The Blessedness of Happiness: Lost, Precious and Loved

 

Praise the Lord, everybody! The message that Apostle Holcomb preached this Sunday, 17 October 2010 at our 10:30 worship service is in the series, The Blessedness of Happiness. It is entitled, Lost, Precious and Loved. (Matthew 5:1-4) is the scripture text.

"And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted." Last week we spoke about being poor in spirit, which equates to being rich toward God, realizing that we all need Jesus. When we are rich toward God, we see people the way God sees them as we view the world through the dove eyes of the Father. This enables us to look beyond the faults of others as we see and address the needs of those who are less fortunate. The emphasis today is on verse 4, "blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted." The Greek word for mourn is pentheo. It carries the connotation of lamenting, which is crying with God. There are times of rejoicing in our lives and there are times when we will mourn. It is of the essence that we are balanced individuals. (Romans 12:15) says, "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." There will be times that we experience the lost of loved ones and things that we hold dear to our hearts. It is important that we never suppress emotions that need to be expressed because in doing so, it could lead to depression. God gave us emotions and they serve needed purposes. Our emotions function as outlets and safety valves because we have an innate need to respond to given situations. The Bible speaks to us about occasions when even Jesus wept. Therefore, we realize that God cries with us. Even as we cry over the lost of loved ones that have passed on, we must also cry over loved ones that are lost. Souls are important and precious in the sight of God. He will always leave the 99, to go after one lost soul. The questions become, why are souls so important to God? What makes a soul valuable to God? What is a soul worth? The Bible teaches that our souls are worth more than the gain of the whole world. Our souls are of much value because they are desirable and they are durable. God desires our souls and so does satan. In (Luke 22:31), Jesus said to Peter, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat." 
Our souls are also durable which means that they are eternal. We will exist eternally somewhere. We must not allow the devil to fool us by causing us to believe a lie. There are consequences associated with our decisions in this life. The devil is going to hell and he desires to take as many of us with him as he can. Please realize that there is a Heaven to gain and there is a hell to shun. In essence, Heaven is a real place and hell is a real place. We do not come back and get to try again as something different. We do not come back! The truth is that we all have an appointment with death. The question becomes, where will we spend eternity? God loves us and He has made provisions for us by giving His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. If we accept His Son, we receive everlasting life. Every sheep needs a shepherd. Every sinner needs a Savior and every soul needs the Sovereign God. Remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus!

 

The Metamorphosis of the Mind: Change Into Something Different

Praise the Lord everybody! This is Minister Novice. The message that Apostle Holcomb preached this Sunday is entitled The Metamorphosis of the Mind: "Change and Become Something Different." The scripture text is found in Romans 12:1-3. Our mantra for this year is 2010, We're in. We are getting into what we're into. It is written in Acts 17:28, "For in Him we live and move and have our being." This means that our dependency is not on the world. Our dependency is on the Lord, the Kingdom of our God and the Power of His Christ which is the blessed ministry of the Holy Spirit. Also in Acts: 1-7, the scriptures tell us of how the people of that day were making an impact on society. They turned the world in a different direction. It was actually the right direction. As they did, so must we declare and proclaim with our lives that there is another King, one Jesus. In this particular message, we are being taught in reference to having the Kingdom mindset.

The question becomes, how can we change ourselves into something different? We cannot. Only God can change a man and transform him into a new creature. The Greek word for transform is (metamorphoo). It means to become something different. The example given is that of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. The dimensions and altitudes of the butterfly are different from that of the caterpillar. Once the transformation has taken place, it can never return to what it previously was. So it is with us, once we have accepted Jesus as our personal Savior and Lord. Bishop also talked about the word, repent. He has been teaching us God's Theology of "Re." The Greek word for repent is (metanoia). It means to modify or change the mind by association. Repentance carries the connotation of changing the mind by renewing the mind to the mind of Christ. In essence, when we repent, we turn from our old lives and turn to Jesus. He makes us into another vessel. The Bible teaches that if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away and all things become new. Be not conformed to the world or the world's way of thinking and living. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind. In essence, do not allow yourself to be modeled, molded and fashioned into the pattern of the world's way of doing things. We must repent and change according to the likeness of God. Remember that in order to repent, we must think differently about sin. We must feel differently about sin. We must also choose to live differently as a direct result of the Holy Spirit's conviction that Jesus is Lord and King. Remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain
in the place by Jesus.

 

From the message "The Bill of Rights of the Christian Faith"

 

The Manacarta

 

Repentance

1. Regeneration 6. Reformation
   
2. Redemption 7. Revived
   
3. Reconciliation 8. Reproved
   
4. Rejoice 9. Reasonable
   
5. Restoration 10. Remember
   

   
    

   Repentance begins with regeneration. We become regened because of redemption. We have been bought with a price by the finished work of Calvary through our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. He brought us back and reconciled us to the favor, which is the grace of God. We can therefore rejoice! This is good news!
   

   God has restored us by fixing us. He has reformed us by changing and transforming us into a better state. God locates us where we are, but He doesn't leave us the way He finds us. He has revived us by bringing us back to life, back to the high point with Him.
   

God rebukes those that He loves. Therefore we should never despise the reproving of the Lord. Because of all that was previously stated, it is only reasonable that we would serve Him. It is only the appropriate, respectable and proper response that we would always remember the Lord as we continue in communion with Him. Therefore we must repent from what has kept us from considering Jesus.

Repent: Living above the Common

Praise the Lord everybody. The message that Apostle Holcomb preached this week is entitled, "Repent: Living above the Common." This is living above the ordinary, the familiar and the normal. The message text is found in (Matthew 3:1, 2) and (Matthew 4:17). We must have the Kingdom message, the Kingdom mindset and the Kingdom ministry. In other words, it's all about Jesus. He is the message, the mindset, the ministry and the model of the Kingdom of God. It's all about Him! As stated in the previous scriptures, John the Baptist and Jesus' message was repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. "At hand" is a Hebraism which means that His help is available to us. We have right of entry to another dimension of help because we have access to God's resources. This is His support, His supply and His surplus. It is in Him that we live, move and have our being. This means that our dependence is not on the kingdom of this world. Our dependence is on the Lord, the Kingdom of our God and the Power of His Christ, which is the help and the ministry of the Holy Spirit. There is another King! Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! The Greek word for repentance is (metanoia) which means to modify or change the mind by association. It carries the connotation of changing the mind by renewing the mind to the mind of Christ, which is the ideology of Christ. The precondition of repentance is brokenness. In essence we must feel differently about sin. We must think differently about sin. We must also choose to live differently as a direct result of the Holy Spirit's conviction that Jesus is Lord and King. As children of the Most High God, we have dual citizenship. In the United States we are under a democracy. We are also citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven which is a Theocracy. We must begin to access our Kingdom mindset and think about things the way God thinks about them. It is essential that we discontinue the worldly mindsets as it pertains to our lives and to the church of the Living God. Remember when God asked Adam, Who told you that? In other words, where did you get that from? Remember that God's ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8, 9) We must get the Counsel of God's understanding concerning every situation. We then yield and submit to God's point of view and we take God's position in every matter. Our philosophies must be married to God's Theology. Praise the Lord! As always, please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus! God bless you and have a wonderfully blessed day!

There Is Another King: The Kingdom Message

 

Praise the Lord, Everybody! This is Minister Novice. The message that Apostle Holcomb preached this week is entitled, "There Is Another King: The Kingdom message." The scripture text is found in Acts 17:27, Acts 17:1-7. The Kingdom message is that it's all about Him, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. He is our soon coming and life changing King. Unless we allow our lives to be ruled and governed by Jesus Christ, there will always be emptiness on the inside that only God can fill. On the altar of our hearts, there will continually be the inscription to an unknown God whom we worship ignorantly. We have come to learn that Jesus is in every book of the Bible and even so, He is also in the book of our lives. The Bible is HIM book. It is the book about Him! In the Bible, You will find Jesus from Genesis to Revelations. He came in the volume of the book that is written of Him. Jesus is the answer to every situation that we may encounter. Regardless of what you may go through, remember that there is another King and His name is Jesus. He has the name that is higher than any other name. His name is higher than any sickness or any problem that we may face. At the name of Jesus every knee must bow and every tongue will confess to the glory of God the Father that He is Lord. It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. Indicating, that we are not dependent on the world's system; however our dependence is on the Lord, the Kingdom of our God and the Power of His Christ, which is the ministry of the Holy Spirit. God is our source and everything else is a resource. In the book of Philippians, Jesus is the God that supplies all our needs according to His riches in Glory. My encouragement, as always, is that you will remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus.

The Subject of Ignorance

Praise the Lord everybody. This is Minister Novice. The message that Apostle Holcomb preached this week is entitled, "The Subject of Ignorance." The scripture text is found in 1 Corinthians 14:38-40. We, the Body of Christ, the family of God at the Christian House of Prayer are still merismosing the matter of speaking in tongues. Speaking in tongues is supplication on our part, which is having a passion for what God wants. However it is intercession on the Spirit's part because it is He who takes hold together with us that which is opposite to and antagonistic towards us. He leads and directs us in what we should say when we pray to God. Paul concludes in 1 Corinthians 14 what he was teaching in the previous chapters. He expresses that after all that has been taught; if an individual still wants to be ignorant, allow him to remain ignorant. Ignorance is a commentary on what we don't know. It deals with not knowing the difference or not acknowledging the different reasons for being ignorant. We covered three primary reasons for ignorance. Number 1 is unlearned ignorance which bespeaks of being incapable of comprehending truth or knowledge because of inexperience or immaturity. Number 2 is unaware ignorance that demonstrates a lack of knowledge which could be the result of not hearing. We realize that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. In other words, it must be preached! In Acts 19:1-7, Paul came across some disciples and he asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost since they were saved. The disciples answered saying that they had not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. This is an example of unaware ignorance. Number 3 is unacknowledged ignorance, which to me is the most dangerous of the 3. Unacknowledged ignorance says that I have heard. I comprehend what you are saying, but I choose to ignore it and remain in a state of stubbornness. We also discussed 2 terms concerning our attitudes toward the Holy Spirit. Persona grata; this is the total acceptance of the 3rd person who is the ambassador of the God head. The very antithesis is persona non grata which means that we do not accept, we do not welcome, and we do not recognize, appreciate or celebrate the Holy Spirit as Heaven's agent on the earth. In John 20:22, Jesus said unto His disciples, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." Why did He say this knowing that the Holy Spirit had not yet come? Why would Jesus have to tell saved people, disciples to receive the Holy Spirit? I believe Jesus knew that some of us would not do it and some us still do not receive the Holy Spirit's ministry. There are some people who want Jesus but do not want the Holy Spirit. Yet there are others who want the Holy Spirit without the tongues. We cannot and should not attempt to departmentalize God. The day of Pentecost is when the Holy Spirit came with His ministry. We do not have to tarry for him because He is here! The book of Acts is a continuous narrative and we are still living in the book of Acts today, which is the works or the acts of the Holy Spirit. The question then becomes, have you received the Holy Spirit since you've been saved? As always, please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus! God bless you!

The Order of Tongues: Tongues in Order

 

Praise the Lord everybody! This is Minister Novice. The title of the message this week is "The Order of Tongues" or tongues in Order. The scripture text is 1 Corinthians 14:18. Apostle Holcomb proceeded to teach the people of God in reference to the 2 operations of tongues. We were strongly encouraged to continue to study chapters 12-14 of 1 Corinthians in our private devotion with the Lord. The question that was posed according to 1 Corinthians 14:23, is should we as a church pray in cooperate tongues publicly or in a church setting. We acknowledge that God is not the author of confusion, but He is the author of peace. First of all, we have discussed that there are two operations of tongues. Number 1 is The Gift of Tongues. This is God speaking to man through man by the Holy Spirit with the companion gift of Interpretation of Tongues. In this manifestation, God is giving a message to the church. God is speaking, therefore we need an interpreter. Secondly, there is the operation of Praying in Tongues, which is also called praying in our Spiritual prayer language or praying in the spirit. This is the manifestation of being baptized in the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues. When we pray in tongues, we are speaking to God, spirit to spirit. Please remember that we are spirits. We live inside of physical bodies and we possess a soul. In this operation of tongues, there is no need for interpretation because God understands all languages. According to 1 Corinthians 14:2, "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue, speaketh not unto man but unto God for no man understands him; how be it in the spirit he speaks mysteries. Therefore as we continue to study and rightfully divide the Word of Truth, we come to realize that in 1 Corinthians 14:23, Paul was speaking about the Gift of tongues. This was not a reference to our spiritual prayer language. Accordingly, to answer the question, "Should we pray in cooperate tongues publicly?" The answer is yes! It is a beautiful experience as the whole church comes together and blesses the Lord in many different languages. We are ambassadors of Christ and of Heaven. Therefore when we pray in tongues, we identify who we are, where we're from, who we support and who we represent. We have been given a charge to pray in tongues more! As always, please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus.

Tongues Accessible to the Supernatural: Why Tongues and Controlled Tongues

 

Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Glory to God! This is Minister Novice. We, the Body of Christ, the family of God at the Christian House Prayer have been tapping into the pneumanticos, which is the realm of the Spirit. Apostle Holcomb is continuing to teach in the area of Pneumatology, the study of the Spirit. The message this week is Tongues: Accessible to the Supernatural: Why Tongues and Controlled Tongues. The scripture text is found in 1 Corinthians 14:1, 2. Verse 2 says, "For He that speaketh in an unknown tongue, speaketh not unto man but unto God for no man understands him, howbeit in the Spirit, he speaks mysteries." Divine mysteries are divine secrets that the Father reveals to us when we pray in the Holy Ghost. When we communicate with God in our Heavenly language, we can't mess up the prayer and the devil can't interrupt it. We don't know what we are saying but we know what we are doing. There are times when we know that we need to pray, but we don't know how to pray about a particular situation. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:15, "I will pray in the Spirit and I will pray with the understanding also…" Praying in tongues transcends our own limited thinking. When we pray in the Holy Ghost, we build ourselves up on our most holy faith as we are speaking directly to God. Tongues, glossa, is a Spiritual prayer language that God has given specifically to the individual. We should pray in our Spiritual language on a daily basis. Praying in tongues positions and causes us to be accessible to the supernatural. We serve the Living God and it is in Him that we live and move and have our being. As we continue to operate in the supernatural realm, we should expect signs, wonders and miracles to take place in our lives on a daily basis. We have an expectation of the demonstration of the Holy Spirit, anticipating the inevitable, supernatural intervention of God. We expect Him to move on our behalf and on the behalf of others. Even as we realize that speaking in tongues is the initial evident sign that we have received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it should also be a way of life for the child of God. We are ambassadors of Christ, ambassadors of Heaven. Therefore, as citizens of Heaven, we are Spiritual beings having human encounters and human experiences. It is only natural that we speak in our native Heavenly tongue. As always, please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus!

 

Your Independence Day: Receive the Spirit’s Power

 

The message that Apostle Holcomb preached this week is entitled, "Your Independence Day: Receive the Spirit's Power." The scripture text is John 20:22. Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. The Godhead is the ministry of representation. Thus when we are saved, it is the Holy Spirit who brings us to Jesus. No man can come to Jesus except he is drawn by the Holy Spirit. Likewise after we have accepted Jesus as personal Savior and Lord, it is He who brings us into contact with the Holy Spirit's ministry. If you are a child of the Most High, you need to receive the power of God, which is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. This supernatural endowment from God gives us power over Satan, sin and self. The Holy Spirit gives us the ability and the strength to quit habits, to release ungodly relationships, to walk right, to talk right, and to live right; to live our lives pleasing and acceptable unto the Father. The question then becomes according to Acts 19:1-6, "Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed?" This word since is interesting to me because it can carry a couple of connotations. Have you received the Holy Ghost because or in view of the fact that you are saved? Likewise, have you received the Holy Spirit from the time when or after you were saved? Both are indicators that the Holy Spirit's ministry is not optional, but it is necessary for the power of God from on high to flow in and through us. Acts 10:38 says that "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him." Once again, this shows the ministry of representation in progress. Once we have received the Spirit's baptism, we can go about doing good, as Jesus did because God is with us. If you need to accept Jesus as personal Savior and Lord, please contact me. Likewise, if you are saved, and you are void of power; you truly love God but there are some things that you haven't been able to let go of; you need the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. You need the power of God! Allow Jesus to take you into another dimension of who He is; Savior, Shepherd and Sovereign King! Acts 1:8 says that you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. And as always, please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus.

Honey I Blessed the Kids

 

Praise the Lord everybody! This week Apostle Holcomb preached a message in honor of Father's Day, entitled, "Honey I Blessed the Kids." The scripture text is found in Hebrews 6:20, 21. We learned that a man must be a model, mentor and motivator for his children. He must be responsible and accountable as he follows the example given to us in Jesus Christ. The word husband means house band man. The man is the person whom God has ordained to keep the house bound together. When the man is out of place, the wife is misplaced and the children are displaced. This is because at some point God has been replaced. When the man is in his proper position, he operates under the authority and he is responsible to God. The man must be in the position to declare the blessings of the Lord upon his family. When he has the proper establishment, he will never crack under pressure. His foundation is sure. The man will continue to hold the government of his family upon his shoulders as he rests in the Kingdom authority of our great and mighty God. Please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus. God bless you!

Learning Opportunities

 

Praise the Lord, everybody. This is Minister Novice. This week our Apostle, Bishop Nate Holcomb preached a message entitled, Learning Both: How to Live With and How to Live Without. The subtitle is Learning Opportunities. The scripture text is found in Philippians 4:10. The word opportunity is defined as the best time for something. We learned that every storm and situation in life is an opportunity to praise the Lord. The presence of controversy is not the time to quit God. Moreover, it is the opportune occasion to learn more about our loving, caring and sharing Heavenly Father. In verse 11, Paul says that he has learned to be content in whatever state he finds himself in. Contentment is a restful, peaceful state of mind that is undisturbed by external circumstances. It is an unwavering and uncomplaining acceptance of one's own lot, realizing that the joy of the Lord is our strength. The joy of the Lord is a deep sense of inner well being that's independent of whatever may be going on in our lives. It produces in us strength and fortitude which is a conquering attitude. As the people of God, we must learn that our contentment is not in some thing, rather it is in someone. Realizing this, when we go through storms and valleys, we will never lose our trust, reliance, confidence nor our faith in God. God must have the preeminence in our lives. When this is of such, we can tremble in our boots and never waver in faith because we have faith in God embedded in our hearts. And as always, please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus!

Jesus Christ, Better Life

 

Praise the Lord everybody! This is Minister Novice. The message that our Apostle, Bishop Nate Holcomb preached this week is entitled, "Jesus Christ, Better Life." We were taught in reference to the pulpit ministry of Jesus Christ and how that every message that comes from the pulpit should always end with Jesus. We must realize that whatever the devil brings, Jesus always comes and does better. The purpose of the pulpit is to pull us out of the pits of our lives and to inspire us to step out to fulfill our purposes in life. Additionally, the purpose of the preacher in the pulpit is to stand up and bring the book. He or she is to open the book of the law, the Bible and find the place where it is written of Him. It is written in the book of Nehemiah 8:4-6, "And Ezra, the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood which they had made for the purpose…….And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, and when he opened it all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands. They bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

In whatever situation that you may encounter in life, always remember to get God's prospective from the pulpit. The pulpit is where humanity meets divinity, where man meets God, and it is where the super comes in contact with the natural in our lives. We are admonished in 2 Chronicles 20:20 to "Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe His prophets, so shall ye prosper." Hermeneutically speaking, when you Amen God, God Amens you; and when you Amen His preacher, the preacher pushes you to step out and do better, to live better, to have better, and to be better. In all things, bear in mind these words, "The Lord is my helper. I will not fear." And please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus.

Jesus Christ in Charge

Praise the Lord everybody! This is Minister Novice. The message that our Apostle, bishop Holcomb preached this week is entitled, "Jesus Christ in Charge." The question becomes, is He in charge of our lives? The scripture reference is found in Colossians 1:12-19. Verse 18 says that in all things He has the pre eminence. When we say that Jesus is Lord, we are saying that He has the pre eminence. He is in charge of our lives. Therefore Jesus is our Master who rules us, our Owner who owns us and He is our Lord who directs and controls us. We have been bought with a price; by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

Bishop Holcomb also taught us that living an effective life for the Kingdom is living like Jesus is in charge. We must be a Triple A church, being triple A people. We must have an appreciation for the Word of God which entails being pleased with hearing god's Word preached, speaking what we hear, speaking the same thing(homologeo) that there would no divisions among us; and having a devotion as we daily open the Bible and read God's Word. We must have affection towards the House of God. I was glad when they said unto me; come let us go into the House of the Lord. We must have an aspiration for suffering persecution for the cause of God. Always recognize that Jesus is not to be on our priority lists. He has the pre eminence and therefore He's on a page all by Himself.

Your Help Comes From the Lord!

 

This week I am compelled to encourage your hearts to continue to trust in, lean on, rely on and have confidence in God at all times; remembering that He is the same God in the night as He is in the light. In this world, we will experience tribulations, which are three times the trouble, but be of cheer because Jesus has overcome the world. The rains will descend, the floods will come and the winds will beat upon all of our houses; but it's the house that's built upon the rock and the revelation of who Jesus is that will stand. I'm also reminded of a song that goes like this…….I've had some bad days. I've had some hills to climb. I've had some weary days and I've had some lonely nights. These are all evil tidings, a lot of bad news. But the songwriter didn't leave us there. He came back and gave us the good news. He said, but when I look around and I think things over, all of my good days outweigh my bad days, so I won't complain. I'll say thank you Lord and I won't complain. My prayer is that the Lord will perfect everything that concerns you today and that you will stand perfect and complete in all the will of God for your lives. Remember that the joy of the Lord is your strength. The joy of the Lord is an inner contentment that's independent of external circumstances. It produces in us strength and fortitude which is a conquering attitude. That inner contentment is an uncompromising acceptance of one's lot as we realize that God is still God in the good times and in the times if inquiry. We must come to a place where we can travel through our passages of pain with peace because we do not pursue God's prosperity, but we seek His presence and His person. God bless you and realize that when we close our hands, God opens His. Whatever you situation may be today, yes God can. Yes God will. But if not, He's still God. Don't give up. Don't give in. But keep looking up to see that your help comes from the Lord. Please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus.

A Fresh Dedication to Prayer

 

Praise the Lord everybody! This is Minister Novice. The message that our Apostle, Bishop Holcomb preached this week is entitled, "A Fresh Dedication to Prayer." He taught us that an effective Christian is one who communicates with God. The Bible tells us that the earnest, heartfelt, continued prayer of the righteous makes tremendous power available, dynamic it's working. However, a Christian who does not pray is in consequence dead, nuted, impotent, void, and powerless. If we are to be effective in prayer, we must learn God's way of communicating. We must discover what the Word of the Lord says and rehearse God's heart back to Him in prayer. It is not beneficial for us to go before the Father simply speaking what is on our minds. This is called straight line praying, praying amiss, or using vain repetitions; in essence hitting and missing. Here is my prayer for you all. Heavenly Father, I take with me words, Your Word and I turn to You in prayer. I pray that You will perfect that which concerns Your people. I always labor fervently in prayer that we may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God for our lives. I thank You that You watch over Your Word to perform it; and I put You in remembrance and plead together with You. I do believe that You will contend with those that contend with us and that You will save, heal, deliver, preserve, and make whole and complete. May the God of peace Himself, sanctify you wholly and may your spirit, soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. For Him, we live, we move and we have our being. In Jesus' name, Amen and amen. Please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus.

Who is He to You, Your Holy Man of God?

 

Praise the Lord everybody. This is Minister Novice. In our church, The Christian House of Prayer, we are having a month long celebration to our Holy Man of God, our Apostle, Bishop Nathaniel Holcomb, for 30 years of successful ministry. This week Pastor Valerie preached the Word and the title of the message was, "Who is He to You, Your Holy Man of God?" The scripture reference was 2Kings 4: 8, 9. The account says that Elisha was passing through Shunem and the Shunemite woman said unto her husband, "I perceive that this is a holy man of God which passes by us continually." The story goes on to tell how that they honored and made provisions in their hearts, their lives and in their home for the man of God and how that they were blessed because of it. My personal testimony is that 16 years ago, I came to the Christian House of Prayer and when I heard Bishop Holcomb preach, I remember seeing a man that I had never seen before. I saw Jesus as He was being re-presented with character and integrity. I realized that Bishop Holcomb was a Holy Man of God and that he was the voice of God for my life. Over the years, he has continued to bring me my faith as he passes by continually with the Word of God. We realize that we should give honor to whom honor is due and beyond a shadow of any doubt, my husband and I love our Man of God. We honor him with our faithfulness, service and our gifts of love. We say, "Long live our Apostle, Bishop Nate Holcomb"!

You Must Be Born Again

 

This week we reverenced ad celebrated the Resurrection of our Risen Lord and Savior, our soon coming King, Jesus Christ. Apostle Holcomb came in the power of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of the Lord is upon our Apostle. He has been anointed to preach the Gospel, which He did on Sunday. The title of the message is "You Must Be Born Again." The subtitle is "Jesus Can change Your Sin Nature." The scripture reference is John 3:1-7, when Nicodemus, a religious man came inquiring of the Lord. Jesus answered, ultimately declaring that, "You must be born again"! Bishop Holcomb taught us that we are all born morally innocent, but with a sin nature. In essence, we were all born wrong because of the Fall of Man, yet Jesus can and will change our sin nature. We all need Jesus! That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Remember that there is a God-shaped vacuum, emptiness, a void in all of us that only God can fill. Nothing can satisfy the longing soul except for the presence of the true and the living God. You must be born anew and born from above. You must be born again! Please remember to remain in the place of grace, remaining in the place by Jesus.

 

 

Resurrection Sunday: Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and soon coming King!

Praise the Lord, everybody. This is Minister Novice. We have embarked upon the time of the year when we reverence the death, burial and resurrection of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. During this season, there is a drawing anointing pulls and compels people toward the Savior.

When I was growing up, I can remember preparing for Easter with a brand new dress, a new purse, new shoes and an Easter Bonnet. Unable to verbalize it at the time, somehow we knew that this was a time that we had to go to church. Little did I realize, but I was actually responding to the Savior and with the clothing, preparing to meet the King.

I encourage everyone to go to church on Sunday, even if you haven't been in a while. It is actually not about the clothing, what you have or don't have. But it's all about responding to a loving, caring and sharing Heavenly Father who sacrificed His only begotten Son on our behalf. Go to your local church in celebration and in reverence to our risen Lord, Jesus Christ, our soon coming King!

Kingdom Pragmatisms: God’s Generation/ A Different Kind of People

 

The title of the message that Apostle Holcomb preached this week is Kingdom Pragmatisms: God's Generation, A Different Kind of People. Bishop taught us that God's people are a peculiar, high priced people who have been bought with a price by the shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As the people of God, we are different from everybody, yet we are not better than anybody. However the difference which is the light, life and love of the Lord Jesus Christ is better. We, as the people of God are in the world yet we are separate and set apart. We are the ecclesia, the called out ones. Therefore we do not operate according to the systems, values and standards of the world. In essence, we are to yield and submit to God's point of view and take His position concerning every matter. We must not be in error, nor allow our hearts to err by living perverse lives and being drawn away from what is right. We are to always take God's position and stand for what is right. Never devaluate your Christian witness by going along just to get along. Be ye separate! Please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus.

Kingdom Pragmatisms: Getting God’s Understanding

 

The title of the message this week is Kingdom Pragmatisms. The subtitle is Getting God's Understanding. The question that Apostle Holcomb asked is how do we deal with our situations. Do we do things the same as the world or do we get God's understanding concerning the issues in our lives. The Biblical perspective of the word understanding is to yield and submit to God's point of view and to take His position in every matter. God's understanding comes from His knowledge which comes from his mouth or the hearing of the Word of God. When we obtain the Father's understanding and knowledge, we gain His wisdom. When we get God's wisdom, we possess his values which in turn take the frustration out of our lives. In essence, we must live Godly in this world because the just shall live by faith. It is important that we understand the system of the Kingdom and not try to use worldly tactics in the House of God or to obtain favors or blessings from the Lord. Lean not to your own understanding but in all thy ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path. Remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus.

Jesus Our Redeemer: Returning to the Image of God thru Jesus Christ

This week we were blessed by the voice of God through our Presbyter, Dr Derick Edley. The title of the message is, "Christ the Redeemer." The subtitle is "Returning to the Image of God Through Jesus Christ." We learned that Jesus is the image and the pattern of who we are. Jesus is our mirror, the true reflection of who we are as born again believers. Acts 17:28 says that "in Him we live and move and have our being." Therefore it is imperative that we know who He is. Jesus is our Redeemer, the one who enables us to return to the God of creation. Therefore we can never know who we are without Jesus living on the inside of us in the person of the Holy Spirit. In every man there is a God-shaped vacuum, a void that is reserved only for God. Only He can fill that void in our lives. Nothing is able to satisfy the longing soul except for the presence of the true and living God. Come to know Jesus today as your personal Savior and Lord. Remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus.

How To Detect the Wolf

 

A few weeks ago, Apostle Holcomb preached a message entitled, "How to Detect the Wolf." The scripture text was Matthew 7:15. The message was very serious and it was also a prophetic message. Although Bishop warned us of many things, I would like to say to all of us that we need to take heed to ourselves. We must be confident in our own minds that we are in God's will and that we are doing His will. Always have the mindset that it is me oh Lord standing in the need of prayer. It is of great significance that we look at the man in the mirror and not concentrate on the man in the window. However there is a revelation of a difference. As legitimate sheep in God's pasture and of His hand, we will come in contact with wolves that come to us in sheep's clothing. They come to pilfer the sheep, to divide, scatter and devour. We must be porters and watchmen always aware and on the lookout. We are 1^st of all looking for the coming of the Lord, we are looking for the coming of the wolf and we are also looking for our own soul independence. In essence, we must be willing to exercise our senses that we may be able to judge and discern between good and evil. Whatever local church that you are a member of, you must demonstrate your full alliance, allegiance, and effort. Be a person that is fully committed to God and with loyalty connected to the leadership of your church. Never find yourself murmuring and complaining against your pastor or the leadership of the church. Always be the person who is on the right side of every situation and matter. We must all come to the conclusion and the revelation that regardless to whom it separates us from or identifies us with, we will go all the way with the Lord. As always, please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus.

Faith, the Medium of Exchange 3/Your Faith Seed in God’s Ability

The message that Apostle Holcomb preached this week was "Faith, the Medium of Exchange 3/ Your Faith Seed in God's Ability." Apostle Holcomb continued to teach us the importance of having faith in God. The Word tells us that the just shall live by faith. As children of God, we are in the world but we are not of this world. We are pilgrims making progress on this planet; therefore we operate according to God's economy and not the economy of this world. In essence, we operate by faith as the medium of exchange for everything in the Kingdom. We realize the importance of trusting God instead of trying God. When we try something, we go in with a negative expectation portraying that whatever happens, happens endeavoring to evaluate by experiment. Thus, it is incorrect to advise someone to try God. When we trust something, we rely on its integrity, strength and ability. We have a confident expectation, which is hope and reliance. Therefore, we must put our trust in God. When we trust God, we come to know Him. When we know Him, we come to love Him. When we love God, we will serve Him and when we serve the Lord, we will become more and more like Him. As we become more like God, we come to a place where we lose sight of who we are realizing that the more we have of Him, the less it will cost us. By trusting the lord, we learn that God is able to make all grace abound towards us that we have all sufficiency in all things that we may abound to every good work. He is our source and He possesses adequate resources to handle whatever situations that we may experience. God is the one who supplies all that we need according to His riches in Glory by, in and through Christ, Jesus. We thank the Lord that not only does He supply all our needs, but He supplies them exceedingly, abundantly and above all that we could ever ask or think according to the power that worketh in us.

Faith, the Medium of Exchange 2/Supernatural VS Superstitious Faith

The title of the message this week is Faith, the Medium of Exchange PT 2. The subtitle is “Supernatural VS Superstitious Faith.” Apostle Holcomb taught us the revelation of a difference between trusting God and trying God. When we have genuine faith in God, we possess supernatural faith…expecting the super to come in contact with the natural in our lives on a daily basis. We always have an expectation of the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. We actually expect God to move on our behalf. Supernatural faith is 3 fold. 1. It is saving faith, according to Ephesians 2:8, “for by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of ourselves. It is the gift of God. 2. Sufficient faith allows us to realize that with God there is not necessarily a diminishing of our problems, but He gives us additional power and peace to handle the problems and situations of life. 3. Strong faith enables us to extend our faith and believe God on behalf of others. To the contrary, superstitious or superficial faith seeks after signs and wonders and not the Word. It is trying God and not trusting God, believing in entitlement VS inheritance. Mark 11:22 tells us to have faith in God. When we put our faith and confidence in the right object, we will never experience a faith failure. When we worship and reverence God, we have faith that He is sovereign and that Jesus is the good shepherd of our satisfaction, direction and protection. He is the Great Shepherd who gives us the ability to achieve and accomplish victory in our lives. He is also the Chief Shepherd and the Bishop of our souls. He awards us and He affirms us and leads us into the wealthy place. Jesus is the Sovereign Son of God. Our confidence and our trust are in Him and not in ourselves. In essence, we do not trust in our own abilities to achieve nor do we dwell on our inabilities that would cause us to fail. Our expectation is of the Lord, and when this is of such, we can tremble in our boots, and still not experience a faith failure, still proclaiming in word and in deed, that my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and His righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest flame, but I totally lean on Jesus’ name. Continue to live like eagles soaring beyond the circumstances, the issues and the situations of life. If God said it, shall He not do it? Because God has spoken it, He will surely bring it to pass! As always, remain in the place of grace, in the place by Jesus!

Faith, the Medium of Exchange

 

The title of the message this week is "Faith, the Medium of Exchange." Apostle Holcomb taught us that faith is the exchange for everything in the Kingdom. Faith receives what grace gives. Remember that grace is God's helping hand. It is His unmerited favor given to us gratis and undeserving. Mark 11:22 tells us to have faith in God. However, in order for us to execute that scripture, it is essential to have confidence in the Heavenly Father. We must recognize that God is faithful and that He is able to make all grace abound towards us that we have all sufficiency in all things that we may abound to every good work. Let us also have faith in the operation of God which is His way of doing things…..being Kingdom minded, covenant keeping people who operate according to God's way, regardless of the circumstances. If we remain in the place of grace, we will come to appreciate that God is our source and everything else is a resource. In essence, we know where our help comes from! Our help comes from the Lord, Maker and Creator of Heaven and Earth, because God takes care of us! Every one of us has been dealt the measure of faith; however we must take heed to the words that our preacher speaks into our lives. He is the voice of God for us. God has ordained, elected, selected, anointed and appointed the preacher to bring us our faith. Therefore, we must remain focused and receive the impartation of faith and power from the preacher. Allow that faith to take you into God's realm, into the God zone where we live like eagles…living above the situations and circumstances of life, always having upon us the grace of giving.

God bless you and in 2010, we are into what we're into…Jesus Christ, the Lord!

The Dream Merchant/Prayer For Haiti

 

Apostle Holcomb encouraged our hearts this week to remember our brothers and sisters in the nation of Haiti. Even as we pause to salute the dream that God gave to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we must acknowledge the call of God to care and pray for our fellowman. Let us honor the legacy of Dr. King by serving God's people even as he did. I admonish you to pray that God will continue to send ministering Spirits to the Haitian people. Also pray that God will prepare the way that they will receive necessary food, water and health care. We pray that God will open the windows of Heaven and pour upon them the blessings of God by miraculous and supernatural means. May the angels of the Lord descend and ascend upon Haiti according to the will of God. In the face of tragedy and destruction, we still know that God is a good God. He is our loving, caring and sharing Heavenly Father. Let us thank Him for directing people and rescue workers to those individuals who are yet alive and whom He has sustained. God specializes in chaos and in times of trouble. He causes sweetness to come out of hardness. He alone can draw honey from the rock and water from dry places. So let us praise, worship, magnify and glorify God for the restoration, deliverance and the healing of the Haitian people, His people, and our people; our brothers and sisters. One of Reverend King's messages states that there comes a time when we as moral men come to realize that we must answer to a higher law, which is God's law. I submit to you that God's law is a law of love, compassion, caring, and sharing.

Remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Him, in the place by Jesus!

The Essence of Christian Living: Investing in Your Progress

 

In the series, The Essence of Christian Living, the message this week is "Investing in Your Progress." We must realize that money is the lowest form of prosperity in the Kingdom of God according to Luke 16. The highest is souls. Apostle Holcomb taught us The trilogy of giving which includes tithes, offerings and gifts of love. The tithe is simply giving back to God what belongs to Him, which is the 1^st tenth of our increase. It is the floor where we begin, not the ceiling where we end. Giving the tithe is a matter of the heart; it's an attitude of gratitude that causes God to rebuke the devourer for our sakes. The offering is actually where we begin our giving because it comes from what we purpose in our hearts to give realizing that we have only because God has blessed us with His supply. In essence, God is our source and everything else is a resource. When we give, we put God's power which His ability on our money. We prove God and he proves us. The Bible tells us that God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows that shall he also reap. God gives seed to the sower and bread for food. If we sow sparingly, we will reap sparingly. Moreover if we sow bountifully, we will also reap bountifully. In essence, God guarantees the harvest, but we determine what the harvest will be. We reap what we sow! The priority of our giving is based upon loving God and loving what God loves. He loves 1. His Son 2. The saints 3. Sinners 4. Sowing. Remember that the Father gave His very when He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

Be a cheerful giver and live under an open Heaven!

The Esssence of Christian Living

The message for this week is “The Essence of Christian Living: Jesus, Grace, Giving.”These three things are the ingredients for salvation. For by grace are we saved through faith and not of ourselves. It is the gift of God. Jesus Christ is our Savior showing that the very nature of God is a giving nature. We learned how to live the Zoë life of Jesus Christ, which is the God kind of life, eternal and abundant life. Grace giving is the essence of Christian living. Grace giving is not to be eliminated by poverty. It is not to be enforced by pressure, intimidation, exhortation, exploitation or manipulation. It is also not to be excused by performance. However, grace giving is to be encouraged by the preaching of the Word. It is also to be enjoyed by partnership and participation in it. We learned how to give willingly, purposefully, and with cheerful hearts because God loves a cheerful heart. The Law of Reciprocity teaches us that we reap what we sow. Therefore what we make happen for others, God will make happen for us. The message was a message of God’s supply, his support, and his surplus. It was a prophetic message from Apostle Holcomb letting the people of God know that according to 2 Chronicles 20:20, if we believe in the Lord our God, we will be established and if we believe His prophets, we will prosper. The Word of the Lord to us was that our broke days are over!

Remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Him, in the place by Jesus!