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Hebrews 12:2 ‘….looking unto Jesus the “author and finisher of our faith.” NKJVJesus is described as the “author and finisher” (or perfecter/founder) of our faith in Hebrews 12:2.The Author (Originator): As the “author” or “pioneer,” Jesus is the source and creator of our faith. The Greek word can also mean leader, captain, or prince, meaning He initiates our faith and guides it like a captain steers a ship.The Finisher (Perfecter): As the “finisher,” Jesus brings our faith to completion. He sustains the believer through the race of life and will fully perfect what He started in us.The Focus: The verse calls believers to look away from distractions and fix their eyes completely on Jesus, remembering His endurance on the cross and His victory at the right hand of God.1 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health just as your soul prospers. NKJV WORD WEALTH The word “health” comes from ”hugianio” Strong’s compare “hygiene” and hygienic” to be sound in body, in good health. Metaphorically, the word refers to sound doctrine (1 Timothy 1:10, 2 Tim. 4:3, Titus 2:1); sound words (1 Tim. 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13); and soundness in the faith (Titus 1: 13; 2:1). Prosper In All Things: God’s abundance. It is clear that God wants His children to prosper; how can any prosperity not be the end in itself? It ought to be the result of a quality of life, commitment, dedication, and action that is in line with God’s word. In this text, the word “prosper” (Greek “euodoo”) literally means to “help on the road or succeed in reaching.” It clearly implies that divine prosperity is not a momentary, passing phenomenon, but rather it is an ongoing, progressing state of success and well-being. It is the intent of every area of our lives: the spiritual, the physical and emotional, and material. However, God doesn’t want us to unduly emphasize any one area. We must maintain a balance. Matthew 3:16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”The Gospels record that when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came down and rested on him. The Holy Spirit took on the shape of a dove so people could see God’s power resting on Jesus. God uses the dove as a spiritual symbol of His Holy Spirit’s grace and new beginnings. Doves were considered clean and gentile animals under Jewish Law. In the Old Testament, doves were the only birds allowed as sacrifices for people who could not afford a lamb. Noah sent out a dove to find dry land; it returned with an olive branch to show that the flood was over and God had restored life on earth. Just as the dove signaled a fresh start for Noah after the flood, the Holy Spirit descended like a dove at Jesus’ baptism to mark a new spiritual beginning for the world. The Spirit hovered over the waters. The dove points directly to Jesus’ identity as the Lamb of God who came to bring peace between God and humanity.The same Spirit at Creation: Genesis 1:2. The Spirit of God hovered or moved over the face of the waters before God spoke light and life into the world. The same Spirit at the Baptism of Jesus: Matthew 3:13. The Holy Spirit descended like a dove from heaven and rested upon Jesus as he came up from out of the Jordan River. At our Salvation, the same Spirit takes up permanent residence inside us. He seals us, guides us, gives us spiritual gifts, and makes our bodies His living temple.Ephesians 1:13 says that “when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.The Order of Love Most People MissJesus looked at His disciples and said something that still has the power to transform everything: “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love” (John 15:9).He wasn’t giving them a new religious duty. He was revealing the secret of how love actually works. Jesus could love them fully because He lived every day in the unbroken, unconditional love of His Father. That love was the source. It was the atmosphere He breathed. And from that place of being deeply loved, He poured out love on them. Many religious people jump straight to the command: “Love one another.” But Jesus showed us the order that makes it possible. First, continue in My love. Receive it. Rest in it. Let it define you. Only then can you love others the way He loves you. “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12). The “as I have loved you” is not a higher standard of effort. It is an invitation to the same source. If we never see love the way Jesus saw it—flowing from the Father to the Son, and from the Son to us—we will keep trying to manufacture something we were never meant to create on our own. We will talk about love, demand love, and even attempt to imitate love, but we will not walk, speak, or see people the way God desires. The life-changing truth is this: Jesus came to show us what it looks like to live completely secure in the Father’s love and then to love others from that place. Stay in His love. Everything else flows from there. Ed ElliotConfidence and Compassion in Prayer 1 John 5:14-15 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.” Kingdom Dynamics NKJV Bible Prayer Is Agreeing with God’s Will. Immature faith tries to manipulate God. It looks for spiritual shortcuts and formulas guaranteed to produce an answer to any request. It regards prayer as a weapon we use to force God to make good His promises. But true prayer is not a human effort at persuading God or forcing our will on Him. True prayer is founded upon finding and coming into agreement with God’s will; then we stand in faith, confident that God hears us and that what we ask for is already ours. To pray with authority and receive answers to your prayers, make sure you ask according to the will of God. If you do not know his will, ask him. (James 1:5) Believe that God hears your petition and has already set the answer into motion. Pray tenaciously and persistently until His will is accomplished. That is true prayer.Last Sunday Holy Spirit was so precious among us as we gathered to worship our God and hear a Word, “God Knows Me.” The scripture was taken from Psalms 139:1-18. These Scriptures tell us how intimately God knows us: “We are fearfully and wonderfully made. He knows our thoughts, knows what we speak before we say a word. He knows our rising up and sitting down.” It was so good to be reminded from the Word how much our Abba Father loves children. There is no fear of going to Him. Even though I knew God loved me- yes, He knows me; however Holy Spirit reinforced in my heart that God wants me to come to him with child-like faith. Simply as a child would go to their earthly father and say, “Hey Dad, what’s up?” That is a close, intimate relationship. You are comfortable with the one you are talking to. You are ready to hear and listen to what he has to say.Last week I sat in my recliner (my prayer chair), opened up my laptop to a fresh page, and said, “Hey Lord, what’s up?” I don’t ever remember approaching God in that way before. I knew it was ok. It was not out of disrespect. I was comfortable coming to my Abba Father and having a conversation with him. After I said, “Hey, Lord, what’s up?” I immediately began to type under the inspiration of Holy Spirit, “The Lord says, what about peace?”Today’s Word: The Power of Peace.Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.Kingdom Dynamic Verse 44 “Love Those Who Have Animosity Toward You.”The word “enemy” does not suit any limited, convenient meaning as though merely referring to those whom we may not particularly like. The command to love our enemies means much more than simply changing our feelings about people with whom we do not get along. Rather, “enemy (Greek, echthros) means adversity or foe and refers to those whose actions and words manifest hatred for you.” The in-law who will not speak to you, the associate who tried to get you fired. We are called to love those filled with animosity toward us. Jesus leaves no room for speculation in this passage, commanding us to love those who hate, despise, and persecute us. Such love is only possible through the power of Jesus Christ, who himself loved in that way and now seeks vessels through whom to love against the hate- filled who assail Him as they oppose you.Psalm 18:1-3 “I love You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer; My God, my firm Strength, in Whom I will trust and take refuge, Shield and the Horn of my salvation, my Stronghold. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.This is a powerful hymn of praise where David declares his deep love for God, portraying Him as his ultimate protector and strong fortress. May we be like David expressing praise to our God – “I love You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, and I will call upon You who is worthy to be praised.”NKJV Kingdom Dynamics 18:3 Praise Spotlights GodHere is the most basic reason for our praise to God: He is “worthy to be praised [Hebrew halal, praise with a loud voice]”; the most primitive meaning of halal is “to cause to shine.” Thus, with our praise, we are throwing the spotlight on our God, who is worthy and deserves to be praised and glorified. The more we put the spotlight on Him. The more He causes us to shine. Modern medicine attests to the value of bringing a depressed person into a brightly lit room, acknowledging that light greatly helps to heal their depression. How much more will praise introduce the light of god and bring us into the joy of the Lord?“I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth”. Psalms 34:1Today we minister Part Two of the message “Living Fully In Spiritual Rest.”“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30Jesus addressed those who are exhausted from the heavy demands of life and religious expectation. Jesus had not been crucified, had not risen from the grave at this time he was speaking those words in Matthew 11:28-20. Jesus knew the cross was the ultimate destination of His mission, His invitation to rest wasn’t just a temporary reprieve; it was a promise anchored in the reality of the salvation He was going to secure. The rest for the believer is found in the finished work of Jesus. God “finished his work creating the world, (Genesis 2:2) Jesus said on the cross, “it is finished.” He rested from what the Father had sent him to earth to do. He completely fulfilled the law, conquered sin and death secured our total redemption. We have eternal security and a life of rest from works.Hebrews 4 highlights: Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands even this day, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. Now we who have believed enter that rest. For anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works.JESUS GIVES TRUE RESTMatthew 11:28-30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavily burdened [by religious rituals that provide no peace], and I will give you rest [refreshing your souls with salvation]. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me [following Me as My disciple], for I am gentle and humble in heart, and You will find rest (renewal, blessed quiet) For your souls. For My yoke is “easy” [to bear] and My burden is light.”In contrast to the heavy burdens of the Jewish legalism, Jesus calls for an open, free and loyal relationship (My yoke) which enables obedience to the laws of righteousness (My burden).NKJV Word Wealth Matthew 11:30 For yoke is “easy” [to bear] and my burden is light.The word “easy” denotes that which is useful, pleasant, good, comfortable, suitable and serviceable. The legalistic religious system was a severe burden but service to Jesus does not chafe because it is well fitting and built on personal relationship with God by the indwelling Spirit.For this reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all Fatherhood takes its title and derives its name].
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