Thought for today, 06/19/09

Posted on June 19, 2009 by growintheword

Balance Life

A person who is lazy is and passive is not happy. A passive person is someone wants something good to happen, but who just sits still and waits to see if it does. Successful people live disciplined lives.

First Peter 5:8 says, “Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times.” The devil would like you to go overboard in some area, but stay steady and God “will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you”.

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of advesity. Ps. 94:12-13

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What a friend I have in Jesus Part II, Bible Study 06/17/09

Posted on June 18, 2009 by growintheword

What a friend I have in Jesus Part II
Synopsis of Bible Study 06/17/09
Delivered by Bishop Walker III
Remember our term Christocentric. This was the term we learned in Part I and it told us that it was having as the theological focal point, the teachings and practices of Jesus Christ. As we grow, our relationship will be tested by a variety of things. You will find out how genuine your relationship with Christ really is.
The hope we have is found in Christ. No matter what we go through, we hold on to our hope. No matter what we go through, it is important for our witness to be strong. When we proclaim that we have a relationship with God, it is important that it shows up when we go through our trials.
I. Companionship
1. When you got saved, you received the Holy Spirit. It is important to understand where the companionship in this relationship comes from. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. Eph 1:12-14 (KJV)-After you heard the word of God and accepted Jesus, you were completed by receiving the Holy Spirit. We are sealed by the Holy Ghost and we recognize that Christ will come back for us and afterwards, we will be in glory with him. We have the Holy Spirit that sustains us while we are yet still here. We allow the Holy Spirit to sustain us despite what we go through, because we know we have something better waiting in glory. We have to see the Ministry of Holy Spirit working alongside Jesus’ work.
2. When Jesus left, he left us with some companionship. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you do, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. John 14:16-18 (NLT)-Remember that in this scripture, Jesus is about to make his early departure. He said he would not leave us alone, but instead he would leave us with companionship. In verse 17, we find that this companion would be that of the Holy Spirit. The world doesn’t understand the Ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit resides in our life. Looking at verse 18, we have to see the totality of the God head in our relationship. The Holy Spirit brings us into all truth, by guiding and leading us.

3. If Jesus is sitting at the right hand of father, what did he leave to instruct us? It was the Holy Spirit left inside us. We are codependent of others, because we don’t understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
4. You don’t belong to yourself. 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Cor 6:19-20 (KJV) God paid the price that you might have the precious gift of the Holy Spirit inside you. If God thought enough of you to put that precious gift inside you, it must be an insult to refuse to listen to the Holy Spirit of God.
5. Who would Jesus give the power to? 18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matt 28:18-20 (KJV)-Jesus said all power was given to him in heaven and earth. Who would Jesus, give the power to? It is us. This suggests that God is not going to send you out powerless. It is then impossible to have the gift of the Holy Spirit and not go when God says to go. God saved us to empower us so that we may empower someone else. The same power that saved you is able to save someone else. They can only know this power if share the power you have received.
II. Opportunity
If you go, God will not send you by yourself. God empowers you to go and do his will. God said he is only going to be with people that are busy doing their kingdom assignment. You cannot be doing God’s assignment and be out there by yourself. What a friend we have in Jesus. Whatever the assignment is, it still falls within the call of the Great Commission mentioned in Matt 28:18. For example, even if you are called to be a dentist, this could be your kingdom assignment, because it teaches others to observe what you have been taught. Someone will look at the Christ in you and wonder how you are able to keep your peace when things are in disarray. This gives you the opportunity to save them. All calls to kingdom assignments are not necessarily found in the church. This is what makes us different from others. God saved us to give us a teaching opportunity. Some people are teaching people about God without even opening their mouths. You should be a living example of what it is like to live for God. You ought to make people wonder how you are able to still give God the glory and still keep your peace during trying times.

As long as we are fulfilling our kingdom assignment, we are never alone. We can call some folk from the bible days and they will testify of the opportunities that God gives to us. For Hebrew boys, they would testify that they were not left alone. David found out that when he was in the valley of the shadow of death, he would fear no evil, because he knew he wasn’t alone.
III. Hope
1. Some people minimize the power of the word they received. In the last election, people were cynical of the word “Hope” and its concept. They wondered how a person could push the concept of hope as a theme. Well they pushed it all the way to the White House. Hope stretches past our right now, until it gets to our not yet. We are not defined by where we are. We are defined by who we know. Hope gives us things to talk about, something to look forward to, and something to hold on to.
2. People talk about their plans. They talk about plans for college and they talk about their planned vacation. Older folk hope for their retirement. Hope gives us:
a. Hope once embodied gives us something to work toward. Example: Our vacation is an example of exercising our hope. We put up with stuff that we normally wouldn’t, because we have the goal in mind. Without hope, you have no goal.
b. Hope motivates work. Where is God? He is here with us, as long as we are fulfilling our kingdom assignment. Our kingdom assignment is not always easy. Our kingdom assignment is where we experience most of our demonic interrogation. This is because our assignments are a threat to Satan’s kingdom, but remember that Jesus grabbed authority over two dimensions when he was raised from the dead. Jesus said all power in heaven and earth was in his hands which means his power will win in the earth realm.
3. Paul says he is struggling between being here on earth or with Christ in heaven. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Phil 1:22-23 (KJV). We all hope for the opportunity to go to heaven. Out of those reading this, who would be concerned about making heaven if Jesus came back today? This is a valid concern. If you hope for something, you don’t mind working for it. In like manner, if you hope to go to heaven, hopefully you are working out your salvation.
4. When God tells you something, no matter what happens, your relationship should be so strong, you are not swayed by it. When you have been told a thing by Christ, then you must stop tripping over the stuff in between. If he told you something, then you must hope for it. Don’t let all the discouragement in between, make you stop working.
5. There is still a thin line between hearing from God and schizophrenia. In other words there is a difference between a farfetched claim of what God called you to do and what God told you to do.
Concluding story:
13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they sailed close by Crete. 14 But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. 15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: Acts 27:13-16 (KJV)-Here the Apostle Paul is a prisoner on a ship. He has been taken captive with other prisoners and is being ferried somewhere while the south wind blew softly Where Paul and the other captives are at this point is not their kingdom assignment. Paul encounters several problems on the way to his assignment. The ship represents that which is supposed to ferry them back to the assignment. It was destroyed which represents a major setback from reaching our assignment.
17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. 18 And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship; Acts 27:17-18 (KJV)-The people that were carrying Paul, had to take baggage off of the ship in order to make it though the storm. Just like this, you have to lighten your load on your ship when you are trying to make your way to your assignment. The baggage and the cargo were keeping Paul and the captives from getting to their destination.

19 And the third day we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. 20 And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away. Acts 27:19-20 (KJV)-They had lost all hope. They were going through hell and the storm was so bad, they couldn’t even see. All hope was taken away. God saves us to present us with a teaching moment.

21 But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. 22 And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship. Acts 27:21-22 (KJV)-Paul told the captors they should have taken heed to his warning. He had a word for them and they wouldn’t listen, but now they were in a position where they were forced to listen. Paul assured them that no life would be lost, but cautioned them that they would lose the ship. The thing that was holding them is not going to make it to their destination. Likewise, the thing that is holding us from our destiny is not going to make to the end. Your destiny though, has to be bigger than the ship or what you are using to get to your assignment. If you allow your destiny to be hindered to denomination, tradition, and other things, you are limiting what God can do in your life. Remember to trust God. If the ship goes down, your destiny will not.

23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, 24 Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Acts 27:23-25 (KJV)-Paul stated he was promised that God would be with him in his assignment. God sent an angel to remind him of the promise. No matter what would happen, Paul was promised that he would make it to his assignment. He was told that when he made it, the people with him would make it to. Remember when Paul and Silas made it, so did the others. The chains came off of all the prisoners at the same time. The safest place for you to be is with folk that are working in their assignment. Paul reminds them that they would not die there. They were going to be saved, because Paul was going to be saved.

26 Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. 27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; 28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. 29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. Acts 27:26-29 (KJV)-They couldn’t see the land for a long while. Finally when they did see land, they cast out the anchors so they would not hit the rock.

30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Acts 27:30-31 (KJV)-Paul told the officials that if they did not keep the prisoners with him, they would all die.

32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. 33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. 34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 35 And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Acts 27:32-35 (KJV)-Paul tells them the fast is over and for them to eat some meat, because they would need their strength for what was going to happen next.

39 And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. 40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. 41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. 42 And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. 43 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land: 44 And the rest, some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. Acts 27:39-44 (KJV)-They decided to take up the anchors. They fell into a place where two seas met. They already dealt with storm above, but now they are going to deal with a storm below. The captors wanted to kill the prisoners to keep them from escaping, but the centurion stopped them from killing them. Some prisoners dropped out, others swam, some floated on boards, but others got on broken pieces of ship trying to get to land.
It doesn’t matter how you get there, as long as you get there. You will get to your promise, because God made you a promise. Hold on and sail in to what God has promised you. God will give you a teaching moment. We are going to make it no matter what the economy is. We are going to make it, because God made us a promise. You have to stay in your kingdom assignment. He can’t exempt you from the storm, but God can keep his promise. He can’t promise what is carrying you there won’t be shattered, but you will get there. If you lost your home, the home might not be the house. The home might be you being inside the house. Some of you are spiritually strong enough to swim or surf in. The weak will grab on to what is left and come in. It doesn’t matter how you make it to the assignment, as long as you make it. All you need as a piece of hope to hang on to.

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How will your story end Part II, Sermon 06/15/09

Posted on June 16, 2009 by growintheword

How will your story end Part II
“How to get through”
Synopsis of sermon 06/15/09
Delivered by Bishop Walker
Text 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 2 Cor 4:8-10 (KJV)
God has given us the wardrobe of worship. One of the tricks of the enemy is to make you think you won’t come out of what you are in. When you are a child of God, no matter how bad an experience you have, you realize the hand of God is on your life. If God allows it, you have to know it has come to bless you. If God is in it, we know we will come out of it. If it hasn’t killed you yet, you must know that it must be there to bless you. How you go thru your dilemma has a direct effect on how you come out of it.
Throughout the word of God, we find people that experienced insurmountable situations, yet they made it out of them. This serves as evidence that God can bring us out of whatever situation we might find ourselves in. Know that you can get through this. You may have wounds and battle scars, but at end, you will thank God for the journey.
Paul continues to speak to the church at Corinth about their spiritual maturity. Paul kept telling this church that it was important how a Christian responds during their time of trouble. You have to make up in your mind that even though you may be going through difficult times, you will get through this.
I. Resolve to endure the trail
1. You can’t control what happens in your life. This is why we pray the prayer, Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. In this prayer, you are saying God is sovereign and that what God allows to happen must be for a reason.
2. There is a benefit for your pain. Paul says in verse 8 of the text : 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; In verse 10 he says 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. Simply put, this means the Christianity we proclaim ought to manifest in our life. Not so much when things are going well, but when the bottom falls out. Our relationship with Jesus ought to show even when our way seems rough.
3. When we are going through, our relationship with Jesus ought to show:
4. The benefit of the trial will produce character in us. Character is behavior on display. Many of us are what we are based off of what we have gone through. Sometimes God says he will live you in the trial because he wants to know what you will say you say, where you will stand, and will you continue to sow Will you whine or complain or represent him the way you are supposed. What will you say when you go thru your trial?
a. Where will you stand? Is there stability still in your life while you are going through what you are going through? Are you still speaking words that edify God?
b. Will you continue to sow? Will you still give of your money and of your time while you are going through? When our commitment is right, it is exposed in the midst of our trials.
5. Rather than looking like what we are going thru, we are supposed to look like what we are going to. We are not going to let the Devil see us with our head down. There are people around you every day that has been through all kind of hell, but you would never know because they don’t look like what they are going thru. Let the poor say I am rich and the sick say I am well.
14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day. 15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. 16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. 17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. 18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: 19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. Lam 3:14-24 (KJV)-Jeremiah wrote in this scripture that he was messed up and depressed in front of the other people. He says he was filled with bitterness and he felt like his life was over. He states he had forgotten the blessings that God had given to him. In verse 19, Jeremiah says he remembered what he went thru and all the misery he had encountered. In verse 20, he says though he remembered what he had gone through; he was humbled by the process. In verse 21, Jeremiah comes to his senses and says he remembered the Lord’s mercies which are new every day. Finally in verse 24, he realizes the Lord is his portion and therefore he had no choice but to believe in God. Remember, we have to always look like what we are believing God for. You have to resolve to endure the trial.
II. Revelation of escaping the tomb
1. The tomb represents confinement. You must understand the Christ you preach, must be made manifest in your life. You can’t be a Christian without Christ. When death works in us, it is so we can live. For example, when spiritual leaders go through all types of trials, it is so that others might live. They give us the benefit of what they have learned. This is like Jesus dying so that we might live. Not to put down other faiths, but in our Christian faith, we know our savior lives. If you would check the graves Muhammad and Buddha are still there. This makes our faith (Christianity) amazing. We serve a risen savior.
2. The same power that raised Jesus can raise us up. We as Christians then have no reason to quit. There are no quitters in the body of Christ, only in church. There is no theological frame work you can have for quitting. Some people use the scripture in the bible that says shake dust off your feet when times get hard. 14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Matt 10:14 (KJV)-This scripture only refers to if a person does not want to accept the word of God when you give it to them. It does not mean quit you have a license to quit. Ex-An example of this is when someone doesn’t get the solo in the choir and they try to say maybe it is time for their season to end. Why do we bring the Lord in our mess? Why don’t we just say that they made us mad and we don’t like them and we are quitting? All the teaching we have access to now days and all the things Jesus went through without quitting, who are we to say that we quit? We have the same power that raises Jesus from the dead. Therefore, we have to know that we can get through any dilemma that we may find ourselves in.
3. Paul reaffirms that the same power that raised Jesus up, will raise you up. 11 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 2 Cor 4:11 (KJV). When we come out, it is for the glory of God. God gets no glory if you quit. It is one thing to be persecuted, but another to be thrown away. Some people have been buried by people giving up on you. What they don’t realize is when they buried you, they triggered something in you. When they buried Christ, they put him in a borrowed tomb. Borrowing even implies that you will be giving it back. Even though some people may try to burry you, they will know when God brings out, because you will come out with Gods glory. Just like Jesus Christ, we will rise again from whatever has brought us down.
4. The same authority that raised Jesus up will raise you up. Be careful when you write people off. You never know who God has favored. There are some people reading this right now that are about to enter the best season of their lives.
III. Responsibility to explain your testimony
1. You can’t receive a testimony and not share it. Some people want a testimony without a test. Without the test, you only have the “mony”. 16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 2 Cor 4:16 (KJV) We faint not, because of the weariness of our outward man. When you ball your fist up or tell someone that they got one more time to do what they did to you, this is living in your flesh. It is a symptom of your outward man. People think because you love God, you cannot slip back into your flesh, but it does happen. One thing is for sure, you can’t just live in your flesh dealing with church folk.
2. People want to know why you haven’t gone off on somebody because of all you have gone through. It is because when the outward man gets tired, we rely in the inward man that is renewed every day as referenced in verse 16. Ex-Bishop explains that there is no way he can preach 4-5 sermons a Sunday, in his flesh. It is the inward man that makes it possible. If our inward man that sustain us.
3. The word is light. Verse 17 is the climax of our testimony. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 2 Cor 4:17 (KJV). The word is light, but seems heavy to us sometimes. It can seem heavy when you don’t know what is going to happen to your job or where you are going to find the money to pay your mortgage. Those who have gone through similar tragedies have a responsibility to go back and tell the ones that are currently in the same tragedy that the affliction is light. Once you make it to the other side and receive your blessings, you are able to look back at your tragedy and see that it was light. You must help others see that the burden they are going through is lighter than it seems.
4. Troubles don’t last always. Your situation has not come to stay. Be careful of hating on someone who is blessed, because you don’t know what they went through to get what they got. The blessings we receive cost something. We can’t have this glory, without a story. We have to go through it giving glory for the story. You don’t have a clue of what God is sitting you up for. The way your go through your trial, lets God know if he can trust you with your blessings.

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What a friend we have in Jesus Part I, Bible Study 06/10/09

Posted on June 12, 2009 by growintheword

What a friend I have in Jesus Part I
Synopsis of Bible Study 06/10/09
Delivered by Bishop Walker III

It is important not to become lukewarm in our relationship with Jesus Christ. There is a term called Christocentric which deals with having as the theological focal point the teachings and practices of Jesus Christ. In other words, it is saying that Christ is the center in all we do. The Church is an example of something that is christocentric. Which means the church should be focused on God. Because the world has shifted so much in what it allows, we have moved further and further away from God and as a result Christ is not the center focal point of the church anymore. We have moved away from the fire we had when we first met the Lord. The question is how do we get back to that place? There used to be a time that people would get excited just at the mention of his name (Jesus). Now you got to tell people what God is going to do for you, just to spark the same excitement. It is important to focus on the friend we have in Jesus. When you reconnect with God, you will understand what a friend you have in him
I. Life now
1. Paul shares with the church at Philippi how he was content whether he was on this side of glory or the other. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Phil 1:21 (KJV). Paul reminds them that if he lived he would be ok because God had his back. If he died, he would be ok because he would be in the presence of the Lord. Christ is the model after which Paul lived his life.
2. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on our faith. 10 As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, Phil 3:9b-10 (NLT) -Paul was in pursuit of knowing what it was like being in relationship with Christ. Now that Paul knows for himself how good God is, he says it doesn’t matter what problems he may encounter, because he has Christ in his life. There is no life greater than knowing Jesus got up on that Sunday morning. When we are in relationship with God, we realize that if Jesus can get out of tomb and defeat death, he can get us out of anything you and I could ever be in. Paul recognizes even if his life is taken, he gains something on the other side. For him, to die is gain.
3. Jesus came to give us life. 10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10 (KJV) -On this side of life, we are supposed to have joy and peace in our relationship with him. Jesus came that we might have abundant life. On the other side, we are alright too, because on the other side, we gain eternal life.
4. The validation of your relationship with Christ is based on what you have put away. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 2 Cor 5:17 (KJV) -The validation of your relationship with Christ is based on what you have put away. There ought to be a big difference between what you are now and what you were, because of what you put away. Ex- Why don’t you curse anymore? Because I put those old things away. Why don’t you drink anymore? Because I put those old things away. When you put old things away, you have a new look, a new walk, and a new talk.
5. Jesus brought you back to life. 1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Eph 2:1 (KJV) – When you accept that you were dead in your trespasses, you realize that Jesus brought you back from the dead. Life is the thing most of us take for granted. We think we are owed life, but we really don’t have the right expect it, nor do we deserve life (because of how we live). Instead of complaining about how hard life is we ought to pause and say wait, “At least we are alive to know that life is hard. We ought to rejoice in the fact that we are alive. If it wasn’t for the grace of God, you wouldn’t have what you have. There is somebody that would like to trade places with you right now, while you are complaining about your life. All you got to do is go to the nursing home or a homeless shelter to confirm this. There are some people that get up every morning and thank God that something ain’t hurting on them this morning on them this morning. For every person that does this, there is an older person that gets up every morning and thanks God that nothing new is hurting!
II. Pardon
1. A president has the right to pardon people that have been convicted at the end of their term. We have been pardoned by our relationship with Jesus. To accept a pardon, is to accept we have been convicted which means we were guilty of our sin. God pardoned us. No one gets a pardon that hasn’t been convicted.
2. We are all sinners. 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: Romans 3:10 (KJV) -There are none of us who are righteous. We have all fallen short. 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23 (KJV)-Because we have sinned, we have all fallen short. For sum of us, it was just a few days ago that we sinned. For others, it was just a few hours ago. For a lot more, it was just a few minutes ago.
3. Prophetic Messianic Influence-6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:5-6 (KJV)-There are lots of Old Testament scriptures that have prophetic messianic influence. The province of the Old Testament using prophetic messianic influence implied that the Christ would come 1000 yrs before he actually came. “Him” highlighted in the Isaiah scripture is an example of prophetic messianic influence. “Him” used in the scripture implied that the messiah would come. It implied that when he would come, our inequities would be put on him (Jesus). Sheep referred to in the scripture are just rebellious (the sheep represents us). Without a shepherd, sheep could not make it. They have a tendency to stray away. To understand how good a friend you have in Jesus, it is important to put in perspective relationship of sheep and a shepherd. Ex-Remember the father that had two sons and one went away, rejoices over the son over the lost son when he comes home. Remember the good shepherd that left his 99 sheep in search of the one lost one. Just like this, Jesus cares for you so much that he will live others to come and find you when you are lost.
4. How does God get us back in line? 4 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. Psalms 23:4 (KJV) – -the rod of the shepherd was striaght up and straight down. It was used for correction. Just like the rod of the shepherd’s staff, there is no swaying in the word. It is straight up and straight down and is used for correction. It whips you back in line.
5. God can pull you back in. The Shepherd’s staff had a curve at the top of it. The shepherd would use it to pull the sheep back in line with the herd. He put it around the sheep’s neck and pulled them back into the herd when they strayed away. If you think about it, Jesus works the same way. That is what you felt when you were dropping it like it was hot in the club and that small voice inside you told you that you know that you did not belong there. God used the curve in his staff (or the word of God inside you) to try and pull you back in. Jesus loves us so much; he will not just leave us out there so harm would come to us.
III. Sin must become real to us
1. How do we get out of our sin? 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Romans 7:24 (KJV) –We messed up, how will we get out? The issue is we have to recognize, because of sin, we are in a mess. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 (KJV) -Just because we got saved and we have friend in Jesus, doesn’t exempt us from working out our salvation. We yet war with our inward man. We need to put in perspective how did we get reconciled back to God. Sin separates us from God. Sin always separates us from God. God sent one prophet after another, until he finally sent Jesus. If you walk in the light, you are cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. There can be no reconciliation with God, without the shedding of blood.
2. We have been redeemed. . 7 He is so rich in kindness that he purchased our freedom through the blood of his Son, and our sins are forgiven. Eph 1:6-7 (NLT) we have been saved or rescued by the blood of Jesus. Soteriology [suh-teer-ee-ol-uh-jee] is the study of salvation. We could not save ourselves, so we looked to God to save us.
3. There can be no separation from faith and healing. They work simultaneously. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:5 (KJV) What God did for Christ happened at the same time he was being crucified (the action that healed us). Healing is to prevent disease. When something is not at ease, healing is to say I can pin point what is not at ease and put it in its proper place.
4. Jesus was wounded for our transgressions. Ex-When a sign says “don’t trespass”, we do it anyway. In other words we are out of position or where we are not supposed to be. Jesus was wounded because we were out of position.
5. He was bruised for our iniquities. What are iniquities? These are the things in us that we are prone to do and maybe haven’t done yet. It means we have a genetic tendency to do these things without developing them, for example generational curses.
6. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. The things that chastised our peace and kept us up all night, Jesus took upon himself.
7. By his strips we are healed. We have gotten so far away from by his stripes we are healed, it is scary. When the Passion (the movie) first came out, we got to a renewed compassion for what Jesus went through for us. We were not at ease and we realized that at Calvary, Jesus was healing us. There can be no atonement without the shed of blood. When you look at the bible and trauma Jesus suffered, you will realize that the beautiful paintings that we see of Jesus on the cross are not biblically accurate. The trauma and punishment that Jesus suffered would have caused his head to be swollen; his eyes would have been blood shot, and etc…The bible says he did not even look like a man. When they hit him, punched him, and kicked him, why would he allow this to happen? The Roman Empire was so traumatic; they tied Jesus to a stump and whipped him 39 times. You got to go back further than slavery to get the full understanding of this. They would lace the edge of the whip with hooks and blades. Every time they would pull the whip back, flesh would come off of Jesus’ body. They did this 39 times. Here is the son of the living God being whipped almost to death and by one word spoken by him, he could have killed his oppressor and been back at the right hand of his father instantly, but he didn’t for our sake.
8. Why would Jesus go through this? There could be no redemption without the shedding of blood. The more blood that came out of him, the more of us would be covered. What can wash away our sins, nothing but the blood Jesus? There is power in the blood so we have to get back to pleading God’s blood over our situations. Ex- Bishop explains that it is discouraging watching people that are too busy to come back to Church on Sunday afternoon for communion after Jesus did all he did for us. All he asked you to do is as often as we come (for communion) do this in remembrance of him, remembering the price that he paid. Nowhere in the scripture does he say remember me, except for when he was talking about the communion. Because we have turned communion into such a formality, we drink and eat without any thought of what we are doing or why we are doing it. Remember, there can be no redemption without the blood. This will not really hit home to you, until you have reconnected with him. Only when you contrast your messed up life, to what Jesus paid for your life, will you refuse to allow anything to keep you from remembering what Jesus did for you.
9. What did Jesus do?
a. He imputed righteousness on us. He made us right thru his blood. Ex-You tell a child to make up their room, it will be wrong though it is the best they can do, but you will go behind them and make it right. This is what Jesus did. The Devil tries to say we are trying, yet we are not quite righteous, but Jesus comes back behind us and makes us right.
b. You got to recognize the power with having peace with God. 1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Romans 5:1 (KJV) -we are acquitted from our sins by faith 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1 (KJV)- the is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus Christ.
c. We have power. We have the power to overcome bad habits. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil 4:12-13 (KJV)
d. We have power to change. 17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Eph 4:17 (KJV) -Can you imagine what you were like before you came to Jesus? Do you remember how hard headed and stubborn you were? If you look just a few years back, you can’t believe you were like that. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2 (KJV) -You have to understand power changes your mind. Ex-Explains this generation wants you to challenge their mind and heal their hearts. If you can get a person to change their mind, that is a powerful thing. When a person changes their mind, they have acknowledged that they were wrong.
e. We have the Power of provision. We have everything we need in our relationship in him. We have to quit allowing people to do for us, what he has already done for us. When you look at Psalms 23:1, a preacher can preach on this scripture every Sunday all year long and get a different revelation every time. 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Psalms 23:1 (KJV) What they will do is preach the word and the spaces in between the words. For example: Psalms is written by David. Where is David? He is running for his life. Saul is trying to kill him. He is writing under pressure. “The Lord” written in the scripture is another sermon. David was living in polytheistic society which means they believed in serving more than one god. David says the Lord is over any hostile situation we can be in. The word “Is” is another sermon. The scripture says the Lord isn’t was, nor shall be, but is our shepherd. In other words, who will pay the bill? The Lord is. Who will fight our battle? The Lord is. “My” is another sermon. My problems are all God’s. The word “shepherd” is another sermon. Like the sheep, everything I need is in the Lord or our shepherd. “l shall not want”, is another sermon meaning completion. In this scripture are many sermons of encouragement.
10. Stop tripping over your life. 25 “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Matt 6:25 (NLT)
11. Look at the birds the next time you go outside. They don’t work, tithe or anything else, yet God takes care of them. 26 Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Matt 6:26 (NLT)
12. Who can look in the mirror and say they want to be 2 feet taller and it happens? Accept what you can’t change. 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not. Matt 6:27 (NLT)
13. Lilies don’t toil or anything thing, yet God takes care of them.28 “And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. Matt 6:28-29 (NLT). They know God has them.
14. We are God finest creation and we try to figure out how god will take care of us. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith! Matt 6:30 (NLT)
15. We worry about things, but God already knows what we need before we ask. 31 “So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. 32 Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, Matt 6:31-32 (NLT)
16. We have to seek Gods way of doing things first. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt 6:32-33 (KJV) keep doing it God’s way and he will provide you with what you need. 19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:19 (NLT)

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