PROMISE OF THE MONTH:
ROMANS 8:37
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (N.I.V.)
BOOK RIVIEW QUOTE:
Living in the Spirit means that I trust the Holy Spirit to do in me what I cannot do myself. It is not a case of trying, but of trusting; not a case of struggling, but of resting in Him,” (p. 26, “Secrets to Spiritual Power,” by Watchman Nee.)
PASTORS’ LETTER: “CELEBRATION OF LOVE.”
February is the celebration of love in American culture by celebrating Valentine’s Day. We express our love in various ways. We do it with flowers, cards, chocolates, being one of my personal favorites, along with many other types of expressions.
The very nature of love is demonstrated with expression. Likewise, when we love God, it's demonstrated by the act of obedience. “He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me;…” (John 14:21). A heart after God is love in action.
Love cannot be contained. Love is always expressing itself. This is the nature of love, and even more so with the love of God. I have heard people say that “My religion is personal and private to me.” This is to mean, “I don't talk about it.” This is not what the Bible says, “Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32,33).
The theme of my heart ought to be, “Look what the Lord has done!” This is the shout out of the heart touched and filled with the love of God. His love never grows old and it never runs dry. There is a continual newness of His love as we pursue Him with all of our heart.
Song of Solomon 7:10, “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me.”
The river of joy and delight in His love makes us complete in ways no other love can!
Song of Solomon 8:7, “Many waters cannot quench love, nor will rivers overflow it; if a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would be utterly despised.”
May we all soar to new heights never imagined in His glorious love!
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Just as the old saying goes that, “Jesus is the reason for the season!” May we celebrate this Christmas season honoring our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! How grateful we are for the wondrous gift of Jesus to save us from our sins! One of my longtime favorite Christmas songs is “O Holy Night.” I find the line, Long lay the world in sin and error pining, till He appeared, and the soul felt its worth.” Does our soul feel it's worth? Where would we be without the love, grace, and truth found in the Lord Jesus Christ?
May a jealous heart after God fill our heart this Christmas season to exalt the name of Jesus as our chief focus this Christmas. May we teach our little ones the true meaning of Christmas and fully celebrate in the glorious joy of the Lord.
Christmas will always stay young in our hearts celebrated in its true meaning and purpose - the gift of Jesus!
“And the Angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. And the Angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, (Luke 2:9-11).
Scripture Reference:
Numbers 25:6-13
Note: A jealous heart after God empowers us to put to death the deeds of the flesh and the way of the world.
PROMISE OF THE MONTH:
JEREMIAH 32:17:
“Ah Lord God! Behold, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth by Thy great power and by Thine outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for Thee.”
BOOK RIVIEW QUOTE:
New book in January!
PASTORS’ LETTER: “LET US GIVE THANKS.”
Here we are quickly approaching Thanksgiving November 28th, 2024! This is when people get together and celebrate life, family and friends, football and the like. I personally have fond memories of quail hunting with my Dad and my brother Bob. I started carrying a loaded shotgun in the field at nine years old. The thought gives me cold chills today! The times were different in those days. I think even young kids were more mature in those days. Maybe not. I treasure the memories of Thanksgiving past.
Thanksgiving ought to be the very spirit about us in Christ. There is so much in scripture about giving thanks to the Lord our God. It's a major theme in the word of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In everything give thanks; For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.”
THE SEVEN PERFECTING ATTRIBUTES OF GIVING THANKS:
LET US GIVE THANKS!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Yours-in-Christ, Pastor Ron.
PROMISE OF THE MONTH:
HABAKKUK 2:3
“For the vision is yet for the appointed time, it hastens towards the goal, and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.”
BOOK RIVIEW QUOTE:
“Let us confine ourselves to this chief thought: Prayer is an appeal to the friendship of God.” (pg. 61).
“With Christ in the School of Prayer,” by Andrew Murray.
PASTORS’ LETTER: “PRAYER TIME.”
John 14:13
“And whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
The heart that finds the answer to prayer is the one who seeks for the glory of God.
This was the purpose of Jesus during His time upon the earth: to do the will of the Father and to seek after His glory. The attitude of the righteous is to glorify the Father. Our very reason for living is to glorify the Lord our God. We live for the will of God, and for His glory.
Because we give up ourselves while living in this life, He provides us with the promises and blessings of His Kingdom. Those who live for Him have the privilege of living in the Kingdom of God.
The strength of God is found in the heart given to this attitude of desire. The provision of grace will flow to us no matter the hardship nor the difficulty. This could vary depending upon the circumstances we may be experiencing at the time. I'm not saying that there are times when this may not be easily found. At times we must dig deeper into prayer and faith for it to come about. All in all, the Holy Spirit will see to it that the provisions come.
All fear will be overcome. The fiery darts of uncertainty will be replaced with a trusting peace of God. An overcoming expectation begins to fill our heart. A knowledge of being “held in His hands” comes to light.
A revelation of the Spirit speaks loudly to my heart, that I am safely in His hands. An inner knowledge bears witness to me that the fulfillment of the promise of God is coming.
An ability {Dunamis power) to wait on God with expectation of heart strengthens me with assurance. I’m empowered by the spirit of grace to stand in confidence beholding the One who made the promise.
The victory of promise is on the way - Hallelujah!
Sincerely Yours, Pastor Ron.
PROMISE OF THE MONTH:
GALATIANS 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.”
BOOK RIVIEW QUOTE:
“The man who is entirely consecrated to God and His will finds the power to claim everything that His God has promised to be for him.”
(pg. 171).
“With Christ in the School of Prayer,” by Andrew Murray.
PASTORS’ LETTER: “THE LIFE I NOW LIVE.”
Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered himself up for me.”
This is a definitive statement of truth whether I feel like it or not! We were in Christ when he suffered and died upon the cross. “I have been crucified with Christ…” the power of sin and the old man Adam have been loosed from me, where I am no longer obligated to obey its lust.
In like manner, “the life which I now live,” that as Jesus was raised from the dead, I too was in Him. The position in which I am now found is being in Jesus; now to be made manifest in me. This is implemented by the power of the Holy Spirit; and it comes about for the one who is willing to believe for it. The intention of God is that the life of Jesus be duplicated in us.
My first motivation in receiving this blessed duplication is to glorify His name. The Lord Jesus is replicated all around the world through His people. An action taken or a reaction made in the power of His person exalts the Lord Jesus and makes the reality of Him undeniable to others. The word “life,” is implied and not in the Greek text. The word “live,” is the Greek word “zao,” Which means “living’ or ‘to be alive in or with’. We are alive unto God with Christ. We have dwelling within us the resource of all power and life of Christ. There are times we feel tested beyond our own strength. We need not to despair, because at that end of our strength comes the provision of the life of Jesus within us. This is the blessing for those who live by faith. In whatever way I need Him the Holy Spirit will manifest His attribute of strength to overcome. My weakness is released, and His provision is made manifest. To believe takes no strength of flesh in myself. It's a surrender of heart that says, “Yes Lord, I receive from You today!” Let us activate our faith and expect the provision in the place of our weakness.
Sincerely Yours, Pastor Ron.
PROMISE OF THE MONTH:
Hebrews 7:25:
“He ever liveth to make intercession for them.”
BOOK RIVIEW QUOTE:
“The Christian life is no longer a vain struggle to live right, but a resting in Christ to find strength in Him as Life. He helps us fight and gain the victory of faith!”
(pg. 192).
“With Christ in the School of Prayer,” by Andrew Murray.
PASTORS’ LETTER: “SPIRITUAL DIGNITY.”
“Dignity,” according to the dictionary means, “the state or quality of being worthy of honor or respect,” “stateliness/noble/worthiness/ ranking.”
This is a quality of behavior we strive after, receive from our God, and expect among those who make a claim to being in Jesus.
Now here is an old word we hear very little about these days! The word “dignity.” This is especially true in the woke culture of society today. Any ethical standards of proper behavior has long been abandoned. Even the sense of shame for improper behavior has vanished from our society altogether.
The worse part about it all is the church reflecting the same standards as the world. The reason being is that the world has entered into the church itself! If the church wants the presence of the Lord and the moving of the Holy Spirit, it must hold to Biblical standards of right and wrong.
However, to be honest, I'm not even convinced that every church wants the presence of God and the moving of the Holy Spirit. They are well content and happy with just having church. If the crowd holds up and the money flows, then what more do you want in church! (A hint of sarcasm).
The work of spiritual dignity arises out of possessing right and true desires ruling over our heart and mind. The foundation of all true spiritual desire is rooted in two fundamental aspects of being in Christ:
John 13:34, 35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
This is a command to be walked out on a daily basis.
Ephesians 4:1-3: “I, THEREFORE, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
It takes the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts to be ruled by these works of grace. When Jesus has our hearts, we rise above the petty annoyances and irritations that daily come our way. To live in love and to walk in unity becomes our chief ambition in life. This is the empowerment of His love through the Holy Spirit, that causes us to overcome. The temptations toward strife and division, quarrels with others are always present. We all think, feel, and see things differently from one another. We might even struggle with the thinking, “Our opinions are always right!” (God forbid to think so highly of ourselves.)
Spiritual maturity gives us a heart to lay down our lives and treat others as more important than ourselves. The experience of being “continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit,” becomes a preeminence in desire for the righteous. (Acts 13:52).
We have greater goals in Christ other than to “be right” all the time. A greater destiny than to “win the argument,” or insist upon having “our way.”
Jesus is our Lord and Savior. The Master of our heart, and our chief desire is to, “…be pleasing to the Lord,” (Ephesians 5:10).
May the victory and glory be ours in Christ!
Sincerely Yours, Pastor Ron.
PROMISE OF THE MONTH
Isaiah 40:31
“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired they will walk and not become weary.”
BOOK RIVIEW QUOTE:
“Disciples of Jesus! You are called to be like your Lord in His priestly intercession!”
(pg. 205).
“With Christ in the School of Prayer,” by Andrew Murray.
PASTORS’ LETTER: “LET YOURSELF BE SMEARED.”
1John 2:27:
“And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.”
“Anointing,” Greek word which means, “unction.”
Its root word means: “to smear.”
The Holy Spirit smears the way of truth, life, love and obedience upon you, resulting in abiding in Him. This power is given to all those who seek to follow Jesus with their whole heart. He leads them on “in the everlasting way.”
Invite the Holy Spirit into your issue. Invite him into your situation, circumstance, conflict, or need. This was a faith proclamation and released in the spirit last Sunday. It still burns upon my heart. The Holy Spirit is the great compensator for the righteous.
Whatever our lack may be in all matters and things of life, He comes to compensate. From personal matters pertaining to all of life… spiritual, intellectual, character, personality, talent, intelligence, and ability- he is the great compensator.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit brings uplifting abilities and talents transforming us to be more than we ever could be within ourselves. God is glorified in making us shining testimonies to his praise. A vast reservoir of wisdom, knowledge, ability, and strength comes to the righteous.
I encourage us all to reach out to believe God beyond the traditional realms of faith and need, to possess a bold daring spirit enlarged with a willingness to believe God.
PROMISE OF THE MONTH
Isaiah 42:16 "And I will lead the blind by the way they do not know. In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them, and rugged places plains."
Isaiah 43:19 "Behold, I will do something new. Now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it?"
NOTE: Take these promises and claim them for yourself, and over our miracle prayer requests.
BOOK REVIEW QUOTE:
“Learn to give God time"
God will lead us from faith to vision; we will see His glory" (pg. 122)
With Christ in the School of Prayer, by Andrew Murray
Pastor's Letter : "GRIEVING THE HOLY SPIRIT"
Ephesians 4:30: "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
"grieve", 3076 is the Greek word, "Lupeol", which means, "to distress, to grieve, cause sorrow."
Oh, may the Lord bless us as we seek a deeper life of love and obedience found in Christ Jesus our Lord!
Just as the word says, "trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:10)
This is an amazing statement made about our actions grieving the very work of redemption within ourselves. We have been put into the hands of the Holy Spirit to provide every work of power to keep us in Jesus.
The work of the Holy Spirit also provides us with power to serve and live an overcoming life in Christ. His work among the saints and in the congregation brings a refreshing atmosphere, with many manifestations.
It's important that we not grieve the work of the Holy Spirit. Herein common hindrances to Him:
1. A critical spirit: Judging everyone and everything.
2. Fear or prejudice against His supernatural movement: The Holy Spirit can sometimes have a "funny" effect upon people. We may not judge things strictly according to our own experience.
3. An outspoken controlling spirit: These are people who know more than anyone else. I have a minister friend who called them "church bosses."
4. A lack of Holy desire: When we first get saved as a babe in Christ, we can be carnal. However, we cannot stay carnal the whole of our Christian life. There are many more areas of grieving, but these four are foundational in stopping the Holy Spirit. The Spirit comes where He is welcomed and given an open invitation. This is both personally as a congregation.
May the Holy Spirit have His way, and abundant blessing come upon us all!
PROMISE OF THE MONTH
II Timothy 4:18 "The Lord will deliver me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen"
BOOK REVIEW QUOTE:
“Prayer must often be 'heaped up' until God sees that its measure is full". Taken from, With Christ in the School of prayer, by Andrew Murray, pg. 119
Pastor's Letter : "The Throne of Grace"
Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need."
A throne is a place of rule and authority over a domain. The domain of God is the life of the believer. All those in Christ are under the leadership and Lordship of Jesus Christ. Where His dominion is meant to reign over the subjects of His kingdom.
The Greek word for grace is, "Charis". The basic definition of the word is "favor", "gift" or "credited to". All the finished work of Jesus belongs to the citizens of the kingdom. The victory, power, and authority of the Lord Jesus flows into our lives by the grace of God. The Holy Spirit seeks to expand our perspective and understanding in this truth. So, we might believe and expect the grace of God, which means, to rely upon the grace of God for every need.
To "draw near," is a faith action. The Greek word for this phrase is, "proserchomai," meaning, "come to" or "agree". By acting upon the promise of God a fresh supply and new provision of grace is always available for us.
An invitation has been given to all of us. May we act upon the word of promise boldly with confidence of faith to receive power, victory, and authority like never before.
PROMISE OF THE MONTH
II Thessalonians 3:16 – “Now may the Lord of peace himself continually grant you
peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all!”
BOOK REVIEW
“With Christ in the School of Prayer” – Andrew Murray
Quote: “The first thing the Lord teaches His disciples is that they must have a
secret place for prayer. Everyone must have some solitary spot where he can be
alone with his God. Every teacher must have a school room.” (pgs. 23, 24)
THE MOVING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Allow me to say first off that I am no expert on the Holy Spirit. However, the
scriptures lay out before us the criteria to receiving an outpouring among us as a
body of believers.
I love the Holy Spirit more and more as I go forward in the Lord. He so desires to
make himself known to us in a fuller way. In the early church they possessed an
acute awareness of the Holy Spirit. “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to
us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials” (Acts 15:28) It’s very
clear that they consulted with the Holy Spirit concerning these issues. The reality
of the third person of the Trinity causes us to understand he is not an “it”, a
“thing” or an “influence” from God. He is God, to be known, and to have fellowship
with us, “…And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all…” (II Corinthians
13:14) These are not mere words but an intention of God for us in Christ. The Holy
Spirit is such a joy to experience as a believer!
A FIVE-FOLD CRITERIA FOR AN OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Spiritual temperature.
The Holy Spirit does not move among a people who have a ho-hum heart attitude. To
be spiritually satisfied without a hungry heart toward the things of God is to be
spiritually dead. This attitude is clearly captured in the book of Malachai. “…The
table of the Lord is defiled, and as for its fruit, its food is to be despised. You
also say, my, how tiresome it is! And you disdainfully sniff at it…” (Malachai
1:12,13)
The heart of Jesus made it abundantly clear who may eat at the table of the Lord.
“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying,
‘If any man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink’.” (John 7:37) The hungry and
thirsty of heart seek for all one can receive from the Lord. The Holy Spirit comes
to fulfill those holy and good desires for anointing, grace, gifts, and power
promised in Christ.
Unity of heart
On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were in the upper room seeking the Lord
together. They were under the command to wait until the promise of the Father came
upon them. They were in unity of heart, mind, and faith calling upon the Lord.
“These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer…” (Acts
1:14). The atmosphere and spiritual temperature had to be made right to receive
what was in store for them.
Prayer with faith
They devoted themselves to prayer, seeking along with other believers that God would
fulfill His promise. We must pray the prayer of faith waiting in expectancy to
receive from the Lord. The Holy Spirit wants to move in power among his people.
The prayer of faith starts with asking for more and seeking for more! To cry out to
God because we must have more from his hand!
The Holy Spirit will not be controlled by us
There are many who want the Holy Spirit in power. However, they want him and his
work on their terms. They want the move of God the way they want it, that is,
convenient to their wishes. The Brownsville revival started on Easter Sunday. He
came in a totally unexpected way. How inconvenient for him to come on Easter
Sunday! After all, “We have Easter plans!” Believe it or not, some people got mad
because the service extended on. The revival started on Easter Sunday and lasted for
five years with thousands of lives being saved, healed, delivered, and transformed!
I don’t know but maybe coming on Easter Sunday was a test?
Don’t lose what you got
It’s very clear in scripture we can go backwards instead of going forward. We become
satisfied and distracted if we do not continue going forward.
“And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit”.
(Acts 13:52)
The baptism in the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues is one of the greatest
blessings of my life! I find praying in the spirit essential to intercessory prayer
and seeking the face of God.
In I Corinthians 14:13, Paul says, “…I shall pray with the spirit, and I shall pray
with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit and I shall sing with the mind
also.”
We are called to be worshipers in the presence of the Lord. I’m not talking about
Sunday morning worship. The call to seek the Lord in prayer and worship on a daily
continual basis brings us into Holy Spirit power. We become led by the Spirit and
equipped by the Spirit in His anointing to accomplish the work of the Kingdom.
May we seek what has been given to us with a humble wholehearted faith in receiving
this second blessing of grace given to all believers.