But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. - Philippians 1:18-20
Christ and the Cross. Deliverance. What enables Paul to rejoice while in chains? He is in chains and could possible lose his life at any time, yet he encourages others to continue for the sake of Christ. What can make a person while in bondage rejoice?
It could only be Christ. We (me included) oftentimes forget the great significances of Christ and the cross. We tend to preach the “cross”. Meaning we preach only that Jesus saves us from our sins. While that is a great deal, it isn’t the entire story. Sometimes we tend to preach “resurrection” only. We preach because Jesus was raised, we too will be raised. This is a great gift, yet it isn’t the entire story.
The only way we can teach or preach the entire story is to preach Jesus. Jesus came to do so much more than we can even grasp at one time, so we do not want to limit the message. One of the many things Jesus came to bring is deliverance. He brings deliverance from sin, but he didn’t stop at that when he hung on the cross. He brought us deliverance from the tricks of the enemy and most importantly from ourselves. He gave us deliverance from the stronghold of “self”. That was a losing battle we often fought, when trying to do anything that would cause us to have to limit ourselves.
Why do you think Paul could rejoice while in chains? He had received the deliverance from the stronghold of self. Paul says in the scripture that he knows with the prayers of the righteous and the power of the Holy Spirit, the situation he finds himself in, will turn out for his deliverance. He wasn’t necessarily talking about his release from the physical chains he was in, but in any spiritual chains that might try to attach themselves to him and then truly make him one in chains (spiritual ones). He had freedom to move in the power of the Spirit, even with the captor thought he had him limited. He has the power of God to rescue him from whatever would keep him from fulfilling the will of the Father. And Paul was ready to go even to death, if it meant fulfilling the will of the Father.
Today we can rejoice because that same power of deliverance that was there for Paul is available to us. We can fulfill the cause of Christ in our lives because he has delivered us from ourselves. He has given us the Holy Spirit to equip us to stand even in the situations where the captor tries to hold us back. What rejoicing we can have, because even though Paul was in chains, it did not stop the spread of the gospel it actually encouraged the spread of the gospel. That is what God will do in our lives. He will allow the chains we find ourselves in to encourage others because they see in us the hope of glory. They see in us a made-up mind and a determined spirit. They see that even though our situation has us seemingly locked up, we move freely in the power of God.
I pray for us today that we meditate on the goodness we have been give through the total sacrifice of self that Jesus did for us. He examples us what total surrender to the cause of God can do. Today Lord help us yield completely to you, so that we can experience total freedom through your gift of deliverance.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Words of Encouragement
And there rejoice before the LORD your God, you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levites from your towns, who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. Offer them only at the place the LORD will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you. – Deuteronomy 12:12-14
and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. – Romans 24-26
Christ and the Cross. The right kind of sacrifice. In the Old Testament times the people were required to bring sacrifices unto the Lord. If you read in the Law you see they were to make several types of offerings in several different ways. The scripture verses here, remind them about one such sacrifice. When the people are to come, they must be careful not to come offering the burnt offering anywhere they chose, but to offer them only in the place where God has chosen. We may read this and say, what’s the big deal; they were offering the sacrifice, why does it matter where they did it? It matters greatly. It matters because to follow part of a commandment of God and not the entire command is complete disobedience.
What does this have to do with the cross? God sent Jesus to the cross to die for you and I so that we would not have to stand accused of the sins in our lives. God had a complete plan on how Jesus was to accomplish this. Jesus was to present himself as the sacrifice of atonement, just as the priest had done in Old Testament times. It was through the shed blood of the animal that the people’s sins were “temporarily” cover. Jesus was to shed his blood to “permanently” cover our sins. Jesus did not follow His Fathers instructions partly, but completely. In doing so, he opened up the opportunity for you and I to be forgiven.
Now it stands to us. We cannot accept the cross partly, because to do so, we are in fact rejecting it completely. To accept Christ and the cross, we must accept that this is the only way to God. This is the specific place we have been told to go to offer our sacrifices of ourselves before God. Jesus lifeblood was shed so that we could have a right relationship with God. And the instruction to us today is, do not make your sacrifice (of your life) anywhere you so please. In other words, don’t think you will say to God, well I lived for you, I read my Bible, I do this or that, but I just couldn’t accept that I needed Jesus in my life or that I needed to follow those things he said. Then let me tell you what you have done, you have in fact said, I refuse to accept you God, for this way of salvation was God’s plan.
Today, I pray for us to be careful in our sacrifices. We do not want to do as we please, but we want to do as God says and what is pleasing to him. Lord, help us to be living sacrifices your way, and in your power and might. Help us to see the example of Jesus. He was the right kind of sacrifice because he was obedient to your will. Help us to be the right kind of sacrifice, by being obedient to you.
and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. – Romans 24-26
Christ and the Cross. The right kind of sacrifice. In the Old Testament times the people were required to bring sacrifices unto the Lord. If you read in the Law you see they were to make several types of offerings in several different ways. The scripture verses here, remind them about one such sacrifice. When the people are to come, they must be careful not to come offering the burnt offering anywhere they chose, but to offer them only in the place where God has chosen. We may read this and say, what’s the big deal; they were offering the sacrifice, why does it matter where they did it? It matters greatly. It matters because to follow part of a commandment of God and not the entire command is complete disobedience.
What does this have to do with the cross? God sent Jesus to the cross to die for you and I so that we would not have to stand accused of the sins in our lives. God had a complete plan on how Jesus was to accomplish this. Jesus was to present himself as the sacrifice of atonement, just as the priest had done in Old Testament times. It was through the shed blood of the animal that the people’s sins were “temporarily” cover. Jesus was to shed his blood to “permanently” cover our sins. Jesus did not follow His Fathers instructions partly, but completely. In doing so, he opened up the opportunity for you and I to be forgiven.
Now it stands to us. We cannot accept the cross partly, because to do so, we are in fact rejecting it completely. To accept Christ and the cross, we must accept that this is the only way to God. This is the specific place we have been told to go to offer our sacrifices of ourselves before God. Jesus lifeblood was shed so that we could have a right relationship with God. And the instruction to us today is, do not make your sacrifice (of your life) anywhere you so please. In other words, don’t think you will say to God, well I lived for you, I read my Bible, I do this or that, but I just couldn’t accept that I needed Jesus in my life or that I needed to follow those things he said. Then let me tell you what you have done, you have in fact said, I refuse to accept you God, for this way of salvation was God’s plan.
Today, I pray for us to be careful in our sacrifices. We do not want to do as we please, but we want to do as God says and what is pleasing to him. Lord, help us to be living sacrifices your way, and in your power and might. Help us to see the example of Jesus. He was the right kind of sacrifice because he was obedient to your will. Help us to be the right kind of sacrifice, by being obedient to you.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Someone You Should Know!
Michelle taking the children through a song.We continue with our talk with Michelle about her music.
Jewel: How important was it for you to complete the task, even with all that you faced during this time?
Michelle:Wow, it was important becasue God was very specific as to the assignment. He spoke to me during the Youth Convention in Orlando, Florida in December of 2006. He had me fast, coupled with prayer of course to truly discern His direction and voice, for all the details (example - location, song-choice, musicians, date. etc.). So it was important that I received His consultation and direction for every facet of the project 'cuz actually, it could have easily become 'overwhelming', in my own flesh. That's when the Spirit-man (Holy Spirit) and His ultimate leadign makes all the difference. The project wasn't daunting but became joyous, light, fun and a total adventure.
Warriorz of Praise CD (for more information about how to obtain this CD, send us a line and we'll pass on the information.)
Words of Encouragement
When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots. And sitting down, they kept watch over him there. Above his head they placed the written charge against him: THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE JEWS. Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!" In the same way the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders mocked him. "He saved others," they said, "but he can't save himself! He's the King of Israel! Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him now if he wants him, for he said, 'I am the Son of God.' " In the same way the robbers who were crucified with him also heaped insults on him. – Matthew 27:35-44
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. – Mark 8:34
Christ and the Cross. The truth of the cross. We often times look at the cross of Christ and think about all that we received because of the cross, but we tend to miss all that Christ gave because of the cross.
The cross was an insult. The cross was punishment for the criminal. There was horror in the cross. The cross was a means of disgrace to the one being hung upon it. As we read the scripture in Matthew we see the treatment Jesus received. He was charged as a criminal, yet he was innocent. He was counted among the criminals when he was placed between the robbers. Those that stood around insulted him. He was mocked and told to show himself by coming down off his cross. He was yelled at to save himself as they continued to heap insults upon him.
This did not stop Jesus from finishing the task of the cross. Jesus was counted as unrighteous so that the righteousness of God could be fulfilled. Jesus withstood the insults and the mocking because he knew in God’s perfect timing he would be shown righteous again.
Jesus was counted as a mere criminal so that you and I could be counted as children of the most high. Jesus did not come down from the cross because he knew that if he did, all would be lost. He willing died so that we could live.
So when we hear the command from Jesus, to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him, what does that mean for you and I? The truth in the cross is you and I were give liberty or freedom from sin, so that we could be the avenues for freedom for someone else. When we take up our cross we must be willing to stand under the insults and mocking. There will come those that will insult you for what you do and mock you as a fool. There will come those that will count you as a criminal, yet God knows you are righteous. Yet you willing stand up to the mocking because you know in God’s perfect timing he will show you righteous before all. To take up your cross you willing die to your desire to prove who you are. Jesus could have proved who he was and come down from the cross, but in doing so, he would have turned aside God’s plan. So instead he stayed on the cross and proved who he was that way, but showing his ultimate power over sin.
You and I must withstand the trick of the enemy to make us come down from where God has placed us. We must resist the pleas to show who we are. Instead we must continue to carry our cross until God himself shows to all, who we really are.
Today I pray for us that we thank the Lord for not only what we received from the cross, but to show our thankfulness for all that Jesus gave up for us. He gave up all, and mainly he gave himself. Today let us take the stand, the challenge of Jesus, let us give up all, and mainly ourselves and follow him.
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. – Mark 8:34
Christ and the Cross. The truth of the cross. We often times look at the cross of Christ and think about all that we received because of the cross, but we tend to miss all that Christ gave because of the cross.
The cross was an insult. The cross was punishment for the criminal. There was horror in the cross. The cross was a means of disgrace to the one being hung upon it. As we read the scripture in Matthew we see the treatment Jesus received. He was charged as a criminal, yet he was innocent. He was counted among the criminals when he was placed between the robbers. Those that stood around insulted him. He was mocked and told to show himself by coming down off his cross. He was yelled at to save himself as they continued to heap insults upon him.
This did not stop Jesus from finishing the task of the cross. Jesus was counted as unrighteous so that the righteousness of God could be fulfilled. Jesus withstood the insults and the mocking because he knew in God’s perfect timing he would be shown righteous again.
Jesus was counted as a mere criminal so that you and I could be counted as children of the most high. Jesus did not come down from the cross because he knew that if he did, all would be lost. He willing died so that we could live.
So when we hear the command from Jesus, to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him, what does that mean for you and I? The truth in the cross is you and I were give liberty or freedom from sin, so that we could be the avenues for freedom for someone else. When we take up our cross we must be willing to stand under the insults and mocking. There will come those that will insult you for what you do and mock you as a fool. There will come those that will count you as a criminal, yet God knows you are righteous. Yet you willing stand up to the mocking because you know in God’s perfect timing he will show you righteous before all. To take up your cross you willing die to your desire to prove who you are. Jesus could have proved who he was and come down from the cross, but in doing so, he would have turned aside God’s plan. So instead he stayed on the cross and proved who he was that way, but showing his ultimate power over sin.
You and I must withstand the trick of the enemy to make us come down from where God has placed us. We must resist the pleas to show who we are. Instead we must continue to carry our cross until God himself shows to all, who we really are.
Today I pray for us that we thank the Lord for not only what we received from the cross, but to show our thankfulness for all that Jesus gave up for us. He gave up all, and mainly he gave himself. Today let us take the stand, the challenge of Jesus, let us give up all, and mainly ourselves and follow him.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Something New!
I was on Amazon.com and came across some really interesting information that I thought you would like to know. As I was reading some of the post, I stumbled across a blog called "Teen Lit Review". The blog reviews different books that our kids want to read. If you go onto the blog you can be entered to win free books.
The creators of this blog decided to start a teen book review in order to help parents find out what really is in the books they allow their children to read. Since they could not find anything that was doing what they were looking for, they decided to do it themselves. I found the site helpful.
If you are interested go to: Teen Lit Review
http://teenlitreview.blogspot.com/
The creators of this blog decided to start a teen book review in order to help parents find out what really is in the books they allow their children to read. Since they could not find anything that was doing what they were looking for, they decided to do it themselves. I found the site helpful.
If you are interested go to: Teen Lit Review
http://teenlitreview.blogspot.com/
Words of Encouragement
“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." – John 3:16-21
What Jesus’ Gift Brings. Love. Image if you will that you have done a crime punishable by death. You stand before the judge awaiting your sentence. Someone steps up to speak. The person that steps up to speak is the person that you wronged. What they say to the judge astonishes you. They tell the judge that they will take you punishment of death.
Or what if you had a debt that was over a trillion dollars. There was no way you could pay it. You owed it and punishment for not being able to pay it was coming soon (in ancient times, you were put in prison or your family until you could pay off the debt). Yet to your surprise the one you owe the debt to says, I’ll pay the debt in full.
These two attempts really cannot explain the fullest of what we were forgiven of when Jesus stepped in to take on our sins. When he took our sins on himself he paid the penalty for our crimes and he paid the debt we could not fulfill.
God loves mankind so much, that he sent his son to die for you and I. All he requires from us is the belief in his plan. We have to believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father. We cannot try to make our own way, decide our own plan of salvation because there is no other way other than through Jesus Christ.
The message in the scripture is clear. If you do not accept the love of God you are in fact condemning yourself. I’ve heard many a person say, God is love so he wouldn’t send anyone to hell. The truth in that statement is this, because God wishes none to perish, he made a way of escape. However, he will not force you or I to take it. If we decide to miss the avenue of escape it is in fact our own foolishness that sends us to hell, not God. The scripture tells us that the verdict is this; some do not come to the light because they do not want their deeds exposed.
Yet, let us not be fooled. Even if we try to hide our deeds in darkness, there still comes a time when the light will expose that which we do. It would be better, however that we allow God to remove the darkness so that we can live in the light than to be eternally engulfed in darkness and miss heaven. To miss heaven is what we would not want to do. To miss heaven means when you stand before the judgment seat of God in that moment I believe you will see a fuller understanding of God to quickly have it removed. The real punishment of hell is you will forever remember that moment when you were exposed to the fullness of God’s love and to know eternally you will never have it again. If that isn’t hell, I don’t know what is.
Today, I pray for us to really meditate on God’s love. God’s love is freely given to us all; let us not reject God’s love. I pray that we would examine all our deeds so that they will be done in the light so that it can plainly be seen we do all things through Christ.
What Jesus’ Gift Brings. Love. Image if you will that you have done a crime punishable by death. You stand before the judge awaiting your sentence. Someone steps up to speak. The person that steps up to speak is the person that you wronged. What they say to the judge astonishes you. They tell the judge that they will take you punishment of death.
Or what if you had a debt that was over a trillion dollars. There was no way you could pay it. You owed it and punishment for not being able to pay it was coming soon (in ancient times, you were put in prison or your family until you could pay off the debt). Yet to your surprise the one you owe the debt to says, I’ll pay the debt in full.
These two attempts really cannot explain the fullest of what we were forgiven of when Jesus stepped in to take on our sins. When he took our sins on himself he paid the penalty for our crimes and he paid the debt we could not fulfill.
God loves mankind so much, that he sent his son to die for you and I. All he requires from us is the belief in his plan. We have to believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father. We cannot try to make our own way, decide our own plan of salvation because there is no other way other than through Jesus Christ.
The message in the scripture is clear. If you do not accept the love of God you are in fact condemning yourself. I’ve heard many a person say, God is love so he wouldn’t send anyone to hell. The truth in that statement is this, because God wishes none to perish, he made a way of escape. However, he will not force you or I to take it. If we decide to miss the avenue of escape it is in fact our own foolishness that sends us to hell, not God. The scripture tells us that the verdict is this; some do not come to the light because they do not want their deeds exposed.
Yet, let us not be fooled. Even if we try to hide our deeds in darkness, there still comes a time when the light will expose that which we do. It would be better, however that we allow God to remove the darkness so that we can live in the light than to be eternally engulfed in darkness and miss heaven. To miss heaven is what we would not want to do. To miss heaven means when you stand before the judgment seat of God in that moment I believe you will see a fuller understanding of God to quickly have it removed. The real punishment of hell is you will forever remember that moment when you were exposed to the fullness of God’s love and to know eternally you will never have it again. If that isn’t hell, I don’t know what is.
Today, I pray for us to really meditate on God’s love. God’s love is freely given to us all; let us not reject God’s love. I pray that we would examine all our deeds so that they will be done in the light so that it can plainly be seen we do all things through Christ.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Words of Encouragement
“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." – John 3:16-21
What Jesus’ Gift Brings. Love. Image if you will that you have done a crime punishable by death. You stand before the judge awaiting your sentence. Someone steps up to speak. The person that steps up to speak is the person that you wronged. What they say to the judge astonishes you. They tell the judge that they will take you punishment of death.
Or what if you had a debt that was over a trillion dollars. There was no way you could pay it. You owed it and punishment for not being able to pay it was coming soon (in ancient times, you were put in prison or your family until you could pay off the debt). Yet to your surprise the one you owe the debt to says, I’ll pay the debt in full.
These two attempts really cannot explain the fullest of what we were forgiven of when Jesus stepped in to take on our sins. When he took our sins on himself he paid the penalty for our crimes and he paid the debt we could not fulfill.
God loves mankind so much, that he sent his son to die for you and I. All he requires from us is the belief in his plan. We have to believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father. We cannot try to make our own way, decide our own plan of salvation because there is no other way other than through Jesus Christ.
The message in the scripture is clear. If you do not accept the love of God you are in fact condemning yourself. I’ve heard many a person say, God is love so he wouldn’t send anyone to hell. The truth in that statement is this, because God wishes none to perish, he made a way of escape. However, he will not force you or I to take it. If we decide to miss the avenue of escape it is in fact our own foolishness that sends us to hell, not God. The scripture tells us that the verdict is this; some do not come to the light because they do not want their deeds exposed.
Yet, let us not be fooled. Even if we try to hide our deeds in darkness, there still comes a time when the light will expose that which we do. It would be better, however that we allow God to remove the darkness so that we can live in the light than to be eternally engulfed in darkness and miss heaven. To miss heaven is what we would not want to do. To miss heaven means when you stand before the judgment seat of God in that moment I believe you will see a fuller understanding of God to quickly have it removed. The real punishment of hell is you will forever remember that moment when you were exposed to the fullness of God’s love and to know eternally you will never have it again. If that isn’t hell, I don’t know what is.
Today, I pray for us to really meditate on God’s love. God’s love is freely given to us all; let us not reject God’s love. I pray that we would examine all our deeds so that they will be done in the light so that it can plainly be seen we do all things through Christ.
What Jesus’ Gift Brings. Love. Image if you will that you have done a crime punishable by death. You stand before the judge awaiting your sentence. Someone steps up to speak. The person that steps up to speak is the person that you wronged. What they say to the judge astonishes you. They tell the judge that they will take you punishment of death.
Or what if you had a debt that was over a trillion dollars. There was no way you could pay it. You owed it and punishment for not being able to pay it was coming soon (in ancient times, you were put in prison or your family until you could pay off the debt). Yet to your surprise the one you owe the debt to says, I’ll pay the debt in full.
These two attempts really cannot explain the fullest of what we were forgiven of when Jesus stepped in to take on our sins. When he took our sins on himself he paid the penalty for our crimes and he paid the debt we could not fulfill.
God loves mankind so much, that he sent his son to die for you and I. All he requires from us is the belief in his plan. We have to believe that Jesus is the only way to the Father. We cannot try to make our own way, decide our own plan of salvation because there is no other way other than through Jesus Christ.
The message in the scripture is clear. If you do not accept the love of God you are in fact condemning yourself. I’ve heard many a person say, God is love so he wouldn’t send anyone to hell. The truth in that statement is this, because God wishes none to perish, he made a way of escape. However, he will not force you or I to take it. If we decide to miss the avenue of escape it is in fact our own foolishness that sends us to hell, not God. The scripture tells us that the verdict is this; some do not come to the light because they do not want their deeds exposed.
Yet, let us not be fooled. Even if we try to hide our deeds in darkness, there still comes a time when the light will expose that which we do. It would be better, however that we allow God to remove the darkness so that we can live in the light than to be eternally engulfed in darkness and miss heaven. To miss heaven is what we would not want to do. To miss heaven means when you stand before the judgment seat of God in that moment I believe you will see a fuller understanding of God to quickly have it removed. The real punishment of hell is you will forever remember that moment when you were exposed to the fullness of God’s love and to know eternally you will never have it again. If that isn’t hell, I don’t know what is.
Today, I pray for us to really meditate on God’s love. God’s love is freely given to us all; let us not reject God’s love. I pray that we would examine all our deeds so that they will be done in the light so that it can plainly be seen we do all things through Christ.
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