Sunday, June 7, 2020
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Sunday, May 31, 2020
Pentecost Sunday
Today is Pentecost Sunday.
By Pastor Frank Wyatt
Just prior to Jesus’ ascension into heaven, He gave the disciples a mission unlike anything they could ever have imagined. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you..” (Matthew 28:19-20)
These were not men with great learning, wealth, power or influence. NO...God was calling everyday working people to reach the entire world with the Gospel.
How could they possibly do it? Just seven fishermen, a tax collector, one member of a radical Jewish group, and two more plus a handful of followers were given the mission of reaching the world for Jesus.
But, God had more to say. Luke adds the word that would meet the need of their weakness, inability, and lack of resources. Jesus said it, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; BUT tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24)
Jesus not only commissioned them with a task, BUT assured them of all the power and resources they would need. In Acts 1:8, He spoke again “...you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.”
The Greek word translated “power” in both passages is “dunamis” from which we get the word dynamite. To the Jew, it meant strength and power that radiated from the majesty, splendor and glory of God. It was tied to the power that emanated from the ark of the Covenant, like the cloud of glory that surrounded the presence of God. Dunamis also means the power to perform miracles, moral power and the power that leads to limitless resources. Everything the Church would need.
So the disciples went to Jerusalem and waited in the Upper Room. Pentecost came and the power that Jesus had spoken of was poured out on the people in that room. Everything changed. The Church was born and the Gospel of Jesus exploded across the city and everyone there heard it and understood it in their own language.
But God had more! At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came and instead of coming “upon” men and women momentarily as He had in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit filled them and dwelt in them and empowered them.
NO LONGER was the message for Jews only, but all men from every nation, every culture, every time. NO LONGER priests only, but now the Spirit of God was poured out to fill and dwell in all flesh, men, women and children, young and old, rich and poor, educated and uneducated. No one was excluded.
AND AS IT WAS IN JERUSALEM, SO IT IS TODAY! Nothing has changed and it will not change until the Second Coming of Christ. The power of the Holy Spirit is the key to the Church completing the commission given by Jesus. The Church CANNOT be the Church Jesus intended without the abiding, empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. And any group that would diminish, ignore or quench the active ministry of the Holy Spirit might be filled with good, loving, caring people BUT is totally foreign to the New Testament’s concept of the Church and the Kingdom of God on earth.
BOTTOM LINE...we can have our hearts broken on a regular basis when we see our sin before God and we can come to the altar and “re-dedicate” our lives to God every Sunday, YET we will not be able to live lives of victory over the world, the flesh and the devil without experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit. WE will NEVER overcome the flesh, except by the power of the Holy Spirit.
PENTECOST was and is a powerful testimony to the transforming power of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This same Holy Spirit is the only hope for the world today. The problems of this world will not be met by Church councils and committees, human kindness and social activism or political legislation alone. The demonic powers that are consuming our society will not be overcome by anything short of the power of the Holy Spirit.
We have been given a mission and that mission will be successful only through the power of the mission giver, Jesus Christ AND it will only be successful when we receive, embrace and walk out the full “Jesus”experience of Acts 1:8 in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Have you ever wondered who you are?
LIVELY STONES
Here is a picture of sand magnified many times using a high powered microscope.
All pictures are granted permission to use by Dr. Gary Greenberg www.sandgrains.com
Beachwalk
Without fail, the sound of waves and seagulls minister a deep peace to my soul. The colorful tritones of turquoises and blues in the water are like embracing an old friend. Listen, can you hear the waves? Can you smell the salty spray? Have you ever looked closely at the sand and noticed how they sparkle in the sun?
Who are you, O Child of God? Why, you are Lively Stones that are all cut, formed and shaped to the perfection of Christ. You have many designs, colors and textures and you have been selected to shine for my glory!
All those tiny grains of sand came from the north flowing through various kinds of mountains, rivers and sifting through creeks, waterfalls and finally into the ocean. Once there, the fish continue designing each and every stone. Not one stone appears to be alike.
“That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;” Genesis 22:17 kjv
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs to the promise.”
Galatians 3:26-29 kjv
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
“As you come to Him, The Living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to Him you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:
See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.
Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and
A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1Peter 2:4-10 niv
Who am I? You ask.
Indeed, you are called many things. You are called The People of God, Lively Stones, The Children of God, You are a Temple built without hands, The Church without bricks, The Bride of Christ, Ambassadors of Christ, Chosen, Spiritual Heirs, Gentiles converted, Sons of God, Family of God, Sons of light, Children of the day, God’s Sheep, Adopted, Heirs to the Kingdom, The Body of Christ, The Bride of Christ, Saints, Believers, The Redeemed and we are Believers called Christians.
There are many other titles. We are salt and light! We were once the children, not yet born so that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of Him that calls us. Ro. 9:11
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
We pray:
Heavenly Father,
We give thanks for each Living Stone that continues to build your Temple within themselves and together. We give thanks for your Holy Spirit that resides in each of us. We give thanks that you have fashioned each one of us differently and you have given us the freedom to be who you have called us to be, in your flock; for you have made us, for your glory. We strive to bring you glory and be your good pleasure. We ask that you would give those who are searching for your truth, the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of your Son Jesus. We ask that their eyes would be enlightened and that they would know what the hope of His calling and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, And what the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe. We know this is according to the working of His mighty power. For we know O Father when Christ was raised from the dead, You set Him at your right hand in heavenly places. We know this is far from all principality and power, and might, dominion, and that every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come, for he has put all things under his feet, and gave Jesus to be the head over all things to the church. Thank you for our Savior Jesus, the Cornerstone of our Temple. Thank you for your never ending mercies and love. Thank you for designing us to be your living stones. Thank you for Your precious Holy Spirit who teaches and watches over us day and night. In Your Son Jesus we pray. Amen.
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