Wednesday, December 28, 2016

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/

Sunday, December 25, 2016

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.



Tuesday, December 13, 2016

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
"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
“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
“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
“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
“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
If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.
b.  With all our soul (body and mind)
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
"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
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
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
If ye love me, keep my commandments.

C. THE BLESSING OF KEEPING HIS COMMANDMENTS...
1. We enjoy a special relationship with God and Jesus
"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
 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
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
"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
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
"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
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
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
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
"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
“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
"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.
"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
"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