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.
|
DON’T LIMIT GOD
It is so easy to get in a routine and “comfort” zone in our spiritual walk. God wants us to “step out on the water” as Peter did and go beyond our human limitations. If you want to see miracles, signs and wonders, begin to reach for them with your faith.
The following poem was sent to me and encouraged me. Let this poem encourage you in your walk today.
BEYOND OUR LIMITATIONS
Lord we need to move beyond
This place that we are in
To touch your very heart, O God
To have your love within
We need to move beyond the limits
We’ve placed upon our lives
To move into more of you
Revealed through Jesus Christ
Help us to keep pressing on
As, by faith, we take more steps
To really conquer our inner selves
To know you with more depth
To be focused more on you
No matter how hard it gets for us
We need to press on through
Though Satan rises with hell’s fury
With vengeance to devour
We pray, O God, you’ll arise in us
And fight with holy power
For greater are you within us
Than the enemy of our souls
For you have power and might, O God
And your Spirit is in control!
We know the victory shall be ours
Though for now the heat is on
Help us Lord to not give up
For by this you make us strong
You will sustain us in your love
Through what we’re going through
And deliver us the other side
Victorious in you! By M.S. Lowndes
“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” Jude 20-21(NKJV)
One of the major areas of study is that of faith. There is a wide spectrum of belief and opinion about the proper balance of faith with other “Biblical doctrines”, some of which may be erroneous in themselves.
I am attempting to shine the light of truth on a subject the scripture says you must have in order to please God. The trick is to have faith without it being a substitute for God.
In the verse above, the word “looking” is of extreme importance. When it comes to life, what are you looking at? If we are not watchful, we can spend more time looking at circrmstances and problems than we spend looking at Jesus. I am not calling into question the things we have learned about faith and confession. Rather, I am reminding each of us that it is Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. Make Him the focus of your attention even when dealing with your problems.
WHY WE GIVE TO THE CHURCH
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (NIV)
Everything we own, everything we have comes from God. So when we give, we simply offer him a very small portion of all the abundance he has already given to us. Giving is an expression of our thankfulness and praise to God! It comes from a heart of worship. For everything we give already belongs to him! God instructed Old Testament believers to give a tithe, or a tenth, because this 10% represented the first, or most important portion of all that they had.
Believers should give according to their income.
1 Corinthians 16:2 On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. (NIV)
We are blessed when we give.
Acts 20:35… remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ (NIV)
God wants us to give because he knows how blessed we will be as we give generously to him and to others. Giving is a kingdom principle—it brings more blessing to the giver than to the recipient. When we give freely to God, we receive freely from God.
Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (NIV)
Proverbs 11:24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. (NIV)
The value of our offering is not determined by how much we give, but how we give.
—Mark 12:41-44 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything she had to live on.” (NIV) from notes by Mary Fairchild
“The mercy seat was a slab of pure gold as wide and as long as the ark, and was laid on top of the ark, fitting down inside the crown as a sort of lid. On the ends of it, and of one piece of gold with it, were fashioned two angelic winged figures, called cherubim. These faced each other, looking down upon the mercy seat and stretching their wings out above and before them until the tips of the wings of the one touched the other’s, making a sort of covering or canopy over this symbolic throne of the invisible God. “There,” above the mercy seat, overshadowed by the wings of the cherubim, said the Lord, “I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.” (Exod. 25:22). There shone the Shekinah, the glory of the Lord, according to Jewish tradition. There is some ground for this tradition in the pillar of fire that led Israel through the wilderness journey and in the glory of the Lord that at different times filled or was seen on the tabernacle. There on the mercy seat, on the great day of atonement, the atoning blood was sprinkled in the very presence of God. For only there in the presence of this blood could the holy God consistently commune with sinful men. “Russell Byrum,1922
It is doubtless here we get the beautiful expression, “throne of grace.” (Heb. 4:16). It was a place of mercy. Located beneath the mercy seat was the Ark of the Covenant itself. This special container held reminders of God’s relationship with His people. Because of man’s inconsistancies and lack of diligence the contents of the ark were lost. Jesus came to restore and complete all that God had promised in His first covenant. Under Jesus the New Covenant is established on better grounds with better promises.
A DIFFERENT SHORT CHRISTMAS STORY
Ian came home from work late in the week before Christmas, tired and irritated, to find his 5-year old son waiting for him at the front door. ” Daddy, may I ask you a question?” said Jack. (Continued)
“Yep, sure, what is it?” replied Ian rather brusquely.
“Daddy, how much to you earn in an hour?”
“That’s none of your business! Why do you ask such a thing?” Ian replied angrily.
“I just need to know. Please tell me. How much do you make an hour?” Jack pleaded.
“If you must know, Jack,I make $12:50 an hour,” answered his dad.
“Daddy, may I please borrow $10:00?”
Ian became furious. “If the only reason you asked is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy for Christmas or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think abut why your are being so selfish. I don’t work hard every day for such childish frivalities.” Jack quietly went to his room and shut the door.
Ian sat down and started thinking about Jack’s questions. After about an hour or so, Ian had calmed down and started to think. Maybe Jack really needed that $10.00. He really didn’t ask for money very often. The man went to the door of his son’s room and asked, “Are you asleep, son? I’ve been thinking maybe I was too hard on you earlier. Here’s the $10 you asked for.”
Jack sat up. “Oh, thank you, Daddy,” he cried. Then reaching under his pillow he pulled out some more money. The father started to get angry when he saw his son already had money. The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his father with tears in his eyes.
“Why did you want more money?” his daddy asked.
“Because I didn’t have enough, but now I do. Daddy, I have $12:50 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early on Christmas Eve so I can have dinner with you.” Ian was crushed. He put his arms around his little son, and begged his forgiveness.
In the year 2012 are you going to adjust your priorities? My priorities will be: God, family, work. My personal relationship with God is first. I plan to pursue God with everything I have. Time with my family will be second. Time will slip by and I will not miss what is going on with my children and grandchildren. Then I will dedicate myself to do my work as unto the Lord with the best of my abilities.
Don’t let 2012 slip by. “Redeem the time for the days are evil.” Eph. 5:16
“Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new….” Rev. 21:5 There is much said in the Bible about “new”. We are a new creation. There will be new heavens and a new earth. His mercies are new every morning. What does new really mean? When we speak of a new car, do we think of it as a remade product? It is not just a “restored” product; it is brand new. We must understand ourselves as being totally different, even though we do not see ourselves that way. We have been given a gift that has transformed us into remarkable beings. We are capable of anything. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” We must learn to live in the light of our “new creation”. In our search for a 2012 slogan I have realized that there are not many words that rhyme with twelve. One of those words is “delve”. Delve means “to carry out a thorough and exhaustive search for information and truth.” Its basic meaning was “to dig with a spade.” A sample is, “Into God we will delve in 2012.” The only way to “delve” into God is to delve into His Word and immerse ourselves into His Spirit. Can we commit ourselves to this type endeavour and continue with diligence until the end? Let us try.
IMMANUEL–“GOD WITH US”
Matthew 1:23 “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel.” which is translated, “God with us.”
I grew up in a church which preached a great message of salvation and right living. At the age of 12 I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. I knew that if something happened and I died, I would go to heaven and be with God.
It wasn’t until years later that I came to understand what being “saved” really meant. “Going to heaven” was only one aspect of this great salvation. I began to learn that being a Christian placed me in a special relationship with God. Salvation was not just to “keep me from going to hell.” God really wanted to fellowship with me everyday and be a part of every area of my life. I learned to be conscious of His presence in my life all day and to talk to Him. How comforting it is to know that because of Christmas we have Immanuel–God with us in Christ Jesus.
CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
PRAISE AND WORSHIP
SPECIAL BY JERRY ADAMSON
PRESCHOOL–ASHLEY ADAMSON
PRIMARY–DENISE ADAMSON
SPECIAL BY RICARDO HUGHES
CHILDRENS’CHURCH-BOBBY & VIVIAN
SPECIAL BY SHERI STUMP
“OUR GOD REIGNS HERE”–Special Interpretive Dance directed and produced by MaKenzie Hughes. Performed by Mercedes and Matthew Hughes, Sarah and C.J. Lawson, Lane and Sky Dowell, Holli Mitchum.
Isaiah 44:3-4 “I will pour out my Spirit and my blessings on your children. They shall thrive like watered grass, like willows on a river bank.”
Over and over in the Bible God promised to bless families who followed His directions and obeyed His Word. It is a wonderful promise to see it being fulfilled in your children and grandchildren.
It seems like it was just yesterday that Jerry and I adopted Scott and then Miriam. Raising children is not easy, and we were not the perfect parents. One thing we did right; they always knew we loved God and loved each other.
The greatest joy a parent can have is to see your children and grandchildren following God and receiving HIs blessings on their lives. The hard times we have faced in our family was faced with trust in God to work everything out, and He did.
We were so blessed this Thanksgiving as all of our chidren and grandchildren were with us as we ate the wonderful food, laughed, and shared the family times of the past. The hard times were worth the fruit that came out of them–Children who love the LOrd and are now raising their children to follow after God.
” In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thes. 5:18
Since this is Thanksgiving season, let us consider a Scripture about thanksgiving that many people misinterpret; thus completely changing the meaning of the verse. The above verse tells us that in everything we should give thanks. This means that no set of circumstances should stop us from being thankful for what God is doing for us. We must never feel that God is not our friend or has forsaken us. God will never leave us nor forsake us. He promised.
We are not suppose to be thankful “for” everything but “in” everything. I am not obligated to be thankful for bad circumstances. But, I should never allow a situation to alter my thanks for God’s blessings.
The real issue is in understanding the rest of the verse. In regard to this verse, what is the will of God? Incorrectly, many think it means that what happened was God’s will for you. The truth is that it is God’s will for you to always be thankful no matter what. To cease to be thankful results in complaining and doubt invading your mind. This will lead to your defeat. Therefore, always be thankful, for God has promised you will be victorious.
Psalm 100
“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.”
1. The noise I make is unto Him–not man.
2. I serve Him with gladness–not man.
3. I sing in honor of His presence–not man
4. The Lord is God–I am not.
5. God made me like I am–accept it.
6. He is my Shepherd–I will follow Him.
7. I will praise and be thankful for His provision, protection, and health.
8. He is good and has only good for me.
9.His mercy is forever and new every day.
10.His Truth is for me and all of mine.
“ So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.” Ezekiel 34:5-6 “For thus says the Lord God: ‘Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. Ezekiel 34:11-12
Jesus is portrayed as Savior, Redeemer, Healer, Provider, and other awesome names. One of the things He is called is Shepherd. As a matter of fact He called Himself “the good shepherd.” Our understanding of the role of a shepherd could determine our understanding of what it is for Jesus to be our shepherd. A shepherd is one who takes care of the sheep, provides their needs, and leads the sheep into green pastures. He meets all their needs but He leads the sheep, He doesn’t drive them. A shepherd that is “good” commands respect and his sheep love him because they know he loves them. “The Good Shepherd” never makes a mistake nor injures His sheep. I am glad “the Lord is my Shepherd,” aren’t you?
Proverbs 4:23 “Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.”
There is one thing you need to guard your heart against and that is allowing a spirit of offense to come into your life. It will poison your life and your attitude. Satan uses offense to lure people
into full-blown cases of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness. It will cause you to stumble and prevent you from moving forward in your walk with God.
We let people’s words stop the flow of God in our lives. Christians say things without thinking or else they refuse to give someone praise when they need it. We get offended when someone doesn’t speak to
us or when the pastor preaches and steps on our toes. Maybe the music is too loud for us, and they refuse to change it.
If I want rivers of life to flow out of my life, I must get rid of the offenses against others and against God. Resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness will keep your life muddy. Repentance and the blood of Jesus will clean up the flow coming out of your heart. Don’t let your guard down and take on offense. Refuse to accept it
no matter from whom it may come and trust God.
We are in the process of promoting the ministry
of the church here at New Life for the Nations ending with our Ministry Fair on
Sunday morning, October 30. We will be showing you all the potential to be part
of the ministry here at New Life. To understand ministry you must first
understand the nature and purpose of the church and our part in
it.
My first question is, “What is the work of
ministry?” (Eph 4:12) The five fold ministry of apostles, prophets,
evangelists, pastors, and teachers is to equip the saints for ministry.(Eph
4:11) Ministry is not what a select group of people do full time for the
church, it is what the members of the church do for each other and the
world.
Ministry is the daily endeavor by the “Body
of Christ” to represent Jesus Christ as His body. Every Believer is part of the
body and has a “work” to fulfil. We are all called to contribute our time and
talents to the ministry of reconciliation started by Jesus and carried on by His
Body, the Church.
There may be many activities which can be
carried on by local churches with the necessary resources available that are
good, but may not be part of the purpose of the church. The central purpose of
the church is to prepare people to love God, serve Him, and overcome the world.
“…to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might
be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly
places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus
our Lord.” Eph.3:10-11
Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”
Our communication is always influencing someone. It is not always easy to speak with grace. Many times we say things without even thinking what they might sound like to someone else or even if they will hurt someone’s feelings. Before words come out of our mouths we need to consider their source. “Will my words encourage someone, edify (built them up), or will my words tear them down or tear someone else down?” Jesus said we were the salt of the earth, and we would be “salting” or seasoning people around us by letting the gospel of Jesus shine in all of our actions. If our converation is “seasoned with salt” it will always be words that will build up and encourage others with the light of Jesus in them. The words I speak will not always reflect my emotions but will reflect the Word. Instead of speaking “your mind”, speak the Word to others and you will always speak grace to them.
A good place to start is with your family. There are more unkind words said to family members than anyone else. “Always with Grace” includes your spouse and children.
John 6:28 “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?”*
***********************************************************
DEAD WORKS
John 6:24-29
All through history, mankind has been seeking ways to do the works of God. Everyone has a knowledge within them of the reality of God (Rom. 1:18-20), and a desire to be right with Him. However, just as with these Jews, few agree with the Lord as to how to do it. These Jews were willing to do something to obtain salvation, but they were not willing to commit themselves to Jesus and accept His gift.
This is one of the major differnces between Chrisitanity and the religions of the world. Religion is willing to make sacrifices to obtain right standing with God, but Christianity recognizes our complete inability to ever do enough to save ourselves and calls for total faith and reliance on what Jesus did for us.
No one deserves salvation. It cannot be earned by what the Bible calls “dead works” (Heb. 6:1, 9:14). Dead works include all religious activities, good deeds, or charity that one may do as a measns of being justified before God.l
Faith toward God and what He has done through Christ Jesus is the only means of receiving HIs free gift of salvation. He only asks us to believe.
by Andrew Wommack
“…on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Matt. 16:18
Jesus proclaimed the beginning of the church to come after His resurrection and ascension. The “called out people,” which is what the Greek word for church really means, refers to the assembly of the believers joined together as one to represent Jesus on earth. The church is refered to as the “Body of Christ”, making it one with the Head. As the body of Christ, the enemy is under our feet. The kingdom of darkness cannot overcome the Kingdom of the Christ. No matter what takes place the “gates of hell” will not prevail against the Church. The rock upon which it is built cannot be moved. That rock is not Peter but rather the confession that Peter made when he said of Jesus, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.
The church was never intended to be an organization or an institution. It is to be a living organism infused with the power of a risen Christ. The presence of the Holy Spirit gives life and power to the body of believers to be Christ’s hands and feet here. How is being born again related to becoming a church member?
We make a distinction when we say “he was saved” and then “joined the church.” This is looked at as two separate events. However, a good comparison to this idea would be saying a child was “born” and then “joined” the human race in a separate event. Makes you think doesn’t it?
We do not join the church; we are “born again” into it. We become part of the body when we get saved. Membership in a particular location is a human institution that arose over the centuries. We need to belong to a local body of believers, but we are first a member of the body of Christ and were born into it. We didn’t join it. In light of this, we do not have the right to choose whether or not we become active in a local church body, we are “born again” to be active. We are to fulfill our membership by being a good “member” doing what we were created to do. Today’s message is “What is the purpose of the church?
BE CONTENT WITH WHO YOU ARE
2 Corinthians 10:12 “…but they measuring themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
It is so easy to allow feelings of inadequacy to stop you from doing what God has called you to do. When we first started pastoring nearly forty years ago, I would look at other wives of pastors and see all of their talents and abilities and feel like I really didn’t measure up. They could do so much more than I. They had more education, organizational skills, teaching ability or musical talent. I just didn’t measure up in comparison to them (in my way of thinking).
Sometimes we look at other people and think God made a mistake with us because we cannot do things like they do. What a boring world it would be if everyone did things the same way! The only measuring we need to do is compare ourselves to Word and make sure we are imitators of it. God made us the way we are. I need to develop the gifts God has given me and use them to honor him. We are not “wise” when we try to compete with other Christians on the way they do things. Our goal is to honor Christ and present the gospel through our lives and activities. It is okay if someone else has a certain talent or ability and I do not have it. I can appreciate what they can do without feeling inadequate with myself because I can not do it. Be content with how God made you.
Living In The Balance Of Grace And Faith
By Andrew Wommack
At our Gospel Truth Seminars, I always take time before meetings to talk with friends and partners. One of the most common questions I’m asked is, “What do I need to do to receive the blessings of God?” It is usually followed by this explanation: “I have been praying, reading my Bible, going to church, and paying my tithes, yet I don’t seem to be able to get my prayers answered.”
In that question and explanation lies the root of the problem: They have fallen into the trap of linking God’s response to their performance. They have not properly understood the balance of grace and faith and their relationship to each other.
By definition, the word grace means unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor. Therefore, the good news is, grace has nothing to do with you. Grace existed before you ever came to be. Another way of saying it is, grace is God’s part. Faith is defined as being a positive response to what God has already provided by grace. In other words, faith is your positive response to God’s grace, or faith only appropriates what God has already provided for you. Therefore, faith is your part.
I Timothy 2:1-6 “Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men;
for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.
Who gave Himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. ”
2011 VIRTUOUS WOMAN
Fellowship and Motivational Conference
“Equipping of the saints…”
*to encourage spiritual growth, personal development, and leadershp among women; and
*to challenge women to identify taheir role in the church ministries.
We are grateful to God for the many victories He has brought about as a result of the work of this ministry. As we continue to seek God with all our heart, soul, and mind, our sincere prayer is for His will to be accomplished through this ministry. Please come and join us!!
SEPT. 17-9:00-12:30
FOCUS: “For pastors who see the church as a place for people to come and get their needs met, the church spends all the time and energy to do everything that makes the people and their children happy. For pastors who see the church as a people with a mission, they take the time to train and
|
|
