Our Mission To love all people at all times and lead them into a new life in Christ.
Our Vision To be a church that will be multicultural and generational, having a lasting impact on the people to whom we minister.
To see the gospel extend beyond the walls of our church through various outreaches.
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Psalms 23 2-3 “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
Sheep unlike other animals have to be led in order to move. Sheep are followers. They will not go anywhere that someone else – like their shepherd – has not gone first and shown them everything is alright.
Jesus tell us in John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Psalms 23:2-3 is a description of the Shepherd leading his sheep to a place of rest. Our Good Shepherd watches over his sons and daughters (sheep of His pasture). And in doing so provides for us along life’s path as we need it. Rest. “He maketh me lie down.” Refreshment. “Beside still water.” Restoration. “He restoreth my soul.” Direction. “He leadeth me.”
The path that God leads us on is one for His name sake. It is the path that will bring honor and glory to Him.
Happy Mothers Day!
In the very nature of GOD, there is a mother’s heart. There is a Greek word “storge” which means a strong natural affection. This “storge” love is that which nurtures and comforts us in tenderness and compassion. This has been present since the beginning of time, even in the creation of the world. The church has looked at the masculine qualities and that seems to be what has been portrayed a lot of over the years but God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them” (Gen. 1:26-27)
It takes both parts the masculine and feminine nature of God to give us a complete image of who He is. Today God wants us to know and experience His tender gentle loving nature and see fully who He is.
His name is El-Shaddai, means all -breasted One, which is a prophetic picture of our God being a place of comfort and nurture. Jesus came to reveal the Father to us and He dwelt in the bosom (in the intimate presence) of the Father.
John 1:18 No one has ever gazed upon the fullness of God’s splendor except the uniquely beloved Son, who is in the bosom of the Father. Now he has unfolded to us the full explanation of who God truly is! The word bosom speaks of the breast, close to the heart, kindness tender affections or embrace.
Many will not be able to celebrate Mother’s day with a joyful heart for various reasons. Your mother may have not been there for you or there was never a mother figure in your life. But God has never abandoned nor has He forsaken you. If you will allow Him, He will pour “storge” love into the barren, wounded areas of your soul.
Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;your walls are ever before me. Isaiah 49:1-16
Embrace not only the masculine heart of God but the feminine heart of God.
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:17
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1
Jesus made it very clear that His mission to earth was not a trip of judgment but one of salvation. The condition of the world had not changed since Eve ate the fruit and gave it to Adam. Scripture makes it clear that Adam (not Eve) brought sin and death upon the earth and on humanity. The Law of Moses brought the knowledge of sin to man’s attention but had no power to break sin’s hold on man.
The coming of Jesus, the Savior, and His victory over sin by His resurrection provided the power needed to break the dominion of sin over anyone who believes that Jesus nailed our sin to the cross and said, “It is finished.” As a result, there is NOW no condemnation to those who believe their way into Christ Jesus. If that is true, why still condemn yourself for not being able to live a perfect life? If your relationship with God is based on your ability to perform perfectly, you will never be free from condemnation. More seriously, you will never be right with God.
Condemnation is not just an emotion that makes you feel unworthy. It is force of action that places you under judgment. If Christ did not come to condemn the world why are we so quick to condemn ourselves or others just because we cannot perform our lives perfectly? We are saved by grace and nothing else. It is not a mixture of God’s grace and our works. Good works do not create righteousness in us. The Spirit of God, through Jesus Christ in us, makes us righteous. The Spirit in us creates good works. We sinned because we were slaves of sin. We work righteousness because we are now slaves of righteousness. See Romans chapter 6. Our weakness is not stinking behavior but stinking thinking. If we believe right we will live right. It is just our new nature.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Psalms 23 1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
The Amplified Bible Psalms 23 as, “ The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want”. To “not want,” or to “lack nothing,” is a result of God being our Shepherd, Who loves us, cares for us, and provides for us.
Want comes from the Hebrew word “chacer”
meaning-to lack, lessen, be abated, bereaved, decrease, (cause to) fail, (have) lack, make lower.
David is stating that because God is his Shepherd, he will not lack or have want of anything; he will not decrease or become bereaved; God will not fail him as the Good Shepherd. God will uphold him and keep him from diminishing to a lowly state. David is proclaiming his faith in God as his Shepherd to provide for all of his needs; he has all he could ever want because he trusts in God, and his God will never fail him.
David tells us in Psalms 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread.”
Psalms 23 1-6 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
David’s testimony, his personal experience with God is written in Psalms 23. Of all the many names of the Lord that David could have magnified God , he spoke of Jehovah-Rohi meaning, “The LORD My Shepherd.” This is the image of a shepherd tenderly leading, feeding and caring for his sheep. In John 10:1-30 we read of this of our Saviors relationship to His sheep.
When we got saved we not only got a Savior but we got a Shepherd. The One Who loves us, cares for us, leads is, protects us, continually guides us through this life and he has our backs with goodness and mercy.
What great truths we can be encouraged with as we looked unto Psalms 23.
PSALMS 32:8 “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.”
At one time or another I have been turned around or needed directions to find my way to somewhere. I have found it that is no different with God’s will for our lives. Road signs are given to give us directions to get were we need to be going without getting lost. We need to be looking for the road signs that God places in our lives so that we will not get lost.
The Word tells us in Psalms 32 8 – I will instruct you – train you, direct you, give you information. (to pile upon, put in order, to receive facts). I will guide you – to point out the way, advise you, lead you, to show you the way by one who is thoroughly familiar with the course and through his continuous presence or direction along the way.
He already given us the map (His Word) but we must allow Him to navigate through the road called life. The Word has been given to protect us not to put us in bondage.
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
The faithfulness of God is true and as we look in the Word we see God is faithful and His word is true.
Hebrews 6:18 tells us God cannot lie, nor can he break an unconditional promise that He says He will fulfill. We read in Scripture testimony after testimony of God’s faithfulness and is still given in testimonies by people today.
Psalm 89:8 “O Lord God Almighty! Where is there anyone as mighty as You, Lord? Faithfulness is Your very character.”
Faithfulness is a part of who God is. God is so faithful that anyone who seeks after Him can find Him. “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart”. Jeremiah 29:13
Faith is a gift. To enjoy a gift it must be opened. As we implement faith in our walk with God we will begin to realize more and more about God’s faithfulness to us.
Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good and fulfill it?
Our God is faithful God and there is no other that can do all He can and has done and will continue to do as we put our trust in Him!
What are you celebrating?
“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon, or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16-17
“One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who “does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.” Romans 14:5-6 Who are you to judge another’s servant?
Don’t misunderstand what I am about to say in the following paragraphs. This is not a defense of any practice of the Church but a simple explanation of how things are perceived by different people. It is interesting that many people seem to get more religious two times a year than during the rest of the year. Easter and Christmas are times when many people, including many Christians, go all out to emphasize their reverence with a display of spiritual ideas. I like to celebrate holidays as much as the next person. Church tradition is entirely responsible for observance of Church Holy Days and seasons. By this I mean there is not Biblical instruction to observe either Christmas or Easter. The only thing Scripture admonishes us to remember and celebrate is Communion.
At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus. At Easter we celebrate His death and resurrection. What do we celebrate the rest of the year? Or, do we celebrate anything? I believe it is appropriate to celebrate the Life of Jesus Christ the year round. I am talking about the Life He lives since His resurrection. That is the life we should be living every day of the year. Spend the years celebrating what He gave you! Paul puts it this way, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son Of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”( Gal. 2:20-21) “…which is Christ in you, the hope of Glory.” Col. 1:27 AMEN!!!
How to pray? What to pray? What is the proper way to pray? These have been common questions I have been ask over the years.
Let us go to the Scriptures to find the answers.
1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 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 what we asked of him.”
John 14:13-14 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my Name, and I will do it.”
These verses tell us that God answers our prayers based on whether they are prayed in accordance to His will (the Word is His will). God answers those prayers so that Father is glorified and prayed in the name of Jesus.
Whether we pray standing, lying, sitting, eyes open or close, kneeling, inside, outside is different for each person. I personally like to walk back and forth or sometimes just lay on the floor. That doesnt make my pray more effective if you choose not to pray this way.
Prayer is simply expressing our heart to God. We don’t pray to inform God. We are not praying to impress God. We can’t tell Him anything He doesn’t know already. So why should we pray. We are inviting God into our lives and into the situations that concern us. Our lives are never meant to live outside of God. Our continually prayers to God causes us to realize our dependence on Him.
1 Corinthians 6:1 tells us that we are workers together with Him. When we pray we have the privilege of administering His Kingdom in the earth. He chooses not to it without us and we certainly could not do it without HIm. But we have the honor of doing it with Him.
James 5:16 “The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].
Luke 19:10 “For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Jesus was sent by the Father to restore “that which was lost.” “What is “that” which was lost?” The above Scripture says, ‘that which was lost-not those which are lost.” I don’t think this is talking about those that are lost in sin and are in need of a Savior. I believe it is talking about that which was lost through the rebellion of Lucifer in heaven and by humanity because of the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden. When man fell they lost – connection with their source of life before they experienced death – their dominion over the earth – their freedom and became slaves in the kingdom of darkness under satan’s control – their intimate fellowship with God – the glory of their righteousness before God. Lost means – something that has been taken away.
The work that Jesus came to this earth to accomplish was to return, to restore to its original condition that which was lost in the Garden. When He died on the cross and cried out “it is finished” He had accomplished the purpose He had been sent to do. He had redeemed humanity from under the penalty, He had reconciled humanity to fellowship with God, He restored humanity to a state of glory by giving them His righteousness as a gift, He restored man’s dominion over the earth. And there is so much more.
Save means – deliverance, preservation, soundness. Prosperity, happiness, rescue,general well-begin. The word save in the New Testament is used for spiritual well begin.
He has come to give us life of nothing missing or nothing broken. This is our year of recovery!
Paul was a full gospel preacher who proclaimed the whole will of God. His preaching was accompanied by signs, miracles and Holy Ghost power.
Acts 20:27 “I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”
Romans 15:18-19 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done — by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
May we all be “full Gospel” Christians. The word gospel means “good news”. We are to preach not just some of God’s “good news but all of it.”
There are those that believe that the baptism with the Holy Spirit speaking in tongues as the evidence of our Spirit baptism, gifts of the Spirit, healing, miracles, power over demons, the authority of the believer, mountain-moving faith, doing the mighty works Jesus did has all passed away. I have not read anywhere in Scripture where God intended for this things to have been only for the early church.
We read in Mark chapter 16 where Jesus appeared to the eleven before He was taken up into Heaven. He gave them a commission to do and as born again believers we have that same assignment. Verse 15, 17 and 18 “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.”
The world we are called to is the one we go out in everyday to whosoever is placed in our path to minister to. Ministering the good news of the “Gospel.”
As of March 2018 we (New Life) will make our final mortgage payment! This will free us to be able to do so many things. Over the past several months we have been able to do a lot of needed repairs to the church. But there are a few more things that need attention. These things will be taken care of in the next few months. This will also will free us to be able to do outreaches to the community. Not only to Adair but the surrounding areas as well. People don’t know how much you care until you show them. What a exciting time to be part of what God is doing. It doesn’t take a great number of people to make a difference. Just a few with a heart to serve and see lives changed for the glory of God.
To celebrate this great milestone we will have a “Debt Free-Celebration” on Sunday, April 8. Following the morning service we will have lunch. Make plans now to be part of this exciting time.
Thank you for your faithfulness in every way to the ministry of New Life. The best is yet to come!
You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by. Job 11;16
Trouble comes to all of us at one time or another. For some it may be the loss of a child, a sudden loss of a job, unexpected doctor’s report. Whatever it may be we do have the promise, “this too shall pass.” We sang a song here at New Life-’troubles they don’t last always for there is a friend in Jesus who will wipe away your tears-with Jesus I can take it with Him I know I can stand no matter what may come by way my life is in your hands.”
Let us consider Job. He was a man who knew about trouble. When he lost everything, his wife told him to curse God and die. He refused and instead, responded to God in faith. In the end Job was given twice as much as he had before. The enemy of our souls wants to wear us out and to wear us down. He does this in very subtle ways little by little day by day. He wants you to believe that it is always going to be this way. But God-He restores double for your trouble! “Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.” Zechariah 9:12
You may have been through some trouble, or are going thru some trouble but God is the One Who brings restoration. Isaiah 61:7 says, “For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.”
I need to prophesy to somebody and tell you that today is your day for a turn around. And I decree to you that in the very same place that the enemy said it was going to end, you’re going to step into a new beginning and the greatest blessing of your life. That thing that has been troubling you is only a launching pad to breakthrough. Just that quick I believe things are shifting in your favor!!!
“So we may boldly say; The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6
Confidence in God’s presence and His promises is the real reason the writer of Hebrews can quote Psalms 27:1 and Psalms 118:6. God’s Word is forever settled in Heaven. In the verse before the one above the writer remembers the promise that said “I will never leave you nor forsake you; no never.” Our “work” we must fulfill is to know God, believe in and know Jesus, and do His will for us.
Is there a person you trust enough to do everything they tell you to do? That would challenge me if I had to answer that question. I know some people I would trust to help me in any situation, but to say that I would feel comfortable doing everything they told me to do would be questionable. The reason would be that I don’t believe that they know everything necessary to be sure I could trust them. Hosea wrote of God saying, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” Humans, at best, are not perfect in thought or performance but I know one who is, Jesus. As one with God we can put our trust in all they say and all they do.
Hosea also said, “Because they have rejected knowledge, I will reject them.” Our primary task in life is to learn how to know and trust God in everything. That only happens when we learn the Word of God and yield our will to the Holy Spirit. To know God’s Word helps us to realize how much we are blessed to be His child. We must trust God enough to believe for ourselves that He will never leave nor forsake us and He supplies all our need according to His riches in glory through Jesus Christ. I must realize that I am God’s favorite child and Abraham’s blessings are mine. YOU must do the same.
John 3:16 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.”
God gave because he so loved. It was this love he had that caused him to give and when he did it was his very best.
Agape is the Greek word in the Bible for love. It is undefeatable benevolence and unconquerable good will that always seeks the highest good of the other person no matter what he does. It is the self giving love that gives freely without asking anything in return and does not consider the worth of its object.
God simply loves us and does so by choice not because we deserve it or can earn it. There are no strings attached in getting God’s love. We don’t have to perform for it or try to earn it by works.
The love our Heavenly Father has for us as his sons and daughters is a love by choice.
The Bible is the Word of God and we must believe that. But, we cannot believe it just to suit ourselves. Scripture says we must rightly divide the word of truth. We cannot interpret the word of God without ALL of it agreeing with our conclusion. Scripture cannot be interpreted by our way of thinking what is right. To understand the Bible we must learn to think like God and not use our human emotions or ideas to come to any conclusion. We cannot think like most humans think. How does one think like God? We are given that ability when the Spirit of God is abiding in our spirits.
One example is how God and man view sinners. God loves the sinner and desires that all men be saved. He loves no one more or less than anyone else. Even saved people can tend to hate or dislike sinners because of the way they live. They may even believe that the sinner should be the victim of God’s immediate wrath and base it on some scripture verse. But, Jesus said that He did not come to destroy life but to save it. He said He did not come into the world to condemn man but to save him.
The point I am trying to make is that we should not interpret any Scripture until we know that it can agree with all other Scriptures.
Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses]. Hebrews 11:1
This verse tells us that faith is a conviction that we have that regards something that allows us to be able to act on it as if it were assured of happening. This assurance where does it come from. We read in Hebrews 12:2 that Jesus is the author and perfecter of faith. Romans 12:3 tells us that God has allotted to each a measure of faith. Faith is a gift from God according to Ephesians 2:9. As we read these scriptures we see that God faith is a free gift from God and comes to us at our salvation. Jesus is the author (the originator) and the perfecter of faith (the one who perfects it in us). We have been given faith so it is not something that we make happen. It is developed as we give ourselves more and more to the Word. Romans 10:17…and faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God.
We have already have faith and we don’t have to white knuckled (so to speak) to make the Word work in our lives. Just believe. Faith is what causes us to believe that God’s Word is true. Even when we don’t see any evidence of it yet. The assurance we have is that God is faithful to His Word.
Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Why doesn’t the scripture just read, “and faith comes by hearing by the word of God.” Before a person can believe, there must be something presented to them for them to believe. That something is the Word of God.
In Romans 10:16 Isaiah says, “Lord who has believed our report.” The word for “report” in Romans 10:16, and for “hearing” in Romans 10:17 comes from the same word but with just a slight difference of meaning. In the first part of Romans 10:17, “so then faith cometh by hearing or faith comes by report. This would involve the presenter of the word and those that hear which is reported by the one that presents the word.
What if we read Romans 10:17 ”so faith comes by report and hearing that report by the word of God.
We sing a song whose report are you going to believe. So I challenged you with this today, “whose report are you believing.”
Choose to believe the report of the Lord which is his Word!!
Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Why doesn’t the scripture just read, “and faith comes by hearing the word of God.” Before a person can believe, there must be something presented to them for them to believe. That something is the word of God.
In Romans 10:16 Isaiah says, “Lord who has believed our report.” The word for “report” in Romans 10:16, and for “hearing” in Romans 10:17, comes from the same word but with just a slight difference of meaning. In the first part of Romans 10:17, “so then faith cometh by hearing or faith comes by report. This would involve the presenter of the word and those that hear which is reported by the presenter of the word.
What if we read Romans 10:17 like this-”so faith comes by report and hearing that report by the word of God.
We sing a song whose report are you going to believe. So I challenged you with this today, “whose report are you believing.”
Choose to believe the report of the Lord which is his Word!!
From Pastor Shirley
It is your move. God has already made his moved and now it is time for the sons and daughters of God to arise and advance. The word move means to go in a specified direction or manner, to proceed progress or advance.
Romans 12:3 says, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” Since God is no respecter of person he has dealt to every man the measure of faith. According to Ephesians 2:8 it is a gift.“For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” This is a supernatural faith imparted to you for you to live in this life as an overcomer. God has already given us everything we need to bring his Kingdom into the earth. We access the the promises of God through faith. Faith moves us not God.
That measure of faith grows as we hear the Word over and over again. Grace is what God has done and faith is what we do to bring the spiritual realm into the physical realm.
We do not have to work faith up. It is there living in our spirit man. Faith grows according to how much you expose yourself to the Word.
Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”. You have got it just began to exercise what you have already.
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