A FRESH Start!

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come! The old has gone, the new is here!”               

2 Cor. 5:17

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide you’re not going to stay where you are.” — John Pierpont Morgan

New Years is the PERFECT time to reflect on where you’ve been and resolve yourself to whatever it takes to bring CHANGE to your situation!

Mark 2: 1-5 Notice here how these men, as well as the afflicted man, were willing to do whatever it takes to get to the feet of Jesus... are we willing to do whatever it takes to experience our FRESH START?

Mark 5:25-34 A Woman is a place of distress. She has a NEED. She is stressed and needs the power of God.   1. She makes a choice to grab!   2. She experiences without doubt.   3. She admits her condition and knows the need to continue following!

To EXPERIENCE your FRESH Start...  A hard reality is that we have to LET GO and LET GOD!

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 We have to realize that HE is the “change agent” though... we have to have the Faith to move toward him, but HE has to be allowed to do the changing in us! It is by HIS Spirit that we see our world begin to change! Zachariah 4:6

Our faithfulness to move in His direction will bring about His touch and move in our direction. John 5:1-15 The story of a paralyzed man who is UNABLE to move toward the pool and felt helpless and hopeless in his condition. However, when Jesus approached him with the question...”do you want to be well?” His answer was YES! And look what a change he underwent!!!!

Do you want a FRESH START? Jesus holds your answers!

Joy is a SINGABLE thing!

“May the God of Hope fill you with all JOY and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in Hope!”

Romans 15:13

PEACE is the FORERUNNER of JOY!

Psalm 33: 20-22 – Our Heart REJOICES because we have HOPE

in what is to come!

The Angels appeared to Shepherds on a Hillside in the middle of the night proclaiming REJOICE!!! We bring you tidings of GREAT JOY!

Luke 2: 9-11

JOY is SUPERNATURAL! It doesn’t make any sense at times? Where does it come from? How do I get it?

Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.

You’ll find nothing in that definition about happy feelings, because, as we all know, happiness is fleeting and temporary!

Our lives are like “Train Tracks” running parallel to each other. One representing the GOOD experiences of life and the other… pain and sorrow. Every day of your life, wonderful, good things happen that bring pleasure and contentment and beauty to you. At the exact same time, painful things happen to you or those you love that disappoint you, hurt you, and fill you with sorrow.

If you look down train tracks into the brightness of the horizon, the tracks become one. You can’t distinguish them as two separate tracks. That’s how it will be for us, too. One day, our parallel tracks of joy and sorrow will merge into one. The day we meet Jesus Christ in person and see the brightness of who he is, it will all come together for us. Then it will all make complete sense.

JOY TO THE WORLD… THE LORD HAS COME!

The Prince of Peace - Advent 2

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:7

Luke 2:13-14 - the promise of peace.

RECLAIMING THE CHRISTMAS PEACE THAT BUSYNESS STEALS FROM US:

This is an exercise in doing less, so we’re going to talk about

4 things we need to quit.

1. Quit trying to please everyone. - Luke 5:15-16.

- so many wanting a piece of His time, yet He withdraws.

- at the end of the day, you can’t keep everybody and God happy.

- the many obligations during the Christmas season. Make “You/Us” time!

2. Quit trying to be the perfect host. - Luke 10:38-42.

- as we have guests over, we often drive ourselves crazy by our unnecessarily

   high standards. C’mon…be honest with yourself!

- would it really be that bad to let others bring stuff to your holiday party?

- would it really be that bad if the house wasn’t immaculate? (I know the ladies

  are going to accuse me of not understanding because I’m a man.)

3. Quit buying so much. - Luke 12:15.

- show of hands: how many of you regularly run into the problem of not being

  able to think of a single thing that someone on your list needs.

- instead of buying “stuff”… why not create or ”buy” an experience!

4. Quit running around and go sit down. - Luke 22:14.

- Jesus, facing the worst day of His life, chooses to spend His precious time with

  His friends.

- spend some time enjoying the company of those who mean the most to you

- do you spend more time of your holiday focusing on your presents for your

  family or your presence with your family?

Isaiah 9:6-7 – Jesus Is The Prince of Peace!

HOPE Has Come! - Advent 1

“I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel”

Genesis 3:15

On this first Sunday of Advent… we want to focus on HOPE! However…. Its important to realize that the message of HOPE begins in the Garden of Eden with a judgment from God on the serpent (evil) and a promise to the woman of HOPE!

Here in Genesis 3:15… God is distinguishing between those in the world (those who don’t know Christ as their SAVIOR) and those who are SAVED because of the sacrifice of Christ and our faith in Him! Its this difference that gives us HOPE!

What does “The Seed” mean? God addressed the “seed” as something that is passed on… the seed of the serpent (evil, satan) is cultivated in our “flesh” or in the heart of those who don’t know Jesus. The SEED OF THE WOMAN is a prophetic reference to Christ. The seed of the woman will CRUSH the seed of satan and sin will be DEFEATED!

THIS IS THE PROMISE OF HOPE!

When the fullness of time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” Galatians 4:4-5. The Seed of the Woman SAVES US! This is our “BRIGHT HOPE for Tomorrow” as the Old Hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness says!

What have we to fear? God assures the success of the Promised Seed of the woman. The struggle between the righteous and unrighteous will be won by the people of God, both Jew and Gentile, through the work of the Son that was given to us, the Son of God. He will utterly defeat satan!

Christians REJOICE!!! We Have HOPE because of the Christchild who came in the humbleness of a stable so that those who would believe… would NOT perish, but would have everlasting life!!!

On this first Sunday of ADVENT of 2016… Share the HOPE that YOU have because of Jesus in YOUR heart with someone who is still hopeless and lost.

“GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS… LORD UNTO ME!”

Raise The Praise!

“I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise and I have been saved from my enemies.”

Psalm 18:3

Consider the “line-up”

1. The Musicians 2. The Singers  3. The Ark or Presence of God 

4. The Priests and then  5. those in the fight!

II Chronicles 20:15–17 Whatever YOUR battle… God is saying to you…STOP

This is NOT your fight to fight. God will fight the battle on your behalf!

In the “Natural” things will never been seen clearly. When we have the “Mind of Christ”… we see things SUPERnaturally. God says… “I WILL MAKE A WAY!”

Isaiah 43:16-19 God is making a way! Let Him go before you! BUT before you run to the battle… PRAISE!

As we read the Scripture and in particular see the Old Testament “types” about how music and worship were used, it reveals to us that New Testament worship is indeed a weapon of Spiritual Warfare. Just as the application and appropriation of the blood of the Lamb covers and protects us today, our understanding of what is taking place in the spirit realm as we praise God is integral to our victory as well. It could be said that the Christian—who knows the havoc that his or her worship to God is also wreaking on the powers of darkness in that general locale—will endeavor to worship God with all the more vigor! In fact, it is the glory of the saints to inflict damage

on the Devil and his workers!

The person who is experiencing life’s turmoil or spiritual oppression, is the very person who needs more than anyone else to begin to praise God!

When you RAISE THE PRAISE…It is confounding to the enemy and glorifying to God. Plus, it will be a powerful witness to those around you as you walk through the trials with an attitude of praise, giving God the glory for His strength in you.

Oh Be Careful Little Mouth What you say....

“…Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith!”

Hebrews 13:7

Preached Originally by Cameron Williams

“What’s YOUR Testimony?!”

God has done something deemed particularly worth sharing.

Matthew 5:14-16

How you act is the testimony you give — John 3:20-21

People See Everything You Do

If you were ever accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

What testimony are you giving?

Hebrews 13:7, James 3:9-10, Ephesians 4:29

You may be the only Bible someone ever reads. What are you going to do about it?

“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal…It is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors, await us all.” — C.S. Lewis

Everything you say, everything you do, leaves an influence, either positive or negative. What will your influence be? Will you make people rethink their view of Christianity or let them continue to think we’re all hypocrites?

God is on the Throne

The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The Lord is clothed, He has girded Himself with strength. Surely the world is established, so that it cannot be moved.Your Throne is established from of old

Psalm 93:1-2

During ANY election season… it is imperative that we, as followers of Jesus, keep our eyes on the fact that our authority and leader is God! He is the One who sets the rulers of the world in place and who is doing something much bigger than you or I can understand. – Dr. Billy Graham

This coming Tuesday, you and I have the privaledge of exercising our responsibility to vote in this great country. Many are anxious of our choices and the potential outcome of this election, with good reason. However… we as believers of Christ… MUST set the example for all to see… No matter who is president, JESUS IS KING!

Here are some scriptures to remind us that God is STILL on the Throne

Isaiah 6:1-6 – Isaiah sees a vision of God on the throne and recognizes the he himself is an unclean man. When we understand the HOLINESS and AWESOMENESS of God… we want to follow!

Ezekiel 1:26-28 – Ezekiel sees the magnificent Throne of God and in reverence… falls to his face! Do we revere God and submit (the mindset when bowing or the lowering of one’s face)

Revelation 4:2-3 - From generation to generation, God’s Throne is still God’s Throne. What this is saying is God cannot be moved. There is no power in this world or this universe that can move God.

Psalm 93:3-4 - The floods have lifted up, O Lord, The floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The Lord on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.

The floods: Baal, false god was supposed to be victorious over the waters.

The Lord is mightier than the sound of water.

No Matter who is president… JESUS IS KING!

When Life sends a DETOUR

“You have led in Your steadfast love the people whom You have redeemed! You have guided them by Your strength 

to Your Holy abode!”

Exodus 15:13

5 Reasons we can TRUST GOD in the detours of life

We all hate detours!

Detours come in many different shapes and sizes, but all of them share one thing in common… We didn’t see them coming! They catch us off-guard, leaving us frustrated, confused, curious, even heart broken. The ultimate temptation is to become discouraged, even angry at God, as we experience our faith and experience being rocked!

Exodus 13:17-18 God “detours” the Israelites and takes them through the wilderness. Are you in a wilderness… look around. What do you see?

Exodus 13:21 – God leads the people by HIS Power!

Exodus14:13-14, 14:22-23, 14:30-31 – The people see God’s DELIVERANCE! Do you?

1.     The way God leads us may not make sense to us, but he has His reasons for each and every detour! – Isaiah 55:9

2.     Detours purpose to showcase God’s Glory, both to our enemies and for the sake of our own faith! – God WINS! Everytime! Romans 8:28

3.     When a detour feels threatening or confusing, we can trust God is indeed safeguarding us! – Just as a wall of water protected the Israelites, God’s presence and protection guards us!

4.     Detours cause us to see God’s character more clearly! When we take time to notice, we CAN see God at work!

5.     God uses detours to make firm our hope and, ultimately, to plant us in the heavenly places with Christ! Through your present DETOUR, be it sickness or pain or changed plan or disappointments… God is MOLDING you as clay in His intentional, compassionate hands to look more like His son. Indeed, detours exercise our faith and test our hope!