To Be Christian Part 4

Self Image

Eph 5:1, 2
1Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;
2And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Our Self Image is a very important thing now a days but be careful about who you think you are. We need to understand who we are in Christ Jesus
Exodus 3

Usually when we get God's calling in our lives we like Moses become afraid of it and doubt it and we do not think we are good enough because usually to us that calling is much bigger then what we are. But God says you can do it with HIM.

God Says I am who I am because in the hebrew language you just could not pronounce HIS name.

God is willing to go the distance with us too if we let HIM.

We Wrestle with the fact that we will be used by God because of our self image. We must be careful that it's not based on ourselves but make sure that it is based on God for that's what it has to do with.

Phil 4:13
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

For Example
I can Change Any habit
I can practice Faith
I can start my day by saying I believe
I can choose to look at the positive instead of the negative.
I can Clean my home
I can Love those who do evil against me (like gossip)

And so on and so forth in fact you should make your own list of the things you know you can do through Christ. Because you can do all things.

The Word (bible) Says you have not because you ask not.
James 4:2
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

We can do all things in Christ regardless of our fear we need to ask, no matter how low you think you are or how you're feeling God Loves you and that will never change.

Eph 3:16-19
16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Self Image has very little to do with who you are in the flesh and everything to di with who you are in Christ.

God transforms you full of the spirit of God once you ask HIM into your heart.

We Are the temple of the Living God.

It's no Long I that liveth But
Christ that Liveth in Me

We as Christ followers must remember this fact.

Let Christ be in all of you all your actions and deeds all your life and words not just in your heart but in all of you.

Who we are is in Christ.

The challange this week is this

Don't put yourself down or think of who you are in the flesh but think of who you are in Christ.

Dancing 4 The Lord Collaboration

Thanks for those who took part in this wonderful collab for our group :)

Emergency Telephone Numbers!

Emergency Telephone Numbers
These are more effective than 911
When -
You are sad, phone John 14
You have sinned, phone Psalm 51
You are facing danger, phone Psalm 91
People have failed you, phone Psalm 27
It feels as though God is far from you, phone Psalm 139
Your faith needs stimulation, phone Hebrews 11
You are alone and scared, phone Psalm 23
You are worried, phone Matthew 8:19-34
You are hurt and critical, phone 1 Corinthians 13
You wonder about Christianity, phone 2 Corinthians 5:15-18
You feel like an outcast, phone Romans 8:31-39
You are seeking peace, phone Matthew 11:25-30
It feels as if the world is b igger than God, phone Psalm 90
You need Christ like insurance, phone Romans 8:1-30
You are leaving home for a trip , phone Psalm 121
You are praying for yourself, phone Psalm 87
You require courage for a task, phone Joshua 1
Inflation's and investments are hogging your thoughts, phone Mark 10:17-31
You are depressive, phone Psalm 27
Your bank account is empty, phone Psalm 37
You lose faith in mankind, phone 1 Corinthians 13
It looks like people are unfriendly, phone John 15
You are losing hope, phone Psalm 126
You feel the world is small comp ared to you, phone Psalm 19
You want to carry fruit, phone John 15
Paul's secret for happiness, phone Colossians 3:12-17
With big opportunity/ discovery, phone Isaiah 55
To get along with other people, phone Romans 12
ALTERNATE NUMBERS
For dealing with fear, call Psalm 47
For security, call Psalm 121:3
For assurance, call Mark 8:35
For reassurance, call Psalm 145:18
ALL THESE NUMBERS MAY BE PHONED DIRECTLY.
NO OPERATOR ASSISTANCE IS NECESSARY.
ALL LINES TO HEAVEN ARE AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY.
FEED YOUR FAITH, AND DOUBT WILL STARVE TO DEATH

We Need God in America Again

Supremacy of God or Lordship of Christ

Notes from Church Sunday Jan 18, 2009 Continuance of belonging to God's Family
Ephesians 5:2

Collossians 1:15-23

15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

Lordship of Christ.

It is one thing to Ask Jesus to be our Saviour but it is completely another Thing to ask Jesus to be our Lord as in Driver in our Life as we take the backseat. As in to give HIM complete control over our lives making HIM the controller of our Lives. And yes in the flesh that is a very hard thing to do.

With Jesus though we Can do this. Though we are bound to sometimes mess up and forget Jesus is there helping us gain our footing and get back on track.

With Jesus Christ We can do this and be purely submissive to God. Jesus had no form that we would be at all drawn to when HE came to earth. He was an ordinary man. He may have had a big nose He wasn't black he wasn't white or oriental he was a Jewish man.

HE was the First born and the only Born of the new Covenant and has authority over all. HE is the Creator the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and was before the universe was ever created. HE Holds all things Together. If it where not for HIM there would be no gravity no atmosphere no nothing HE keeps everything moving and going the way it should be.

Jesus was in absolute fact God come to earth as a man so that we could have a human form to look to instead of an unseen God.
Some do have an image for Jesus but we in actual fact do not know what HE looked like there were no photos in that day to be taken. We just know HE was Jewish. But Because HE came in the Flesh we have an Image to look to which helps us walk with HIM much easier.

HE is the head of the Kingdom of God. He was the Restoration of the Way God created it to be in the Garden of Eden before Sin.

God was pleased to have all HIS fullness Dwell in Jesus Christ.

Reconciliation only comes from the blood Jesus shed on the cross bringing peace in our lives. Lordship is saying I will do all I can to live for you My Holy Father in Heaven. Which we all struggle with but Jesus removes all blemishes and problems from our life everyday even if we mess up again God now sees us as washed clean by Jesus As HIS children it is no longer held against us. That is the power of Sacrifice and that Is Grace.

Now Here's the Catch Pls read on.

The catch is our Share in the wor k of Christ.
WE must receive HIS Salvation and Allow HIM to be Lord of OUR WHOLE LIFE.
Or we will remain unchanged.

The Lordship is to help us everyday to walk and be more like Jesus Christ

2 ways to not be in Lordship are
-first to not receive the salvation
-secondly to not receive the Lordship. Or in other words to not walk with God.

The only sin that keeps anyone from eternity or the only sin that you will have to ask Christ into your heart again is

By grieving the Holy spirit by saying I don't want you Lord I don't need you Lord by turning your face away and abandoning HIM remember God never abandons you only you can abandon HIM. It is Only By stepping away from our HEAVENLY FATHER that you will lose your right to eternity or that you will have to give your life back to Christ again once you realize you have done this almost like the prodigal son or daughter.. GOD IS WAITING FOR YOU TO RETURN TO HIM .

If you give up the hope of the gospel you give up your right to know Jesus Christ and enter into eternity with HIM.

Know this not one person in the judgment days will be left never hearing the gospel everyone will have the chance to hear the Gospel of the Lord.

Lordship associates someone as being over us. WE can't say to God If I want to then I 'm doing it or If I want it I'm getting it no longer because you are not your own boss any more If you've made Jesus Christ Lord of your Life.

We Struggle with this because the World has made desires turned the wrong way. For Ex God made intimate relationships as a gift to us a marriage as being united as one in marriage. But we've twisted it into something it totally was not meant to be.

We Need to say not my will but yours be done in all things and in all areas of our lives.

Even if we don't want it or it f eels like we don't for our Father is in charge we must submit to HIM in Everything.

Remember this God will never let you down. but people as in friends, strangers, teachers, parents, children, siblings, family so on and so forth occasionally will. But once again I repeat GOD WILL NEVER WILL.

HE's the Best one to be in Charge of your Life. HE will NEVER EVER EVER EVER LET YOU DOWN. Even though at times it feels like HE has let you down in the flesh here HE has not you may have to change your perspective on things to understand exactly what HE is doing in your life.

Put your trust completely in God. Submit to God Receive HIM.
HIS plan is the best plan for your Life.

God's Ideas are better then our own and always will be.

To submit means to place ourselves under someone else.
Who else better to submit to then our KING?

IS HE YOUR KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS??

Meaning God's in charge it's how it was always supposed to be. But Remember God gave us free will to choose and make our own decisions even if they are not the right ones sometimes.

The flesh does not like to hear that we must submit to anyone or anything so we must check our attitude every day more then once or twice even more then that sometimes.

Pray to be like minded in the Lord.

Our Attitude should be the same as Jesus' Christ's attitude

Are you willing to give Everything to God?

To Recognize everything belongs to God? ALL OUR Possessions belong to God, money,relationships, Goals, Desires, Things everything belongs to God nothing is ours we are only stewards over what we have on earth even the very voices we have Belong to God.

Please God first Follow God not what you want but always what God wants Don't think about pleasing yourself or anybody else first. Please GOD FIRST.

Our IDEA SHOULD BE THE SAME AS GOD's as in LORD I PUT YOU FIRST IN MY LIFE AND I WILL COME AND GO WHERE YOU TELL ME TO I WILL DO WHAT YOU LEAD ME TO DO I WILL EAT WHAT YOU WANT ME TO EAT. I WILL SAY WHAT YOU WANT ME TO SAY.

Jesus Christ Gave HIMSELF so every knee shall bow and every tongue Confess that HE IS LORD.

What Areas in your life do you need to turn over to God that you have not yet turned over or that you have taken back? Once you figure this out Turn them over to God once more and then Leave them in HIS hands to do with them as HE sees the best thing to do.

is it an "I" or an "i" Relationship with God? What do you have?

Do You Want To Belong to The Perfect Family?

Notes from the night service Jan 4,2009

Being Like Christ
______________

Ephesians 5:2
Romans 3:10-27

To be fully like Jesus we must fully Rely On God not ourselves
We are all equal in Christ. No one is different in the eyes of God.

We must all start with a humble heart and recognize the power of God by seeing how we were before we became saved to now when we know Christ and we should live a life of gratitude.

We as Christ Followers do not want to take anything away from the cross. Once you have changed your heart to a heart of God you are saved ant that is all that is needed.

We Owe Everything to God. God owes us nothing. We are the righteousness of Christ. We can not measure our salvation by the deeds we do in life.

No matter what we have done in the past God sees us as washed in Jesus blood even if we make a mistake now in our Christian walk with Thee. HE sees us as washed in Christ's blood.

Before we knew God we all started at the same place. No one in this world is perfect no one can measure up to God so that makes the salvation of the Lord very very important.

Always rely on God's Grace for HE brings about full and complete salvation.

1.Faith 2.Justified, 3. Grace. 4. Redemption 5. Sacrifice 6. Atonement

Allow God to buy you back from captivity with the price HE already gave the blood of HIS son Jesus Christ on the cross.

God wants the relationship with us that HE intended for us to have in the very beginning the relationship that HE had with Adam and Eve in the beginning. HE wants to walk with us.

Jesus should be made the lover of your soul

Motivation to follow Christ in all things and be like HIM is deepened can and will be deepened by the Gratitude we have and by what we OWE HIM as HIS children. And by doing what HE asked us to do and by knowing and believing in what HE has done for us too.

The Challenge is to thank Jesus everyday and know that in doing this HE will make you Happy for only God can fully give you happiness.

Increase your Gratitude to Christ

Know this not one person on this earth can tell you if you are saved or not not a pastor or a priest not a friend or family member No one can tell you this only the HOLY SPIRIT can conform that in your life.

Many people make the mistake that because Jesus Christ came to earth and died on the cross and rose again that that means the old testament has been abolished this is not so

In Actual Fact Jesus did not come to abolish the old testament but to fulfill it.

Jan 11, 2009 notes from night service
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Part 2
To Be Christian

Progression of Our Relationship to God
_________________________________________

Eph 5:2

The Idea Of Adoption as God sees it is not the same as the world sees it.

We Are HIS children and Heirs of Christ. God sees adoption differently then we do.

A spiritual adoption is a complete transformation of our lives.

Adopted people that are adopted in this world into other families always hit a point in their life where they begin to ask questions. Who do I really belong to? What should I really be like? Who do I look like my mom or my dad? Why did I get adopted? Why did my parents give me up? and so on and so forth and sometimes they even get resentful and move away from the family that made them part of their family and loves them as such.



Adam and Eve messed up and stepped outside the Family that we should've belonged to all along that we should've had rights to all along. This is why we are born into sin but we do have a spiritual adoption that is being offered to us. Do you know that God chose you and decided to shower you in HIS love and HIS power and HIS blessings?

There is the offer of being adopted into the Lord's Family but it is up to us it is our choice to step into it and say ok I'm a Christian I am a child of the Most HIGH I belong to HIS family.

Yes Being called a Christ one in the beginning was intended for evil but God Turned it into something that is now good and used for Good This is a compliment.

Children are perceptive and see things. Earthly Fathers are not Perfect they never will be how we perceive God in the beginning has to do with how we view our Earthly fathers.

What you believe or not believe this msges do get stuck in our heads about how God is because of relationships that we have with our earthly Father But GOD IS A PERFECT FATHER HE loves us to the fullest of HIS capacity more then any earthly father ever could and would never hurt you. Our HEAVENLY FATHER adopts us. WE all strive for a relationship with God even if you do not know it yet it is true.

Once we come to Christ God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing with Christ HE CHOSE US before the creation of the world even began to be in HIS Family. HE chose for us to be adopted in Christ. Through Christ God made a provision that everyone could be part of the Family of God. Many do not understand Spiritual adoption This is God's desire for all of us if we belong to Christ.

We are of abraham's seed if we are born again children of God Even though we are not Jewish (there were other scripture verses I wasn't able to write them down sorry)


Eph 5:8

From a Stranger we enter into relationship with God.

Servant= someone in the captivity and slavery of the Law a law we can not ever fulfill.

We go from being a servant to being a friend in Christ no longer bound by law.

Romans 8 somewhere.

Ephe 1:2 We are dearly loved from the beginning of time God wanted you (HE gave you something to Fulfill and gave you a purpose in life)

We have the opportunity to bring others to the table and to be part of the family we are God's child we can invite others to be God's child too.

God transforms us from the inside out. First in Spiritual then in the will then the mind then the body.

God works on spirit soul then body. By will power alone we can not do it. But through the spirit we can the spirit and mind are constantly at battle with each other. Once we recognize this we recognize that there is grace.

God's grace and blood continue to cover us. That doesn't mean we do what we want but it means that when we do mess up God has a Father's Love a Perfect FATHER'S LOVE that continues to watch and wait and will continue to love you while your still learning how to walk in Christ.

If we counted all of our sins it would break our relationship with our Heavenly Father making our adoption into the Lord's Family Null and Void. When you are with Jesus you are part of the family. Your Sins are washed clean.

We have the tendency to settle for things of the flesh and not things of God. We must ask God to move on our behalf and give us HIS full promises.

God loves and Accepts us completely. Based on our relationship with Jesus Christ. WE are in the Family we only now have to worry about how to honour the Father how to talk and how to Act in HIS name.

WE need to learn how to receive that love and give it back.

The Challenge is to receive God's Love.

FOR HE chose us from the beginning of time HE is A PERFECT FATHER AND HAS PERFECT LOVE.

KNOW this we are all Brothers and sisters in the Lord and we should treat each other as such with respect and love for all

What is Center in your Life?

Every Year I set personal goals for myself whether it is to lose weight, spend more quality time with the kids, be more nicer to unlovable people, every year those are some of the things I want to accomplish. However, year after year Where do I always end up putting God? usually on the back burner. We all go through life and we tend to forget about those things we don't see paying close attention to what is directly in front of us and forgetting all the rest. This year I urge everyone to remember and pay attention to the things that maybe you don't see, the things you have buried deep within yourself or the things you have forgotten about whether it be a loved one who you don't hear much from and don't see because of distance or a promise to get to that garden out in the back of your house that you have neglected.
But most importantly how about GOD? where do we put God in our life? We look around and we notice his creation but do we think....God created this? do we even seem to care? Obviously God is invisible and we get so busy with our lives that we may put him on the back burner too....I urge everyone to take him off the back burner and put him on the front and center of your mind daily. because that is where he belongs. YES, God is invisible but if you allow God to be front and center in your life you will be able to SEE God work in your life and you will also be able to feel the magnificent power of God.
I urge everyone to put God center in their life Leaning only on him and let him work many miracles!

Where is our Desire for Jesus?

We Have to FIGHT for JOY
JOY is a Fruit of the Spirit / Only God Can Create JOY

PSALM 90:15
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.

We are Wired to seek Joy. We seek God for Joy but we never really seek God for God.
Sin Perverts our desire for God making us look for Gifts from him but not desiring God for God.

LUKE 11:39
Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.

In Luke 11:39 we see There was a sense of DUTY but not a sense of DESIRE.

*Conversion is a Creation of New DESIRES Not New DUTIES
NEW delights Not Just New Deeds.

**IF YOU DON'T DESIRE GOD YOUR NOT TRULY SAVED!

Where is our Desire for JESUS?
1 Cor. 16:22 Says:
If anyone does not love the Lord—a curse be on him. Come, O Lord^[a]!

TO LOVE you have to DESIRE. so, in order to LOVE the Lord you would have to DESIRE him.


HEBREWS 10:32-39

32But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. 35Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 36For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. 37For,

"Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him."

39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

WAYS TO FIGHT FOR JOY:

1) RECALL (vs. 32)

remember back when you had joy @ conversion / compassion drives to recall (vs. 34)

REV. 3:3 says:

Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
: So, Remember What you USE To do.


2) Joy Will Start to Bring Confidence (vs. 35)
Freedom in Speaking , Freedom in speaking up about Jesus, Not scared and not ashamed when you have Joy.

Philemon 1:6 says;
I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

When we share our Faith the more understanding we will acquire!

Why Memorize Scripture?

I found this somewhere and thought it might be helpful to everyone.


1. To avoid sin.
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee."
Psalm 119:11

2. Out of obedience.
"My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
Keep my commandments, and live;
and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Bind them upon thy fingers,
write them upon the table of thine heart."
Proverbs 7:1-3

3. In order to resist the devil
In Matthew 4 , Jesus was tempted three times by the devil, and each time He quoted scripture back saying "it is written...". In the end (v. 11) the devil left Him. We too can do that, if we lay up His words in our heart through memorization. John 14:26 says: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."

4. To teach our children.
"And these words,
which I command thee this day,
shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children,
and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house,
and when thou walkest by the way,
and when thou liest down,
and when thou risest up.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7

5. To be prepared to share the Gospel
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
and be ready always to give an answer to
every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you
with meekness and fear:
1 Peter 3:15
We are commanded to put on the armor of God which includes putting on shoes of preparation to share the Gospel. Ephesians 6:15 says "And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." Memorization is one way to be prepared to share the Gospel.
That you may answer. Proverbs 22:20-21 says "Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou might answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?"

6. To overcome our own will
Then I said, I will not make mention of him,
nor speak any more in his name.
But his word was in mine heart
as a burning fire shut up in my bones,
and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Jeremiah 20:9
In this time of Jeremiah's life, God's word had been made a "reproach" and a "derision" daily. So Jeremiah had a bad attitude and decided that he was no longer going to speak out for God. But God's word was burning inside him, and he could not stay silent.

A Call To Dance Undignified!!