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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“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” I Pet. 2:9 NKJV
My confession: “I am part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. I proclaim the praises of Him who called me out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
This is who we are. We are anointed with the anointing of the Anointed One! In His Name, we lay hands on the sick and they recover. We cast out devils. We speak the Word of God in faith and set the captives free! We are NOT unworthy sinners. (Kenneth Copeland)
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.” Eph. 5:1(NKJV)
I know you are familiar with the saying, “like father like son”. Ever hear someone say, “She is just like her mother.” What prompts this kind of statements? Usually it is because the person sees so much similarity between the child’s actions and looks and the parent.
As a child of God do you look and act like Him? If children love their parents it is common for them to want to be like them, to imitate them. Are we enough in love with God to desire to look and be like Him? What do people see in us? Is there any God-like presence around us or do we act like the devil?
I am not expecting any of us to be exactly like Jesus, but there should be enough resemblance that the world can tell we are related. We all mess up at times and do things of which our Father would not approve. But, over all, are we attempting to imitate Him with our lives? It comes from our choices. Remember, “What would Jesus do?”WWJD
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jo. 3:16(NKJV)
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” I John 2:15(NKJV)
One of the most widely used and most undervalued words in the English language is the word love. We love God and we love mashed potatoes. We love the Lord and we love to watch television. There is not a real appreciation for the most grandeur word of mankind. Is God’s idea of love the same as man’s idea? How could it be in light of the Scriptures above? How can God love the world and tell us not to love it? Only if we understand the word and how to define it can we understand the meaning. We use the word love in too many instances that are a miss use of the term.
What does the Bible tell us to love? We are to love God, Jesus Christ, one another, the Word, righteousness, and truth. Love is only used in describing relationships between God and man and between humans. It should be reserved to reflect its true meaning, not our idea about it.
The way we use the word love is so “common” it dilutes the true value of the expression. If “God is love” and I Corinthians 13 is correct, how can we lightly refer to loving some thing? Does “I love these shoes!” and “I love Jesus!” reflect the same degree of emotion? Let us purify the use and idea of love and elevate it to its higher meaning.
“A Different Kind of Heresy”
“But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.” 2 Pet. 2:1-2(NKJV)
One of the things the early church was forced to deal with was the rise of heretical doctrine coming from self taught or poorly trained individuals. There was no record to follow except the Old Testament. Even that was only relevant to Jewish believers since Gentiles were not subject to the Law. The general practice of heresy is to take a truth and add to it or misinterpret the meaning of a truth and make that your theology.
One man’s theology is another man’s heresy. In a narrow sense, heresy is the belief of another that differs from the way I believe. But, in reality, heresy is anything that contradicts what the Bible teaches. As an example, let me use speaking in tongues. There are those who believe the modern teachings on the subject are heresy. They also will say, “Speaking in tongues is of the devil.” These are opinions until we call on Scriptures for clarification of the facts. What do the Scriptures say? Do they say, “I would that you all speak in tongues?” Yes. Is there any mention of tongues being from the devil? No! Lay aside opinion and doctrines of man and come to a conclusion. Which is more likely to be right based on Bible content? It is dangerous to build a doctrine on what the Bible does not say rather than what it does say.
Heresy is a deliberate choice to believe error instead of truth. Ignorant and unlearned is believe because you haven’t been taught the truth. Does God still heal today or has healing passed away? One or the other is heresy. What do the Scriptures say? In all your theology, what do the Scriptures say? Don’t give an opinion. Give the truth.
JUST WORDS
Matthew 12:37, “For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
MATTHEW 12:34-37
God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in the earth by His words (Heb. 11:3). The whole creation was made by, and responds to, words. Our words, when spoken in faith, release either life or death (Prov. 18:21) and will affect people, things, and circumstances. We can release the power that is in faith by our words.
Every word counts. There is no such thing as an “idle” word which will not work for us or against us. Our words can be our most powerful weapon against the devil, or they can become a snare of the devil (Prov. 6:2). Faith-filled words can move mountains.
The faith that made Jesus marvel was a faith in the authority of the spoken word (Mt. 8:8, 10). We are to believe in the power of our words. If we begin to speak words in faith that line up with God’s Word, then we will have the positive results that follow. But if we continue to speak words of doubt, we will eventually believe them and have the negative things that these words produce. Death or life is in the power of every word we speak.
Faith is released by speaking words. Jesus encouraged us to speak to mountains or to whatever our problem might be. Most people speak to God about their problem, but few follow Jesus’ instructions and speak directly to the “mountain.” God has put certain things under our authority and we must exercise it. When a problem stands in our way, we must speak to the problem and command it to get out of our way in the name of Jesus. Speak God’s Word today. His Words will produce life.
—-From Andrew Wommack
“Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Rom. 3:20(NKJV) “And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Gen. 2:9(NKJV) “And the Lord commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die.” Gen. 2:16-17(NKJV)
Adam and Eve had no sense of sin until they disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Contrast the two trees mentioned in this Scripture. The tree of life and, not the tree of death, but of the “knowledge” of good and evil. This implies that two much knowledge is dangerous. But, the danger is not the amount of knowledge rather the kind of knowledge. Without the law there is no knowledge of sin. Law is recognized as the orders we receive from God, His commandments. Adam had one commandment to keep. He did not know what it was like to sin until he ate the fruit. At that point he became aware of the difference between good and evil. It became, “this is good but this is evil.”
There was a “knowing” that happened that changed the mind of humanity. From then on man has been controlling his own life with his choices. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the “Law” of that day. Which is better, the tree of life(JESUS) or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil(THE LAW)? Man, even Christians, is still trying to eat from the wrong tree. When we try to be justified by the law, we die. But, when we eat of the tree of Life we receive the life of Jesus in us. Today is our resurrection day. We have new life in Christ, our sacrifice. Man was never right before God because he kept the law. He was right before God because of the atonement sacrifices. Our “Lamb” has been slain. We are right with God! Hallelujah!!!
We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich, dirt poor, yo no habla Ingles. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying new-borns, skinny as a rail or could afford to lose a few pounds.
We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli or like some who can’t carry a note in a bucket. You’re welcome here if you’re “just browsing,” just woke up or just got out of jail. We don’t care if you’re more Catholic than the Pope, or haven’t been in church since little Joey’s Baptism.
We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome soccer moms, NASCAR dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems or you’re down in the dumps or if you don’t like “organized religion,” we’ve been there too.
If you blew all your offering money at the dog track, you’re welcome here. We offer a special welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or because grandma is in town and wanted to go to church.
We welcome those who are inked, pierced or both. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down your throat as a kid or got lost in traffic and wound up here by mistake. We welcome tourists, seekers and doubters, bleeding hearts … and you!
Because everyone needs Jesus. (reprinted)
“Tell the daughter of Zion, behold your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.” Matt. 21:5(NKJV) “Then the multitude who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!” Matt. 21:9(NKJV) “The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” John 12:12-13(NKJV)
Today is what the Christian world calls Palm Sunday. It is the time when Jesus entered Jerusalem for the final week of His life. It was a day of joy and rejoicing for the followers of Jesus. The Son of David, the King of Israel, was arriving at His Capital city. They were thinking, “Now we will see the Kingdom come.” I am sure they were expecting something quite different from what actually happened that week.
The section heading in most Bibles calls this event “The Triumphal Entry.” Think about it. What triumph were they celebrating? They were celebrating the coming of their King. The King is here. Now He will fix things and make all things right. What followed was the worst week in human history and the best week in eternity. It all happened at once. The outcome for the people was determined by which “eyes” they used to view the event. Through natural eyes it was the worst week. Through the eyes of faith it was the best week in eternity. Whatever your week may be like, look at it through the eyes of faith. It will look much better than through the natural eye. If you are a Christian, your King has already arrived. Now, believe it, celebrate it, and live like it.
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Eph. 2:4-7 (NKJV) This is only one sentence long. Pay attention.
Do you know who you are? Better yet, do you know where you are? Are you a Christian? If so, let me tell you where you are. You are seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. You are not under the devil’s thumb. You are not under his feet. He is under yours. You are not “in trouble.” You are not “under the circumstances.” You are not defeated. You are not a “victim!”
Our situations and circumstances change but not our position in Christ Jesus. When we were dead in sins, we were made alive and seated in heavenly places with the devil under our feet. The devil does not want us to know about that. When we find out about it, he does not want us to believe it. When we start to believe it, he does not want us to live like it. But, we must make the decision to live our lives as God said we could.
Can you see the devil under your feet? If not, feed on God’s word until you can. Do you believe God loves you and is on your side? If you are not sure, feed on God’s Word until you are. You must never accept information that conflicts with what the Word says.
“Keep on keeping on, keep on keeping on, trusting in the Lord. Keep on keeping on, keep on keeping on standing on His Word. As you learn to walk by faith and not to walk by sight, you can keep on keeping on, keep on keeping on every day and night.” (chorus to a Reliford song from years ago) It will still work today!
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Eph. 4:11-16 (NKJV)
Why such a long portion of Scripture to quote for this article? Because this Scripture is only one sentence long it must be talking about one subject. Seven verses in one complete sentence tell me the subject matter is highly related. It is sometimes easy to separate verses into different subjects but sentences are not that easily separated into different subject matter. One sentence is normally limited to one subject matter.
This sentence begins with who, continues with what, moves on with how, and ends with why. Each part of the sentence is important in order to fully understand the thought presented. Every thought conveyed is important to every other thought and presents the full idea Paul is trying to convey. The thought is that every member of the body has something to add to make the body complete. What is your part? Are you providing that to help the whole body grow? Without you we are not complete. Don’t let us down.
“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.” Eph. 6:10 (NKJV)
Do you ever get tired? Considering all the demands that everyday life makes on us, it can be easy to feel like it is more than we can handle. What is the key to avoiding being overwhelmed by our responsibilities?
Do you ever get exhausted serving the Lord? Trying to live up to the standards of the Word can kill an ordinary person. You cannot live up to the demands of the Law. They are more than any person can fulfill. In order to “be strong” we must not be ordinary we must supernatural.
A supernatural person is not a special person with special powers. Supernatural people are made, after being born twice. Being supernatural means we are “strong in the Lord and the power of His might.” “Trust in the Lord and be established.”
Did you know, “the joy of the Lord will be your strength?” This does not mean being joyful all the time will give you strength. You can get tired trying to be joyful. What actually is the Joy of the Lord? “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the JOY that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb. 12:2 (NKJV)
The true joy of the Lord was and is our salvation. At salvation God’s grace is activated in us and we become supernatural people. It ceases to be our effort that strengthens us but Christ in us that provides the “power of His might.”
“To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is CHRIST IN YOU, THE HOPE OF GLORY.” Col. 1:27 (NKJV)
From: Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural
- While reading the Scriptures this morning, God gave me a revelation on healing for both of us! John 10:10 “The thief does not come but to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”
- Sickness is NOT from God but is a thief and trespasser. In fact, the Greek word for sickness can be translated “evil.” Evil comes from the devil and we must resist! Where we get trapped is when we do not see instant results…, we stop resisting and give up. The devil will send his evil symptoms to you until he knows you will not give up.
- He will even send the symptoms after we have manifested a healing. We then think we are sick again and roll over and accept the lie.
- In Matthew 8:2, Jesus could see the faith of the paralyzed man. Can the devil see your faith? Don’t give up! Through faith and patience you will inherit the promises. Our Scripture verse to meditate on this week has all the truth you need to put the evil thief in his place!
“The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land He is giving you.” ~Deuteronomy 28:8
Don’t be discouraged if your offerings are not as much as you would like them to be. Remember the poor widow with two mites? She gave more than the rich men in the temple. It is the portion of the whole amount that you give, not the amount itself, which determines the abundance of your gift. With the same measure that you give, God will give back to you. Hallelujah!
from Lidie Gray
“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.” Heb. 8:6
We live in a world that relies greatly on covenants. The difference is that we don’t call them covenants we call them contracts. We make contracts about everything. Everything we buy that we don’t pay cash for is bought on contract. Even giving a check to pay the full amount is a contract. You sign a piece of paper that your bank has agreed to pay provided you have a valid contract with the bank.
Buying anything is usually done by a contract. You get your electricity, water, and gas with a contract. I know that most people that have business dealings do not like so much “paperwork”. Pages and pages to initial and sign. During my hospital experience last year I signed dozens of forms. All of them were to make sure both parties fulfilled our promise.
Whatever happened to the handshake contract? We began to lose the truth and honesty of the handshake. To many people today it means little or nothing to them if their interest is affected. Do we understand that a contract is a covenant? How can we trust another potential liar(man) with all of our wants and needs and then doubt the Covenant God made with us? God is not a man that He should lie. If He said it He will do it. Trust Him. He will keep His covenant promises to you. You can count on it.
“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 petition that we have asked of Him.” I John 5:14-15 (NKJV)
How much plainer could the Scriptures be than what we just read? There is no secret code to decipher or hidden message to be revealed. Yet, as children of God and citizens of the Kingdom do we really believe these words are true? If we really believe them why is it that we fail to act like we do on many occasions?
We need to be living and talking like we really believe. The basis for our faith in God is “believing that God is.” Many times our attitude is prove it then I will believe it when it should be I believe and the proof comes. The word of God has been given freely for us to know about God and life. When we choose to believe, God’s promises go into effect for us.
“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” Heb. 10:35-36 (NKJV)
You know the will of God by knowing the Word. We are so “big” on the idea of works righteousness. Jesus disciples asked Him how they could work the works of God. Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” Jn. 6:29 (NKJV)
There is nothing we can do to help achieve our salvation except to believe and receive all that Jesus bought for us at Calvary. Scripture refers to God’s care of man as His promise. That promise includes everything we need concerning life and Godliness. We must choose to receive it and walk in it.
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” Heb. 11:6 (NKJV)
DARE TO BELIEVE IN 2013
As we begin our “Rediscovering the Power of Faith”, which is the NLFTN 2013 Theme, we should ask ourselves what we hope to accomplish, better yet, “What does God want us to accomplish?” Maybe, just maybe, He wants us to dare to do something so extraordinary, that without God it will fail, but when it succeeds all will know it was GOD who did it.
Can we live in abandoned Faith? Careless faith, the kind that is certain to fail in the eyes of man, but in Faith- It’s already done….. Or shall we just give into the words of Harold Kushner who stated: “ I am convinced that it is not the fear of death, of our lives ending, that haunts our sleep so much as the fear…. That as far as the world is concerned, we might as well never have lived.”
GO AHEAD- DARE TO BELIEVE- DARE TO HAVE FAITH- NOW GO AFTER IT AS NEVER BEFORE- GO AHEAD- GOD’S GOT YOUR BACK! Pastor Tim
“He went a little further and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, ‘O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” Matt. 26:39
“Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? “Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.” John 12:27
One of the greatest needs of a human being is to feel like they have a purpose. In the educational world today students are not taught much about purpose. They are taught that we as humans are only a link in a chain of existence that will pass away with time. Evolution theory does not give an explanation about purpose.
Many young people see no point in pursuing anything in life because it has no purpose for them. Jesus prayed to the Father with regard to His purpose while in the garden. Yet, the hour of which He spoke was not His final purpose. It was His purpose to die but that was not the end.
“He who sins is of the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this PURPOSE the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” I John 3:8
Everything that may happen to you in your life will create purpose if you are serving God. Not everything in our life is God’s will but He can cause purpose to come if we trust Him. I am not saying that everything that happened to me last year was God’s will for me. I am saying that He made purpose out of chaos, and because I did not give up on myself or Him, I see a purpose ahead of me. Find God’s purpose for you and pursue it.
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His PURPOSE.” Rom. 8:28
Freedom — Food for Thought…..
Isn’t it funny how we all want freedom, often that is the reason many don’t come to Christ- because they feel it is just a bunch of rules and they want to be free. But you need to remember this thought- You can take a train off the tracks and it will be free– however it will never move again, nor will it ever accomplish what it was designed to do.
Like the train- when we think we are “FREE” from the rules and guidance we have been given (Train Tracks vs Holy Spirit) then we may have a sense of freedom, but we too will never accomplish what we have been designed for……
You can choose your course in life or you can call on Christ and feel true freedom by doing what God has set forth for you to do.
Be Blessed – Brother Tim
TRUSTING IN YAHWEH JIREH-He is our Provider
Genesis 22:14 “Abraham called the name of that place THE LORD WILL PROVIDE.”
Yahweh Jireh (the Lord will provide) gives you hope blended with faith, and the result is TRUST–Total Reliance Under Stress and Trial. Abraham discovered Yahweh Jireh in the greatest test of his life–greater than leaving home for an unknown land, greater than living a nomadic life, and greater than believing God for a child when he and his wife were past childbearing age. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, to Him. God asked the impossible of Abraham–did he trust God with his only son? He was willing, but at the last minute when God saw his obedience, He provided a ram for the sacrifice.
Contained in the meaning of the name Yahweh Jireh is two attributes of God: the Lord will see, and the Lord will provide. Because of His omniscience (all-knowing) and perfection of character, He is able to provide for, or supply, the need whatever it may be. Yahweh Jireh might be amplified and understood as “the Lord will see to it.”
How do you need Yahweh Jireh today–the One who sees the heart of your need and provides for you? pp139-147 from “TRUSTING IN THE NAMES OF GOD”
Catherine Martin
Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. Is. 61:1-2
Isaiah 61 tells us what to expect in the year of God’s favor, an increase in His presence and anointing; healing, deliverance, salvation, restoration, promotion, increase, joy! Israel experienced God’s favor, and her enemies bestowed upon her silver and gold. Joseph walked in favor, and he was promoted from the lowest dungeon to the palace. Esther experienced favor, laws of the Medes and the Persians were reversed to bring deliverance to her entire nation.
You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for the time to favor her, yes the set time has come. (Psalm 102:13) It reads in this passage of scripture that the set time has come!! Not just any time, but the set time. The words “set time” in the Hebrew means, “appointed time, appointed meeting, appointed place.” This is very powerful. An appointed time, place, meeting! “Appointed” means a pre-determined or set appointment. In a set time, the Lord will favor Zion!
Everything in me is shouting, “This is the year, this is the year, this is a “set time” for God’s manifested favor. Manifest means to, “clear to see or understand.”
It will be made very clear to you that God has favored you. He is seeing your circumstances by what He can do and not by what you cannot do!! The Message Bible translates Isaiah 61 and Luke 4, “This is God’s year to act”! Proclaim a thing, and it shall be established (Job 22:28).
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