Is Jesus Really the Head of Your Church?

I. How does your Church function?  What did its founders or denomination have in mind at its inception?  Is that still in place today?  Does it line up with the total teachings of Scripture, or just in part?

II. What is the role of its members today?  Do they function only in their natural talents or giftings of the flesh. Or are they endowed with the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit as seen in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14, Romans 12, and Ephesians 4?

III. Who comprises the leadership of your Church: the bishop, the superintendent, and the board of elders, the pastor(s), deacon(s), or worship team?  Is it hierarchical down to members or equal in priesthood?  

IV. Where do you fit in? Are your abilities, experience, or giftings (natural or supernatural) functioning?  How are they energized in your life: by the intellect, free will, emotions, or being regularly led by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14)?  Remember, operating apart from the Lord is the sin of independence (John 15:5) and Genesis 3:1-7.

V. Besides the New Birth or getting saved (John 3:16+) whereby the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within your body which now belongs to Him (Ephesians 6:19-20 and Romans 12:1-2), are you now functioning in the Supernatural Gifts of the Holy Spirit to build up His Church (Ephesians 4:12 and 15)?  If not, why not?

VI. Besides the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 does your Church also implement Mark 16:15-20 with the Lord working with you with signs and wonders being manifested?  In short, is Jesus the means by which the Holy Spirit today is directing the affairs of your Church?  How does the Lord communicate with you, or how do you hear from Him?  Are you obeying Him as He directs His Kingdom purposes in and through your Church?  

VII. What are you going to do about:

 His work?
 His timing?
 His way? and for
 His Honor and Glory?

It is Resurrection Sunday -- not Easter!

It is Resurrection Sunday -- not Easter!

I celebrate Jesus the Messiah's resurrection, not Easter (Ishtar), a fertility goddess of Babylon. That's what those eggs are all about; fertility as new life, not resurrection. 

Ishtar (in Babylon)/Asherah (in Canaan) are pagan goddesses emblematic also of Egyptian Isis and originally, Semiramis the sister/wife of Nimrod, the first world-ruler of Sumer/early Babylon. 

Easter is a pagan fraud, celebrate Resurrection Day instead, or even the Lord's festival day of Passover; but the more Christians look into Ishtar, the more uncomfortable they should become. 

Rabbits, eggs, and Easter traditions that do not focus on the Cross and the Empty Tomb are of no benefit and cause confusion in the body of Christ. 

It mixes paganism with faith in Christ and takes away from the finished work of Jesus Christ. 

In fact, the date for this celebration is to be held is on the First Sunday After the First Full Moon after the Primeval Equinox -- nothing from Holy Scripture! 

As for me and my house, we will follow the Lord -- not pagan, man's tradition! 

Four Blood Moons - Something Is About To Change

Would like to recommend a "riveting" read book by John Hagee entitled: "Four Blood Moons". 

It is about the signs of how Scripture, science, and history align with each other in a supernatural connection of certain celestial events to Biblical prophecy -- and to the future God's chosen people and to the nations of the world. In short, something big is about to happen next year in 2014 into 2015. Check it out

How to have your prayers answered!

Psalm 37:4 teaches us: "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and he shall give you the desires of your heart." Rightly understood, this means that "By delighting ourselves in the Lord, we align ourselves so closely with the Heart of the Lord and His desires, that what we end up praying for, is precisely what His intention was for us in the first place."

 And as a result, He gladly answers our prayers, and we get what we are praying for. 

So simple, but true!

Church Services in the Future 

PASTOR: Praise the Lord.

CONGREGATION: Hallelujah

PASTOR: Can we please turn our tablet PC, iPad, cellphone, kindle Bibles to 1 Cor. 13:13. And please switch on your Bluetooth to download the sermon.

PASTOR: Let us pray, committing this week into God's hands. Open your Apps, BBM, Twitter and Facebook and chat with God.

PASTOR: Please have your credit and debit cards ready as we shall now take tithes and offerings. You can log on to the church Wi-Fi using the password: Lord909887.

Ushers circulate mobile card swipe machines among the worshipers. Those who prefer to make electronic funds transfers are directed to computers and laptops at the rear of the church and those who prefer to use iPads are allowed to flip them open. Those who prefer telephone banking are allowed to take out their cellphones to transfer their contributions to the church bank account (The holy atmosphere is truly electric as the cellphones, iPads, PCs and laptops beep and flicker!)

[Announcement]

SECRETARY: This week's cell meetings shall be held on the various Facebook group pages where the usual group chatting takes place.

Please don't miss out. Thursday's bible teachings will be held live on Skype at 1900hrs GMT. Please don't miss out.

You can follow your Pastor on Twitter this weekend for counseling and prayers.

Not sure how to give “hugs” electronically.

God bless you and have a wonderful week.

The Hardest Test of All -- Success 

When we are little in our own eyes, we have room for the greatness of God.  But when we become great in our own eyes, we leave no room for God to manifest His greatness through us. When we sin and repent, however, God does forgive us.

Yet it is important for us all to remember that God’s forgiveness does not necessarily cancel all the consequences of our sins, as was the case in King David’s time of total success when he forgot the principles he lived by before he became king.  God warned him after he sinned: "Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house” (2 Samuel 12:10).

God’s Ministry of Healing

I.   Introduction: The name of “Jesus” means three things:
     1) God saves, 2) God heals,  ) God delivers.
   
      Thus, we see these qualities are a part of God´s character,    nature, and ministry.

      Examples: Matthew 4:23 – 25:

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. [24] So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. [25] And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

    Acts 10:38:

how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

II. We know, of course, that “supernatural healing” of the body is a part of God’s ways among men on earth; and that He often heals through His ministers among pagan peoples as is often seen in Africa, as He reveals to them what He wants to do supernaturally.  As they receive a revelation from Him and pray for the sick, He acts on their behalf.    

Matthew 16:15-18:

He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" [16] Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." [17] And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. [18] And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.


A. In this passage the reader sees the Father (His Spirit) revealing to Peter Who Jesus really is.  Peter then confesses his understanding of that revelation to Jesus. This process of revelation and confession is on what Jesus will build His Church.  This is the process of Faith.

B. Paul tell us the Source of Faith:

Romans 10:17:

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the (rhema) word of Christ.

1.    The word “rhema” in the Greek means a “specific word” revealed to the  individual by the Lord.
2.  The word “logos” means the general revelation of God´s whole council of God.

III. III.  Trusting God’s revealed Word:

A. Examples by Jesus:

1. Matthew 8: 5-13:

When he entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, [6] "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly." [7] And he said to him, "I will come and heal him." [8] But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word (logos), and my servant will be healed. [9] For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." [10] When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. [11] I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, [12] while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." [13] And to the centurion Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." And the servant was healed at that very moment.

  2.  Matthew 9:18-25:

While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live." [19] And Jesus rose and followed him, with his disciples. [20] And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, [21] for she said to herself, "If I only touch his garment, I will be made well." [22] Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, "Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well." And instantly the woman was made well. [23] And when Jesus came to the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, [24] he said, "Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping." And they laughed at him. [25] But when the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose.

3. Luke 17:11-19:
 
 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. [12] And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance [13] and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." [14] When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went (in obedience to His Word) they were cleansed. [15] Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; [16] and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. [17] Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? [18] Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" [19] And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith (your confidence in Me and my Word) has made you well."

4.  John 4:46-53:
   
 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. [47] When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son (had assurance in Jesus’ character and Word), for he was at the point of death. [48] So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." [49] The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies (i. e., he acted on Jesus’ Word)." [50] Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word (logos) that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. [51] As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. [52] So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." [53] The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." And he himself believed, and all his household.

5.  John 12:44-50:

And Jesus cried out and said, "Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. 45And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. 46I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. 47If anyone hears my words (rhema) and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. 48The one who rejects me and does not receive my words (rhema) has a judge; the word (logos) that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. 49For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. 50And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me."



B. Other Examples of Faith:

1. Hebrews 11:1:

    Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

2. Hebrews 11:6:

    And without faith (trust) it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.