PASTOR'S WEEKLY BLOG

THE COVENANT

Hebrews 8:6 “But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.”

According to our text here we as believers are under a better covenant. Now we know that the writer of Hebrews is comparing the covenant of old with the new covenant ratified by the blood of Jesus. He calls this new covenant ‘better with better promises.’ Now what we want to see here is this better covenant that we enter when we are born again is strong. No matter what, this covenant does not need strengthening. But it does need strengthening ‘within us’. Let me explain; let’s just say that I put a twenty dollar bill in the back of my wallet. If I need money but forget the twenty is in my wallet, then I cannot use it. Just because you possess something does not automatically mean you use it. The twenty dollar bill has not lost its strength to purchase, but it has lost its strength in me because I didn’t use it. Our covenant which was signed by Jesus and his blood is strong and durable and present. But I must use it for it to be strong in me. The Lord does not heal you simply because you have a covenant; He heals you because he loves you. The covenant he has with you gives him the right to heal you, but his love motivates him. I love my wife! I don’t love her because I am married to her, I married her because I love her, and love came first! Marriage is a covenant and we entered into the covenant of marriage because we love each other.

The covenant that you have with God is no different. He cut covenant with you because He loves you. That means that the blood covenant is based on love and motivated by love. Everything God does for you He does because He loves you. He heals, saves, prospers, and protects you simply because He loves you.

The full blessing of the covenant of marriage was not open to me and my wife until we entered into the covenant of marriage. That does not mean that we did not love each other before we were married. It simply means we could not legally and morally enjoy marriage until we were actually married. God loves each person on the earth. That love is enduring and strong, yet he cannot legally and morally have an intimate relationship with any human until the time they are in covenant with him. Of course we enter covenant with him by receiving Jesus as our lord and savior.

We are not changing anything here, nor are we adding to or taking away from the covenant of God. God’s covenant needs no help; it is full, good, perfect and effective. What we are doing here is simply showing you that this perfect covenant is based on love. John 3:16, “for God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son.” That love that he showed on the cross is for every man, yet every man must enter into the covenant with God in order to enjoy the benefits of that love. What this all means is that the covenant of God gives you full access to all the benefits of the Kingdom of God. This wonderful covenant gives you the legal and moral right to intimate fellowship with God.

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08/04/2012

DOING GOOD!

We are nearing the end of our construction project which has stretched our faith and patience. We have been meeting in the confined space of our fellowship hall which has been a unique experience!

Galatians 6:9 NIV tells us, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

This project has definitely presented us with the perfect opportunity to become weary in well doing. However, we have purposed in our heart to not draw back, and not to become overwhelmed. Anything is possible with God and He cares about what affects you, even construction projects! Have you been overwhelmed by the things of life, or have you been worried over events that seem impossible? I urge you to put your trust in God and not give up! You will reap in due season if you will hang in there and not faint. We all walk through events in life that require extended diligence and patience, but the end result is worth the effort. So set your heart and mind to go the distance. Determine to see things through to the end. Remain faithful, true, and diligent and reap the reward of your “doing good”!!!

Pastor Tim

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July 27, 2012

DRAWING NIGH TO GOD

The Lord has been drawing us lately into himself. James 4:8 says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

Notice the phrase 'draw nigh', this may be a little foreign to our present day vernacular. This means to come near, to approach, to join one thing to another. What the Word of God is saying to us is that God wants us to take a step in coming near to Him, which provokes response from Him! You must understand that God loves you and wants a one on one relationship with you! I believe the Church historically has done a poor job of teaching people who they are in Christ. I have observed through the years that many Christians do not even know that God is approachable.

Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Notice God is instructing us to come boldly, not cowardly, or awkwardly, but boldly! 2 Corinthians 5:18 tells us that God reconciled us to Himself!

What I'm trying to get over to you is that God desires a deep intimate relationship with you His creation. Our text James 4:8 also speaks of clean hands and pure hearts. This has to do with sin, which Jesus took away for us on the cross. He is speaking of having a penitent humble spirit about us when we come before Him! He reconciled us to Himself so He could be in close fellowship with us. Anyone who draws close to God on a regular basis will tell you that there are just some things you cannot receive anywhere else other than the face to face presence of God. I exhort you to purposefully come into the presence of God, let Him talk to you face to face and tell you what is on His heart.

Pastor Tim

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July 27, 2012

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE!

I want to encourage you to remain diligent and don’t give up. The times in the world are desperate and they need to see a Church that is willing to stand up during difficult times and have answers.

I am a Thomas Kincaid fan, I especially like the painting of a small church covered with snow. What strikes me about this painting is the glow of the light coming from the windows of this small church. I like to think this is a visual of the church in the spiritual realm. While the world may be cold and bitter, a soft warm glow emanates from the church and invites all who will to enter. But we must remain diligent; we cannot allow the distractions of life to deter us from the mission at hand. We must be the salt and light we have been called to be.

Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV) says, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

There are many ways the church can let our light shine. The best way to eliminate darkness is to produce light. Think with me, even though you have a single candle lit in a large dark room, all the darkness in that room cannot snuff out that small powerful flame. Many Christians are down and out because they cannot be a blowtorch when God is possibly calling them to be a flame on a candle. If we will all do our part, the kingdom of God will make a mark in the world that darkness and evil cannot erase. You don’t know what kind of impact you have until you get out there and let your light shine. So don’t become distracted, the world needs us to be light and life. The world needs people with answers, and let’s face it, we have the answer and his name is Jesus Christ.

Pastor Tim

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June 8, 2012

Where Our Faith Should Be Located

Mark 11:22-26

“And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, what things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Notice with me here that the subject of this passage is where our faith should be located? Of course the answer is found in verse 23, ‘and shall not doubt in his heart.’ Our faith must be in our heart. Notice verse 22 says ‘have faith in God’; if you study this phrase, it actually says to have the God kind of faith. Now this simply is a definition of real faith or Bible faith.

Real faith is believing the Word of God and speaking it from your heart right out through your mouth. In John 20, Thomas would not believe unless he touched and saw the Lord for himself. Jesus answered Thomas and said, “You believe because you have seen me”. Then He said, “Blessed are those that have not seen and yet believed”. Listen, real faith is not seeing but believing.

I was reading a person’s blog and he stated that if he can’t see it, touch it, or taste it, he will not believe. This sounds just like Thomas, his faith is in his head and not in his heart. Jesus did not ask us to perform the impossible, He just asked us to believe He can and will do the impossible on our behalf. So to answer the question of our text, our faith must be located in our heart and not our head.

Pastor Tim

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May 24, 2012

SETTING THE ATMOSPHERE

I recently had the privilege of opening a meeting with prayer. I perceived the goal of the Lord was to set the atmosphere. What God wanted was to impart wisdom into the individuals there, so I prayed the Ephesians 1:16-23 prayer. “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strengthHe exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way. (NIV)

Notice with me here that Paul is asking God the Father to do something for the church at Ephesus. This prayer can set the atmosphere in the church. The atmosphere is very important in a church service. If the spiritual atmosphere is just left to chance, you can experience a multitude of interruptions and distractions. If someone is dealing with life circumstances that are distracting then a clean pure atmosphere helps them to come before God and hear from Him clearly.

What if we prayed the Ephesians prayer over our own selves? What if we set the atmosphere to receive the spirit of wisdom in the knowledge of Him every day? We can have confidence that we receive from Him what we ask for as long as we ask according to His will. The Word of God is His will to us; therefore we can pray the word over us like Paul did for Ephesus!

Stick with The Word and it will stick with you. So from now on, don’t pray just any ‘ole thing. Pray The Word of God and watch it come to pass in your life.

Pastor Tim

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May 19, 2012

WALK BY FAITH

What do we mean when we use the term ‘walk by faith’? The best definition I have found for faith is acting on what you believe.

When we use the word walk we are simply speaking of the manner of life, so we walk by faith or our manner of life is faith. The Bible tells us that the just shall live by faith. Also Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. When we say we believe God we are simply acting on His word like it is true. Let’s face it; we are going to live according to whatever we actually believe the truth is. If you believe that you are destined to be sick and broke all your life then you will act sick and broke. When sickness or poverty come, then you will yield to them and just think it is your lot in life to live like that. But if you believe that you have been redeemed from poverty, sickness, and spiritual death, then you will be strong in faith and stand against those things.

In the first century church their lives were marked by signs and wonders. They walked in faith and expected great and mighty things to happen. Many today make excuses why those kinds of things don’t happen in church but there is really no excuse. We must get our Bible off the page and into our heart. We must act on what the Word of God says is ours. We must act on what the Word of God says we can do.

Listen, God has made us overcomers by the precious blood of the Lamb. He does not do miracles because of how powerful and pious we are. He does miracles because He honors the blood sacrifice His son made on the cross. If God honors the precious blood of Jesus then we too should give it honor. For us to claim that certain sickness belongs to us or God uses it to make us humble, means that we are dishonoring the blood of Christ. His blood was shed for our redemption. Salvation, cleansing, healing, provision, peace, and strength were all provided in redemption. I personally don’t think that sickness honors God. I know that there are many out there that will argue with me and hold on to their sickness like a badge of courage. But I still cannot find any shred of evidence in the Word of God where God thought sickness was a good idea. I can however, find where healing and strength gave honor to God and signs and wonders pointed people to God. So let’s get scriptural about it and walk by faith and not by sight.

Pastor Tim

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May 12, 2012

WALKING IN LOVE

Don’t think it strange if you have had to exercise your faith to walk in love with someone. Simply put, our love walk is being tested.

Romans 5:5 tells us that the “love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.” This means that the love of God is already in our hearts and we need to use it in order to walk in love.

Our faith will not work without love. Galatians 5:6 tells us that “faith works by love.” This love will be tested in our walk with our family, friends, employers and employees. We want our faith to work so we must walk in love. Now walking in love does not mean you have to agree with the other person. Walking in love does not mean you have to be all warm and fuzzy, feely, and emotional. Walking in love is simply a decision to do so. I believe the Church has faced this test many times over the past years and mostly failed at it. Just look around, most folk hate going to church because they hate the ones they go to church with. Listen, we are bigger than that. We at A.B.C. have made a purposeful decision to walk in love. We can be bigger than hate and malice; we can be bigger than the world. Whether you attend A.B.C. or another church, love will cover a multitude of problems. Love is not necessarily a church doctrine or creed, love what God is. Love is His character; His love is what brought us redemption. No matter what denominational camp you belong to, no matter what doctrines you adore, everything we do must be founded on love.

If we have not love we have accomplished nothing. Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Could they be facing something you are not aware of? Could they be responsible for something that has taken their attention? How would you respond if you were in their position, and dealing with what they are facing? Ask yourself these questions, be observant, be patient, most of the things we hold against people are simply misunderstandings. We possibly would have done the same thing if faced with the exact same set of circumstances. What I am trying to say here is give yourself a break, and in doing so, give those around you a break. We wear our feelings on our shoulder, we stay raw too much. Let’s take a breather, and give each other some space. Whether at home or work or Wal-Mart, let’s determine within ourselves to walk in love. The more aware of love the more apt we are to pass the love test!

Pastor Tim

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April 27, 2012

MORE THAN A CONQUEROR

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Romans 8:35-37 (NIV)

I was in a conversation with a friend and the subject of conquerors came up. We began to discuss how someone can be “more than a conqueror”. Immediately my mind turned to David and Goliath. The giant was much bigger, stronger, and fierce than David. Of course you all know the story. David ran out to meet the belligerent warrior, armed only with a sling and a few smooth stones. He put a stone in his sling and with the aim of an accomplished marksman, hit the giant in the forehead. He then ran over to Goliath, removed the dead giant’s sword from his belt, and cut off his head. With this single act of courage, Israel pursued the philistines and overtook them. David not only was a conqueror of the giant, he was more than a conqueror. Conqueror here in our text simply means to gain a surpassing victory. The victory Israel had that day surpassed anything they had ever seen. A young shepherd boy defeats a giant and secures himself a place as a legend.

Jesus defeated Satan, and the Bible says He made a show of him openly. Colossians 2:15; [And] having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. This is talking about the victory Jesus won through His cross. Jesus is more than a conqueror; He gained a surpassing victory when He arose victorious on the third day. Because He is more than a conqueror, we are more than conquerors through Him. So the next time you are tempted to have a bad day, or tempted to get into fear and doubt. Remember that because of Jesus you have been made more than a conqueror. Don’t let anything defeat you, no matter how big it may be.

Pastor Tim

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April 19, 2012

FAINT NOT!

In the past few weeks I have found myself extremely busy. It’s during these times when we find out what we are good at, and what needs a little work. The Word of God says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Galatians 6:9)

Paul also admonishes us to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (2 Timothy 2:3) The Greek word here for the phrase, endure hardness, is transliterated as kakopatheo; this word means to suffer (endure) evils (hardships, troubles). Now I am not advocating that you run out and look for hardship. But all of us have things we have to resist and stand up to in our lives. Now listen to the definition of the word weary in Galatians 6:9, to be utterly spiritless, to be wearied out, and exhausted. Now, Paul is writing to the churches in the region of Galatia. They have come under some heavy persecution from some of the Jews because they want them back under the law. Paul, on the other hand, is admonishing them to remain under grace and stay away from the law. He is encouraging them to not be spiritless, wearied out and exhausted, in their stand in grace. Yes, it is true; we do have the potential to be weary even while doing good. Well, what does this all mean? Something the prophet Isaiah said is applicable here. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:29-31 NIV)

You will be amazed at how much strength, peace, wisdom, direction, and joy you will receive if you will just take the time to get before the Lord and worship Him. I’m not talking about hours and hours of intense worship. Just come before the Lord and simply worship Him for who He is and what He has done. It’s not some big exercise in theology it is simply loving on Him. So, if you have found yourself very busy and ‘burning the candle at both ends’, then get alone with God. Try it! It will change your life!

Pastor Tim

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April 5, 2012

THE NAPKIN

We are in the middle of Easter week. Easter brings many thoughts across our mind; eggs, pastel colors, azaleas in full bloom, and the smell of spring in the air. But we as believers in Jesus Christ also have the empty tomb on our heart and mind. The empty tomb, though silent, speaks volumes. He is not here; He has risen just as He said He would! John’s gospel says that when Peter and John got to the tomb, they looked in and saw the linen clothes lying; yet, they went not in. Then Peter went in, saw the napkin which was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

I read a commentary from a scholar who knows much about Jewish tradition. She said the custom was, if you are invited to someone’s home for dinner and the food was good, the conversation was uplifting and you were well treated; when the guest finished his meal, he would crumple his napkin in his hands and throw it down in the middle of his plate. This signified to the host that he was well pleased with the evening and would like an invite to do it again. On the other hand, if the food was not good, the conversation unpleasant and he did not necessarily enjoy himself, he would fold the napkin and lay it aside by itself. This signified he did not have a pleasant time and he would not come this way again.

Now back to our text, Peter walked in and saw the napkin that was on Jesus’ head, wrapped, rolled or folded in a place by itself. This spoke volumes to a Jew, he said through this simple napkin, “I was not well treated; I will never come this way again”. Jesus paid the price for our redemption; He did it once, never to do it again. He paid the price once and for all, for all men, for all eternity. He is the only way to redemption because He is the only one who paid the price. There is no other way to get to God, Jesus is the only way. He paid the price with His own flesh and His own blood. There is no reason for you not to receive Him now as your Savior.

What are you waiting for? Jesus has already done the hard stuff, all you have to do is to receive what He did for you and walk away free from sin and the curse it brings. All you have to do is speak to Jesus.

Say, “Jesus, I repent of my sin, I turn my back on the

kingdom of darkness and I receive you as my Lord and

Savior. Come into my heart now and be my Lord. I

receive what you did for me on the cross. I believe you

rose from the dead and walked out of the tomb. I ask

you to make me alive with your resurrection power”.

My friend if you prayed that prayer and meant it, then let us know. You can contact us via the website, by emailing us or give us a call at 334-222-3072 and let us know what Jesus did for you. Happy Easter to each of you!

Pastor Tim

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April 1, 2012

ARE YOU A PROFESSIONAL OR AN AMATEUR?

I receive an online daily devotional by Pastor Rick Renner. This devotional is called Sparkling Gems from the Greek. Several in our Church also receive this wonderful daily dose from Bro. Renner. This one is so good I wanted to share it in my blog.

In 2 Timothy 2:5 Paul wrote to Timothy about the attitude that is essential to survive difficult times. Although Paul was making a statement, he was also asking a very pointed question. He said, "And if a man also strives for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully."

The word "strive" is the Greek word athlesis, which always describes athletic activities or sporting events. It also notably depicted professional athletes. As time passed, it expressed the idea of any event in life that demands one's labor or sweat and tears. It indicated exertion, effort, and commitment. It could refer to either physical exertion or mental exertion.

Just as in our world today, there were both amateur and professional athletes at the time Paul wrote this letter. If someone was an amateur, he wasn't a serious contender and would not participate in the harshest competitions. However, if he was a professional athlete, he was so committed that he was ready to compete, no matter how intense the opposition or how difficult the circumstances. This is the idea Paul is conveying when he used the word athlesis in this verse.

Paul was in essence asking:

Are you an amateur who serves the Lord just for fun?

Have you committed yourself to go all the way to the end, regardless of the fight?

Are you serving the Lord only because it's popular and enjoyable for the moment?

Are you a professional that is willing to pay any price, undergo any kind of hardship, bear up under any pressure, and endure it all until you come out the winner?

Are you really committed?

If you're not committed, you'll never make it to the end. But if you do, Paul says there is a "crown" waiting for you. That word "crown" is the word stephanos, and it refers to a victor's crown. In the ancient games, it was a wreath of leaves placed on the head of the winning athlete. As far as value goes, it wasn't worth anything - but what it represented was worth the struggle! An athlete who walked away with the victor's crown was honored for the rest of his life. The memory of his achievement would be etched into society, ensuring that he would never be overlooked or forgotten during the course of his life.

If you are a serious contender for doing the will of God - if you don't allow anything to stop you, no matter what challenges the devil and life may try to throw at you - you will walk away with the respect and honor of others at the end of the battle. They will see that the sincerity of your faith was genuine and proven, surviving the hard times. Yours wasn't a flawed faith that tucked its tail and ran in tough times. No, you stuck it out and showed who you really are! As a result, people will never forget that you stood true to your commitment!

Isn't it true that you remember and almost stand in awe of people:

Who stayed faithful to their friends, even through hard times?

Who kept their commitment to their spouse, even though their marriage was hurting?

Who remained faithful to their pastor in spite of the hard times in the church?

Who stuck by their principles and refused to bend to the pressures that came to them?

Let's face it - people who fit into these categories are pretty rare in today's world. But they are champions to the rest of us! They are examples of what we should try to become. Although they endured a lot to keep their commitments, as a result they stand as heroes to those who have observed their spiritual race. Their crown in this life is the special place of honor that has been etched in other people's minds because of their accomplishments. They proved to be professional believers - not just amateurs who were along for the ride until it cost them something!

What kind of believer are you today, friend?

Are you a professional, or are you an amateur?

You can receive Sparkling Gems from the Greek by Bro. Rick Renner simply by visiting their website at www.Renner.org or contacting their Tulsa, OK office at 918.496.3213

Pastor Tim

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March 21, 2012

WISDOM & UNDERSTANDING

Hello everyone, I have been thinking on wisdom; you know, wisdom is the principle thing.

Proverbs 4:7 says “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

Proverbs 9:10 says “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”

Think about this, the person who refuses to acknowledge God will find it impossible to get wisdom. The word fear in verse 9 means to revere or reverence. If someone refuses to acknowledge God, much less reverence Him, cannot even start where wisdom is concerned! No matter how many diplomas or degrees one may have, if they refuse to reverence God, then they will never know wisdom.

I wonder how many of us get up every morning and ask the Lord, which direction to take this day. We are always in such a hurry to get somewhere that I dare say we don’t even ask God about it. We don’t even give Him a chance to have input! I know that most of our life is a routine, but what if God wants to interrupt that routine, what if He wants us to redirect? What if He wants us to do it different just this one time? What if He says take another route? Are we open, and willing? I was listening to one of my favorite teachers minister along these lines of thought. He related this story. There are minister friends of his who were supposed to be on the beach the day the tsunami hit the islands. He was on the phone with his wife a few days after the event. She told him, “the family was all ready to go to the beach that day, we were all excited”, she said. And at the last minute the husband said, "we’re not going, I really don’t want to go!" She argued, "but we are all ready and excited", but he would not be persuaded! She yielded to her husband, and just a few moments later the tsunami hit the very beach where they would have been. There is no way he could have known, except he had a check in his heart about going, and his entire family was spared that day. If we take the time to get the wisdom of God inside us it could very well save our lives.

I want to encourage you to get into the book of wisdom, better known as Proverbs, and study it for yourselves. I know that if God were to come face to face with you to teach you wisdom, you would be excited and would pay attention! Well, He has done just that, He wrote it down and called it Proverbs. We have the Word of God, and the Spirit of God to instruct us. So, what to do? Get into the Word of God and ask the Holy Spirit to impart it to you. The fear and reverence of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom.

Pastor Tim

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FEAR NOT

1 John 4:4 states, “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world.” If you could see yourself spiritually, you would never fear anything ever again. Smith Wigglesworth said, “I am a thousand times bigger on the inside than I am on the outside.” We must get the vision of who we really are!

2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore if any man [be] in Christ, [he is] a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” We are new creatures; we have been given the same authority that Jesus has and have been made overcomers. We are positioned at the right hand of the Father with Christ and have been placed above every device of the enemy. When the prophet Isaiah penned “fear thou not” he didn’t mean that we would never encounter or even feel fear. What he meant was we don’t have to allow fear to direct us or make us take a false step!

Psalm 57:6 (NIV) says “…they dug a pit in my path-- but they have fallen into it themselves.” Now that’s funny, the devil and his crowd dug a pit and fell into it themselves! When we place our trust in God, and get His word down inside us, mix that word with faith, and then speak it out. Mountains move and the plans of the enemy are destroyed. Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers them out of them all.

I’m convinced that all power is available to those who are in Christ. I’m also convinced that who we really are seldom compares with who we think we are. We really are the righteousness of God in Christ, and we have much more going for us than we realize. Let’s get alone with God and let Him impart to us just exactly who He has made us to be. Then when fear rears its ugly head we will speak the Word of God to it and watch it flee as in terror!

Pastor Tim

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March 8, 2012

HEART FAITH vs. HEAD FAITH

Mrs. C. Nuzum said in her book, The Life of Faith “The head sees, understands, and counts things true, but only the heart can appropriate or lay hold of and cling to things that are Freely given to us of God. The head looks at the surroundings, difficulties, and hindrances. The heart looks at the thing desired and the promises of God and refuses to see the hindrances. It is the heart faith that laughs at impossibilities, and declares it shall be done. Head faith is strong when things are favorable, but the heart faith is just as strong when all the things are against it, because it rests on the Almighty God who rules over persons, powers, and things.”

Have you ever thought about the difference between heart faith and head faith? Heart faith will cause us to hang in there when our senses tell us to throw in the towel and quit. Heart faith will cause you to believe in God’s word when there is no outward evidence that things are working. Heart faith will cause you to receive everything from God that His word promises. Jesus has redeemed us by His blood and all things that pertain to life and godliness have already been given to you. God is not withholding any good thing from you. “Head faith grows weak and fails when the answer is delayed, heart faith says, I received when I prayed and the answer is as much mine now as it will be when I have it manifested.” We have to settle this faith thing once and for all. We are going to believe God and his word and receive from him all that he purchased for us; for we walk by faith and not by sight.

Pastor Tim

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February 29, 2012

ATONEMENT

Leviticus 23:28-29 (NIV) says; “Do not do any work on that day, because it is the Day of Atonement, when atonement is made for you before the LORD your God. Those who do not deny themselves on that day must be cut off from their people.” Now don’t turn your computer off, I’m not putting us back under the law. But there is something we need to see here. This passage is talking about the Day of Atonement. In the Old Testament atonement is used to denote that the sins of the people were covered for another year and God was appeased. It was law that anyone who did any work on that day was to be cut off from his people. Now, that sounds severe and even possibly cruel. But listen to what God is saying here. The Old Testament word is atonement, but the New Testament word is reconciliation.

Think with me, salvation is by grace through faith not of works lest any man should boast. If I approach salvation with any thought that I am going to do any sort of work to earn it then I am cut off from the Kingdom of God because my redemption does not come by anything I can do. The Old Testament is an image, a snapshot of what we now have in the New Testament. The elements of the law, spoke of the substance we now have under grace. The law was weak where grace is strong. You don’t have to do any work for God to be satisfied with you. You are not a hireling; God doesn’t want to see how much work he can get out of you. He is trying to get grace, love, and mercy into you. So what can I learn, as part of the New Testament Church, from an Old Testament scripture? The simple truth is that where atonement/reconciliation is concerned; there is no work to be done. Christ did it all. All that is left is for us to accept what he did and rest in it and don’t try to work it out.

Pastor Tim

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February 23, 2012

FAITH

As I am writing this blog, my mind is on Faith. Think about this, we put our faith in people and things every day and think nothing of it. We put our faith in a chair that it will hold us up when we sit in it. We put our faith in those around us that they will do what they say they will do. So why is it so hard to have faith in God? I believe that one reason is that we don’t know what He has said in His word that He will do if we trust Him. The Bible says for us to ‘have faith in God’. Where’s your faith anchored? What is your foundation? Do you trust in the banker or the doctor more than you trust God? I know that the world and much of the church has a very skewed view of God. Most people think that God will do for them only if He feels like it or if He thinks the situation warrants it. Well, that’s not the definition of trusting in God at all. God has already stated in His word, through countless great promises, what He will do if we trust Him. He stated, in Mark 11:23, that if we will speak to the mountain and not doubt in our heart then we will have what we say. Listen, we are going to have faith in something, so why not get into the Word of God and find out what He has said and then put our faith in that. If you trust people and put stock in what they say, shouldn’t you give God the same consideration?

Pastor Tim

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February 16, 2012

PAYDAY

Wow! This past week has flown by! It seems as if I were writing last week’s blog just yesterday! You know, life gets busy like that, but we still need to drop anchor each day and get into the Word of God. There is nothing that can take the place of opening up our Bible for ourselves and reading it. There is so much life and goodness and kindness in the Word of God, and just a few minutes a day can keep your spiritual tank full.

I personally like The One Year Bible by Tyndale Press. It has a daily passage from the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. Even though I study large quantities of material each week and prepare to preach and teach on a regular basis, I still struggle with what to do for my own personal daily reading. This particular bible help takes all the guess work out of it and I can turn to the appropriate date and just read. I’m so busy that I need it to be simple! But the more I hang around God, the more I discover that he has made things simple. All we have to do is get into His word, trust Him, and let Him direct our paths. He makes following Him simple and enjoyable. We are the ones who make it hard.

I know there are some out there that have put your trust in God and have not seen any sign of progress, but like Dad Hagin always said. “With God payday may not come every Saturday, but payday is coming". I want to encourage each of you to get into the Word of God daily, and hang in there with God. He will provide for you and He will see you through!

Pastor Tim

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February 16, 2012

PAYDAY

Pastor Tim

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February 10, 2012

TRUST IN THE LORD

Just a quick reminder that Luke 1:37 says “…for with God nothing shall be impossible.” There is nothing impossible with God. There is no river we cannot cross; there is no mountain we cannot move. Impossible situations are conquered when we trust God and put our faith in his word.

“For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.” Mark 11:23 [KJV]. Notice here that Jesus doesn’t say he will help you climb the mountain, nor does he say he will help you go around the mountain; He will stand behind you when you speak to it in faith and demand it to move. There is more to this faith that we have than just mere survival. We have been issued the measure of faith that is dynamic, powerful, and mighty. There is nothing weak or shortened about this faith we have received from God. If Jesus is your Lord then the faith you have is powerful enough to get the job done in your life.

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6 [KJV] When we look into God’s word and find a promise like we just read in Mark 11:23, and act on that promise, we are trusting in the Lord and leaning on His word and not our own understanding. Each of us have trying circumstances and situations we have to face, it’s simply a part of life. What we do and how we respond to those situations separate the faith folk from the whiners. So, what to do? Well, let’s put on the Word of God like a coat, bind it around our head like a helmet, get it into our heart as a seed, and speak what the Word of God says and quit speaking to things off the top of our head.

Remember, God loves you, I love you, and Jesus is Lord!

See you at 10:30 Sunday Morning!

Pastor Tim

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February 1, 2012

WHO WE ARE

Thank you for taking the time to visit our website. If you are looking for a church community to be a part of, we want you to consider us. If you already have a church then that is where you need to be; however, if you do not have a home church then come see us. We are not your typical denominational church; we are a non-denominational spirit filled church. Now the term non-denominational does not mean anti-denominational. It simply means that we are not affiliated with any mainstream denomination. We enjoy lively praise and worship, cutting edge Bible study, and application of the Bible into everyday life. We believe that God’s word is true and as current as tomorrow’s newspaper. We are a spirit filled church, we believe that on the day of Pentecost that the 120 persons in the upper room in Jerusalem were filled to overflowing when the Spirit came on them. Being spirit filled is not something you work up or work into, it is something that happens when you ask Jesus to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. We believe in the Pentecostal experience, but we are not necessarily a Pentecostal church.

For more information about what we believe and who we are and who we are affiliated with, just contact us. You can reach us at the number posted in our "Contact Us" section or send us an email. We will be glad to answer all your questions and maybe we will see you soon in one of our services.

Pastor Tim