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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WHO IS JESUS?
There are four options open to a person dealing with Jesus. You may consider Him: a legend, a liar, a lunatic, or Lord and God. If He existed, then He’s not a legend. If He’s a liar, that goes against everything else we know about His character. If He’s a lunatic, how to explain the consistency in His message, the constancy of His love? If those options are removed, where does that leave you?
C.S. Lewis, one-time atheist and author of The Chronicles of Narnia, put the dilemma this way:
A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said [about Himself] would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come away with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. (Mere Christianity)
Everything the scriptures say about Jesus is all truth or all lie. There is no mix and match theology. Jesus Christ is God or He is nothing. Either accept Him or reject Him, but it must be a complete choice.
Galations 3: 13-14 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, ‘cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’ He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
In the year 1975 we were pastoring a church in Smith Mills, Ky., when we were invited to a “barn” called the Sheep Shed. They were having special Friday night services with Tom Hamilton. We were so spiritually hungry knowing there was more in the Christian walk than we were experiencing.
That night Bro. Tom taught on the scripture Gal. 3:13-14 and shared with us that Deuteronomy 28 tells the blessings that will come to Israel when they obey and the curses will come on them when they disobey. Our hearts were so hungry as we listened to him share that Jesus took the curse of the law for us. By faith and believing in what Jesus did for us, we have the right to expect to receive the blessings of Deuteronomy 28 and not the curses. It changed our lives to realize that the Bible was meant to be studied and believed and God had so much for us in His Word.
God’s Word promises no more curse. Anytime the devil comes against you, you speak forth the Word of God, and you declare daily, “There shall be no more curse in my life.” Faith is the source of the blessing of God that initiates the flow of favor. The Bible says, “The just shall live by his faith.”(Rom.1:17) We are redeemed from the curse of the law, which shall be no more, must be received by faith.
We belong to Jesus; therefore, everything that God promised Abraham, He’s promised to us. God’s favor is there for you. We’ve beened redeemed from the curse of poverty, confusion, sicknesses, madness, nervous breakdowns, adultry, rebellious children, debt, fear, and anxiety. We have been blessed in the city, in the country, our children, the offspring of our animals, in our food, our finances, traveling (coming in and going out), blessed in the work of our hands, blessed as the head (top dog) and not the tail (under dog).
The last thing any of us want is to wander aimlessly into the future not knowing what we are looking for or how to find it. Walking in darkness is not an easy road to travel. That is why the Scriptures encourage us to walk in the light. It is easier to walk when you can see where you are walking. “Your word is a lamp into my feet and a light unto my path.” Which way does the path lead?
In Matthew 7 Jesus said, “straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life and few there are who find it.” We must realize Jesus did not mean it was a hard way and many would not be able to live up to the task. It means the way is narrow because there are no alternative routes.
Jesus said, “I am the Way…” Early Christians were called “people of the Way”. The gate is straight because Jesus is the gate. The way is narrow because He is the way. Any effort to construct our own road through our works and morality get us off the “straight and narrow”. This misdirects our path and ultimately cause us to “hit the wall” and miss the only door into the fold.
In Webster’s dictionary, the definition of favor includes… friendly or kind regard; good will; approval; liking; to be partial to; assist. To be favored means “regarded or treated with favor; provided with advantages, specially privileged…
The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that because of Jesus’ sacrifice we have been “made the righteousness of God in Him.” If you are a born-again child of God through the blood of Jesus, you are made right with God–righteous. Psalm 5:12 says, “For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.”
You must trust God to begin to see His favor come to pass in your life. God wants to give you special privileges and advantages. Begin to confess that God’s favor is in your life everyday. The favor of God will cause people to go out of their way to bless you whether they like you or not. It will surround you as a shield to protect you.
Daniel 1:9, “Now God brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.” Daniel had favor even while in Babylonian captivity. God shut the mouth of the lions because His favor was upon Daniel.
Call yourself a success. Expect promotion to come your way. See only good things happening each day for you and your family. Begin to even speak favor over your children, your church, your friends, and your boss.
“THIS IS THE YEAR OF THE FAVOR OF THE LORD”
“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart; So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3,4
What would you be doing if you weren’t doing what you are doing now? Does this sound like a silly question? It depends on what you think I mean by the question. If you can’t answer the question, there is a good possibility that you do not believe you are in control of your life. I am not talking about whether you or Jesus is the one in charge, but are you doing what you believe you should be doing?
Would I be doing something else if I could? Why am I not doing it now? Am I acting on what is or daydreaming about what I wish was? Notice, I did not ask what you would like to be doing but what would you do.
If I were not pastoring New Life, what would I do? Would my life change radically or would the basics remain the same? I like to think I would continue doing what I am doing now even though it might be somewhere else.
There are things about my situation in life that I would change if I could but not the course I am set on. I know what I want and I am happy with what I believe. I just want to get better doing what I am choosing to do, not do something else.
Do you enjoy your life? If you answer yes, keep on keeping on and improve what you are doing. If you answer no, get on the right path and find peace. Find Jesus, find peace, after all He did say “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Like everyone else at the beginning of the new year, I try to decided areas in my life that I really need to work on. Some of the areas are physical and others are spiritual, and then some have to do with relationships.
In every Christian’s life there are two areas that can be more difficult to commit. The first is our tongue. James says no man can tame the tongue. Only the Holy Spirit can assist us in controling what comes out of our mouths. Do we speak doubt, gloom, and unbelief? Is our conversation “grace seasoned with salt” or is it rude and filled with gossip? Ephesians 4:29 (amp) says, “Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk ever come out of your mouth, but only such speech as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the blessing and give grace (God’s favor)to those who hear it.”
The second area of commitment is our money. In the economic conditions of today it is easy to look at the circumstances and say, “I can’t afford to give.” The Word says the opposite. If you want to prosper and succeed in overcoming your financial situation, the Word says in Malachi 3:10-11, “Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse (church), that there may be food in My houe, and prove Me now by it, says the Lord of hosts, If I wll not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer (insects and plagues) for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruit before the time in the field, says the Lord of hosts.” WHY NOT MAKE YOUR NEW COMMITMENT NOW?
WHAT CAUSED ME TO SLIP?
Have you ever slipped and lost your footing while walking? What caused it to happen? Truth is, there may be many different causes that led to the slip. One thing is for sure, it wasn’t due just to a faulty philosophy. Something interacted with the situation and caused the slip.
Maybe it was ice, a brick, or a stray pet that tripped you up. Maybe it was because you weren’t watching where you were going. Point being, some outside influence was involved.
When our spiritual steps slip, how do we know what caused it? Things generally “don’t just happen.” Did I invite the “ice” that caused me to slip or did I just step on it because it was there? We are responsible for our own lives under God. It is what I do with what is given me that determines how it affects my life. How do I create the situations that cause me to slip? How do I contribute to my own downfall? Get the message “What caused me to slip?”
PSALM 122–“The House of the Lord”
When people who fear the most high God enter into His house to worship, they experience great delight and a strong determination to stay in His presence. Peace and prosperity follow those who love God and who pray for His kingdom to manifest itself in their lives. David wrote this Psalm to encourage Israel to regard Jerusalem as a central place of worship.
All Christians should rejoice and be exceedingly glad to attend worship services. The Bible tells us that we should encourage each other and not to forsake “the assembling of ourselves together” (Heb. 10:25. Once we’re together, prayer should be a priority (I Tim. 2:2). Make a commitment today to attend the services on a regular basis–become involved in prayer and Bible Study. Peace and prosperity will be following you. Marilyn Hickey
PSALM 122 NIV
“I rejoiced with the those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’ Our feet are standing in your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built like a city that is closely compacted together . That is where the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, to praise the name of the Lord, according to the stature given to Israel. There the throne of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May those who love you be be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels. For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your prosperity.”
“There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death.” “It is not within a man to direct his own steps.”
These Scripture verses speak volumes about the ability of man to solve his own problems. An illustration is given about directing our own steps. Several people were told to walk in a straight line across a snow covered field. They were to walk as straight as possible. Upon finishing the task and looking back, only one person had walked a perfect straight path.
Dismayed about their failed attempts they asked the one man how he did it and they could not. His answer was simple, “You watched your own feet and tried to walk straight,” he said. “But I picked a post on the other side of the field and kept my eye on it and walk toward it all the way.”
Our problem is we try to guide ourselves by looking at where we are and not at where we are going. When a person gets truly lost and has no outside source of direction, there is a tendency to go in circles. By doing this we never get to where we want. Keep your eyes on Jesus (God’s Word) and not yourself. Your journey will be much more successful.
Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .
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“To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.
It is the most requested column I’ve ever written.
My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:
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1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick.
Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.
8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don’t compare your life to others.
You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye.
But don’t worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.
But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.
Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come…
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”
Why should I ever be in bondage knowing that there is liberty where the Spirit of the Lord is? Gal. 5:1
Why should I feel condemned when the Bible says I am not condemned because I am in Christ? Rom. 8:1
Why should I feel alone when Jesus said He is with me always and He will never leave me nor forsake me? Matt. 28:20, Heb. 13:5
Why should I feel accursed or that I am the victim of bad luck when the Bible says that Christ redeemed me from the curse of the law that I might receive His Spirit? Gal. 3:13, 14
Why should I be discontented when I, like Paul, can learn to be content in all my circumstances? Phil.4:11
Why should I feel worthless when Christ became sin on behalf that I might become the righteousness of God in Him? I Cor. 5:21
Why should I have a persecution complex knowing that nobody can be against me when God is for me? Rom. 8:31
Why should I be confused when God is the author of peace and He gives me knowledge through His indwelling Spirit? I Cor. 14:33, 2:12
Why should I feel like a failure when I am a conqueror in all things through Christ? Rom. 8:37
Why should I let the pressures of life bother me when I take courage knowing that Jesus has overcome the world and its tribulations? John 16:33
from VICTORY OVER DARKNESS–Neil Anderson
Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days.” Eccl. 11:1
Recently we received a word from the Lord saying, “the fire is kindled and the die is cast you move forward.” God was saying that any failure to advance is because we refuse to move. God never fails to keep His word. In all of Scripture He always kept His promises.
Notice in the Scripture verse the expression “after many days”. This implies a passage of time not an instant return. We are geared to expect immediate results on everything we do. We are a society that does not know how to wait. Delay fosters doubt. We pray and we want it now. We confess and it should happen then. You can’t plant a seed today and harvest a crop tomorrow.
Some of the greatest harvests have been against the odds. Some did not come for years. Times were not right and circumstances were not favorable. We will examine some of those examples today.
Heaven is not lacking. God is not weak. Jesus is still Lord. If He says do something who are we to say “we can’t”? As we begin 2011 let us increase our vision. We must “lift up our eyes and look, from the place where we now stand, north, south, east, and west, He has given us the land.” We move forward in faith or backward in fear.
PART I– TWENTY CANS OF SUCCESS FOR THE NEW YEAR
Why should I say I can’t when the Bible says I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength? Phil 4:13
Why should I lack when I know that God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus? Phil 4:19
Why should I fear when the Bible says God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and sound mind? 2 Tim. 1:7
Why should I lack faith to fulfill my calling knowing that God has allotted to me a measure of faith? Rom. 12:3
Why should I be weak when the Bible says that the Lord is the strtength of my life and that I will display strength and take action because I know God? Psa. 27:1, Dan. 11:32
Why should I allow Satan supremacy over my life when He that is in me is greater than he that is in the world? I John 4:4
Why should I accept defeat when the Bible says that God always leads me in triumph? 2 Cor. 2:14
Why should I lack wisdom when Christ became wisdom to me from God and God gives wisdom to me generously when I ask Him for it? I Cor. 1:30, Jas. 1:5
Why should I be depressed when I can recall to mind God’s lovingkindness, compassion, and faithfulness and have hope? Lam. 3:21-23
Why should I worry and fret when I can cast all my anxiety on Christ who cares for me? I Pet. 5:7
from VICTORY OVER DARKNESS–Neil Anderson
Make it your goal this new year to begin to speak what the Word says you are.
Since this is the first Sunday in 2011 I thought I would express my thoughts in an original poem. How will you relate to heaven in 2011? Paul said, “set your affections on things above and not on things of the earth.”
Here we are on January one, 2010 is finally done.
A new year looms in front of us, In the Lord we now must trust.
His eyes look for us to and fro, to show His strength to us, we know.
The eyes of God look down from heaven, to guide our way in 2011.
Possibilities are plenty in the year ahead, it may be joy or maybe dread.
We get to choose what we believe, we can have joy or we can grieve.
God said He’d hear us if we pray, and we can trust in things His way.
The ears of God are open in heaven, to hear our call in 2011.
Expect each year’s day to offer a test, just make the decision to believe the best.
Christ in you is the hope of Glory, He died for our sins, that’s the true love story.
He is always near to help us out, our hearts rejoice if we will not doubt.
God will pour out His love from heaven, to comfort our hearts in 2011.
We have the Light of the World to be our guide, and the King of Kings by our side.
What more is there for us to ask, in order for us to finish our task?
Over all our enemies He gave us the power, He meets the needs of every hour.
There is no lack of power in heaven, we have all we want for 2011.
Let us rise up and ran our race, fixing our eyes on His glorious face.
Remember, God has a wonderful plan, just trust His word and take your stand.
When we are weak then He is strong, it’s grace by faith through our whole life long.
Amazing grace is the theme of heaven, it will be sufficient for 2011.
January 14,15,16
Speakers: Bill and Diana Conklin
Lindsey Wilson College-Hodge Min. Building
402 Helen Flatt Dr.
Columbia, Ky. 42728
TOPICS TO BE COVERED:
THEOLOGY OF HEALING THEOLOGY OF DISEASE
PATHWAYS TO HEALTH AND HEALING
BLOCKS TO HEALING 8 R’S TO HEALING
SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT SPIRIT WORLD REALITIES
DISEASE CLASSES:
Autoimmune System Cardiovascular System
Degenerative Diseases
TESTIMONIES A TIME OF MINISTRY
THREE DAY CONFERENCE (No charge)
Friday 6:00-9:00 pm Saturday–9:00-12:00, 1:00-5:30, 7:00-9:00
Sunday 1:00-6:00 pm
A Be in Health conference involves progressive teaching to unravel the mysteries of disease as well as to reveal pathways to health and wholeness. Can a disease be spiritually rooted? Have the efforts spent on traditional understanding of health and disease left you with little change and more questions about where God is in everything? Learn how to defeat and prevent disease by using the discernment God has given mankind to produce wholeness of spirit, soul and body. With each class, we build a foundation of knowledge that leads to the next. We strongly suggest attending the entire conference. www.BeinHealth.com
“……an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, ‘…Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.’” Matt. 2:13
Even before He was two years old His enemy was trying to destroy Jesus. It wasn’t enough just to kill Him, He had to be destroyed. Why take a chance? Satan knew God’s promise to him in the garden when He said Jesus would bruise his head. Satan’s answer to his problem was to destroy the ministry of Jesus before it could take shape.
The word destroy literally means “to lay waste, destroy utterly, disintegrate. The New Testament often uses this word to describe spiritual destitution. It is a total loss of the sense of well being. Do you realize Jesus spent His entire life just trying to stay alive until it was time for Him to die? Every prominent group plotted to kill Him. What if you faced every day with the threat of your life hanging in the balance?
Christmas is a wonderful time but the real story is what happened after Christmas was over. Did Jesus have a wonderful childhood? The same enemy that tried to kill Him at two years old knew where He was even during His early life. In the face of that temptation Jesus completed His purpose on earth. Should we not be as intent to fulfill our purpose as He? We give up to easily–I fear.
And the prophet said in Isaiah 9:6-7: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his goverment and peace there will be not end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
And the angel said in Luke 1:35-37, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. ….For nothing is impossible with God.”
And Mary said in Luke 1:38, “I am the Lord’s servant, Let it be to me according to your word.” By saying yes, she would risk the loss of her reputation.
NOW, WHAT DO YOU SAY? Can you say as Mary said, “Let it be to me according to your word?” Can you risk your reputation?
And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus.” Luke 1:31
Jesus means “He shall save.” The angel was foretelling the salvation God was bringing to His people. The Hebrew name Joshua was common in Biblical times. The Son of God was not named a unique name. Though it meant Savior the name Jesus was common. God was identifying with the common man. Although He was the Savior of Mankind, He was representative of mankind. He was not different from us, He became one of us. He had all the traits of a mortal man but was sinless in nature and deed. This fact qualified Him to be the spotless lamb that would bear the sins of mankind.
When He was born it was proclaimed aloud who He was. He was “a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” His birth was the beginning of events that would change history and time. No other man has had as much affect on history as Jesus. He has divided history, B.C. and A.D. Had you realized that time revolves around Jesus? Jesus never emphasized His birth, He proclaimed His death and resurrection as the major event. His entire life and death are to be celebrated, not just at Christmas, but all year long. There is no other “reason for the season”.
PSALM 95
There are only two possible responses to every trial and testing we experience in life: we either soften our hearts toward God or we harden our hearts toward God. The heart that makes a habit of praising God during good times will find it easier to praise Him during life’s tough times. Take David’s advice in this psalm and sing, give thanks, worship, and bow down in the Lord’s presence today. ….Marilyn Hickey
Come, let’s shout praises to God; raise the roof for the Rock who saved us! Let’s march into his presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns! And why? Because God is the best, High King over all the gods. In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns. In the other hand grasps the high mountains. He made Ocean–he owns it! His hands sculpted Earth! So come, let us worship; bow down before him, on your knees before God, who made us! Oh, yes, he’s our God, and we’re the people he pastures, the flock he feeds.
Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks, “Don’t turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising, as in the day of the Wilderness Test, when your ancestors turned and put me to the test. For forty years they watched me at work among them, as over and over they tried my patience and I was provoked–oh, was I provoked! ‘Can’t they keep their minds on God for five minutes? Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?’ Exasperated, I exploded. They’ll never get where they’re headed, never be able to sit down and rest.'” Message Bible
‘And they opened their gifts to Him, gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matt. 2:11. Tradition has taught us that three wise men from the East came to visit Jesus at His birth. Actually it was two years after He was born. They brought Him gifts. Gold was to represent His Kingship. Frankincense was to represent His priesthood. Myrrh was to declare His suffering and death. These gifts are a picture of Jesus as King, Priest, and Savior. The Son of God became a man and dwellt among us.
As we look at the three gifts, let us view them from a completely different point of view. How do we emulate the Wise men in their offering? Are we required to offer sacrifices under the new covenant? What are we to give to the Holy Son of God? As we look at the gifts closely we find a remarkable resemblance to what we are asked to give to the Savior. For the answer listen to the message,”What do I give to Jesus?”
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