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Our Hope is in Eternity!

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  Our Hope Is In Eternity LUKE 21:15-22 'But there shall not an hair of your head perish.  In your patience possess ye your souls.'   Luke 21:18-19 Jesus says the disciples were betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, friends, and some disciples were even put to death. Yet,  the amazing statement of Christ is that not a hair of their head will perish . The context of this statement speaks of some of the disciples dying, so  this is not a promise that no physical harm will ever come .  This could only refer to the resurrection.   The Greek word for 'resurrection' means 'a standing or rising up.'  The resurrection is a major theme of New Testament teaching.  Out of the 13 sermons in the book of Acts, 11 stress or imply the resurrection.   The hope of the believer is the resurrection.  The natural, earthly, terrestrial, corrupt, weak, mortal, vile body is said to be  raised, changed and fashioned into a spiritual, heavenly, cele...

Focus on God’s Word!

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  Focus on God’s Word Scripture: Psalm 19:7–8, NKJV “The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living.”  (Psalm 19:7–8, NKJV) Focusing on what the Spirit desires is critical to having Son Power work in and through us. Such focus leads to a progressive transformation of the soul to be more Christlike in attitude, desire, and behavior. It is through the promises of God that we are able to tap into his divine plans and purposes. His Word gives us the wisdom we need to make right choices. Meditating on the promises of God revives our soul, makes us wise, brings joy to our heart, and gives us insight. It is through His Word that we learn that we are living in a perishing world and that we have the opportunity to convert the world’s perishable items of  time, talent, and trea...

Know How Precious You Are!

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  Know How Precious You Are “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” — Ephesians 1:18  Reflection Paul was praying that you and I would know how precious we are to God the Father. Beloved, inside you there is something so beautiful, more beautiful than a diamond or a sunset. Paul spoke of what is inside us as the riches of God’s glory. We are the Father’s inheritance. When Jesus gave His life on the cross, He did not do it just to forgive us. He did it to redeem us and purchase us for Himself. We are His inheritance. We are what He gave His life for. We are what He shed His blood for. God sent Messiah to shed His blood to purchase you. You are important beyond any words that could be used. Paul was praying that you and I would have revelation to understand how special we are to Father. Our importance, our value, and our significance are so m...

All Things Have Become New!

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  All Things Have Become New Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV “ If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV) “ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ And He said to me, ‘Write, for these words are true and faithful.’ ” (Revelation 21:5, NKJV) Truly, we serve a God who is always doing something new! The Bible teaches that when we are born of the Spirit of God we: are qualified to share in the inheritance of the saints are delivered from the power of the evil one do not come into judgment pass from death to eternal life are transferred into a new paradigm of the kingdom of Jesus Christ in whom we have the forgiveness of sin It is a new life! However, God has not finished making all things new. The time is coming when the present earth and heavens will also pass away, and he will make a new heaven and earth. This world is passing away; the rulers and wisdom o...

Live by Higher Grace!

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  Live by Higher Grace “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned.” — Luke 6:37 Reflection Jesus was revealing the way of His kingdom, and this kingdom was full of grace. When someone did evil against you, the response now called for forgiveness instead of bitterness, love instead of hatred, and mercy instead of judgment. Jesus was calling His followers to a higher level, revealing more of Himself and showing them how life in His kingdom was to be lived. He reminded His followers, ““In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”” (Matthew 7:12). That poses a problem for us because the truth is that we rarely want an equal return. Too often we live by a double standard. When we do something wrong, we want forgiveness. But when someone does us wrong, our natural, human tendency is to hold that person to the Law. We want the person...

From Weakness to Son Power!

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  From Weakness to Son Power Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:42–44, NLT “Our earthly bodies are planted in the ground when we die, but they will be raised to live forever. Our bodies are buried in brokenness, but they will be raised in glory. They are buried in weakness, but they will be raised in strength.   They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.”  (1 Corinthians 15:42–44, NLT) “ Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! ” (Matthew 13:43, NKJV) “ You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. ” (1 John 4:4, NKJV) “ But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”  (Isaiah 40:31) Those who embra...

Belonging Fully to Him!

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  Belonging Fully to Him “I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk.” — Song of Songs 5:1  Reflection There are times when the winds of suffering blow across our lives. Yet receiving from the Spirit in those times can cause a greater sense of God’s presence and power to flow from us. Scripture tells us that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and His nearness can be felt by us and even by others near us. Clinging to God in our sufferings produces a fragrance pleasing to Christ. In Song of Songs 4:16, the maiden cries out, ‘May my beloved come into his garden and eat its choice fruits.’ This is a woman who exists for her husband. Something has shifted in her heart. She is no longer living primarily for herself. She is becoming His. The Bridegroom recognizes this change. In Song of Songs 5:1, He repeatedly uses the word my: my garden, my sister, my br...