Lord, it seems so far away...

If you stand in front of a mountain, your first thought is, "Oh, what a glorious sight!" Then the unthinkable happens..Someone gives you a bag full of supplies, a compass and tells you to climb that mountain! You stand in awe and in disbelief and say,"I can't!"," I never climbed a mountain and can't possibly make it to the top!" But that same person tells you that even though you can't see yourself pursuing this, they see something in you that no one else sees and knows that with patience and persistence, you will surely make it there. Now that you are given the materials and the support, are you going to take the plunge and go with it, or will you give up before even trying?
It takes courage when venturing into the unknown and it does bring a sense of doubt in doing so at first, but what keeps you intrigued is the, "What if?", "What will it be like if i do get there?". This same applies in Christian living and the trials that are tagged along the way. I know! No one wants to go through pains and anguish in their life, but Guess what? Everyone will have to face this whether we like it or not, but the only difference is, who will be there to walk you through it? Will you walk alone your entire life, or will you have someone to lean upon while you go through these painful experiences? God gives each and everyone of us the option to take His invitation to a life of promises or to stay back and continue on in a life half empty. In this illustration, i presented us looking at a mountain and seeing the beauty of it, but when given the option to climb it, you think of every excuse in the book and say it is an impossible task. See, the mountain we see before us, is a life eternal with Jesus Christ in Heaven. You think of all of the wonderful things and all of the blessings that are waiting ahead for you, but then realize in order to get there, work is required. Now you are thinking, what kind of work? Well, with anything you are set to do, it takes persistence and dedication into fulfilling that goal, where you would eventually reap all of the benefits; it doesn't come free.
God at times, gives us tests to see where our heart lies. Will it be in completing the task of our Christian Living for Him, or will we give up half way and go back to how it was before?
In the start of our journey, let's not think of the impossible, because nothing is impossible with God. Let us take the opportunity to accept this new adventure and be open to what we will find; you won't be disappointed! (Mark 10:27)"And Jesus looking upon them saith, with men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible."

To become a Christian, you must deal with Christ Jesus directly. In A quiet moment, bow your head and talk to him. In your own words say something like this:

 “Dear Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I believe that you died and rose from the dead to save me from my sins. I want to be with you in heaven forever. God, forgive me of all my sins that I have committed against you. Wash me in your precious blood. I here and now open my heart to you and ask you to come into my heart and life and be my personnel Savior. Amen.” 

If you say that to Christ and mean it, He will come in instantly. At once you will sense you have been transferred from the devil’s dominion to the kingdom of God. 

Read Romans 10:9-10 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

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Principles of Prayer

(Parable of the Persistent Widow)

Luke 18:1-8

“1And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

Our greatest blessing enjoyed by Christians in this life is the privilege of prayer, by which we can approach God for…

1.      Forgiveness-

1 John 4:9

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.”

 

       2.      Peace-

Philippians 4:6-7

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

 

3.      Strength-

Ephesians 3:14-16

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man;”

*Paul exhorted Christians to be diligent in prayers…

a. Ephesians 6:18

“Prayer always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

b. Colossians 4:2

“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;”

 

c. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

“Pray without ceasing.”

*Request granted, but not as you might expect

Isaiah 55:8-9

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither 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.”

For Example: When you ask God for strength and perseverance, he may give us trials to bear, which in turn develops the virtues we prayed for!

 

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Greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world!

You have made it to the point where you’ve reached the end of your rope, you have nowhere to turn and you are all alone on the battlefield with thousands ready to attack you. To those people, I have something that can give you hope, direction and the ammunition you need to help you fight your battles. This very solution comes from the Word of God and accepting Jesus in your heart. Believe me when I say, I know that even though we all go through different obstacles in life, just remember that there is a power that can knock all of them down!

1 Timothy 6:12

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

*As believers in Christ, we face problems every day, but we always have to reflect on who can handle these problems in the best way possible. We can’t resolve issues in the flesh, but give it to Jesus and all things will be taken care of, while He gives you peace and comfort through your troubled times. When it is to the point that people are coming against you, and you feel overwhelmed, read Luke 10:19…

Luke 10:19

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

*We have the power and the victory to overcome and defeat any enemy that comes before us. We don’t lash out at them through violence or mean words, but we use the Word of God to do the fighting for us. Read and live by what God has given us: our road map/the Bible. The bible is our weapon to fighting our enemy with, and faith is needed to trust Him and the word He leads us to live by. *

Ephesians 6:16-17

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.”

*When we reflect upon the power we have on our side, it is easy to see how we will win every time. There will be instances where it will take longer to see results as you would like, but as you remain faithful reading the Word, praying every day, that issue will over time lessen until it is completely gone, or be right at that moment as you bring it to the Lord. It is a great reminder to know that I have a powerful God on my side. That no matter what comes my way, the Lord can break it down with no struggle. *

1 John 4:4

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

*When facing our battles, we can’t let it consume us, because as a child of God you are called to be strong and of courage with no fear, for we were not given the spirit of fear! *

2 Timothy 1:7

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

**If you are still hungry for the Word of God, come visit the Full Gospel Holiness Church’s website http://www.fghconline.com

Friends may Fail but God Won't

Psalm 41:9-13

“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me. But thou, O Lord, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them. By this I know that thou favourest me, because mine enemy doth not triumph over me. And as for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before thy face for ever. Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting, and to everlasting. Amen, and Amen.”

Psalm 55:12-13

“For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have bourne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him. But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.”

*Here David called upon the Lord when a friend of his betrayed him. It hurts when people come against us, but it is more devastating when it was done by your own friend. Even though you grow hard feelings toward them, you do not retaliate, but pray for them and the Lord will deal with them accordingly. (Of course, we don’t pray for any harm to be done unto them, but that Lord reveal to them the errors of their ways and that they make amends with you and the Lord (Repentance). *

Romans 12:14

“Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.

Romans 12:17

“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.”

Romans 12:19

“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

Luke 17:3,4

“Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”

*No matter how many times they go against you, you are to pray for them and forgive them when they come up to you and ask for forgiveness. For if we don’t forgive our brethren, how can the Lord forgive us of our sins? *

Matthew 6:14-15

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

* If you are still hungry for the Word of God, come visit The Full Gospel Holiness Church's website @

http://www.fghconline.com

Spiritual Warfare

I think, in fact I KNOW that movie "War Room" is a must to have in the house, for it gives great insight of what it truly means in being at war with our enemy (satan) and how we can fight against him. Watching this movie and what these characters are experiencing, shows that no matter what we are facing in this world, we can overcome them through the power of prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, while we are in our own "war room"!  

Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us,” 

While facing our war with satan, we need to keep in mind that we are not facing him in the carnal, even though it seems like it because we are suffering in the flesh. Everything we experience in life as a child of God, are in fact obstacles within a spiritual warfare.  

Ephesians 6:11-12 

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." 

When we have the whole armour of God on, and trusting upon the Lord and His Word, we can face and overcome anything that comes our way!  

Ephesians 6:13-18 

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quence all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." 

 * Please take a peek at this trailer, and I'm praying that you take the next step to watch the movie, for you will not regret it! *  http://www.usatoday.com/videos/life/movies/2015/09/07/71847378/

The 5 W's

Have you ever heard of the 5 W’s? Well, I will be going over them on a spiritual level in the topic of Believing in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How can an individual fully accept Jesus in their heart, and live a holy and faithful life for Him? Let us reflect upon the 5 W’s….

Who- lost

What- Sin

Where- Word of God

When- Today

Why- Salvation

We all need to recognize and examine due to the disobedience of Adam that we were all born in sin. (The WHAT)

Psalms 51:5

“Behold, I was shapen in inquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

And the consequences of being born in sin, causes us to be lost (The WHO) in this world, in need of a savior.

Luke 15:4

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?”

As we are born in sin, we are lost in this world unless we come to Christ to save us from our sins.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

We find our faith comes from reading the Word of God (The WHERE). By reading His Holy Word, it reveals unto us on how we are to live for Him as we are living in this world.

Romans 10:17

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

The Word of God produces faith for one to believe in Jesus Christ our Lord, and reveals the truth unto those who were once lost in the darkness of this world.

2 Corinthians 4:3-4

“But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

We are living in a day and age where it is becoming illegal to speak of Jesus and the Word of God; this was never like this years ago. From the changes we see appearing in today’s society, we know that we are surely in the end times. Satan has blinded the eyes of those in this world, but even those who seem like it is impossible for them to change, the Lord is mighty and can do the impossible! Let us not wait before it is too late, we must accept Him Today, for Today is the day of salvation!

(The WHEN and WHY)

2 Corinthians 6:2

“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”

*If you are still hungry for the Word of God, come visit the Full Gospel Holiness Church's Website @   http://www.fghconline.com.

Two Great Commandments!

INTRODUCTION

1. In the temple during His final week prior to His crucifixion, Jesus

was questioned by various religious groups...

a. The Pharisees and Herodians sought to entangle Him with a

question about paying taxes

b. The Sadducees tried to trip Him on the subject of the

resurrection

-- His answers caused people to marvel and be astonished

 Matthew 22:22

“When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left him, and went their way.”

Matthew 22:33

“And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.”

2. The Pharisees tried once again, this time sending one of their

lawyers...

a.  Testing Him as to which is the great commandment in the law

Matthew 22:34-36

"But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”

b. Jesus replied by offering two great commandments

1) The first pertained to loving God

Matthew 22:37-38

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

2) The second pertained to loving one's neighbor

 Matthew 22:39

“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

-- Upon these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets

- Matthew 22:40

“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

 [It is proper to ask, therefore, do we love God and our neighbor as we

should?  Do we understand what is involved in loving God and our fellow

man?  Perhaps by reflecting upon these "Two Great Commandments" we can

find the answer to such questions...]

I. THE COMMAND TO LOVE GOD

A. UNDER THE OLD COVENANT...

1. The Israelites were expected to love God

(Deuteronomy 6:5)

“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God wit all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”

-- Emotionally, physically, intellectually, they were to love

God

2. Thus they were to love God with their whole being

-- Note how the Law stated their responsibility in

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

“And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?”

B. HOW WE ARE TO LOVE GOD TODAY...

1. Does God expect any less of us?  Of course not!  We are to

love God:

a.  With all our heart

1Corinthians 16:22

“If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”

b.  With all our soul (body and mind)

Romans 12:1-2

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

c.  With all our might

Hebrews 10:36

"For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.”

d.  With all our mind

Philippians 4:8

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

2. We demonstrate our love for God through keeping His

commandments

a.  This is the love of God

1John 5:3

“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

b.  This is evidence that we love Jesus

John 14:15

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

C. THE BLESSING OF KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS...

1. We enjoy a special relationship with God and Jesus

 John 14:21-23

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? 23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.”

2. We will abide in the love of God

 John 15:10

 “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.”

3. Our prayers will be answered

 1John 3:22

“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”

D. HOW TO GROW IN OUR LOVE FOR GOD...

1. By allowing God's love for us to move us

 1John 4:9-10

"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

a. God loved us, even while we were still sinners

b. When we reflect upon His love for us, we will love Him

more!

2. By asking God to help us grow in love

 2Thessalonians 3:5

“And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.”

3. By keeping the word of God

 1John 2:5

"But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.”

a. The love of God is perfected in those who keep God's word

b. Therefore the more we obey Him, the more our love for God

will grow!

[Do we love God any less than what was expected of the Israelites?  We

certainly have compelling reasons to love Him even more (e.g., the gift

of His Son)!  Now let's consider...]

II. THE COMMAND TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR

A. ENJOINED UPON CHRISTIANS...

1. We owe it to our neighbors to love them

 Romans 13:8

“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.”

2. When fully applied, it fulfills what the Law required

 Romans 13:9-10

“For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”

a. Five of the Ten Commandments spoke to working no ill toward

our fellow man

b. If one truly loves his or her neighbor, they will not be

guilty of killing, adultery, stealing, lying, or

covetousness

c. For sins (and many others) do grave harm to our neighbor

B. ENHANCED BY A NEW COMMAND...

1. Jesus taught us to love one another

 John 13:34-35

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

2. This new command takes our love to a higher level

a. No longer do we just love one another as we love ourselves

b. We must love one another as Christ loved us!

1) He loved us with the greatest love

 John 15:13

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

2) He became poor, that we might be rich

 2Corinthians 8:9

"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”

3. Thus no one can use low self-esteem (or low self-love) as an

excuse not to love others as they should

C. EXPERIENCED WHEN WE KEEP GOD'S COMMANDMENTS...

1. We demonstrate true love of one another by keeping the

commandments of God

 2John 1:5-6

“And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”

2. This is how we know that we really love one another

 1John 5:2

"For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.”

a. Not by just claiming to love one another

b. But by setting the proper example, and encouraging each

other by the example we set!

D. EDUCATED BY THE EXAMPLE OF GOD...

1. We develop love for one another by being taught of God - cf.

1Thessalonians 4:9-10

"But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. 10And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;”

a. The Thessalonians had been taught of God to love their

brethren

b. They did so remarkably, though there was always room for

improvement

2. Jesus by His own example demonstrates what true love is

 1John 3:16-18

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”

*If you are still hungry for the Word of God visit the Full Gospel Holiness Church’s website @ http://www.fghconline.com