of being part of the problem seek to be part of the solution.

Proudly on this day our Mayor of Lorain has again declared this the
“The National Day of People with Integrity” and also urges all to come
out and support this positive community event. If you have any
questions or would like more information regarding this event please
contact Pastor Danny Parsons at 1(440)714-0820 or email at
outreach@churchofthenewharvest.org. Each year the response to this
event and day grows more and more and we want to see it explode this
year like never before and resonate through our whole county and
state. Don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of change.
This years crosswalk will be held in honor of Danny Parsons Sr. who
back in Oct was dx with Renal Cancer. Danny will be leading this years
crosswalk of by being the first to carry the cross. We are encouraging
all friends, familys who have cancer or lives has been touched by
cancer in some way to join with us Sept 4th at Lorain City Hall for a
special time of prayer before we begin the 9 mile walk in .

The Great Invitation

2010-08-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Great Invitation
Hx : To finance their great world empire, the Romans levied heavy taxes on all nations under their control.
The Jews opposed these taxes because they supported a secular government and its pagan gods, but they were still forced to pay. Does this sound any different from life today?

Luke 19
Jesus and Zacchaeus
Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. 2 There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was the chief tax collector in the region, and he had become very rich.
Tax collectors were among the most unpopular people in Israel. Jews by birth, they chose to work for Rome and were considered traitors.
It is so much easier to just join in and go along with the crowd, but how many of you know it takes more courage to stand up for what you believe in than just sit back and go along with everyone else.
In Luke 14:34-35 says
“Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? 35 Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”
We are called to be the salt of the earth.
Many Christians blend into the world and avoid the cost of standing up for Christ.
But Jesus says if Christians loses their distinctive saltiness, they become worthless.
Just as salt flavors and preserves food, we are to preserve the good in the world and bring new flavor to life.
This requires careful planning, willing sacrifice, and unswerving commitment to Christ’s Kingdom. But if a Christian fails to be salty he or she fails to represent Christ in the world.
How salty are you?

We read on: 3 He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree beside the road, for Jesus was going to pass that way.
What is blocking your view of seeing Christ in your life today? Is it pride, a judgmental attitude, unbelief, or some other sin that you have allowed to take root in your life?
Zacchaueus did what we all need to do and he rose above the obstacle that was hindering him to see Jesus.
His word tells us that we are more than conquers, that victory is ours for the taking.
Now maybe he was only looking for curiosity because he has heard about the many miracles that Jesus performed, he might not of been looking for his life to be changed in a moment but that’s all Christ’s needs for our spirits to be awaken, and our hearts changed.
5 When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. “Zacchaeus!” he said. “Quick, come down! I must be a guest in your home today.”
Jesus wants to be a guest in your home today; He stands at the door and knocks.
Revelation 3:20-22:

20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. 21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.
22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”
Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts because He wants to save us and have fellowship with us.
He is patient and persistent in trying to get through to us- not breaking and entering, but knocking.
He allows us to decide whether or not to open our life to Him. Do you intentionally keep His life-changing presence and power on the other side of the door?
How did Zaccheus respond?

6 Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. 7 But the people were displeased. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled.
When Christ is calling us to come down we must humble ourselves and come down. We must not make haste for delays are dangerous.
We know neither the day nor the hour of His return.
Sometimes we hesitate because we are afraid of what others might think or say.
But not Zacchaeus you see it was common knowledge that tax collectors were making themselves rich by gouging their fellow Jews. So you could only imagine why they despised him so.
He didn’t care nor should we.
When we allow Christ to be a guest in our homes be prepared for a change.
8 Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood before the Lord and said, “I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!”
9 Jesus responded, “Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”
2 Corinthians 5:17:
17 this means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
Christians are brand-new people on the inside. The Holy Spirit gives us new life, and we are not the same anymore.
This is not a superficial change that will be quickly supersede by another novelty. This is an entirely new order of all creation under Christ authority. It requires a new way of looking at all people and all of creation.
Does your life reflect this new perspective?
He seeks those that were not worth seeking to: he seeks those that sought him not, and asked not for him, as Zaccheus here.
Zaccheus is declared to be now a happy man, now he is turned from sin to God: now he has bidden Christ welcome to his house, and has become an honest, charitable, good man. All the benefits of salvation are his.
Will you allow all the benefits to be yours today?
Christ knows your name and He is calling you today, when was the last time you communed with Him?
Maybe today will be your first time and maybe today you will meet up with a very old friend once again.
Whatever the case may be He has something great for you, something life changing if only you accept His invitation.
Some of you here today maybe saying “I answered that door a long time ago” and I would say to you that’s great.
Sometimes after awhile we get content in our walk.
For you Christ wants to breathe a breath of fresh air into your life a newness like never before, will you accept His invitation?

More than you could ask or imagine

2010-08-14T20:04:00.000-07:00

More than you could ask or imagine
2 Kings 4
Elisha Helps a Poor Widow
1 One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.”
2 “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?”
“Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.
3 And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. 4 Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”
5 So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another. 6 Soon every container was full to the brim!
“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.
“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.
7 When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”
Have you ever had the feeling that God just wasn’t on the job? That he wasn’t keeping promises in the Bible that you counted on to be true? Have you ever been disappointed in him? Bitter?
Are you blaming God for some sorrow or adversity that has happened that you don’t really think you deserve? Don’t be afraid to admit it! There are things in life that none of us really understands.
Romans 8:28, “Oh, God will work it for good,” is sometimes like putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound: it doesn’t always do the trick.

You came trusting God to supply all your needs, and it hasn’t exactly been fun. In fact, it’s getting kind of old to wonder each week if there is going to be enough money for food, for those unexpected illnesses that you have to pay the doctor for.

Your husband is working in a really low-class job, why hasn’t God given him a better job? After all, you gave up everything to serve him, didn’t you?
2King 4:1The wife of a man from the company of the prophets cried out to Elisha, "Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditor is coming to take my two boys as his slaves."
Can you just see her, facing Elisha? “Your servant, my husband, served the Lord! You know him! He is your student! You know that he was a godly man. Now he’s dead!”
“Why has this calamity happened to me? Why didn’t the promises of prosperity to the righteous come true for me?
This women might of thought It’s not fair!” Have you ever thought that?
She lost a good husband, and now she was going to lose her sons to pay his debts, and they are going to become slaves! Someone else is going to own them like property!”
She had a valid complaint! She, no doubt, had supported her husband’s vision and his goals. She had been an efficient housewife. After his death she used up all their resources to pay their debts, and now she was reduced to nothing. There was nothing left!
Now the pathetic plead of this widow was that, not only had she lost her husband, now she’s going to lose her sons—her family. That was bad enough, but it meant something else. You see, it meant that in her old age, she would have no security. It was the sons who took care of their aged parents.
Elisha’s response to this woman rightly reflected God’s attitude. Now to 2 Kings 4:2: “Elisha replied to her, ‘How can I help you?’”
You see, he was sensitive, he was concerned, he was compassionate, he was willing to be involved, and so is God! He asked another question. He said, “Tell me, what you have in your house?" (2 Kings 4:2b)
This was an important question to ask. You see, this would be no government handout! God would use what she had to start with.
Saints, there’s a principle here that is supported all through Scripture. God multiplies what we surrender to him.
Remember when Moses was terrified about meeting Pharaoh and telling him to let Israel go, and God said, “What is that in your hand?” Moses’ shepherd’s staff became the rod of God, a symbol of God’s power.
Remember when Jesus fed the 5,000? He started with a little boy’s lunch, which he multiplied to feed a multitude of probably 10,000 people, because it was only 5,000 men that were counted.
God will use whatever we surrender to him, no matter how insignificant it seems.
Now, notice her answer. She says, "Your servant has nothing there at all … except a little oil" (2 Kings 4:2c).
All she had was olive oil. That was a very necessary commodity in that culture. They used it for food, for cosmetic, and for medicine. But she had so little—not even enough for herself, and so she disparaged what she had!
Do you ever do that? God says, “I want you to trust me—to live by faith. I want you to serve me. I want you to accomplish this task or finish this project.” And we answer, “How can I? I don’t have any talents! I don’t have any resources! I have nothing.”
But you see, God never made a “nothing.” He never did. He asks you to surrender whatever you have, and whatever you are and he’ll multiply it to accomplish what he has chosen for you to do.

You see, God doesn’t want us to be passive, but actively cooperating with him and depending on him. There is always a market for olive oil—all she needed was more! Now notice Elisha’s instructions. 2 Kings 4:3-4:
Elisha said, "Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don't ask for just a few. Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side."
Now, why did he tell her to do this? Why couldn’t the jar be multiplied, as well as the oil?
That would have been such a simple solution. One reason is that it required faith to go around to every neighbor and ask for empty jars.
It couldn’t have been easy! It took faith to obey Elisha. Was she nervous? Was she fearful that maybe it wouldn’t work?
Have you sometimes not told somebody you were praying about something because you were afraid it might not be answered, and then you didn’t want to look like God didn’t come through?
You see, it didn’t matter how she felt; she acted with her will to obey Elisha. Her boldness and her personal effort combined with her faith, and that’s always a necessity, .
Can’t you see her and her two boys as they as they hurried from house to house, asking for jars, getting them, bringing them back home until there were no more to get?
Look what it says (2 Kings 4:5-6):
She left him and afterward shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. When all the jars were full, she said to her son, "Bring me another one."
But he replied, "There is not a jar left." Then the oil stopped flowing.
You see, the basis for the miracle was her own resources! God will multiply what we surrender to him—multiply it beyond our dreams.
God’s provision was as large as their faith and willingness to obey.
Beware of limiting God’s blessing by a lack of faith and obedience. God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. Eph 3:20
2 Kings 4:7: “She went and told the man of God, and he said, ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.’”
You notice, he gave her two commands. He said, “Go, sell the oil.”
You see, she still had work to do. She still had to take the initiative. She still had to be creative. Then he said, “Pay your debts!” That came first! That came before the new sofa, the new T.V., the new car, the new clothes. Pay your debts!
Sometimes when God makes away we are so quit to see how we can benefit from it and not bother asking what it is He would have for us to do.
The first thing God will do is make sure all your needs are meet and then get ready if your faithful and obedient more blessings are coming your way.
Do you trust Him this morning? If so, don’t limit what He can do for you and through you. Ask largely and expect large blessings to follow.