A Sovereign Christmas:

We serve an all knowing, all present, all powerful Sovereign God! He is infinite in unlimited wisdom while we are finite in our knowledge. We do not even know what the next minute holds, but God knows what eternity future holds as well as every detail about eternity past.  Micah 5:2 prophesied about the Messiah being born in Bethlehem, but also about Him coming “from of old, from ancient days”. Now when you and I are born, that is our beginning. But Jesus birth was not His beginning…it was just a new manifestation appearance in a new role. Ultimately the role of our Redeemer! 7 centuries latter Jesus was born. John 1:1 says it like this “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  The Lord is not a distant uncaring God. He is Emmanuel. He is right in the thick of everything that happens around us. This does not mean that God causes everything to happen. We have free will and we live in a sin cursed fallen world where accidents happen, people start wars, mankind murders babies in the womb and all kinds of evil choices are made. But what we can be confident about is that God is in control of the long-term over-all course of time. In other words, His purposes will be ultimately achieved in the end. Nothing will throw off His sovereign plan. When the enemy or even our choices threaten His laid-out purpose, He will navigate and turn things in whatever way necessary to bring about His will! The Bible is full of examples where God spoke to His prophets to foretell important events that would change the course of History! And that is exactly what it is HIS – STORY. God will work all things for the good to those who love Him and are called according to His purposes (Romans 8:28) God’s fingerprint, His Hand is touching every facet of our lives. His hand in upon you. Speak Jesus over your family and believe He is working! From Genesis 3:15 till John 3:16 till now…God is actively and sovereignly involved in our lives and still speaks today.  Bottom line: you and I can Trust God! This Christmas, remember that no matter what you are going through, God knows and will be right there to help you if you call on Him. He is Emmanuel! He is with you! And He knows exactly what you need! Amen!

B eautiful Lord – He creates all things good & is preparing a beautiful place for us now.
E ternal God – He is self-sustaining and has the right to give us everlasting life.
A lmighty Father – He is Power. He is Strength. He is Wisdom.
U nlimited Master – His Resources and Power are endless.
T riune Father, Son & Holy Spirit – He has identified Himself for our every need!
Y ahweh God – The only name God ever gave Himself.  “I AM”.

Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1-2a in Luke 4:18. He did this to proclaim Himself as the promised Messiah. He then told the amazed people in the synagogue that day: “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” Jesus came to do the beautiful work of a beautiful God and has called His beautiful people to His beautiful purposes! Jesus stopped just short of quoting the whole passage. He declares that He has come to declare the year of the Lord’s Favor. This is a reference to the age of Grace which began when Jesus was Baptized in the River Jordan by John the Baptist and the Father spoke, “this is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).  Then the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a Dove. Jesus ultimately died for our sins then resurrected from the dead conquering death, hell and the grave for mankind. It was the most beautiful act ever accomplished in human history and it ushered in the age of God’s Grace on the earth. No longer were we to be judged by the keeping of the Law of God, but instead, whether we accept God’s Sacrifice of His own Son for our law breaking (Galatians 2:16). We the Church are purposed to take this beautiful Gospel to the World as the only Hope of mankind. The Age of Grace will end when Jesus return to catch His bride away (1 Thessalonians 4:17). This will usher in the next part mentioned in Isaiah 61:2b to proclaim “the day of vengeance of our God”. Those not found in Christ will see and feel His wrath pour out upon the earth and mankind. But that time has not come yet. We are still living in the beautiful Church age with a beautiful purpose and calling. This Thanksgiving Season, be thankful that we are called to be apart of something and Someone so Beautiful! Isaiah 61:1-2  The most important and most beautiful reason we live as the Redeemed:
1. Let the Spirit of the Lord be upon you (and in you John 14:17).
2. Be anointed as you bring the Good News of Jesus to the world.
3. Comfort and heal the brokenhearted with Christ’s compassion.
4. Tell people they can be released from their captivity to sin.
5. Help people find Freedom in Christ, for He can break any stronghold! 

Terrifying Jehovah! 

October is a month of Harvest festivals, fairs, and scary things…traditionally. However, as believers in Christ, we see this month as a month of God’s blessings! To celebrate His provisions. And use what the world takes as a holiday to celebrate evil and celebrate Jesus by providing an outreach to the community on Oct. 31^st. But as I have been sharing on Sunday Mornings… There is One who is more dangerous than any witch, monster, demon or devil! Jehovah God is a Terrifying God!  Zephaniah 2:11 says: “The LORD will terrify them as He destroys all the gods in the land. Then nations around the world will worship the LORD, each in their own land.”  We know that a lot of things in this world are prioritized over God. But every god in the hearts of mankind will be destroyed one day and everything will be left bare to stand before our Great and Mighty God! You and I know that He is a loving God! A Merciful God! A God of forgiveness, joy and peace! But He is also a Just God! There is going to be a Judgment Day and those who have not surrendered to Jesus will be Judged to hell! As we sing in the song “Come, now is the time to Worship”, the lyrics say “…still the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly choose You now”. One Day every knee will bow and every tongue will be forced to confess that Jesus is LORD (Philippians 2:10-11). This will be terrifying for those who have worshipped everything EXCEPT the ONE who could have SAVED them! The enemy has deceived and fooled many souls into ignoring God and him (satan). But we must be alert, sober minded, and aware that the enemy is real. The enemy is also strong, but compared to our God, satan is puny, weak and small. There is NO comparison! One of the ways we can more adequately worship the Lord is to make ourselves smaller and God larger in our thinking; Let what you are facing be seen as smaller and God bigger! And whatever may frighten you…God can frighten it! So if you have the LORD and fear Him, you need not fear anything else. If what you are having to lift feels heavy in your life right now, trust me, God can lift it! Cast your cares on Him (1 Peter 5:7) God cares for you and can help you overcome anything!

I’m thankful that I can celebrate my Refuge today. Before entering this Strong and Precious Refuge, one must bow down and worship God and confess that He is Lord. You wouldn’t be in Christ if you had not done so. Now my purpose is for others to see the blessing and benefit of being in Christ. No matter how scary a circumstance may be that the world poses, God is BIGGER, SCARIER, AND MORE POWERFUL! This month, let’s worship our beautiful and TERRIFYING God! 

Excuse me. NO! 

Has Satan ever caused you to feel like you are unworthy to be a Christian? Or to serve the Lord? Or to pray in the Spirit?  Has he ever told you: “who are you to pray in the Holy Spirit, I know who you are, so that praying can’t be real because you are full of flaws.”  Well, do you remember the scripture where Jesus talks about the man who built his house on sand in Matthew 7:24-27 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. ²⁶ And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ²⁷ And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”  Even though we are obedient children of the King, who are more than conquerors, joint heirs with Christ and can do anything with His strength; we are often fooled by the enemy. Although we are promised a Refuge from the storm in Christ, we sometimes think and live like we are built on a weak foundation. The devil wants you to feel this way and fall and be torn down; living as though you are built on sand, when we know we have been built on the Rock of our Salvation! Arise and rebuke Satan in Jesus name! You know who your foundation is! There is NONE better! He is the cornerstone Himself! The Messiah, the Savior, and the God of all creation! Look around at the strong footing God has provided and know you can pray in the Spirit with confidence, serve God with anointing, and are worthy of all the promises of God in Christ Jesus!  You are a blood bought child of the King! And because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross and His Resurrection, your foundation is unshakable! It was never about how good you are or how holy you are…it has always been how GOOD GOD IS and how HOLY HE IS!! So don’t be deceived! Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44) and he wants to stop you and cause you to feel like you are sinking so you will NOT serve the Lord, pray and use the authority that God has made available IN JESUS NAME! So next time the devil comes and says: “you are not worthy”, just rise up and say: “Excuse me, NO” I am not listening to you Satan!  “Excuse me, NO” I am not deceived by you!  “Excuse me, NO” I do not have a weak foundation! I have built my house on THE ROCK! And I’m standing strong on Jesus!  Amen!! Matthew 7:25 “the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”

“At Any Cost”

Jesus said that He had come to seek and to save those who are lost (Luke 19:10); that He had come for those who are sick (with sin) and that He had not come to call those who think their righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32). Jesus indicated that we are to be so passionate about the gospel and its saving power that we are to help pull people out of the flames (Jude 1:23) and as Jesus said in Matthew 11:12 “the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force”. In Luke 5:18-19 men tore off a roof to get to Jesus!  When soberly considering the reality of Hell and eternal death for those who do have the ability to hear about the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ!…It is clear why we should desire to overcome our fears and Reach the lost at any cost!  Read Luke 15:8-10; we are to be like the woman desperate to find the lost coin. The “cost” was to exhaust our resources and light the lamp. Then we have to do the work and sweep the floor!  All in all we know that Jesus gave His all to save us, we are to be His hands and feet! We are to be a light in the world and Christ’s ambassador!  All this says to us: reach the lost at any cost! And so often we do not.  If we think it is hot now, in August, imagine what hell will be like for those who do not come to Christ! Let’s do the work, light the lamp and win some souls for the Kingdom! 

P.S.: You are invited to the Wednesday Night evangelism training course with Pastor David at 7PM weekly. We will be taking what we learn to the street on some scheduled Sunday Nights. Some on out and let’s conquer our fears together!

Liberty Refuge

Psalm 91 is a powerful declaration of blessings that we find within our Refuge!  (If you can, read this Psalm). Notice verse 1, you will find rest as God provides shelter. Shelter from what? Stress, worry, anxiety, heavy burdens, fear, distress and anything that could beat you down or threaten you. Look at verse 2, God will rescue you from Satan’s traps and protect you from disease. Verse 5 informs us that with God as our Refuge, we do not have to fear the terrors that are happening at night or the dangerous things that could happen during the day!  Verse 8 challenges us to open our eyes and see what living outside the Refuge looks like (the wicked). Verse 11, God orders His Angles to protect us. Verse 13 indicates that everywhere we tread, we will be able to overcome and conquer seemingly impossible challenges! Are you seeing a pattern here? God not only provides Refuge, He is providing us a life of LIBERTY from any and all of life’s crushing stressors! Psalm 91 does instruct us on the conditions of these blessings.
#1 You must make God your Refuge. (We know this is by being in Christ).
#2 You must put your Trust in God! This is a daily discipline that is furthered by reading God’s word (God talking to you) and talking to God through Prayer.
#3 We must Love God and have confidence in His name!  (This also comes through strengthened relationship).
This time of year our minds are on Freedom as we celebrate Independence day. But as we celebrate our Refuge and Purpose, remember that our true freedom comes from living in Christ, our Refuge! Praise the Lord for the Liberty afforded to us under the Shadow of the Almighty: God’s presence! We know that this does not mean life here on earth is always going to be easy, pleasant, or even fair. But what Psalm 91 does show us is that we will be more FREE to live at peace in this life, even during troubles, knowing that God has offered us a “secret place in the MOST HIGH”! Wow, how awesome is that?

Celebrate our Refuge!

We live in a world of dangerous darkness AROUND us and brokenness WITHIN us. But the Bible talks about a very powerful benefit we as believers have. Simply put:  GOD IS OUR REFUGE!  For the rest of this year and into 2024, our new Calendar year Theme will be: “Celebrating our Refuge and Purpose!”
I have heard from the Lord and He has given me this vision for our Church: We have a Refuge within the LORD that is clearly mapped out. But we also have a Purpose in the Lord that is clearly commissioned!  No matter how bad things become in our world, we need never to be afraid! God is not just the place we run to when trouble comes; we need to be keenly aware that as Christians in Christ, we are always within the borders of our REFUGE! To celebrate this is to understand that God is: #1. Actively sheltering us from the bombardment of demonic messaging… and #2.  Keeping it from penetrating our faith and our mind, spirit and soul! Psalms 18:30 “God’s way is perfect. The word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.”  This is beyond wonderful! But it is not a place for us to hunker down and hide. It is not a place for us to feel so safe that we just sit back and become lazy!  Instead, this celebration and appreciation for our DIVINE SHEILDING should act as a Launching pad! A motivation for us to combat the darkness and win souls for Christ!

88 Times in the Bible, God talks about being our Refuge. Even when cities of refuge are mentioned, these foreshadow God’s Plan of Salvation for us in Christ. In our Refuge, we are sheltered from eternal death, separation from God, and from Satan placing his grip on us! Satan can’t cross the bloodline and he surely can’t penetrate the walls of our REFUGE! Praise the LORD!! In our Refuge, we are protected from the dominance of human influence and fear (Psalm 118:8). We are blessed to be able to taste and see God’s goodness and Power (Psalm 34:8). We are shielded from condemnation and rescued when in trouble! And He is close to us when we are broken or grieving (Psalm 34:17-22)! In our Refuge, we’re given a song to sing even when were troubled (Psalm 59:16)! And so many more we will explore together!

But our Purpose is clearly commissioned as well! We are to seek and to save the lost by living like Jesus!  God help us to be moved by His Holy Spirit to let our lights shine bright and our mouths speak boldly the love of God!

In the authority of Jesus name! I call you to see your position in Christ! And let it Launch you into action! Push back against the deceptions, lies and demonic ideas! We have the TRUTH! And we have a REFUGE! And we have a PURPOSE! May we fulfill it for His GLORY! Amen!

Are You Fluid or Solid?

Recently there has been a lot of chatter about A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). Basically, computer programmers have made computers so smart and resourceful with their data banks and programmed experiences are making them almost self-aware! Sounds like a Syfy movie right?  Just think Alexa, Siri, and Google Assist on smart phones…they have their own voice and personality. Anyway. Ellon Musk stated that soon, these A.I. Computer programs would begin to control social media with their ability to use words and write their own articles; becoming a huge influence upon real people’s opinions. A.I. Computer programs are already creating art, driving cars, writing articles, and even simulating relationships through apps. The Point:

Today’s generation is not only being influenced by TV, fake news, and social media, but by A.I. programs that work 24/7 to influence their thinking with extreme liberal ideas and godless thoughts. I believe that this is a tool of the Anti-Christ spirit that is ever increasing in our society and world. The Bible is very clear about its influence. Daniel 11:36-39 prophesies that he will 1. exalt himself.  2. heed his inner voice above others. 3. be hostile toward the true God. 4. exalt human logic above faith. 5. prosper for a season and be loved. 6. not desire women.. 7. viciously persecute Jews and Christians. 8. think of himself as greater than God. 9. become increasingly lawless… and many other demonic traits.

There is only one way for us to avoid succumbing to this force… 1. Be Born again. 2. Be in Christ and remain in Him. 3. Stay grounded in God’s word. 4. And stay in tune with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said in John 14:26 “But when the Father sends the Helper (Advocate) as My representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” The Holy Spirit, inside of us, will keep us stable and solid on the foundation of Jesus’ teachings. People without a relationship with God, do not have the Spirit of God and are like fluid. They will “run” (like water) in any direction that the world or this age may tilt! But the Believer in Christ will stay unmovable! Grounded! And Locked into God’s Way. That is an awesome Blessing to know we can be impervious to this affect! Praise the Lord! 

Just think about it. This is a demonic supernatural force that is dominating America, Europe, Canada, and many other corners of our world. These forces are making a difference in every aspect of human life. But because we are in Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to govern our lives, we are invulnerable to this attack. I feel this is worth celebrating! God is Good! And He has placed you and I upon His Solid Rock! Jesus!

We are about to celebrate the most important Christian event of the year:  Resurrection SUNDAY! Without the Resurrection of Jesus, Christianity is a null and void religion. With the Resurrection, Christianity is the PROOF that God masterfully created a way for His creation to be reconciled to Himself and that everything in Holy Scripture points to ONE beautiful and loving Redemptive plan for mankind!  Jesus Resurrection is the key! It is our proof of hope for an afterlife, but truly LIFE itself! The sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross to redeem us from the curse and break the hold of sin, death and hell on our lives is beyond our ability to appreciate in full! But we begin a lifetime of trying to show appreciation once our lives have been touched by His powerful blood and His Resurrection power inside of us! Jesus’ Cross at Calvary is the ONE universal symbol that reminds us of the GREAT LOVE God showed us by sending His only begotten Son and sacrificing Him, sinless, on a criminal’s cross because of OUR SINS!  Romans 5:8 “God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 

I believe we all thoroughly enjoyed the revival! Now may the revival fire continue to burn. The Lord worked in hearts around the altar and I trust that those blessings will transcend the week of the meetings to the point that we are changed and more like Christ! And most importantly, closer to God! The Lord has delt with me on several points and I pray that God strengthens each of us to be committed to the renewal that the Lord has begun in us. Rev. Gary Bateman mentioned several points that I believe we should embrace. God desires a church that KNOWS who Jesus is! A church who knows who Jesus is will have righteousness as a core value. That church will also experience God’s power! Because there is Power in the Name of Jesus. The devil will fear that kind of church because it is a people marching on their knees in prayer and taking the Gospel outside the walls of the church building.
Also, we were challenged to hear God speak over the voices of the world today! Rev. Gary shared many examples of what “they say”…but we are to believe what God Says! And on the last night, Rev. Gary exclaimed that “This is the Day”, this is our day, and this is our time! God has called us as a church, “for such a time as this”, in our community, to make a difference! (Psalm 118:24; Psalm 39:4; Esther 4:14)
This has certainly been one of my burdens. I believe the Lord is telling us to 1. Take Jesus to families or households. Let’s make an appointment to meet with families that the Lord lays on our hearts, and present the Good News to them. 2. Take Jesus to the streets. Let’s do some prayer walks this spring. And while we are outside, we can stop and talk to people we run into about the Lord. 3. I would like to do another training on witnessing and soul winning, with the goal of going out at least monthly to witness in teams. Let’s determine that in these last days, God is going to use us to mess up the enemies’ plans! To make a difference in our community and be a church that Satan fears! In JESUS NAME!! As Rev. Gary Bateman said: it is not activities in church that threaten the gates of hell. It is a praying people that are experiencing a Move of God! And a people experiencing a move of God will be on the Move FOR God!
As the Apostle Paul said, when he was going outside to witness to people: “I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:4b We can depend upon the Holy Spirit to use the scriptures we know and the testimony in our heart to give us the words and the boldness to be Christ’s witness! Begin praying with me: “God, use us to be a soul winning church!”

Jesus is our Salvation. He is the most important relationship and priority in our lives! He saves us from Hell; but more importantly, He restores our relationship with Father God; Creator of all things! His love is so great and powerful toward us that He died for Mankind and covered our sins with His perfect sinless blood! God has called families to Himself! He has called men and women, husbands and wives, moms and dads, children and grandparents to Himself to serve Him. Satan has tried to destroy the family because he knows that God desires to work through the family unit to bring a foundation of Love. A healthy family can set a legacy of love that is planted by a mom and dad who love their God and each other and are willing to train their children to fear and love the Lord also. This Love Foundation is powerful, anointed, and God ordained!

There is a Greek word that is found over 100 times in the New Testament that brings our focus to a great need in 2023: “Oikos”. It means family or household. The family has always been positioned in Scripture to bare the message of God. From Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (family), to Noah and his sons and wives in the Ark (Family) to Joshua who said in Joshua 24:15 “…as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”  In Acts 16:31 Paul and Silas declared to a frightened Jailer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Jesus said to Zacchaeus in Luke 19:9, after eating with him and after Zacchaeus confessed his sins: “Today salvation has come to this house…” There is an overflow of God’s love when the family is strong and most importantly, dedicated to God. When they seek God’s will. When they fear the Lord. When they worship together, pray together, and get involved in Kingdom ministry together! I believe that most people underestimate the powerful potential of what this looks like to the world and especially to God! This overflow of love starts with the husband and wife relationship or mom and dads faithful commitment to God and to each other. The Family, ordained by God, can be a Love Foundation that is indisputably effective in showing God’s Word at work. This in turn, bears the message of God from generation to generation. Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 2 and 7 prove this. ² and you and your children and grandchildren must fear the Lord your God as long as you live. If you obey all his decrees and commands, you will enjoy a long life. ⁷ Repeat (God’s Word & His ways) 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.

This year, as we commit to Speak life + Live the Live for Jesus; let us take God’s message of SALVATION to households! With God’s message on our lips and in our heart; it is time for Grace FAMILY Fellowship to target the Family again with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  This will be a year of Revival! Pray and Agree in this with me, in Jesus name!