Church!

Church!

The last Sunday of the year - let it be in church!

A good day to examine ourselves, make things right, and set our goals to live for Jesus in even greater ways than we did last year.

If we haven't already, today is a good day to repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus to have our sins washed away, and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:4, 38-39.

In fact, it is good if we all get refilled with the Holy Ghost to start the year off right.

Here are some verses:

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves...” - 2 Corinthians 13:5 

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." - Psalm 139:23-24 

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." - Ephesians 4:31-32 

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord... " - Hebrews 12:14

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 

"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;" - Colossians 1:10 

"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers." - Ephesians 4:29 

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." - Galatians 6:9 

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." - 1 Corinthians 15:58 

A New Year

A new year. A new calendar to open and start new. An opportunity to purpose in our hearts to live for God more than we have last year…to do more in the kingdom of God – praying more, witnessing more, fulfilling our callings.

It can be a productive time of self-examination. It can be a productive time of making things right. It can be a time of repentance and receiving forgiveness. It can be a time of forgiving. 

"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:12-14 KJV

Another translation:

"I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me [made me his own]. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." - Philippians 3:12-14 NLT

What is Repentance?

 

What is Repentance? It is a change of mind, that leads to a change of heart, that leads to a change in actions. This change involves both a turning from sin and a turning to God."

This change of mind is not something that goes back and forth every day, choosing God, then choosing sin. True repentance is a life change. When we repent, we do not continue in sin, saying to ourselves that grace will keep covering our sinful lifestyle.

What does Paul say about this?

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? GOD FORBID. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 

“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE. 

“For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that HENCEFORTH WE SHOULD NOT SERVE SIN." - Romans 6:1-6 (My italics.)

Jesus gives us the gift of His Spirit so that we CAN walk in newness of life. His Spirit leads us to make changes in our life to become holy. Jesus' Spirit gives us His power to overcome temptation and live a victorious life. With His Spirit, Jesus opens our eyes to see the way of escape from temptations. Praying in every situation, and being led by His Spirit, we keep the victory.

(Acts 1:8, Romans 12:1-2, John 14:26, 1Corinthians 2:16, Ephesians 4:11-15, 1Corinthians 10:13, Romans 8:5-16, 1John 5:4).

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call." - Acts 2:38-39 

"And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." - Acts 2:4 

A New Year

Looking forward to the New Year -

"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended [I have not yet achieved it]: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14 KJV

A new year, goals to accomplish...looking forward to what God has in store for us

All Things and in Everything

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28 

"Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18

The First Step in God's Plan

 From Exploring God's Word Bible Study

Shepherds

Shepherds

"A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want." - Psalm 23:1 

"Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." - Psalm 100:3 

Just as the Lord is our shepherd, God speaks through spiritual shepherds – pastors and teachers - directing them to lead and guide his people. 

Jesus told Peter, “Feed my sheep”. (John 21:16)

Paul spoke to the elders of the church at Ephesus: -

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." - Acts 20:28 

Spiritual shepherds feed us by preaching and teaching the Word of God.

When God appeared to humanity as a baby in Bethlehem, angels announced His birth.

How fitting that God would make the first announcement of His appearing to shepherds!

"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid." - Luke 2:8-9 

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." - Luke 2:10-11 

"And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." - Luke 2:15 

"And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger." - Luke 2:16 

The shepherds were witnesses of the birth of Jesus. God would pay the price for our sins so that we could find salvation and peace with Him.

"And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child." - Luke 2:17 

The shepherds did what spiritual shepherds do today – they told everyone everywhere about Jesus.