No Sad Stories/Our Help Comes from the Lord

We do not make light of troubles and calamities. We NEVER minimize anything that people have to go through because the hurts, pains, uncertainties, difficulties, unfavorable, uninvited and unwelcomed circumstances of life (that we all experience) are real. They hurt! However, we must not dwell on and confess our pains. Instead, as the heirs of promise, we confess the promises of God.

Even as we can appreciate that our problems are real, we also know that there is a duality of existence, that which is seen and that which is unseen. The things that are seen are temporary; therefore, they are subject to change. The things that are unseen are eternal and this is where speaking what is written in the Word of God comes in to action. Whose report will we believe and speak? We shall believe and we shall speak the report of the Lord!

The report of the Lord says that we are healed, healthy, made whole and complete in all the will of God for our lives. The report of the Lord says that He will perfect everything that concerns us. The report of the lord says that when we have done all to stand, that we must stand!

Therefore, we must teach our hearts to believe by training our mouths to speak the Word of God. Thus, when those difficult times come around and we do not know what to say, out of the wellsprings of our hearts
will come forth words of light, life and love. Out of the abundance of our hearts, our mouths will speak.

Through speaking the promises of God instead of speaking our problems, in magnifying the bigness of our God instead of magnifying the bigness of our problems, we come to realize that the joy of the Lord is our strength and that joy is an inside job.

The joy of the Lord is an inner contentment that is independent of external circumstances. It produces in us strength and fortitude, which is a conquering attitude. In other words, when not all seems to be well, all is well. When it seems like all the devil is breaking loose in our lives, because we have the joy of the Lord, we can still say that all
is well. If we truly endeavor to remain in the place of grace, which is the place by Jesus, we can always portray that there are no sad stories in our lives, because our help comes from the Lord.

(2 Timothy 4:4),
"And they turn their ears from the truth, and shall be turned into a fable. "
The word fable here in the Greek means a sad story.

*Do not turn from the truth of God's Word and allow your problems to transform your life into a sad story.*

Always remember that as children of the Most High God, we never fight for the victory. We always fight from a position and a posture of victory, because we win. Remember the message of the cross. It is not a message of death and defeat. It is actually a message of how God takes the negatives and transforms them into positives. JESUS GOT UP! Therefore, we can always get back up from every situation in life. We can lose everything, but because we have Jesus, we have enough to start all over again. Jesus has already obtained the victory for us. Therefore, we win!

Allow your lives to be governed by faith in God through Christ. When situations arise, remember that there is another King. His name is Jesus and where the word of the King is, there is power. The testimony of God has already been established. Settle it in your hearts. Believe that you can be who God says you can be. You can do what God says you can do. You can also have what God says you can have. Therefore, never allow circumstances, issues and problems to transform your life into a sad story. Never give up. Never give in. Keep looking up to see that your help comes from the Lord.

Faith Considers Him/He Did it for Me

Praise the Lord, everybody! This is Minister Novice. Apostle Holcomb preached a message this week entitled, Faith Considers Him. The subtitle is "He Did it for Me". The message text is found in Hebrews 12:1-3.

The word consider has a 7 fold meaning.

1. Ponder

2. Pay attention to

3. Think about

4. Look at

5. See

6. Say who He is

7. Obey what He says

As we are looking unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith, God will develop our faith and trust in Him. It is of the essence that we begin and end with Jesus and allowing Him to be everything in between. We learned that there are four operations of faith as follows:

1. Saving Faith is the faith that we are saved by.

2. Sufficient Faith is the faith that we live by. Faith receives what grace gives.

3. Strong Faith is being able to believe God on behalf of others.

4. The Spirit's Faith is Sovereign Faith that God releases on our behalf.

We learned to consider the Lord in every aspect of life. We must trust in the truthfulness of God's Word, which He places above His name. As we step out of the boat of security, we step out on the water of God's Word without doubt, fear and unbelief. Doubt questions the veracity of God's integrity and fidelity. As always, please remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus.

The Significance of Baptism

Praise the Lord everybody! This is Minister Novice. The message that Apostle Holcomb preached in our 10:30 worship service on Sunday is entitled, "The Significance of Baptism." The scripture text is found in Mark 16:17-20. Along with Holy Communion, Baby Dedication, and The Right Hand of Fellowship, Water Baptism is one of the ordinances and rights of the church of the living God. Romans 10:9-10, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." These verses of scripture convey the heart of God concerning salvation. In thus saying, water baptism is not essential to salvation. However, it is an act of obedience. It is sequential to accepting Jesus as personal Savior and Lord. We participate in the church ordinance of water baptism to:

1. Identify with Christ

2. Receive the validation of the Spirit

3. Demonstrate the affirmation of the Father

The Greek word for baptism is (baptize). It means to dip into, emerge and submerge. When one is emerged under the water, it signifies the death and burial of Jesus. Moreover, when we are brought up from the water, it demonstrates the resurrection of the Lord. In so doing, our message to the world is that the old man is buried and that we rise in the newness of life. We are demonstrating outwardly an inward grace that has taken place in our hearts. Therefore, we do not receive water baptism to obtain salvation. We actually partake of water baptism because we are already saved. According to the scriptures, we are fulfilling all righteousness. In essence, we are declaring to the world that we are right with God!

Matthew 3:15-17, "And Jesus answering said unto him, suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." As always, remember to remain in the place of grace. Remain in the place by Jesus! God bless you.

 

 

 

 

 

The Truth VS Facts

Truth can be described as the true state of a certain matter. It is what a person has come to believe. It also answers the questions of what is really happening. The Bible is the Truth. It is not based on some thing. Moreover, it is based on the Truth, which is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. John 4:16, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

Fact is basically something that exists, or is present in reality. Hence, these are things that can be seen visually. These are the things that can be verified according to man's standard of authentication. Facts do not require belief. Rather these are more or less the things that can be observed empirically, or by the senses. Therefore, facts can be seen and heard, as well as proven by the other senses. I am reminded of the difference between ethics and laws. Laws are rules of conduct or procedure recognized by a community as binding or enforceable by authority. Ethics deals with a system of moral standards or principles that will be carried out even in the absence of of authority. My point is that ethics are higher than laws. Ethics require a person to have a certain belief system. The same is true with the truth and facts. Yes, the Bible is factual. Moreover, the Bible is the Truth. It is the book about the Truth from Genesis to Revelations. It is an account of someone, not some thing. It is a Him book, speaking of the King, the Lord Jesus Christ. In essence, the Truth is higher than facts. For example, a person has a sickness. This is factual. However, the Truth has the higher and final authority. According to Isaiah 53:5, Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed! A person may be experiencing lack in finances. This is factual. the truth of the matter is that God makes all grace abound towards us that we have all sufficiency in all things. He also supplies all our needs according to his riches in glory by, in and through Christ Jesus. It does not stop there because not only does he supply all our needs, but he supplies them exceedingly and abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to the power that works in us. This power is the blessed ministry and help of the Holy Spirit. Facts are facts and we do not deny them. However, as children of the King we live by the higher and final authority of the word of God.